Infosys 204
Written Assignment #1
The Bill
On March 6, 2003, in the midst of a growing public outcry against unsolicited computer email (“Spam”), Sen. Mark Dayton (D, MN) introduced S.563, the “Computer Owners’ Bill of Rights,” which was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The text of the bill is attached, as are a number of newspaper articles describing various aspects of the Spam crisis.
You have been called as a witness to testify before the Committee during its initial hearing on S.563. Prepare a 1 ˝ page opening statement to read, which clearly indicates:
§ Whether you want the Committee to report the bill out for a vote by the full Senate or kill it.
§ An appreciation for the best argument to be made by those on the other side
§ At least one change you would like Sen. Dayton to make to the bill to improve it, assuming it does go forward.
Notes:
You should read S.563 in its entirety.
The articles will help you get acquainted with the issues if you are not already.
If you are interested in more viewpoints, go to:
§ http://www.cdt.org/speech/spam/ - The Center for Democracy and Technology
§ http://www.eff.org/Spam_cybersquatting_abuse/Spamming/ - The Electronic Frontier Foundation
§ http://www.the-dma.org/ - The Direct Marketing Association