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I would like some feedback on a possible solution to one of the problems: Spam. And my proposed solution is blockchain. Hear me out :-)

What if sending a mail required a proof of work (the digital equivalent of a stamp)? Then sending mail in bulk would be costly enough to lessen the spate of spam. Unstamped mail would be spam unless the recipient agreed to accept it without the stamp. Legal bulk mail senders could obtain stamps in bulk providing they agree to abide by the rules (no tracking, easy unsubscribe etc.) and provide proof of doing so.

By allowing unstamped mail to be delivered, yet be contingent on the receipients choice, I think we can deal with older clients that can't be updated, noble causes etc.

Feedback welcome.



Mentioned in another comment here, but you're describing hashcash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashcash


Does not work against spambot networks on hacked computers.


Doesn't it, though? Wouldn't it mean you'd need more hacked computing resources for sending the same amount of mail?


It's an economics problem then. They'd send less spam but they'd be paid more for each mail sent.


This is already proposed in the article. You probably haven't read it or may be I misunderstood what author meant by requiring proof of work to avoid spam.




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