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Unwanted Email From a Filtering Service?By: Cathy Fothergill
Hey! I receive enough illegitimate email. I'm betting you feel the same way. So why should we be subjected to more unwanted email because our friends, families and subscribers use the services of SpamArrest? We shouldn't!
In case you haven't already heard, the filtering service, SpamArrest is just another commercial organization that sends messages to people who don't want them. Yup! That's absolutely true. Now, I'm sure that their paying customers are only recently becoming aware of this practice.
Here's how SpamArrest works:
1. You send your publication or correspondence to one of their customers.
2. The service responds with a communication naming the person you just tried to contact. It instructs you to go to a web site and confirm yourself as "friendly" by typing a certain word.
3. You follow the instructions.
4. A few weeks later, you receive a sales letter from SpamArrest, offering you a 30 day free trial.
Not long ago, I went through this process for one of my subscribers. I figured that as long as I didn't have to confirm every subscriber, I would be happy to help.
To my dismay, a short time later, I received an unwanted advertisement from SpamArrest. It was offering a 30 day trial. I removed myself (hopefully) from SpamArrest's list.
The next day, I saw an article whose author was telling this same story. That particular author had decided to continue to enable the addresses of her subscribers who are customers of SpamArrest. Her contention is that it isn't the fault of her subscribers that SpamArrest shamelessly spams the friends, family and associates of its customers. I'm sorry, but I disagree with that policy.
As an ezine publisher, I WILL NOT confirm email addresses of SpamArrest customers. Neither will I confirm for friends and family who use this "service". If I decide to close my eyes to the unethical practices of SpamArrest they will keep harvesting email addresses. I feel that would make me just as guilty as SpamArrest.
**Article by: Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 2003. First published in Article Connection Update, 2/24/03. Do you write articles? Great! Webmasters and ezine publishers are just dying to hear what you have to say. Get on over to: http://www.connectionteam.com and start submitting.
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Stop Censoring My Mail!By: Cathy Fothergill
When I was young, I often heard my mother say, "Your rights end where mine begin." Now, I am all grown up and I have adopted the same philosophy.
Your rights end where mine begin. That is precisely my attitude toward those who persist in sending electronic communication I did not request. Yes, lets play the censorship card.
Those who send unrequested email cry "censorship!" whenever anyone suggests they should not be allowed to do so. With the advent of "server side" filtering, it is legitimate publishers who should be complaining of censorship. We are being unfairly targeted.
The problem of unrequested email has become so bad that many internet service providers have installed some sort of filtering. The intended purpose is to "protect" their customers from unwanted communication of the commercial nature. The result is that legitimate communication is being blocked. THAT, my friend is censorship.
Filtering sounds wonderful on the surface. Just imagine an internet life without the blight of garbage email communication! Yes, this sounds great... to the ignorant.
[Side Comment...
I'm not trying to be insulting. Being classified as ignorant is not an insult. By the true definition, "ignorant" just means someone has not been educated in the facts. Anyone can be ignorant without being labeled as "stupid".]
I am not completely against filtering. As a matter of fact, before my ISP decided to be "big brother" and make decisions on my behalf, I was actually filtering my own mail. I was doing quite well, I might add. It had been months since an unrequested message OR a virus had actually entered my computer. I accomplished this great feat very simply. I EDUCATED myself. Then I implemented what I learned.
At first, I learned about the features of my email program. I learned how to make that program filter my incoming mail. My personal filter was not PREVENTING these messages from entering my computer, it was simply sending them to the trash. It wasn't hard to figure out how to do that. I did not have to spend a penny. Since these messages were sent to my deleted file, I could still choose to review them to be certain I didn't accidentally filter a message from a friend or a family member.
There were still problems. Since unwanted email messages often contain malicious code and viruses, I still had to find a way to keep them out of my computer in the first place. After all, a message in the deleted file is still resident within the computer.
Hmmm.... time for more education. I decided to pay for the services of a company that allows you to check your email from anywhere. It was originally intended to allow its customers to be able to check their home email address while away from home. I decided it would be a great way to check my email while it was still on the server... even while AT home.
This system allowed me to delete obvious "stranger" email. It also allowed me to identify possible viruses by the file size of the email. You see, emails containing viruses have an incredibly large file size.
