Other companies demonstrated filtering software that blocks e-mail messages at the inbox or before they enter an ISP's network. Postini showed its spam-blocking technology, which doubles as a messaging forwarding program. Brightmail detailed a similar blocking service, and a startup called Rockliffe demonstrated its mail server software that filters spam. Despite the potential technical solutions, the issue is better fought by reaching the people who use direct e-mail marketing, says Ted Gavin, with Nachman Hays Consulting, who is helping draft antispam policy for the marketing industry. Many companies advertising products or services by bulk e-mail would have better luck targeting a specific audience, Gavin says.
Somebody pays for everything that gets done on the Internet.
There is always a cost associated with sending an e-mail. While the figure is hard to calculate, it includes the resources ISPs use to deal with large amounts of data on their networks, Gavin says. Consumers pay a cost in the time it takes to download spam. Since the early 1990s, when America Online first took its service to consumers, the Internet has became a gold mine for direct marketers, says show founder Geller. Since then, marketing scams and pyramid schemes have migrated to the Web from mail and newspaper advertisements because it is cheaper and reaches a wider audience.