Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Spam vs. junk mail

Jun 20, 2004 12:38AM PDT

Can anyone tell me why junk EMail is more restricted than junk U.S.P.S mail?
I get enough junk paper mail each week to fill a small bushel basket. That then has to go to the recycling center, which takes either a trash removal company or my travel to a recycle center.
Discussion welcome!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Re: Spam vs. junk mail
Jun 20, 2004 11:19AM PDT

USPS is required to deliver mail, period. It does not distinguish between types of mail. I asked my carrier one day to forget the junk. He explained this to me.

- Collapse -
Re: Spam vs. junk mail
Jun 20, 2004 2:45PM PDT

well, junk mail IS restricted in the sense that whoever sends has to pay to print the materials and send them out . . . unlike spam where the sender has to do neither.

I have no problem with junk postal mail, it is just one more form of advertising . . . without advertising, this would be Somalia. I may be prejudiced tho, I use "direct mail" advertising in my own business, and it is marvelously effective, I get far more bang for the buck than any other medium.

If I had a choice I would much prefer to eliminate billboards. at least, junk mail I can throw away. Sure, I wish I only got mailings for products I want to buy, but . . . how am I going to know what's out there without my tigerdirect catalog? Happy

what I truly hate about spammers is, more than half the time the links in their e mails don't work. (I'm always hoping to find a way to send them a bogus order or a nasty message) Sometimes i think these misfits send spam just to be annoying, not to actually sell anything.

--fj