We need something like this for spam senders, robocallers and other modern day annoyers.




  1. TedCHoward says:

    Didn’t Bill Gates suggest something like this for email several years ago. It didn’t catch on because people were repulsed by the idea of paying 1-2 cents per email.

  2. Animby - just phoning it in says:

    Wasn’t that the idea to charging some ridiculously small amount to send an email?

    1/10th of cent or something. Not enough to worry about as an individual. Your account would get credited for each email. If you replied, then you and your correspondent would zero out.

    Meantime, spammers sending out millions of messages would face a heavy fee! And, presumably only a very few (idiots) would respond.

  3. I_dunno says:

    I like the premise, but wonder if the inventor ever heard of knocking.

  4. rottinapple says:

    Knock, knock, knock …. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

  5. George says:

    I like this. This needs to implemented on phone calls. Despite the “ban” on unsolicited phone calls if you’re on the do-not-call list, I still receive them from hvac and plumbing companies (“We’re on your street this week and have a tune up special”), Indian call centers, “surveys” and pseudocharities (the ones that send trucks around and sell donations in thrift stores, giving 1-5% to the contracted charity).

    You get to pay a buck to call me unless I re-credit the call back to you. It will be like call return where you punch a code when the call is over.

  6. Faxon says:

    There are two simple ways to completely eliminate spam. One. ISP’s delay sending of every email by one minute.
    Two. ISP’s charge one tenth of a penny for each email.
    Done.

  7. Nobody says:

    #6 – doesn’t work from pure economics.
    If your ISP charges you to receive mail that just makes the spam worse, if they charge to send email then it only takes one ISP somewhere in the world NOT to charge and they get every spam client.

  8. rottinapple says:

    #6, da da da DUMB

  9. Buzz Mega says:

    Here’s an easy one to discourage cold callers:

    Simply replace your greeting with this one.

    “Thank you for calling. Please punch in your Visa or Mastercard number, followed by your social security number to be connected.”

  10. msbpodcast says:

    Buzz Mega (in #9) has got the right idea.

    Let ’em show some real balls.

    If they’re wasting my time, let then give me a new income stream. 🙂

  11. pwuk says:

    So you have to go and get change, get back put your money in, but oh no-one home.

  12. Mr. Fusion says:

    #9, Buzz,

    Here’s an easy one to discourage cold callers:

    Simply replace your greeting with this one.

    “Thank you for calling. Please punch in your Visa or Mastercard number, followed by your social security number to be connected.”

    Love it.

  13. Speter says:

    “Here’s an easy one to discourage cold callers:”

    I have a similar practice that i like to use on cold callers, although it will not make me any money.

    as they usually read off a script, i simply tell them i don’t have a telephone and will have to discuss it with them at a later date. they have no idea how to respond,and i have not yet had one person tell me that i am in fact using a phone. They get confused, you hang up, they never call back.

    You can also start explaining to them about the noagendashow project and if they would like to become a knight.

    there are many creative ways to deal with these people (who are still humans – albeit hungry)and if you can amuse them and yourself at the same time, then at least you are not contributing to their suicide later that month.


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