What's the libertarian solution to unwelcome solicitation?

[RCA]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

[Stary Hickory]

Personally I think we should charge everyone of them a fee for our time. If they don't want to pay the fee then they can quit wasting our time. My mailbox is my property and if they want to deposit that stuff there they should have to pay ME.

And if I feel I am getting too much junk mail, I can raise the fee I charge for accepting their junk. That is my opinion on it.

[Kludge]

Interestingly, outside of junk mail (which has decreased dramatically over a few years ago), it hasn't really been much of a bother.

There's too many variables to really have too much insight into how this would work, as mail services would likely all be private. I imagine they'd have mailing categories and charge the mailbox-owner a fee if they don't want junk mail. As for telemarketers.... You have caller ID, so.... Not really too much hassle. Email services have nearly flawless spam-guards, now.

Now, how do we get the panhandlers out of... damn near everywhere?

[Bucjason]

My libertarian solution to soliciters is the 2nd amendment :)

[Elwar]

These are all services you are paying for, not your private property. Competition helps to keep the parts of the services that you like and gets rid of the parts of the service you do not like.

Junk mail gets delivered by the Federal government...

As for solicitors walking up to your door...a simple "no tresspassing" sign should fix that.

[Brian Defferding]

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4837298/gunserialnumbersearch-main_Full.jpg

(just kidding) ;)

For spam, right now I have no problem with it. It goes into the junk mail folder and if it becomes an issue if I just take a few minutes and delete them from my email box. It's a very minor inconvenience.

For phone solicitors, my caller ID picks them up and I don't answer numbers that come up as unknown, or if the area code is outside the midwest.

For junk snail mail, I get stuff from banks and credit card companies almost every two days. But all I do is recycle them or throw them away. Problem solved.

I don't understand why so many people are so adamantly trying to outlaw this practice. It seems like making mountains out of molehills to me.

[Krugerrand]

I believe it's the Rolling Stones that has a song to address your concerns ... something about not always getting what you want.

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

for solictors I find that opening the door naked while drooling on my shotgun and rambling about asking God to send me some sex usually does the trick.

[Freedom 4 all]

I've heard that Mormons will do your chores for you if you ask them nicely and feign interest. Junk mail can get thrown away and everyone else can be get rid of by a combination of clear refusal and making stuff up.

[Brian4Liberty]

Now, how do we get the panhandlers out of... damn near everywhere?

Now that's a problem in need of a solution! Ever been to San Francisco? Beautiful city, ruined by bums. It's amazing any tourists go there anymore. Tons of schizophrenics and alcoholics crowding the streets and public transit, verbally (and sometimes physically) assaulting people. Often covered in their own excrement, and blowing diseases like TB into your face.

What is the libertarian solution to that?

[foofighter20x]

My libertarian solution to soliciters is the 2nd amendment :)

This. :D

[Bucjason]

Now that's a problem in need of a solution! Ever been to San Francisco? Beautiful city, ruined by bums. It's amazing any tourists go there anymore. Tons of schizophrenics and alcoholics crowding the streets and public transit, verbally (and sometimes physically) assaulting people. Often covered in their own excrement, and blowing diseases like TB into your face.

What is the libertarian solution to that?

Wait for them to trespass on to someone's private property , and arrest them for trespassing.

[Elwar]

Now that's a problem in need of a solution! Ever been to San Francisco? Beautiful city, ruined by bums. It's amazing any tourists go there anymore. Tons of schizophrenics and alcoholics crowding the streets and public transit, verbally (and sometimes physically) assaulting people. Often covered in their own excrement, and blowing diseases like TB into your face.

What is the libertarian solution to that?

The libertarian solution to San Francisco? Get rid of the liberals...

[Kludge]

Let's ask Nick Coons?

[RCA]

I should have leaned this question more towards e-mail spam and junk snail mail. I can't think of a logical libertarian stance that would get rid of these modern nuisances.

[Feenix566]

Nobody said the libertarian world would be a perfect one. I don't think the libertarian philosophy has a perfect solution for annoying solicitors. Of course, the authoritarian world we live in doesn't have a solution either, evidenced by the fact that something like 80% of all Internet traffic is spam.

