The idea is remarkably simple, but unfortunately relies on a certain level of cooperation from a significant segment of the email-using public.
The basic business model that makes spam profitable is that companies can send out millions of adverts for a particular product at a miniscule cost such that receiving a single sale for every million emails sent is still profitable.
The logical solution is to therefore make this model work against spammers. The return email address in almost all spam does not work, but since spam is ultimately selling something the email must at least contain the link to a working site. Sometimes the spammers' sites contain a working email address to address any questions, and all sites allow for orders to be placed.
The solution is therefore simple. Every email user should take 1 minute out of their day to follow the link to one spam message received that day. The user would proceed to either send an email to any working email address on the site, or place a fake order.
If spammers have to sort through millions of fake orders or fake emails to make a single sale, this would increase the administrative costs to such a degree that spamming is simply not a profitable way to conduct their business.
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I kind of like this for its "sweet revenge" flavor. However, I still favor solutions which is some way would charge ALL senders a small fee for ALL emails sent out. Basic micro tells us that price is a darned efficient way to allocate demand. Something on the order of a penny would probably suffice to reduce much fo the bulk.
ahannah,
This sounds familiar. Sort of like the 'Raise the Babel' idea?
But isn't it going to make ourselves as spammers too? Experience tells us an eye for an eye is only a temporary solution.
There are a couple of problems with this idea.
First, the biggest problem is that this could expose you to all sorts of vulnerabilities. Clicking links in email you didn't ask for is always a bad idea.
Not only could the web site you are taken to attempt to install a worm or trojan on your machine, it will record and acknowledge that someone read the email. This marks your address as being legit, and you will soon receive even more spam from more spammers.
This is why you never want to click the "unsubscribe" links in spam email.
The thing the spammers want most is for you to click their link. Sometimes, just the act of visiting the site is what makes them money (pay per click).
Someone mentioned charging money for sending email. That is technologically impossible due to the open nature of the internet (thank goodness).
I wish I had some ideas to solve the problem, but I don't :|
will,
If you click on my user id and then click on an idea called 'Raise the Babel' I think it will offer some solutions to the problems you've identified. If you can think of any other adverse consequences based on my version of this idea I'd appreciate hearing them.
Paul Graham (prominent programming guru) has already suggested a refined version of this idea that uses distributed black/whitelists to automatically visit URLs in emails. Check out his essay, "Filters that fight back": http://www.paulgraham.com/ffb.html