The Pleasures of Sharing Information

2004 was really a year when the whole subject of email and spam has been at the forefront of the minds of internet marketers.

The anti Spam legislation has had more than the desired effect. I think everyone hates spam, even spammers. I guess also that everyone hates spammers, except spammers, though they probably hate other spammers. An attempt by legislators in different countries to prevent the deluge of spam into Inboxes was to be expected. The spam itself had already spawned the spam filter industry, which has “flourished” this year. I put flourished in “” because flourishing gives the impression of health. Their balance sheets and profit and loss figures may be flourishing, I don’t know, but the email industry is not.

Spam filters were set up to prevent spam, not to kill perfectly genuine and good emails, from friends, lovers, publishers you have requested a newsletter from, or anybody else who is not “spamming” you. Some recent figures suggest a significant proportion of valid emails are not reaching their destination. Is that good? Is that what the legislation intended? No, it is it not.

People use filters in good faith, without, in most cases, having any idea how they work. They may be blissfully unaware that, in some cases, good email will not reach them. How much does that damage online business? How many business relationships are damaged by failure to respond to an email that was never received? How many personal relationships are damaged in the same way? Nobody knows. But if, for example, a marriage is on the rocks, one such incident could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Internet marketers in particular have been covering the subject an enormous amount in the past year. Some are even saying that email is dying. Well, dying is surely an exaggeration. Maybe those marketers want others to give up so they have the field to themselves. However, it is increasingly difficult for internet marketers to get their message, even if requested, to the recipient. They comply, in most cases, with the legislation, but the self appointed Spam Police have their own ideas of what email people should receive. To me, that is far more annoying than spam itself. It is a form of censorship if it snuffs out email that people really wanted to receive.

Is spam as a problem exaggerated too? Well, I have no figures on that, but in my own case it has never been more than a minor irritation. I have 3 websites with different email addresses on, which can presumably be harvested for spam email lists. One of those websites has been there nearly 2 years. So is my Inbox filled with spam? No. I get a few, but it is a minor irritation. Maybe I’m lucky, I have no way of knowing.

I do know that the people I expect to hear from do get their emails to me, but I have no spam filters activated. I have just never found it necessary. One problem I have noticed, though, is nothing to do with spam filtering. Once most marketers legitimately get hold of your email address, they start sending far too many advertising only emails. Even if they start off with one or a series of helpful emails, which you may have requested, it soon deteriorates into an ad bombardment. Recently, I opted out of the list of a well known internet guru for that very reason.

So, it is up to internet marketers to put their own house in order too. If they send out emails that people find useful, entertaining, reliable or profitable (preferably all 4), on a consistent basis, people will look forward to their good content. They will take the extra steps necessary to ensure the emails they want get through to them. In most cases, adding to the address book or “approved” list will do just that. Who will want to “approve” an email address that sends nothing but ads when the expectation was, originally, useful content. I think the average person would accept a reasonable amount of advertising, if it is relevant and is a small % of the content.

I cannot foresee that email will die, even as a marketing tool. But it could be in need of surgery, and it is up to all of us to learn the surgical procedures.

Roy Thomsitt is the owner, webmaster and author of http://www.change-direction.com , a new website in late 2004, about working online in a home based business. He has a background in offline advertising, with practical experience of working from home in marketing since 1995, plus 2 years of experience with online marketing. Professionally, he was trained as a management accountant and has substantial background in project management, implementing new office, accounting, computer and management systems.

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Everyone on the internet is concerned about the prevalence of unsolicited email, AKA spam.

I understand their concern, but there has to be a better way to handle the situation than through the bully tactics of elitist groups such as Spam Cop.

I’ve been a target of their guilty until innocent tactics and no matter how many times I prove that I’ve spammed no one they twist the situation into it being my fault.

They remind me of the Spanish Inquisitors torturing “heretics” at the stake, the truth be damned. They twist the wording of emails to make any answer wrong.

I don’t know how in a country like America where we’re innocent until proven guilty, it is just the opposite with the IRS and Spam Cop.

It’s like an analyst asking a patient if they still hate their mother. There is no possible way to answer correctly.

It’s time for marketers to wake up to the fact that anyone is their target. They can cause you more hassles and affect your business for any reason or no reason.

Where are the advocates of free speech? Where are the advocates of free enterprise?

Wake up marketers, you could be next. You could be the next one attacked by the Spam Cop McCarthyism. Don’t take your liberty for granted.

The internet is still experiencing growing pains and for some reason these individuals have appointed themselves as the internets version of Hitler’s Brown Shirts.

I refuse to cave in to these elitists who feel it’s their duty to tell me how I’m in the wrong no matter what the proof to the contrary.

