Re: Is it spam?

From: Alec Ellis <alece_at_glopro.com>
Date: Tue 29 Aug 2000 10:04:10 +1000

CHRIS YEADELL <chris_at_mymovies.net> WROTE:
> However I contacted a company today via email to see
> if they would be interested in advertising on our site.
> They offer a Broadband connectivity service. (something
> that our audience would be highly interested in as we
> are pioneers in broadband content in the UK.) I wrote a
> very personalised one off email to the guy concerned
> yet I received a rather abusive reply telling me where
> I could go shove my spam! What I wish to know is does
> what I did come under the heading of spam or is the guy
> over reacting. The last thing I want to do is cause
> offence!! Does anyone have an opinion on this?

TO WHICH MARCEL BUELLES <buelles_at_globalpark.de> REPLIED:
> He's just a user receiving an email he has not asked
> for. That's the easiest definition of "SPAM". Bit
> simple, but it hits the mark with most of the people I
> send emails to.

Rubbish!!! My Dad sent me an email the other day..I
didn't ask for it so he is a spammer? My Mate, mum, the
Tax man, the solicitor, the Copyright people.....
Australian Government!!!!! For gods sake!

"SPAM" came from the Monty Python song..... Spam, spam,
spam spam...spam spam spam spam WONDERFULL SPAM,
wonderful spam.... as MANY of us remember.... it was
adopted as the word for "prattle".... ie...blah blah
blah blah....about USELESS information.

The closest example to "spam" is where an Apertoire
owner wishes to sell his investment and sends out 4
million emails, getting replies from such as 10 year
olds. Duh?

Blanketing the world for a 0.0000001% success rate may
seem good to a business person on the web for the first
time (and THIS is normally the culprit today, as spam
is known to be practically illegal in many places in
the world), but after thy get FLAMED, REPORTED to the
black list of ISP's, their site cant receive 10% of the
world's emailers no more, and abused by every spam
vigilante wannabe.... they get the point that spamming,
though easy, is NOT on...and MORE painful than
rewarding.

You can produce the same results by other
methods...they are a bit more work...BUT are longer
lasting, and you can retain relationships rather than
hate spots around the net.

Press releases, search engine placements regularly,
visit review sites and give YOUR review, discussion
lists... be a helpful "guru" type, etc etc.....there
are many FREE promotion places, and low cost....it just
takes a bit of time and work finding them....... but
doesn't that make the results more worthwhile.

Can we get SPAM into perspective!!! Direct emailing to
people of LIKE interest is NOT spam...... it is
COMMUNICATION and anti-spammers are making the Net an
uneasy place to dwell. Is this the McCarthy era
re-visited..... didn't you have enough of it THEN!!!

Someone suggested to me once..... that the News barons
were behind the Spam wars.... as THEY are the only
people to really benefit.... without the Internet as a
communication tool and news service they would be back
in business, TV, Radio, Newspapers, etc. As it
is...they are losing sales to small NEWS services and
us....the net-people!!!!!

Cheers
Alec Ellis

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Received on Mon Aug 28 2000 - 19:04:10 CDT