Letter: Unwanted filth received via ‘Net

Wednesday, May 6, 1998 | 11:26 a.m.

I am not a computer bug, but I have heard so much about the great things found online. I received an offer with the newspaper a few weeks ago. I had to put it on hold until I finished my busy period. A person told me that they had met on the Internet and are now married. So, about a week ago, I jumped in and went online.

E-mail is the problem. Seems that everyone has your address, and the filth comes. In the first week, I received 30 offers for free weeks or a month of free porno pictures, films and whatever.

I think parents should be warned that this will be distributed when you go online. There are cautions that "you must be 18 to view the following." Do you think that will stop any of our society from entering?

I talked to America Online and they offered me two choices: Remove all e-mail capabilities from our system or, they said, "If you don't order anything from them, they will stop sending the offers in a couple of months." I am aware of the free speech movement in our country. However, I think some rules of decency should be enacted to control what is distributed to customers. Warnings should be given when free samples are given away by second parties.

Yes, I have found some very good things on the Internet, and I know it will be used for great things in our future.

But, for now, I think we should be smart enough to control what is force-fed to the youth of our country.

Samuel E. Stote