This was still a tedious process. I had to go to a website, log in, read email, delete email and then log out. Then I had to go to my actual inbox and hit "receive". There was always the chance some unwanted email would get through.
Then I discovered a zero cost download. The program allowed me to view my email messages while they were still on the server. I could delete them from there. This saved me money. It also saved time as I no longer had to log in, delete messages and log out. This program also offered the additional perk of being able to generate a false bounce. (I'm not sure how much good this actually does). Life was good. Then I woke up.
The ignorant are winning. They cry to their "big brother" ISPs, "Please stop these unwanted emails!" Instead of responding with EDUCATION, the ISPs respond with, "Sure sweetheart, we'll make the big bad "S" word go away. We'll add filters." The ISPs fail to tell their customers that much of their WANTED email will now be lost in cyberspace. The ISPs also fail to tell their customers that much of the unwanted email being received has come BECAUSE of the customers' own ignorance. Heaven forbid the ISP should offend its customers by pointing out THAT simple fact.
I admit, I am actually responsible for almost all of my own unwanted email. How? When I first came online (over 5 years ago), I requested information from classified ads. I posted classified ads. I posted to FFA pages. I signed up for things that were being "given away". (Incidentally, I never received any of them.) These are just a few practices that will generate unwanted email. Even now, I have my email address clearly visible on my web site. That also generates unwanted communication. The ones that are crying to their ISPs should be able to accept their own responsibilities, too.
As I stated earlier, I am not completely against filtering. I AM against the filtering being placed in the hands of the ISP. I am also against filtering that makes email just "disappear". Decisions regarding filtering should be the responsibility of the end user, not the ISP. Anything other than that is censorship, pure and simple.
Among other things, server side filtering looks for certain words and phrases that are common in stranger email. The problem is that many of these "identifiers" also appear in friendly email. The result is that with most ISP resident filtering systems, you are not allowed to view your own "suspect" email. Instead, if the filter finds those words or phrases, your email from your friend or family member just went "poof". Even worse, you may have just missed an email confirmation for a product you just purchased online. CENSORSHIP.
Are you missing ezines or newsletters you used to receive? Think about it. Perhaps you thought the publisher just stopped sending the newsletter. Instead, your ISP's filters may have decided it contained too many triggering words. The ezine might even come from a blacklisted area of the internet. For that reason, the ISP's filter determined it was in your best interest to destroy it. Never mind the fact that you asked for it and then confirmed your intention. CENSORSHIP.
Anytime someone besides you is making a decision on what email you can receive, it is censorship, pure and simple. The same people who are clamoring for their ISPs to employ filtering would scream from the housetops if the Post Office provided the same "service". Just imagine, your "friends" at the post Office going through your mail. "Hmmmm.... this one is from Arizona. Remember that advertisement that Ruby complained about last week? It was from Arizona. All mail from Arizona MUST be bad. Throw it away. Oh, and this one has the words, 'Sorry I missed your call'. We can't deliver it. It might be unrequested advertising." This illustration may sound ridiculous, but that's exactly what you are allowing your ISP's filters to do.
"It doesn't hurt anyone. Just delete it." That's a common attitude. If you believe that, I ask you to take off your rose colored glasses. Deleting it won't make it stop. Yes, if everyone would delete the unwanted email, then those who send it would not make any money, right? That's true. The problem with that hypothesis? That will only happen in an ideal world and this is not an ideal world. Another problem... Even if no one EVER bought something as a result of an unrequested message, the people selling the lists would still make money selling the addresses. After all, they are already lying about how good and responsive their lists are. What would stop them from lying even if no one EVER bought anything from one of those mailings?
Deleting unrequested email will not solve the filtering problem either. It's filtering that poses the greatest danger to the small internet business owner. Ezines, survive through advertising. Advertising triggers filters. If you remove the ads, the income is lost. Many articles also trigger filters. Publishers may be forced to limit content to avoid filters. If you limit content, you will no longer be offering "meat" to your readers. That results in lost readers. If you lose your readers, what's the point?
Yes, filtering is censorship. It violates our rights as publishers. It violates our rights as an ethical small business owners. It's time to stand up, stand fast and take back OUR internet!
How? Here are just a few resources for you to examine.
