AOL EMAIL 'Tax" - Has anyone else heard of this?
AOL EMAIL 'Tax" - Has anyone else heard of this?
#0AOL EMAIL 'Tax" - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 2:59pm
Just got an email with the following about AOL practices concerning email and spam.... I'm just passing on what was sent...
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Dear AOL user,
Ever since AOL proposed allowing commericial bulk-emailers to pay to bypass AOL's spam filters and deliver email directly into inboxes, AOL has seen a big backlash from customers who don't want their inboxes auctioned off.
As an AOL customer, you are one of the most important voices in the fight to preserve the free and open Internet.
Every AOL customers who signs our petition is given opportunities to use internal AOL feedback tools to put pressure on AOL. AOL is feeling the heat—but now we need your help in this important fight.
Please sign our petition to AOL today:
http://civic.moveon.org/aolcustomers?id=7086-4155972-rtp7E.OWFcWu.MbnTqWi8w&t=3
Here is an update on our AOL campaign so far.
Three weeks ago, the DearAOL.com coalition was formed by 50 organizations—including charities, nonprofits, the political right and left, small businesses, Internet advocates, and small community groups.
Within one week, 400 news outlets across the world reported on our campaign against AOL's "email tax." 50 coalition partners grew to 500—everything from pony clubs and biker clubs to coffee shops and church groups. All of us know that AOL's pay-to-send scheme would harm the free and open Internet which has revolutionized democratic participation, economic innovation, and free speech.
Three additional recent developments have not been good news for AOL:
Last Tuesday, the California state Senate announced official hearings on AOL's email tax, saying AOL would create "an internet of haves and haves not"—a "two-tiered world...greatly reducing the outreach potential of many non-profits and small community organizations."
Last Friday, in a New York Times op-ed, AOL email tax supporter Esther Dyson revealed what AOL has been trying to hide: AOL's proposed email tax will lead to a world where "most e-mail will cost money"—something she called "only right." AOL had been denying that their email tax is a big step toward the end of the free and open Internet.
Recently, the Silicon Valley-based San Jose Mercury News editorialized that AOL's pay-to-send proposal "is likely to work as an incentive for AOL to move as many senders as possible to the paid system...the temptation would be to neglect the free e-mail system, whose reliability would decline. Eventually, everyone would migrate to the fee-based system. There would be no way around the AOL tollbooth."
AOL has actively tried to deceive their customers about the consequences of their proposal. But now the truth is coming out every day. Further excerpts from the San Jose Mercury News and New York Times are below.
When you are done reading, please consider signing our petition at:
http://civic.moveon.org/aolcustomers?id=7086-4155972-rtp7E.OWFcWu.MbnTqWi8w&t=4
–Eli Pariser, Noah T. Winer, Adam Green, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action team
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006
1. "Senator Says AOL E-mail Tax Proposal Dooms Net Neutrality; Florez Opposes Pay-to-send Scheme, Calls for Hearing," Press Release, California State Senator Dean Florez, March 14, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1551
2. "You've Got Goodmail," New York Times Op-Ed, March 17, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1554http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1554
3. "Paid e-mail will lead to separate, unequal systems," San Jose Mercury News, March 5, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522
Excerpt from New York Times Op-Ed by AOL email tax supporter Esther Dyson, Friday, March 5, 2006
Full op-ed at: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1554http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1554 ;
"Goodmail has been met with a barrage of criticism and calls for a de facto boycott from several nonprofit and public interest groups. These organizations seem to think that all Internet mail must always be free, just because it was free before. ...Of course, the critics say, this is the first step. Pretty soon all mail will cost money, and then the free, open world of the Internet will be closed to poor people, nonprofits and other good guys, while multinational conglomerates fill their ever-growing pockets. I agree that pretty soon sending most e-mail will cost money, but I think that's only right."
Excerpt from San Jose Mercury News Editorial, Sunday, March 5, 2006
Full editorial at: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522
PAID E-MAIL WILL LEAD TO SEPARATE, UNEQUAL SYSTEMS;
FREE SYSTEMS WILL BECOME NEGLECTED
Ever since the Internet left its free, non-profit and government roots for the commercial world, fears that its gatekeepers would set up tollbooths at every possible juncture have simmered across cyberspace.
AOL recently caused those fears to boil over. The Internet giant announced that in the next 30 days it would launch a certified e-mail system that would guarantee delivery for e-mail senders who paid the equivalent of an electronic postage stamp. Those who don't pay could face a greater risk of having their mail tripped up by AOL's spam filters.
The furor was quick to erupt. A disparate coalition of individuals and groups—including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, MoveOn.org, Gun Owners of America, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist fame—warned that it won't be long before everyone will have to pay for e-mail delivery. Small non-profits would be particularly affected. And the use of e-mail would decline, diminishing the power of the Internet to promote free speech. The coalition has called the AOL system an e-mail tax.
...two things stand out about AOL's program, which will be operated by Goodmail, a company based in Mountain View. Unlike other certification programs, Goodmail will share the fees it collects with AOL. And rather than charging a set fee for certifying senders and an annual subscription, Goodmail's program is based on a per-e-mail fee. (All have special, discounted rates for non-profits.)
What's wrong with that? The revenue-sharing agreement is likely to work as an incentive for AOL to move as many senders as possible to the paid system...the temptation would be to neglect the free e-mail system, whose reliability would decline. Eventually, everyone would migrate to the fee-based system. There would be no way around the AOL tollbooth.
AOL says that's nonsense. The amount of money it would collect under the program is very modest...But if the revenue from the program is so small, why doesn't AOL announce it will forgo the fees—a decision that would help silence critics? AOL won't say...The charge per e-mail is also worrisome. The costs of certifying a sender are largely fixed. So the only reason to keep charging a sender who's already been vetted is to turn e-mail into a cash cow.
...It's clear that with a few minor changes, AOL could mollify its critics and alleviate many of the real concerns raised by its plan for certified e-mail. It would be wise to do so, rather than barrel ahead with a plan that could threaten the free and open nature of the Internet...
Please consider signing our petition to AOL at:
http://civic.moveon.org/aolcustomers?id=7086-4155972-rtp7E.OWFcWu.MbnTqWi8w&t=5
#1re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 3:01pm#2re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 3:06pm
Calvin - yes.. it's misleading. But I still think the important issue here is that AOL advertises spam blockers and what they are doing is purposely allowing some to be definitely delivered for a fee.
They should be forced to put something in writing or whatnot in all of their ads promoting their spam blocking campaign to indicate their policies
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#3re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 3:38pm
As an AOL customer, you are one of the most important voices in the fight to preserve the free and open Internet.
They lost me right there.
etoile
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/03
#4re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 4:04pmCraig, that reads like spam to me. How did they get your email address?
#5re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 4:12pm
They didn't - it was send within an email from a friend of mine. It's not really spam - the links and such do exist and it has been written about in the NYT.
Like I said - AOL can charge all they want for incoming email from marketing people that would normally get blocked because of their spam blockers. I do think, however that if AOL is going to charge a premium to bypass this feature of AOL, that they either need to revist their marketing and advertising campaing to indicate that they are doing this.
p.s. All messages posted on BWW will not cost .01.
Kidding
#6re: AOL EMAIL 'Tax' - Has anyone else heard of this?
Posted: 3/22/06 at 10:25pmThe message is from moveon.org - you can see it in the URL for the petition. They are a legit organization and their argument probably has merit.
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