The media already controls the air waves. The internet is one of the only bastions of free expression left for the average person.

Don’t let freedom of speech and free enterprise go onto the endangered species list because of these self - appointed censors.

I will not go quietly and I hope you feel the same way.

If I wanted to be controlled by a dictator I’d move to Iraq.

Since I live in America, I still expect due process and I refuse to cave in to faceless terrorists.

Let freedom ring.

Wishing You Success, John

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The following is a note I received from an advertiser after he
got a SPAM warning from a Spam Vigilante. Note that his service
is a SPAM Filtering Service!

Mike,

Do you know what this means, and how it happened?

Joe

—– Original Message —– From:
<82451690@reports.spamcop.net> To: Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002
7:18 PM Subject: [SpamCop (http://spamfilter.website101.com)
id:82451690] [Astrology.ca] May 25 Horoscope > - SpamCop V1.3.3 -

> This message is brief for your comfort. Please follow links
for details.

The following note come from the VIGILANTE via SpamCop

> > I never signed up for this! Send CONFIRMATION emails BEFORE
mindlessly signing people up to prevent unauthorized signups! >

My response to my list advertiser is next

Joe,

You have just become the latest victim of spam vigilantism by a
SpamCop member. It is a hate crime practiced by folks with
little else to do but chase phantom criminals because they are
so annoyed by REAL spammers. I guess you can’t blame them since
that is what obviates the SpamFilter Service you provide. I have
written previous articles on the absolute stupidity of this
vicious circle. You provide a valuable service with SpamFilter
which is intended to stop spam directly. SpamCop thrives, in
part, because your very worthwhile SpamFilter service is so
necessary. I only wish more people would use SpamFilter and
fewer used SpamCop.

Here is the usual course of events, Joe.

I host a daily horoscope list that goes to 4500 people. Many
times enthusiastic astrology list subscribers sign up friends
and relatives without their permission, to share a particular
horoscope with them. It’s the biggest drawback to hosting that
list.

But I keep all subscription requests and can prove them. I’ve
had run-ins with SpamCop before and they know about my list and
that there are occasional complaints due to those unrequested
sign-ups to the list by over enthusiastic friends and relatives.
As you can see, I am advertising SpamFilter in that daily
horoscope and when a complaint goes to spamcop, their mindless
automated system sends to every domain listed in the email.

I’ve had trouble with it before and have a section in the
SpamFilter folder discussing it. Note the links to SpamCops
Abuses and the multiple articles from other victims of the
so-called service. Most of us are list hosts or have our own
newsletters. Read the articles I have posted.

http://website101.com/SpamFilter/spamcop.net.html
http://website101.com/SpamFilter/spamcops.html
http://website101.com/SpamFilter/spammer_spamming.html

All that is required is to notify everyone involved of the
likely cause, that is friends signing up others without
permission. I even directly ask people NOT to sign up others to
avoid this trouble. But when it does happen, I always notify my
web host, the list host and any advertisers in the list and it’s
becoming routine, unfortunately, because of how SpamCop works –
or I should say, doesn’t work. That is the reason I like your
SpamFilter service so much. It removes the crap to allow me more
time to deal with real issues.

SpamCop is a real issue and I tire of the vigilantes involved
with them. Unfortunately, it seems not to go away, no matter how
many list owners are attacked this way. I’m sending a copy of
this to my Web Host, my List Host, to SpamCop, to you and to
other advertisers, so that everyone is aware of the stupidity
involved and doesn’t take the matter too far. I’ll be posting a
copy of this in the SpamFilter article file as well to further
illustrate the vigilante nature of SpamCop members.

Makes me think of lynchings and other hate crimes when people do
this. Talk about knee-jerk reactions. Notice that the complainer
is masked by SpamCop? They complain anonymously and it’s not
possible to respond to them, even when you would like to explain
it to them. Neither can you unsubscribe the complainer. Usually
they just continue to complain and you must continue to defend
yourself so your host doesn’t take action against you, your list
or your site.

In this case I can prove the person is subscribed, and if they
did the complaining directly to me, I could show them the
subscription and the IP address of the person that subscribed
them. But they string up the noose and attempt to hang the
object of their wrath, even if they ought to be stringing up the
friend or relative that subscribed them to the list without
their permission. Note also that there is a plainly visible and
always available UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of the list.

They don’t unsubscribe, they would rather complain than to take
direct action. It’s all really very absurd.

