Here’s an interesting article about spam and the Direct Marketing Association’s attempt to water down any anti-spam legislation.  Particularly interesting is their self-serving definition of spam.

Robert Wientzen, president of the Direct Marketing Association, has an unusual view of what types of junk e-mail qualify as spam.

Wientzen said during an appearance on CBS News last week that spam is only “e-mail that misrepresents an offer or misrepresents the originator—or in some way attempts to confuse or defraud people.”

Let’s parse that sentence closely. The DMA claims that unwanted e-mail is spam if, and only if, it happens to be fraudulent or confusing. Because the DMA’s members are legitimate, established businesses, Weintzen tells us, their unsolicited e-mail entreaties to us shouldn’t be considered spam.

Somebody needs to tell this wanker that it’s spam if I say it’s spam.  And I have a simple rule to determine whether I say it’s spam:  If I didn’t ask for it and it’s likely to part me with my money if I take up the offer, then it’s spam.

You’d think these idiots at the DMA would have learned from the national do-not-call registry that if you piss off enough people that sooner or later your deep pocket lobbying efforts will become ineffective.  And it definitely doesn’t sound like they understand just how much people loathe spam.

If I had my way spammers would be hung from their toes and bled slowly.  I guess Weintzen is lucky I’m not in charge.    In the meantime, I guess I’ll just redirect all my spam to him.  He shouldn’t object, as long as it’s not misleading.  Right?