What Worry about UCE?

Isn't it just like junk mail in my snail mail box?    Well, no. Although this is a common argument used by spammers, paper junk mail to you is paid for by the advertiser: both printing costs, and the postage needed to send the mail. And you can always shred it and use it as mulch for your strawberries. But with UCE, you, the receiver, pay the costs -- time spent downloading your email messages, and the additional load on your ISP's mail server. As UCE increases, your ISP must expand its mail service, with the cost handed down to you in the form of increased monthly fees.    In fact, the companies who manufacture and sell the tools used by spammers to send UCE proudly trumpet that bulk email is "free of charge." Sure. Just like a collect call to your cellular phone. We think people deserve a way to fight this kind of abuse without needing a degree in computer science.