From time to time articles are published on the web that give us a glimpse into the operation of a spammer. In every case, the spammer expresses that he feels justified -- that he is a legitimate businessman -- that he provides a valuable service to customers -- that he is no different from telemarketers or other marketing firms.
The reality is, that spammers create more economic damage than economic value. They can be compared to a company that employs people and sells legitimate products -- good economic value -- but also trashes the environment -- bad economic value. If a spammer makes $10,000 per month, but causes $100,000 per month in damages to others, that's a business that can't be justified, no matter how you spin it.
Maybe one day one of these reporters, when writing a story on the operations of a spammer, might just ask the spammer how he feels about the fact that he creates more economic damage that he does economic value.
Footnote: See Spam wars play out across Internet from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which profiles a small-time spammer in Louisiana.
Posted by Doug Sauder at December 15, 2003 07:16 AM