I'd rather keep my whole paycheck and deal with spam than be robbed of half my earnings and still have to deal with spam.

[Dr.3D]

For problems with telephone solicitations, I bought one of these.
http://www.calleridboost.com/graphics/p2p_iso_main.jpg
http://www.calleridboost.com/p2p.htm

The Person-To-Person® console allows you to control your phone line. Using the Person-To-Person® device you can route calls to specific phones or block unwanted calls. The Person-To-Person® device utilizes the patented Interceptor ID® technology to eliminate unwanted calls and control where, when and if the phone rings, and offers full customization options to home phone users. This little gem has saved me a ton of walks over to the phone to see who is calling. It does all the work for me.

[LibertyEagle]

for solictors I find that opening the door naked while drooling on my shotgun and rambling about asking God to send me some sex usually does the trick.

lolol

[heavenlyboy34]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

The super short version-
Hire someone to develop a program that eliminates spam, privatize the post office (this would allow users of the office to discriminate against solicitors, as they could pay to have the "junk"-as defined by the client-separated from the regular mail). Telemarketing could be eliminated if an inventor had the resources (which would be free because the government would not be stealing from people via taxes/inflation/etc) to create a system that allows customers to screen calls.

[Todd]

Your door and your phone are there for YOUR convenience. Not for everyone elses. A peep hole and Caller I.D. are great tools. If I don't know who the caller is....I don't anwer. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

For telemarketer's theres this.
YouTube - a Telemarketers nightmare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1waHJhb2wxo)

[dannno]

Libertarians:

Does a woman have the right to slap you for unwelcome solicitations?

[Dr.3D]

Telemarketing could be eliminated if an inventor had the resources (which would be free because the government would not be stealing from people via taxes/inflation/etc) to create a system that allows customers to screen calls.

See my post #17. The inventor has already done it but they can't keep the device in stock. People have been buying them so fast, there are none left.

[Kludge]

Libertarians:

Does a woman have the right to slap you for unwelcome solicitations?

Slap? She ought to shoot the guy (or gal, I guess) in the head. Any aggression justifies deadly force.

[dannno]

Slap? She ought to shoot the guy (or gal, I guess) in the head. Any aggression justifies deadly force.

Lol..


Solicitation doesn't imply force..

You just basically said a woman can shoot me if I ask her to go to a hotel with me or something..

[Kludge]

Lol..


Solicitation doesn't imply force..

You just basically said a woman can shoot me if I ask her to go to a hotel with me or something..

Well, people should not approach people. Socializing is socialism, and if unwanted, is harassment, and thus force. If people want to make a pitch, they can go to Craigslist, IF the owner allows it.... Trespassing on the Internet also justifies murder.

[Krugerrand]

Well, people should not approach people. Socializing is socialism, and if unwanted, is harassment, and thus force. If people want to make a pitch, they can go to Craigslist, IF the owner allows it.... Trespassing on the Internet also justifies murder.

Kludge ... you've got to keep your terminology clear ... it's "lethal force self defense" ... not "murder."

[dannno]

I just don't understand how you can justify the use of force against someone who isn't.

I mean, I'm talking about at like a bar or something..

Can a woman slap a man who makes an unwelcome solicitation without using force on private property where the owner allows such socialization?

[Dr.3D]

Kludge, when you get done stirring, don't expect us to lick the spoon.

[tremendoustie]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

Services provided by your mail, e-mail, and phone services which will automatically block unwanted numbers and correspondence.

[RCA]

Services provided by your mail, e-mail, and phone services which will automatically block unwanted numbers and correspondence.

This still doesn't solve spam. I can do that will a spam filter. The problem is you only have two real choices, allow every email through or only those on your contact list, but what about emails that aren't on your contact list and aren't spam? Hence the libertarian dilemma...

[pacelli]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

Spam: Sign up the email address to other spam emails. If they want to use the email address to send out spam, surely they don't mind receiving it as well.

Junk mail: Return to sender. If they want to send it, they can pay to receive it.

Telemarketing: Get into the conversation and keep them on the line as long as possible to make them think they'll get the sale, then hang up.

[tremendoustie]

This still doesn't solve spam. I can do that will a spam filter. The problem is you only have two real choices, allow every email through or only those on your contact list, but what about emails that aren't on your contact list and aren't spam? Hence the libertarian dilemma...

