Wall Street Journal - June 22, 1994

WALL STREET JOURNAL - JUNE 22, 1994
Phoenix Lawyers Irk Internet Users Again by Broadcasting Ad
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Company Providing Service Threatens to Pull Firm Off in 'Cease and Desist' Order -------------
By JARED SANDBERG Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

      A controversial law firm has riled Internet users again by broadcasting an ad for its services, leading to a threat to yank the firm off the global network unless it stops the practice.
   Phoenix attorneys Laurence A. Canter and Martha S. Siegel posted a new message to more than 1,000 electronic bulletin boards late last week, offering their services to help immigrants participate in the federal government's "green card lottery." The husband-wife team brought in about $100,000 in business since their first ad was posted on the Internet in April, said Ms. Siegel.
   Although Internet users don't object to ads posted in certain areas, they loathe widely broadcast messages to unrelated bulletin boards.
   Earlier this week, the lawyers' new ad -- beamed to thousands of users despite fierce opposition -- prompted the company that provides the firm with access to Internet to order the lawyers to "cease and desist." Performance Systems International Inc., an Internet access provider in Herndon, VA., told the lawyers they must stop such ads or risk losing their account.
   Martin Schoffstall, vice president at Performance Systems, said the lawyers' actions violate acceptable use of the network, "and that's actionable."
   Mr. Schoffstall said many Internet users have sent his company angry electronic mail messages for providing the lawyers with access. Four other companies that had also linked the lawyers up with Internet have either restricted them from posting or have taken away their access altogether for violating "netiquette," loosely established rules of behavior on the network.
   Responses from critics have been anything but polite. Ms. Siegel said she has received obscene phone calls and "carloads" of magazines to which she never subscribed. This is a down an dirty bunch of irresponsible" miscreants, she said, yet, they "are being characterized as warm and fuzzy innocents."