'Spamming' on the Internet

LAURENCE A. CANTER and Martha S. Siegel have been the focus of criticism on computer networks since April 12, when they posted an advertisement offering their immigration legal services on thousands of Internet bulletin boards, called Usenet news groups.
   Their action, called "spamming" in Internet slang, set off a five alarm outbreak of nasty electronic responses, accusing the Phoenix couple of violating the global network's code of behavior and self-enforced ban on widespread advertising.
   The episode forced a debate about commercialism and free speech on the global computer network, which is not governed by any single regulating body.  It also earned the pair, who are married, $100,000 in new legal business.
   Abandoning their law careers, Mr. Canter and Ms. Siegel formed a consulting company to help businesses and individuals market on the Internet and written a book that details the process. "How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway" will be out next month.

Laurence A .Canter
And Martha S. Siegel

Born: Ms. Siegel, April 9, 1948. Englewood, NJ.  Mr. Canter: June 24, 1953, Nashville, Tenn.
Education: Ms Siegel: B.A. English, Carnegie Mellon; M.A., Library Science, Florida State; law degree, St. Mary's, San Antonio.  Mr. Canter: B.A., Spanish, University of Arizona, law degree, St. Mary's; L.L.M., Georgetown
Family: Married since 1987, no children
Noncomputer reading: Ms. Siegel: "Sarum," by Edward Rutherford, Mr. Canter:"The Chamber," by John Grisham
Computer: Zeos 90Mhz Pentium, running Unix.

Ms. Siegel.  Who would be better?  We know exactly what's going on.  We know how it should be done.
Mr. Canter.  We know all the pros and cons.  We experienced everything positive and negative.

Q.  Do you think people who follow the advice in your book, the almost step-by-step instructions, are going to get the same reaction you did?

Ms. Siegel:  I think the same group of people will continue to react that way, but it's important to understand that they are a small group.  The people who were in favor of us, who sent us requests for information, makes up the overwhelming majority, and they will react in the same way again, too.  We got 20,000 positive requests for information.  In direct mail terms, that's an incredibly positive response.
Mr. Canter: There were probably somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 flames that we received but they were not from 20,000 to 25,000 people.  There were individuals who sent us hundreds and thousands.  There was one guy who sent us close to 1,000 a day.  As far as the positive responses, we did get slightly over 1,000 paying clients out of it.

Q. Has the commercialization of the information highway become a personal cause rather than merely a business opportunity?

Ms. Siegel: Freedom of speech has become a cause for us.  I continue to be personally appalled at the disrespect for freedom of speech by this handful of individuals who would take over the net if they could.
Mr. Canter:  The Internet is a very powerful communications vehicle, and it should be available for everyone.  The problem we have is the few people and in some cases companies trying to control it for their own benefits.

Q.  So you believe many of the people trying to protect the Internet are really just trying to hoarded the profits for themselves?

Ms. Siegel: I think there are two parts to this group.  There are the wild-eyed zealots who view the Internet as their home.  They don't view it as just for recreation or a place where you exchange information.  To them it's become a womb practically, and they're defending their home.  they have a very exaggerated sense of importance of the Usenet in their lives, that the average person doesn't share.
   I think that the other group is people like Wired magazine, who want to be the ones who make money off it.  They can do that, but if they believe they're going to control everyone who comes in, they've overstepped their boundaries.

Q.  You founded Cybersell a few months ago.  How many clients do you have?

Mr. Canter:  We have over 100 people who are involved with us now.  We plan to have a grand opening soon, primarily on a Web site.

Q.  What's going to happen with advertising on the Internet?

Ms. Siegel:  I think the debate is going to go away quite fast.
Mr. Canter:  We put advertising guidelines in the book.  I think it people follow all those, in particular designating something as an ad so somebody clearly knows it's an advertisement, I don't see there's really any valid objections.  The most common objection I here, that on the surface makes sense, is how it's going to clog everything up.
   The truth is what's clogging up the Usenet and the Internet is that there are just too many people on it.