I don't think it's a libertarian dilemma, just a practical one. Another approach is that mail servers could be set up which do not allow spammers, and then e-mail clients could choose to only accept mail from new senders if it came from such a server.

Non-spammers would choose to use such servers, because they do not want to get blocked.

[heavenlyboy34]

Well, people should not approach people. Socializing is socialism, and if unwanted, is harassment, and thus force. If people want to make a pitch, they can go to Craigslist, IF the owner allows it.... Trespassing on the Internet also justifies murder.

lolz!! Nihlists! :rolleyes:

[STAND-or-fall]

I work in the direct mail business (thats junk mail). Here's a fact for ya-the elimination of the business standard rate would raise the price of a single first class stamp to over twenty-seven dollars!

[RCA]

I work in the direct mail business (thats junk mail). Here's a fact for ya-the elimination of the business standard rate would raise the price of a single first class stamp to over twenty-seven dollars!

not in a free market

[RCA]

I don't think it's a libertarian dilemma, just a practical one. Another approach is that mail servers could be set up which do not allow spammers, and then e-mail clients could choose to only accept mail from new senders if it came from such a server.

Non-spammers would choose to use such servers, because they do not want to get blocked.

But this is running in circles. How does the SERVER know what is spam and what is not?

[Kludge]

Kludge, when you get done stirring, don't expect us to lick the spoon.

Eh, y'all take it every time.

[specsaregood]

I work in the direct mail business (thats junk mail). Here's a fact for ya-the elimination of the business standard rate would raise the price of a single first class stamp to over twenty-seven dollars!

Then the post office is hugely inefficient because I can send something via fedex or ups --even to very rural areas-- much cheaper than that. I'm calling BS on your claim.

[Bucjason]

Well, if San Fransico was run by libertarians, bums wouldn't have government-run soup kitchens and food stamps allowing them to eat for free.

In order to eat , they'd have to either get a job , or starve.

Either way , problem solved....:D

[tremendoustie]

But this is running in circles. How does the SERVER know what is spam and what is not?

It simply would refuse to send more than X mail per account per day, and would boot anyone off for whom they received reports of spamming. They could require real, verifiable IDs for accounts as well.

[RCA]

It simply would refuse to send more than X mail per account per day, and would boot anyone off for whom they received reports of spamming. They could require real, verifiable IDs for accounts as well.

I suppose it could be done, the question is why the hell isn't Yahoo Mail doing this!?!? I wish their free accounts were "pre-filtered" better.

[Brian4Liberty]

Well, if San Fransico was run by libertarians, bums wouldn't have government-run soup kitchens and food stamps allowing them to eat for free.

In order to eat , they'd have to either get a job , or starve.

Either way , problem solved....:D

Actually most of the "soup kitchens" are charity run (most libertarians consider that legitimate). They do get the tax-free status though...

[nayjevin]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

The 'solution' is that, in Libertarianism, no one would be making rules about it.

We would choose our email providers:

- Company A allows less than 1% spam for $100 a month!
- Company B allows less than 10% spam for $20 a month!
- Company C does nothing, letting you control your own spam filters, for free! (with ads)
- Company D does nothing, letting you control your own spam filters, for $1/month! (without ads)

Something like that. Of course, the beauty of the free market is that it would be far smarter than me, and better solutions than that would likely be available.

Solutions meet demands in a free market -- though no system will ever be able to eliminate all nuisance from life.

We shouldn't look to a form of government to solve problems. Ingenuity, technological advance, innovation solves problems. Free market allows maximum potential for this innovation.

[Objectivist]

Like junk mail, spam, telemarkerting, etc.

Junk mail I get thru my po box and home mailbox. With the po box I pull the ads and remove the address, then I push it back out the other side of the box fro the postal folks to clean up. The ads I get at home I take and remove the address and drop the whole lot into the mailbox up on the corner.

I also posted a note on my mailbox stating that no mail goes in this box UNLESS it is directly coming to me (my name). There is nobody in my house named "resident".

Telemarketers are fun every once and awhile, I'll let them go on with their pitch and make them think I'm interested (wasting their time). I have managed to keep my name and number off most lists, so I don't get these calls anymore.