Opt-out, 'ADV' not spam solutions
"Solutions" discussed in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere always address spam after it has gotten onto the wire. We will never be able to fully block spam sources.
Opt out? You would have to spend two hours a day opting out of each and every piece of spam--and then all that spammers have to do in order to legally send you more spam is change the URL on their servers.
Forcing companies to put "ADV" into the mail header is still forcing the end user to make decisions after receiving the mail. This means that you have to receive all e-mail, then wade through it to discard what you don't want, and then allow the program to accept messages from companies from which you don't mind getting mail. Each and every time you get e-mail, you'd still have to look at it to decide.
These "solutions" discussed in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere always address spam after it has gotten onto the wire. Technological solutions to block the source are laughable. You never will block spam sources, since people can tap into an open mail relay or set up a valid e-mail system and make it open to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Tom Philo
Portland, Ore.