SPAM-less email (was If anybody wants to make something in Ada but do not know what)

["Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" <ve3wwg@cogeco.ca>]

rd wrote:
> "Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" wrote:
>>Preben Randhol wrote:
> [clip]
>>>Besides spam filters is something
>>>people need so it could promote Ada95.
>>>
>>>Wish I could make it myself, but I simply don't have the time at the
>>>moment.
>>...
>>>Preben
>>
>>I personally believe that as long as email is free (and we like it
>>that way), SPAM will continue to be a big problem. To keep email
>>free, I think that the only way this will work is we'll end up
>>using two forms of email on the Internet:
>>
>>   1) Traditional email, which permits unsolicited mail (port 25);
>>      which will continually battle with spam filters and such.
>>   2) A newer "solicited only" email system (port 26?)
>>
>>Perhaps the 2nd kind, can piggy back off of the first, by either
>>using a similar but extended protocol, and probably
>>using a new TCP/IP port # to avoid the log jam that occurs
>>on port 25 as spammers spam away.
>>
>>The new email protocol would make use of PKI exchanges (PGP?),
>>so that only those people that you have shared certificates
>>with, can successfully deposit email in your mailbox (this
>>would be great for kids, so that only their friends can
>>send them mail etc.). If someone gives away the cert (if the
>>protocol allows it), then you revoke it, and issue a new one
>>if necessary.
>>
>>Where the protocol research comes in (I think), is the method of
>>sharing and administering certs in a way that is easy for
>>grandmothers to work with.
>>
> 
> For the second protocol, <a href="http://www.jabber.org">Jabber</a>
> might be just the thing.  The best part about Jabber is the real time
> messaging capability, and if I was designing the second protocol, I would
> include this functionality.

If I skimmed the site correctly, it doesn't address the "solicited
email only" problem. It seems to be more concerned with XML and IM.

What I really want, is a "solicited email only" channel, so that I
can give my electronic business card (read "cert.") to associates,
and not get pestered with offensive SPAM that I have to delete
every morning.  I also want to protect my kids from this kind of
crap.

The only way to eliminate SPAM completely, is to give the
"key" to those you will accept mail from, and reject everything
else.  BTW, ACT does this informally by insisting that you include
"GNAT" in the subject line. That "GNAT" acts as the "key". What
I'd like to see then, is a more sophisticated form of this, where the
key isn't so easily sharable with the world (and perhaps unique
to the sender so that it cannot be shared).

> I don't believe there are any Jabber clients/servers written in Ada, and
> I'm not sure how well Jabber uses crypto, but I do know that I still
> miss a useful ICQ, and AIM doesn't fill the void (can't do computer to
> computer messages in AIM.  They must go through the central server).

-- 
Warren W. Gay VE3WWG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~ve3wwg