[Elecraft] Simple-minded SPAM filters vs. list participation

[Vic K2VCO]

Craig Rairdin wrote:

> However, your logic in this post is self-defeating. By refusing to go
> through the process of being whitelisted, you are saying, in effect, that
> your time is more valuable than the person to whom you sent the email -- the
> same accusation you make of him or her.

Bad argument.  I do a lot of my business via email, so I get several 
hundred messages a day.  Spam, while annoying, takes up very little of 
my time.  The Thunderbird email client is almost perfect in separating 
out the spam, and I spend a short time once a day scanning the headers 
in case of a false positive.  The little spam that does get through is 
deleted as fast as I can click the mouse.

On the other hand, going through the 'whitelist' procedure can get 
*very* annoying, especially when you get multiple requests in a short 
period.

> So when
> you choose to reply privately I don't see why it makes sense to complain
> about having to go through the authentication step. Are you really trying to
> help a person or is this spirit of helpfulness just a thin veneer over an
> otherwise cold, dark heart? 

The time it takes for a message to appear on the list is variable. 
Sometimes it's almost immediate, sometimes it takes a half hour.  So if 
I reply to a technical question I might reply directly (as well as to 
the list if it's of general interest) so that he will get the response 
immediately.

> In my position as president of my company I get a lot of unsolicited email
> from customers. In many cases I'm sure if we did the math, my time really IS
> more valuable than theirs.

I'm also the president of a company, and it is always appropriate for me 
to spend time responding to my customers.
-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco