What's happening to our precious Internet?

Back in the 80's when I first discovered e-mail I was all excited about its marketing potential. Now I want to hide under a rock but unfortunately there are none in cyberspace. It's less solid than sand.

I guess once we became successful at replacing the postage stamp with computers, modems and automation we must have been a bit naive if we couldn't see a tidal wave of spam rising at warp speed on the horizon. Now we are drowning in the flood it has created, trying after the fact to figure out how to clean up the mess and how to tighten the reins.