Mike Banks Valentine

Joe wrote:

Mike, Do you know what this means, and how it happened. Joe

—– Original Message —– From:
<82451690@reports.spamcop.net> To:

Lets face it we all get spammed and it drives us nuts! If it were not for folders, I would probably NEVER find my “legitmate” email. I probably do NOT get as much spam as most people do, but when I do get it, boy do I get it! I especially love it when people come by and spam my paid list building site, little do they know that I have several ways of finding out WHO they are ;o)

When it comes right down to it though, sometimes you really have to laugh at some of the garbage they send. According to spammers not only do I need viagra, I also need an enlargement for a body part I don’t even have. I some how also managed to request this information at one of their sites, not once, but 200 freakin’ times.

We all have our incoherent days, but I think I would at least get the drift after the first 100 times. And really now, like I am going to send a spammer my credit card info in an email! Like I said, we all have our incoherent days, but I am sure as heck NOT that darn incoherent at ANY time. Even if a web site doesn’t use a “secure” server -I’m NOT buying and there’s no two ways about it, let alone in an email.

Seriously, like how stupid do these people really think we are? “Laurie how would you like to harvest millions of email addresses a day?” Whoo-Hoo! I better jump right on that one, so my web host can shut me down and I can lose EVERYTHING I’ve worked so hard for in the last 3 plus years. Yeah I will get right on that one.

“I saw your site and got your email.” Really? So what did it look like? Because last time I checked there was NO site for that email address you moron. And if there was - WHO said you could email me?

What really makes me laugh is in the body of the email it reads, “Would you like to start a home business?” You just told me you went to my site, obviously you would know I ALREADY have a business! In fact, I have four of them so you may want to head back there that way you can learn the REAL way to market online.

This last little episode really gave me a good chuckle, I got spammed by some person claiming I requested the information (a private email address). So, I reported it to the program owner and to the autoresponder service that they were using (which is owned by a good friend of mine). The program owner allowed the person to state their “case” and forwarded me a copy of their response.

This was their reply - “I’m not certain where I received that email address from. I used to buy email addresses, but I don’t do that anymore. I have been marketing now for over two years and NEVER had a spam complaint, so I’m really appalled at this acusation. I have had 4 of my ISP accounts shut down, because maybe the people were offended by the ad copy. The person who sent you this complaint MUST be someone I have previously been in contact with because that is the only way to get on my list.”

Sheesh, I wonder WHO the LIAR is in this case? There’s nothing like a contradictive statement to hang yourself out to dry. In this case the person should have just came right out and said, “Yeah, I harvested her email address”, instead of talking in circles and digging themselves into a DEEPER hole. The great Homer Simpson once said, “DOH”! (but hey at least he admits to doing something STUPID!)

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—————————————- Note: reproduction in e-zine is permitted provided author is informed. —————————————-

What is the Fuss?

I am a young surfer, barely six-months old. But I already know that spamming is a sin, soon to be made a crime. However, as an adult who has been around for quite sometime, I really do not understand the logic of it all.

What is wrong with sending decent emails to strangers? It’s because they have not asked for it. But are banners, pop-ups and pop-unders solicited? Yeah! How about TV advertising? You didn’t ask for them either, did you? These, mind you, are PAID for. Are you saying that paying someone to deliver the emails will be acceptable? If not, what really is the fuss?

Like everything else, the fuss is about money. If it is OK for Tom, Dick, and Harry to advertise for himself, Where is advertising revenue going to come from? Well, as someone who has to put roof over head and food on table, I am beginning to see the truth.

This thing has got to be stopped. How? Why not nail it with a bad sounding label. What do you have in mind? How about SPAM for “Self Publicity-Advertising Mess”? Not bad for a bad name. That would also give the public something to spit from its lips. Like SPAMMING is bad for health, or whatever.

Of course, that is not supposed to be heard. But, according to great grandma, That’s how SPAMMING has come to be frown upon. It’s not about table manners, mind you. It’s about whether any lunch should be free. It is a conflict between cooks and those who prefer to cook for themselves.

Can SPAMMING really be stopped? Yes, in name but not in kind. As always, devils are steps ahead of the gods. Email address collecting has already become a kind of business. And people are having themselves opted in everyday. What this creates is a kind of new syndication. In this way, almost everyone will be happy. Cook will keep their jobs and no lunch will be free. There will be no more unsolicited emails. Some though would still complain about unwanted publicity and advertising. But then, as great grandma used to say, Who is to know that one’s words are not welcomed unless one speaks?.

Author: Peter M.K. Chan http ://www.geocities.com/philosophyofreligion_pmkchan http://www.geoci ties.com/themysteryofmind

=========================================== The strange neighborhood of truth is always less comfortable than the familiar circles of falsehood - PMKC. ===========================================

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