Centmail: Fighting Spam With E-Mail Postage Stamps
Who wants to pay for email? You just might. Many people have suggested that adding a nominal cost to e-mail would serve to fight spam by rendering it largely unprofitable. With Centmail, some Yahoo researchers propose adding a penny postage stamp to each e-mail, representing a penny donation to charity. Since most people already donate to charity, it is not believed that this idea will actually cost anything.
In an effort to make Centmail a reality, a formal protocol and API has already been developed. While I am somewhat worried that a large-scale adoption of the protocol will incentivize significant non-profit and charitable fraud, the economic burden due to spam should be greatly reduced. It’s a cool idea by good people and I urge you to check it out.
Related posts:
- Incentive Problem in Cancer Drug Trials
- Must Read Paper On Overconfidence
- Name That Financial Debacle!
- The Evolution of Bad Ideas
- The Truth About Generic Drugs
5 Responses to “Centmail: Fighting Spam With E-Mail Postage Stamps”
Leave a Reply
I remember in about 1972 when my grandmother was visiting from England that we got a telemarketing call and she commented “Well at home you pay for every call so this sort of thing wouldn’t happen” Maybe she was onto something!
Seems to me a better way is to pay the recipient. If he finds your email worthless, at least you’ve paid him a bit for his time. On the other hand, if he replies to you, your net cost (and his) really is zero.
Yes, if we look at attention as the commodity then paying the recipient model has merit.
Paying the recipient leaves no incentive for senders to join, therefore, it is unlikely to reach a critical mass. Furthermore, paying the recipient invites spammers to steal your money by making your computer send emails to them.
Hi Daniel -
Good points. There is no incentive for senders to join the pay-the-recipient model. (I needed to read the paper again)
Thanks.