Stop AOL’s email tax
Over 50 organisations have written an open letter 
to AOL asking it to rethink plans to use Goodmail’s CertifiedEmail, which the letter describes as “a threat to the free and open Internet”.
The groups range across the social and political spectrum from the Electronic Frontier Foundation to the Gun Owners of America.
The letter suggests:
This system would create a two-tiered Internet in which affluent mass emailers could pay AOL a fee that amounts to an “email tax” for every email sent, in return for a guarantee that such messages would bypass spam filters and go directly to AOL members’ inboxes. Those who did not pay the “email tax” would increasingly be left behind with unreliable service. Your customers expect that your first obligation is to deliver all of their wanted mail, and this plan is a step away from that obligation.
If you feel strongly about this issue, you can sign the letter as an individual or as an organisation .
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Tags: AOL, email, email tax, goodmail, Internet, not apple mail
March 4th, 2006 at 5:03 am
I tend to agree completely, as I’ve stated here before I’m sure:)
Regardless, if AOL moves this route, I don’t feel any bother. I’ll auto respond to any aol email notifying them of why we won’t be corresponding with via email purposes and to register any complaints with aol, or sign up for alternative services from XXXX.
Tell you the truth, I never cared much for their services anyhow.
March 4th, 2006 at 6:14 am
It looks like AOL is going to let not for profit companies get the same privliges without paying for it.
AOL Offers Full Email Functionality at No Charge to Any Qualified Not-for-Profit Organization
DULLES, Va. –(Business Wire)– March 3, 2006 — No Requirement, Ever, For Not-for-Profits to Pay For Delivery of Email To AOL Members
America Online, Inc. today announced that it is offering not-for-profit organizations two new ways of meeting their needs to have email delivered to AOL members to more securely deliver email messages. Under either option, qualifying not-for-profit organizations – and qualifying not-for-profit advocacy organizations – will receive the full functionality of AOL’s email system, including having images and web links enabled in mail, and delivery to the email inboxes of AOL members, at no charge to either the sender or the recipient.
AOL’s announcement today is intended to offer new options – at no cost – for not-for-profit organizations to have their email be delivered on comparable terms to commercial email senders while also providing their constituents a way of being able to trust that the email they receive is authentic.
“We want to make sure that not-for-profits who depend on timely communication with their members get all of the privileges of this powerful medium,” said Charles Stiles, AOL Postmaster. “Our announcement today guarantees that every certified not-for-profit will get the same benefits as private-sector companies that have decided to utilize Goodmail’s Certified Email system.”
First, not-for-profit organizations that conform to, and abide by, AOL’s anti-spam and email policies and standards, may qualify for AOL’s Enhanced White List, which provides delivery of email – with images and web links in the email — on a comparable basis to the Certified Email program administered by Goodmail for commercial bulk emailers. The email may not be marked as “certified,” but will be handled and delivered on an identical basis to Certified Email. This program will be administered and provided by AOL directly to not-for-profits, at no charge.
The second delivery option available to not-for-profits will enable them to use one or several third-party email accreditation service providers to authenticate their email. These services ordinarily charge mailers a nominal, flat, non-recurring fee to qualify. However, AOL will fully pay for not-for-profits’ flat-rate, sign-up costs associated with the third-party provider program on a pro-bono basis. The company is currently in discussions with email accreditation providers, and expects this new, pro-bono program will be evaluated and tested internally in the next 30 days. AOL intends to identify one or more third-party email accreditation providers during this time, and is targeting implementation of this program in the next 90 days.
At the same time, AOL will continue – through its industry-leading Mail Operations and Postmaster teams – to make additional improvements to its exceptional regular White List and Enhanced White List practices, to further improve the deliverability of email for all organizations currently residing on those lists.
“We announce this today to make sure that there is no further confusion or question about what not-for-profits would need to do to be able to communicate to AOL members on a level commensurate with large, commercial email providers who opt to use Goodmail’s Certified Email program. There will be no requirement, ever, for not-for-profits who deliver email to AOL members to pay for email certification and delivery,” said Stiles.
“Because of the complex technical evaluation, verification, and testing involved, further details on this new program will be worked through in the next 30-60 days,” Stiles said, “at which time AOL will issue a statement about the final structure of the program.”
March 4th, 2006 at 8:55 am
Hi Jerry — thanks for posting that. That’s good news, although non-for-profit emails won’t be treated with exactly the same parity, I note.
Interesting too that the programme which was to start immediately in the original press releases has now been pushed back by one or two months.
March 4th, 2006 at 10:32 am
The daily source code (dailysourcecode.com) has mentioned services like this a few times recently. Apparently the equivilent system that Microsoft use (to get mail to MSN Mail and Hotmail) costs US$80,000 to join. There are quite a few businesses that don’t have that kind of money, but aren’t non-profit, either.