101 Ways to Save the Internet

Wired 12.01: 101 Ways to Save the Internet

This is making everyone's lists.

I don't agree with some of the items. Things like "12 Make email addresses portable" show that the author clearly doesn't know what the hell he/she is talking about. If you want a portable address, pay for one through one of several vendors or register a domain (like paulbegley.com) and get e-mail through GoDaddy, Register.com or other registrars.

On the other hand, vigilante justice on spammers is something I have already started doing as I have time.

Another clueless suggestion:
71 Add a recall function for email messages Outlook (with Microsoft Exchange Server) does it, why can't everyone else?

Well, it doesn't really work under Exchange, how will it with with 'pure' SMTP servers? Once it leaves the Exchange Server, its gone. Even on the Exchange Server, if someone opens the message, the cat is out of the bag.... How do they propose to replace SMTP? The beauty of SMTP is that its so generic. Its been implemented on thousands of platforms. SMTP is older than many (most) of all mail users.

And another:
77 Create an email address directory.

Huh? I don't even know what they are talking about. We have LDAP, we have X.400, X.500 and databases. Do they mean a 'white pages' directory for everyone's e-mail? Who would run this? Would it end up as a virtual opt-in to every SPAM list in the world? Get back to me on this one.