Microsoft is going to open up Hotmail to bulk mailers

Apparently, the gimmick will be that these bulk mailers will have to post a horsechokingly huge bond (which they risk losing if they are found to be guilty of spamming) and their message will be delivered to Hotmail and MSN subscribers.

Oh, this does not sound good.

Well thats microsoft for ya...
I personally hate spam email. I make it a mission to keep track of who sends me spam... get their ip address then have a little fun with it if you know what I mean.

I hate spam email that has a remove link on it where you put your email address in, and it is supposively removed from the list... when you really just verified to them a valid email address, then you get your name sold to 100's of other companies.

I think we should start a riot agains microsoft for even thinking about doing this. I have no problem mass mailing *@microsoft.com 1,000's of emails. It would be fun to put sales@microsoft.com, support@microsoft.com, info@microsoft.com on peoples mailing lists.

I explain to my clients exactly how to properly report spam emails. I even teach courses in how to view email headers, how to report spam without getting textually abusive to the poor admins, and how they can avoid having their emails get on spam lists - and how to set up disposable email address that they can use to sign up with various services.

The article doesn't say if Microsoft will take their emails and parse them to their subscribers through a service of their own, or if they will give the certified bulk emailers a list of subscriber addresses.

If Microsoft starts doing the mailings on behalf of the trusted-bulkers...that will be a considerable expense and liability that they may expose themselves to. Just one slip-up and Microsoft could find themself the target of lots of lawsuits.

If Microsoft treats these trusted-bulkers as "partners" and gives out a list, I would be absolutely furious. What's to keep some enterprising spammer (like the Michigan spam king) from paying the funds to be a trusted-bulker and then reselling this list to other spammers at a high fee?

If I subscribed to any Microsoft email services, I'd be cancelling my accounts right quick...