US Anti-Spam Laws
Issue 131, December 3, 2003

Dear Friends,

Spam seems to increase dramatically each month, but the end may be in sight. In mid-December the President is expected to sign the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 which -- we hope -- will slow down spam dramatically. In this issue you'll see two articles:

• How to Comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
• How Readers Rate Spam Filters

I think you'll find both eminently practical. The Compliance Guide is a must-read to protect your business.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you in January and February 2004, at The Internet Marketing Best Practices Briefing. Here's the schedule:

Please ask your boss to send you. If you're feeling like your slipping behind in your grasp of Internet Marketing -- or just want to stay on the cutting edge of Best Practices -- this seminar is for you. Please sign up now. Seating capacity is strictly limited in each city and early-bird prices save you $50. http://wilsonweb.com/seminar/?c1=wmt131t&source=best

God bless you,
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, Editor

P.S. I wish you a wonderful and meaningful Christmas this year. I've written some Christmas articles and stories to help you get past the merchandising to the real heart of the season. Some titles include: "The Real St. Nick,"  "Joseph's Letter Home," and "Burlap, Boys, and Christmas." http://www.joyfulheart.com/christmas/?wmt131

How to Comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

Federal anti-spam legislation, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, is likely to become law on January 1, 2004. It focuses on an opt-out approach to commercial e-mail messages. It prohibits deceptive headings, using e-mail addresses obtained illegally, requires senders to have a working unsubscribe system, assesses liability on both spam senders and those who benefit from the products they promote, and criminalizes sexually-oriented e-mails without clear markings. This article explains what online businesses must do to comply with the various provisions of the new law. Read the article.

How Readers Rate Spam Filters

In a November 2003 survey, nearly 700 readers rated the effectiveness of various spam-fighting approaches. This analysis of the results lists the various individual desktop spam filters reported, users' rating of each, and the popularity of each with my readers. MailWasher and CloudMark SpamNet were most popular. POPfile was rated most effective. See the Results.

New Ecommerce and Web Marketing Articles

Each month our team of link editors scours dozens of online periodicals and resources to find key information on e-commerce and Web marketing. With so much new literature available to you, how do you find what you need quickly and painlessly? Here's a selective and searchable database of article and resource links to help your research and keep you up-to-date in the field. (Links gathered in a given month are usually available during the second week of the following month.)