We all hate spam e-mails, right? In the past, efforts to restrict it have had little or no effect. Why? Because restrictions conflict with “free speech”. Also, spammers can simply go to another country where it’s not illegal. Can The Teeming Millions come up with a Constitutional, legal, plan that will reduce spam? Maybe if we all put our heads together we can make some rules. I haven’t thought too much about it, so I expect to be shot down; but here are some thoughts:
[ul][li]Make it illegal to sell e-mail lists. Lists would still be bought and sold in other countries, but making it illegal for U.S. individuals and companies to distribute e-mail lists might be a place to start.[/li][li]Require that ISPs in the U.S. validate senders’ addresses. That is, before an e-mail can pass throughthe server, there must be software to make sure the sender’s e-mail address matches the ISP address. Also, make sure the return e-mail address is a valid address, and that the domain actually exists.[/li][li]Make the ISPs provide some sort of restitution to people whose e-mail addresses have been “spoofed”. If it costs them money, they will be more careful about sending messages.[/li][li]Make the ISPs institute methods by which people whose addresses have been erroneously “flagged” can “restore their good names”.[/li][li]Ensure that using the “opt out” option actually works.[/li][li]Make it illegal to share/sell e-mail addresses belonging to people who have used the “opt out” option.[/li][li]Require that unsolicited e-mails be “opt in” instead of “opt out”.[/li][li]Require that action be taken against spammers when their e-mails are reported as spam.[/ul][/li]As I said, this is off the top of my head and is certainly flawed. Let’s see what we can do to make a law (yeah, I’d really like to see a law written in Legalese an’ shite) that will actually work and also be in compliance with “freedom of speech” and “freedom of association” laws.
any spammer that is discovered shall immediately be bombarded by tactical nuclear weapons
anyone purchasing merchandise from spammers shall be dope-slapped, then jailed for aiding and abeting
spammers will be nuked
the companies that produce the most commonly sold products in spam shall be banned from selling products over the internet to 3rd party vendors for resale
spammers will be infected with Ebola Zaire, then nuked 
Johnny LA
I like the suggestions you have stated particularly point 2:
Require that ISPs in the U.S. validate senders’ addresses. That is, before an e-mail can pass throughthe server, there must be software to make sure the sender’s e-mail address matches the ISP address. Also, make sure the return e-mail address is a valid address, and that the domain actually exists.
Also, since there is a national DO NOT CALL list how about making a .gov website with a DO NOT SPAM list?
Of course MacTech’s ideas would reduce Spam significantly also.
Make spam illegal.
Most spam doesn’t come from within the U.S. even when it seems to be for a U.S. based company. These laws aren’t going to any use unless they’re being made in China or Russia or who knows where else, mainly countries that have much, much larger criminal problems at the moment to worry about. Catching and eliminating spammers is so far down on their priority lists, it may as well be grouped together with “eliminate hunger, disease, war and reruns of I Love Lucy.”
The only thing that might work is to entirely rebuild the protocols of e-mail from the ground up, making it so that you cannot relay through a server without password authentication, you cannot spoof addresses, and you cannot forge headers.
And Windows users must become more security conscious, dropping IE and Outlook like the hot potatoes of virus and virus potential that they are.
I just got spam today on an address that sends outgoing mail only, does not exist on the web anywhere scrapable (unless someone intentionally published it for malicious purposes which makes no sense) and could only have fallen into the hands of a spammer if someone’s PC address book were compromised. Thank you, jackass Windows user. A perfectly secure address, now ruined, because of your crappy operating system, software and security practices. Please to be biting my shiny metal butt.