Best Local Usenet Watchdog & Helpful Guy
Chip Rosenthal
Most users of Internet e-mail have to spend at least a few minutes each day shoveling unsolicited messages – spam, in the parlance – out of their inboxes. Software developer Chip Rosenthal argues that spam costs not only time, but money, and he's been doing something about it. An active participant in Austin's Usenet scene from its early days, Rosenthal has written posting guidelines for local newsgroups. He actively patrols for – and cancels – posts that come from unscrupulous Net abusers. Still, his presence makes him a regular target of complaints. To avoid the perception that he works capriciously, Rosenthal keeps a public record of the posts he cancels on his website. Until the courts give us more protection from junk e-mail, we're glad Chip's around: In these info-glutted times, spam-free living is worth the fight.