Opinions and information regarding the use of Habeas to guarantee email delivery: http://www.i-cop.org/habeas
Petition regarding the practices of Habeas: http://www.i-cop.org/habeas/petition.htm
Information regarding the practices of SpamArrest.com:
http://Ezine-Tips.com/articles/management/20030214.shtml and http://www.connectionteam.com/art20.html
Governmental contact information: http://www.wbdoyle.com/contactusgov.html
I know what actions I plan to take on this issue. Only YOU can decide what you will do.
**Article by: Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 2003. First published, Connection Team, Article Connection Update 02/22/03. Do you write articles? Great! Webmasters and ezine publishers are just dying to hear what you have to say. Get on over to: http://www.connectionteam.com and start submitting.
Is It Really
Necessary? By: Cathy Fothergill, copyright 2001
Stop! Don't send that email, yet! First, ask yourself, "Is this really necessary?" If you answer, "No!" Then don't send it.
We hear a lot of conversation regarding the value of keeping in touch with your contacts. Many have taken this to heart and gone overboard with the concept. Your contacts don't want to know EVERY move you make. They are only interested in news, updates and offers.
I am involved with a company whose President seems to think that an email message needs to go to the list every time something happens. No, I'm not talking about NEW developments, I'm referring to ongoing, routine tasks.
A great example is one I get every week with the subject line: "Checks are going out Friday" My mental (and sometimes audible) response is, "So what do you want, a medal?" Plllllease! Isn't a company SUPPOSED to send out checks on time, as promised? I think so. Don't tell me about it. Just do it. You might as well send me an email to tell me you're breathing. Now, if you'd like to tell me how MUCH the company is paying out, I'd be interested. That has a bearing on my business.
Yes, there are many who become power crazy when it comes to email. They become like the person who can't tolerate silence. You know the type, they can't stand it if there is no conversation happening. They will fill the silence with "and...uh" until they think of something else to say. They're the ones who can't bear to see you listening to another conversation instead of interacting with them. They have to intercept your listening and redirect it to them.
Oh, I could site many more examples of unnecessary email, but I think you get my point. The next time you pull up that blank email, please take a moment to ask, "Is this really necessary?" Don't be a pest. The rest of us will thank you.
**Article by: Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 2001. First published, You Plus Two, 11/16/01. Do you write articles? Great! Webmasters and ezine publishers are just dying to hear what you have to say. Get on over to:
http://www.connectionteam.com and start submitting.
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"Free" Web Sites and The
Credibility of Your Businessby Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 2000
Are you serious about your online business? If not, stop reading now. If you are, there are some important points you need to consider BEFORE taking your business online. If you are going to keep pace with today's business trends, you MUST project a credible image.
I have spent numerous hours searching for ideas, techniques, opportunities, etc on the internet. For this reason, I receive numerous "bulk" emails every day. I have become much more selective about where I spend my internet time. Now, I don't usually follow links that read something like, ...myfreesitename/id#/html. Why? In my opinion, "free" site URLs do not put forth that image of credibility I'm looking for.
To be Credible, a business must project:
1. Commitment: If the "free" site marketer isn't committed enough to their own success to invest a little money in a domain name and quality hosting, how committed will they be to servicing the customer's needs?
2. Stability: If the online marketer hasn't made a financial commitment to the development of an online business, how stable is it? What guarantee do I have that the business will be around tomorrow? Alas, another "Here today, gone tomorrow web site." I can't count the number of times I have flagged a message to check out later and by the time I got around to it, the site was completely gone. (or worse yet, already promoting something else)
3. Customer Service and Support: If a business doesn't project an image of commitment and stability, how do I know I will receive the service and support I need if I decide to make a purchase? The business owner has nothing to lose if they abandon their site. The customer has everything to lose!
4. Is it a scam? Unfortunately, there can be no guarantee that any business you visit online is not a scam. This one thing is sure, a business with its own domain and hosting is LESS likely to take your money and run.
Bottom line: What impression do you want to give your potential customers? Do you want your online business associated with these negative images? Would you rather project an image of confidence and credibility? The best investment you can make in your online business is your own domain name, and a dependable host.
**Article by: Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 2000. Do you write articles? Great! Webmasters and ezine publishers are just dying to hear what you have to say. Get on over to: http://www.connectionteam.com and start submitting.
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Last Updated: February 26, 2004