To place Serge's ideas in context, it should be pointed out first that he intended that the price paid on en e-mail would go to the recipient, which is why he said it would be a wash for most people. As a recovering economist, I do believe that anything that is provided with no charge at all is likely to be abused, and that is what we are talking about. And it is also worth noting that Serge's proposal about charging was a way to get around the only other feasible way to control abuse, which is to sharply limit who can send messages. I can, right now, write a rule that says anyone not already in my address book cannot successfully send me e-mail. I just delete on sight any e-mail from someone not in the book.