Thursday, October 21, 2010

SPAM OR NOT ?

From the desk of John Brandow
Most people with an own domain might find that SPAM are on the increase. There are a lot of so called reputable businesses out there making use of SPAM creators (my definition). What is a spam creator? It is someone making it their business to harvest by any means possible email addresses and then assuring their high profiled clients (like some insurance companies - names available) that everything they do is above board. Now let me tell you it is not. How is it possible that an email purported to have been authorised by me get into my inbox addressed to an email address that is only available on my website ? An email address I never use for any other purpose as to enable clients looking for me to get in touch with me ?

Now this said there are two other major Issues I have with internet marketing companies and their strategies.

My service provider (Mweb) sends me a mail to request permission for someone I have never heard of to send me mails. Remember now they have probably send this to their whole database which is huge and when asked who this person is they do not even know. What could have happened?

Because I trust them ( they are big and looking after my interests, anyway so I thought ) I might have just said yes creating the possibility that I might be bombarded with spam I would not have had an idea where it comes from.

The second one is far more serious for me: An attempt to highjack my database. How does that work ? Under the guise of "viral marketing" i am requested to send an email on to my database with a copy to the company running a competition where you could win a weekend away. There is even a prize for the one that sends the most emails. Now I have major problems with this kind of spam creation.
1. I have build a reputable database of persons and business I know and have met or otherwise have had interaction with.
2. These people whose data is on my computer trusted me with their data and would definitely not want spammers to get hold of their data.
3. The competition runners are going to bombard them with emails using me as the reference adding credibility to their mail without that having been the intention.
4. No one knows what is going to happen to the data so collected !

Be very carefull what you send on and if you do send anything on use the blind copy facility - at least no one can misuse your data base

The gate is wide open go and get that business

The gate is wide open go and get that business

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