Stop AOL Email Tax
transmitter | 12.03.2006 08:15 | Indymedia | Technology
In February 2006, AOL announced that it would accept payment for incoming emails. For these certified emails, it would skip its usual anti-spam filters and guarantee delivery for cash.
When Internet Service Providers like AOL demand a cut of "pay-to-send" email, they're raising tollbooths on the open Net, interfering with the passage of data by demanding protection money at the gates of their customers' computers.
Here is the content of a campaign against this move.
When Internet Service Providers like AOL demand a cut of "pay-to-send" email, they're raising tollbooths on the open Net, interfering with the passage of data by demanding protection money at the gates of their customers' computers.
Here is the content of a campaign against this move.
from the latest riseup.net newsletter:
==> Stop AOL Email Tax <==
AOL is adopting a system called CertifiedEmail, which is a threat to a
free and open Internet.
The list that you have with Riseup likely has a number of AOL email
addresses subscribed to it. Please consider encouraging your group to
sign-on to this broad coalition that is fighting this. It is clear that
if the AOL email tax is not fought, AOL will make it incredibly
difficult to deliver your list email to your subscribers.
We know that your list is critical for your organizing efforts, but AOL
is trying to reduce the effectiveness of your work by creating a system
where reliable email only is provided to those who can afford to pay for
every email sent. Their system is harmful to free speech, and it is
designed to extort money from senders in exchange for privileged
service. AOL wants us to pay an email tax to get guaranteed delivery,
and if we don't pay, then delivery to AOL addresses will increasingly be
undelivered.
By creating one class of Internet users who pay for guaranteed email
delivery, AOL will leave everyone else (thats us) as a second-class
citizen on the Internet. AOL's email tax creates an unlevel playing
field online and as a result your online organizing will suffer unless
we stop it together. Those who can afford to pay for preferential
service will leave behind those of us who cannot, resulting in
unreliable email delivery.
Please help us save the free and open Internet by growing our coalition.
Please reach out to organizations you are a part of. We can't afford
this, nor can you, please encourage your group to sign-on to this broad
coalition:
http://www.dearaol.com/joinorg.html
Individuals can sign-on here:
http://www.dearaol.com
Thanks for your help on this important cause.
P.S. Please be sure to sign!
==> Stop AOL Email Tax <==
AOL is adopting a system called CertifiedEmail, which is a threat to a
free and open Internet.
The list that you have with Riseup likely has a number of AOL email
addresses subscribed to it. Please consider encouraging your group to
sign-on to this broad coalition that is fighting this. It is clear that
if the AOL email tax is not fought, AOL will make it incredibly
difficult to deliver your list email to your subscribers.
We know that your list is critical for your organizing efforts, but AOL
is trying to reduce the effectiveness of your work by creating a system
where reliable email only is provided to those who can afford to pay for
every email sent. Their system is harmful to free speech, and it is
designed to extort money from senders in exchange for privileged
service. AOL wants us to pay an email tax to get guaranteed delivery,
and if we don't pay, then delivery to AOL addresses will increasingly be
undelivered.
By creating one class of Internet users who pay for guaranteed email
delivery, AOL will leave everyone else (thats us) as a second-class
citizen on the Internet. AOL's email tax creates an unlevel playing
field online and as a result your online organizing will suffer unless
we stop it together. Those who can afford to pay for preferential
service will leave behind those of us who cannot, resulting in
unreliable email delivery.
Please help us save the free and open Internet by growing our coalition.
Please reach out to organizations you are a part of. We can't afford
this, nor can you, please encourage your group to sign-on to this broad
coalition:
http://www.dearaol.com/joinorg.html Individuals can sign-on here:
http://www.dearaol.com Thanks for your help on this important cause.
P.S. Please be sure to sign!
transmitter
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Simple Solution
12.03.2006 16:21
Make sure you tell AOL exactly why you are switching, then go to any one of hundreds of ISP's.
Piece a piss really.
Bob
why use AOL anyway?
12.03.2006 16:48
bobby
and while you're at it
13.03.2006 13:31
(which will result from their tax) and tell them why you're doing so. Since the tax will mean little to the serious spammer, AOL risks becoming a haven for such silliness.
yet another