If Maine’s attempts to cut through the garbage clogging e-mail in boxes is any indication, beleaguered computer users shouldn’t expect relief from legislation signed Tuesday by President Bush.

The new federal law prohibits spammers from disguising their identities, using false return addresses and using misleading subject lines. It also outlaws a practice that allows sophisticated solicitors to scan Web sites to mine working e-mail addresses. Unfortunately, it pre-empts state laws that, in some cases, are much more restrictive. To have any chance at reducing the amount of spam, the federal law needs to be much tougher.

Thirty-six states have laws on the books restricting unwanted e-mail advertising. Virginia’s is probably the toughest because chronic spammers can be sentenced to jail time and have assets seized. Two men were indicted there last week on felony charges related to their spam activities. In California, advertisers must get permission before sending someone spam.

Maine’s anti-spam law went into effect in September and so far the results haven’t been great. It requires e-mail solicitations to be labeled as such and requires that all the ads have opt-out instructions. A quick check of e-mail shows its limitations.

A 1991 law offers an example of how to put more bite into spam laws. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act makes it illegal to send the equivalent of fax machine spam. The law has teeth: Consumers can sue anyone who deluges them with junk faxes.

It’s hard to argue with any effort to reduce the millions of unwanted e-mail solicitations that pour through cyberspace and onto personal and business computers. But more needs to be done.


Hinckley’s sleepovers


The man who shot President Reagan and three other people is getting out. He shouldn’t be.

For 22 years, John Hinckley Jr. has lived at a Washington, D.C., psychiatric institution. He was committed after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the attempt on Reagan’s life. Now, a federal judge has decided that it is OK for Hinckley to have unsupervised overnight trips to visit his parents.

Hinckley’s attack on the president and his entourage was meant to impress actress Jodie Foster. The president was seriously wounded and his press secretary, James Brady, was left permanently disabled.

According to several experts, Hinckley no longer poses a danger. But his history of deception prompted prosecutors to oppose the unsupervised trips. We agree. Hospital records indicate Hinckley is guarded and suggest his obsession with Foster has not ended.

Hinckley has been allowed out of confinement on several occasions, but always with supervision. The Secret Service keeps a close eye on him whenever he’s out. No doubt that will continue.

During a time of heightened threats, this is just one more guy we shouldn’t have to worry about.
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