Mail call . . .

Two things about reader e-mail makes me thankful: First, it means someone is reading; second, it makes possible these periodic “Letters to ‘Net Buzz” columns. Here’s a sample of what has been on your minds of late.

Two things about reader e-mail makes me thankful: First, it means someone is reading; second, it makes possible these periodic “Letters to ‘Net Buzz” columns.

Here’s a sample of what has been on your minds of late:

An item pointing out that traffic to VeriSign’s Web sites increased dramatically during the company’s short-lived and now suspended use of its Site Finder redirection service generated a good deal of response, most negative toward VeriSign.

“Sure, Site Finder created a bunch of traffic and put VeriSign right up there with Amazon and Disney, but it’s unlikely it was the same quality of traffic,” Doug Murray writes. “The folks who visited the latter two probably meant to go there while the VeriSign hits don’t really amount to much more than self-generated spam. Of course, with the advantage of getting hits for everybody’s typos, they only need a spam-type response rate to realize a business value. But then factor in the ill will and bad press, and with any luck, Site Finder has all the value of New Coke.”

A VeriSign spokesman also wrote to tell me critics have gotten it all wrong about the motivation behind Site Finder. “Being able to offer services that we think benefit the Internet user is what motivates us – because that is good for the user and good for VeriSign, too,” he says.

Make of that what you will.

A column recounting the travails of a Microsoft Hotmail user included his complaint that being forced to change e-mail addresses was exactly the type of consumer affront that brought us to last week’s introduction of wireless number portability.

“Your analogy of e-mail portability to phone number portability is right on,” Bill D’Avanzo says. “There should be a law requiring major providers to forward mail – for a period of time anyway – perhaps for a small, specified fee.”

He might have a point, but I’m not sure about adding another law.

Like most commentators who addressed the subject, Buzz took to task as patently offensive DARPA’s short-lived scheme – dubbed the Policy Analysis Market (PAM) – to use the predictive powers of online futures trading to combat terrorism. Most doesn’t mean everyone, of course.

“Count me opposed to your views on PAM,” Raymond Ballou writes. “Let them do whatever it takes to save lives. My sensibilities were not in the least bit offended.”

Let’s toss in a piece of fan mail just for fun.

“I am not your typical reader. I hardly understand most of what I am reading, but my thanks to you for making most of your editorial articles simple to understand,” Mark B. writes. “Also, if you ever get the urge to change the name of your column, may I suggest ‘McNamara’s Band-width.'”

Ouch. Think I’ll stick with ‘Net Buzz.

A rant about Orbitz and pop-ups garnered this helpful advice:

“Get the Google toolbar. As an added bonus, it blocks pop-ups for free,” Phil Daley writes. “Since I installed it last month, it has blocked 210 pop-ups.”

As an added added bonus – at least for me – this is one pop-up blocker that our IT department lets us use.

Let’s finish up with one of my all-time favorites, which comes from a reader who took great exception to my critique of the impact European privacy law is having on American business.

“Read your ridiculously biased diatribe against Europeans and privacy protection,” fumes this fellow, who asked not to be quoted. “You are one of the reasons for the decline of the American empire.”

Most people in most jobs never get blamed for the fall of empires. It’s just one reason I find this gig so much fun.

There’s always room for more. The address is buzz@nww.com.