Re: domain name list

From: Brad Jensen <brad_at_elstore.com>
Date: Wed 16 Aug 2000 10:41:10 -0500

DAVID ATKINS <datkins_at_coport.com> WROTE:
> Ignoring the completely valid ethical arguments against
> spam, perhaps we can follow Aristotle's statement that
> "altruism is enlightened self-interest." In that light,
> of all the reasons that spam is bad, perhaps the most
> compelling is that the anti-spam culture works for us
> as marketers and that our job will be much harder if
> Brad's arguments prevail.

I've gotten a number of private messages supporting my
'position' but no one wants to come out and say what
they feel in private.

I would like to remind people I do not favor emailing
everyone in the world, and I wasn't advocating a
'position'. I have a prduct that is of interest to
email administrators, and there are hundreds of
thousands of them. The best way I could think of
informing them of my product is to email to them. So I
asked to find a list of domains.

The religious response somewhat surprised me. You guys
turned this into a argument for and against spam.

I tried to discuss the economics of the mailing, and of
email and advertising in general. Very few people
seemed to understand the point I was making, that the
consumer always pays for the advertising (to prospects,
some of whom will be present or future consumers).

People have suggested paying a high cost for small
opt-in lists that won't reach a fraction of the market.
In the name of not committing the heresy of sending an
unsolicited email, it has been suggested that I spend
lots of money (with firms like the ones represented
here, by the way) marketing through press releases,
optin lists, banners, etc.

I feel like the guy who invented the railroad, who is
told that a man on a horse carrying a lantern must ride
in front of the train wherever it goes.

All email is originally unsolicited.

All advertising is an attempt to divert and engage the
attention of a person.

Simple ideas.

Opt-in lists are the new holy grail, but there are not
enough people opting in, so the optiners are morphing
into optouters.

If you rent an optin list, be sure to rent only those
names that have been receiving the list at least 30
days or five cycles, whichever is more. If the list
manager can't give you those names, find someone else.

Brad Jensen brad_at_elstore.com
President
Electronic Storage Corporation Tulsa OK USA
918-664-7276
LaserVault Report Retrieval & Data Mining
www.Laservault.com





Received on Wed Aug 16 2000 - 10:41:10 CDT