Gates Courts Blogger

Bill Gates wrote to me regarding the latest thinking by Microsoft (ok so its a Microsoft marketing ploy to make me think that Chairman Bill cares even for heretics like me) and some of their partners to curb spam. The mail is interesting, however I have a few concerns:
- the industry initative lacked networking manufacturers like Nokia, Juniper or Extreme Networks
- no computing powerhouses like Sun Microsystems, Oracle, IBM, Apple
- there was no reference to non-windows PC users (Mac, Unix, Linux, Symbian smartphones, PalmOS etc)
- there is no independent experts on the panel like Phil Zimmerman


From: billgates at chairman.microsoft.com
Subject: Preserving and Enhancing the Benefits of Email - A Progress Report
Date: 28 June 2004 21:47:34 BST
To: gedcarroll at mac.com


During the past year, Microsoft has taken a number of important steps to help curb the epidemic of junk email, which is a major headache for computer users worldwide. We've made significant progress, including blocking more than 95 per cent of all incoming junk email - an average of 3 billion messages a day - on Hotmail. But more work remains to be done. We're committed to finding additional ways to counter this costly nuisance.

Over the next 12 months, we will begin to introduce several additional innovative technologies and processes that should further reduce the volume of junk email reaching customers' inboxes. Because you've subscribed to receive executive emails from us, I'd like to update you on what we're doing in this area. On the Web at www.microsoft.com/execmail, I've posted an in-depth explanation of Microsoft's technology vision and strategy for ending the junk email epidemic as a major problem. I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it.

Thank you.

Bill Gates