Gingras Suffers Fools Gladly No More

Goodmail’s Richard Gingras—the chief executive who went from unknown software executive to rotten-tomato target for the Internet’s infantile utopians the instant AOL announced it was implementing his company’s CertifiedEmail program—is clearly tired of answering the same questions over … and over … and over.

When asked during a panel discussion at the Inbox conference last week in San Jose if the revenue his service generated for AOL might cause the portal to start giving second-rate, shoddy treatment to messages from those who don’t pay, Gingras’s body language and vocal tone was that of resigned exasperation.

“Ok, idiots … one … more … time …” he seemed to be thinking as he leaned forward to answer.

The average ISP makes $25 to $30 in access fees and ad revenue per month per subscriber and spends 75 cents per subscriber per month on e-mail hygiene issues, such as security, Gingras said.

If Goodmail’s scheme is “hugely” successful, it might generate 30 cents per month per subscriber for AOL, according to Gingras.

“Why would AOL risk $25 per subscriber to generate another few nickels?” he asked.

Why, Indeed. Got that, DearAOL.com?

After the panel, one conference goer said: “Man, is Richard over it, or what?”