Editorial: Junk e-mail drains receiver's patience

Such is the case with e-mail. With this extraordinary leap in technology, no longer does one have to wait days, even weeks, for a response to a letter. With e-mail, correspondence can be instantaneous, which is truly revolutionary. But this revolution in technology also means that businesses and others can send junk e-mail, in the same way your mailbox at home overflows with unsolicited mail.

For businesses and people that depend on the Internet, this can be a huge headache, hurting the productivity of those who have to sort through all the unnecessary mail. It's tough imagining that a ban on junk e-mails would be found constitutional. But a Federal Trade Commission report contains a recommendation that could be a step in the right direction.

Under the plan, companies could no longer disguise the content or where the e-mail came from, which in turn would allow people a way to better filter the incoming messages. Software can now be installed that will delete any message it finds containing certain words or specific companies.

Such a proposal won't end junk e-mail, but it would help alleviate this technological annoyance.

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