4 ms·

> If email didn't need fixing, spam wouldn't exist. Spam is not a technical problem, it's a societal problem. As usual the tech reflex is to find a technical s

by rakoo 2y ago

> If email didn't need fixing, spam wouldn't exist. Spam is not a technical problem, it's a societal problem. As usual the tech reflex is to find a technical solution but it is mistaken, once again. Societal proplems require societal solutions, not more tech. The only thing you will achieve with more tech is more segregation between those who have and those who don't, you'll create more issues than already exist

kavok 2y ago
Email being so cheap and easy is is a significant component of spam, which is a technical problem to a degree. Spam on Signal, text message, voicemail, Discord, etc… is significantly less present for various reasons (cost, complexity, etc…)
- thebeardisred 2y ago
  :sigh: speaking of getting into the mud pit... The other side of that balance is that capitalism creating artificial incentives for bad behavior is a significant component of spam.
  - wizzwizz4 2y ago
    But that itself is just a special-case of the principal-agent problem.
- rakoo 2y ago
  Being cheap and easy is not a problem, quite the contrary. That we as a society make this a good thing for spam is a problem, but I don't want to make the system shittier just because of the bad use of it.
  - kavok 2y ago
    My work email is virtually useless at this point due to the absurd quantities of spam I receive. I think the OP suggestions would actually make email less shitty. Any communication medium that is cheap and easy will be relentlessly abused by spammers.
naasking 2y ago
> Spam is not a technical problem Spam is 100% a technical problem. Any "societal solution" will be orders of magnitude more expensive and less robust than technical solutions.
- deanishe 2y ago
  Junk mail is a lot older than the Internet.
  - naasking 2y ago
    So? What does that have to do with email spam?
- withinboredom 2y ago
  I suppose snake oil salesmen were a technical problem too? > Any "societal solution" will be orders of magnitude more expensive and less robust than technical solutions. Yes, yes, it is quite expensive, though you'd find it would actually be quite more robust.
  - naasking 2y ago
    > I suppose snake oil salesmen were a technical problem too? Snake oil salesmen were not created because of lax technical infrastructure. Spam is not a technical problem because scammers exist, it's a technical problem because the technology is what lets them reach you. The technology can then be amended so they can't reach you and spam is solved. I'm not purporting to solve scams, but to solve the technical mistakes that lets scammers spam you.
    - withinboredom 2y ago
      wut. I guess we just need to wait for a big enough CME and we don't have to worry about spam anymore; so in that respect, I guess you are right. Though its like using a hammer on a window to screw in a picture frame.

by rakoo 2y ago

kavok 2y ago

Email being so cheap and easy is is a significant component of spam, which is a technical problem to a degree. Spam on Signal, text message, voicemail, Discord, etc… is significantly less present for various reasons (cost, complexity, etc…)

thebeardisred 2y ago
:sigh: speaking of getting into the mud pit... The other side of that balance is that capitalism creating artificial incentives for bad behavior is a significant component of spam.
- wizzwizz4 2y ago
  But that itself is just a special-case of the principal-agent problem.
rakoo 2y ago
Being cheap and easy is not a problem, quite the contrary. That we as a society make this a good thing for spam is a problem, but I don't want to make the system shittier just because of the bad use of it.
- kavok 2y ago
  My work email is virtually useless at this point due to the absurd quantities of spam I receive. I think the OP suggestions would actually make email less shitty. Any communication medium that is cheap and easy will be relentlessly abused by spammers.

naasking 2y ago

> Spam is not a technical problem Spam is 100% a technical problem. Any "societal solution" will be orders of magnitude more expensive and less robust than technical solutions.

deanishe 2y ago
Junk mail is a lot older than the Internet.
- naasking 2y ago
  So? What does that have to do with email spam?
withinboredom 2y ago
I suppose snake oil salesmen were a technical problem too? > Any "societal solution" will be orders of magnitude more expensive and less robust than technical solutions. Yes, yes, it is quite expensive, though you'd find it would actually be quite more robust.
- naasking 2y ago
  > I suppose snake oil salesmen were a technical problem too? Snake oil salesmen were not created because of lax technical infrastructure. Spam is not a technical problem because scammers exist, it's a technical problem because the technology is what lets them reach you. The technology can then be amended so they can't reach you and spam is solved. I'm not purporting to solve scams, but to solve the technical mistakes that lets scammers spam you.
  - withinboredom 2y ago
    wut. I guess we just need to wait for a big enough CME and we don't have to worry about spam anymore; so in that respect, I guess you are right. Though its like using a hammer on a window to screw in a picture frame.