Spam and Privacy
Which bothers you more:
1. Direct mail pieces flooding your postal mailbox, with the result of billions of tons of waste and the environmental consequences that go with that.
2. Telemarketers that call you at dinnertime, interrupting what you are doing to sell you products you don't want or need.
3. eMail messages in your electronic in-box that take a few minutes a day to delete.
The uproar about Spam is probably inconsistent with the reality of the mass of unsolicited advertisements we receive everyday. In fact, if we created legislation against all forms of unsolicited marketing our economy would fall apart very quickly. Nevertheless, the reality is that this perception of privacy and permission is widespread, and as marketers we need to work with it not against it.
Spam is somewhat subjective.
Some people feel that any commercial message sent via email is Spam. Others agree that if someone requests a newsletter or commercial email that it is not Spam.
What is Spam?
The definition of Spam is purposely vague because everybody has his or her own definition. As it currently stands, Spam is in the eye of the beholder.
The general term 'Spam' can apply to messages over many outlets. Some common targets include email inboxes, search engines and discussion groups.
Unfortunately, most communication outlets are likely to be spammed to some degree. The more valuable the communication medium, the more likely it will attract spammers. Ironically, spammers threaten the very mediums they profit from.
Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most Spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. Spam costs the sender very little to send -- most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.
Email Spam lists are often created by using harvester programs , stealing Internet mailing lists, or searching the Web for addresses.
Email spams typically cost users money out-of-pocket to receive. Many people - anyone with measured phone service - read or receive their mail while the meter is running, so to speak. Spam costs them additional money. On top of that, it costs money for ISPs and online services to transmit Spam, and these costs are transmitted directly to subscribers.One particularly nasty variant of email Spam is sending Spam to mailing lists (public or private email discussion forums.) Because many mailing lists limit activity to their subscribers, spammers will use automated tools to subscribe to as many mailing lists as possible, so that they can grab the lists of addresses, or use the mailing list as a direct target for their attacks.
Spam, or junk e-mail, is also defined as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE) or other unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE), including advertising, chain letters, virus warnings, etc. It usually contains forged return addresses, and often your own address will not appear in the headers.There are also other types of Spam besides e-mail, such as newsgroup cross-posts and instant messages. The term was originally defined as any annoying "noise" which drowns out all other communication, so named for an old Monty Python skit. Spam wastes bandwidth on the Internet, causing it to actually slow down, and takes up an enormous amount of hard drive space and CPU cycles. Not only is Spam annoying, but in the state of California it is illegal, although difficult to prosecute, and prohibited by most Internet service providers, including NetWizards. ISP's which permit their users to send Spam are subject to retaliation by others, by having all their email blocked, by having their bandwidth flooded, etc. Thus, legitimate ISP's cannot afford to permit Spam to originate from their networks.
MAIL ABUSE PREVENTION SYSTEM
Definition of "Spam"STANDARD:
An electronic message is "Spam" IF: (1) the recipient's personal identity and context are irrelevant because the message is equally applicable to many other potential recipients; AND (2) the recipient has not verifiably granted deliberate, explicit, and still-revocable permission for it to be sent; AND (3) the transmission and reception of the message appears to the recipient to give a disproportionate benefit to the sender.
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast guidelines on what is and is not Spam.
The eMarketing Association recommends the following minimum guidelines:
1. Don't let the fear of Spamming, inhibit your legitimate opt-in email programs
2. Always use opt-in lists
3. Always include your company name and URL in your email
4. Always provide a way for recipients to opt-out of your email list
5. Promptly remove any opt-outs from your lists
6. Adhere to your privacy policy
7. Never send more than one commercial email a day
Privacy:The following is a good example of a privacy policy statement for e-mail:
Email Privacy Policy
We have created this email privacy policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy and the protection of your information.Why did you receive an email from us?
If you received a mailing from us, (a) your email address is either listed with us as someone who has expressly shared this address for the purpose of receiving information in the future ("opt-in"), or (b) you have registered or purchased or otherwise have an existing relationship with us. We respect your time and attention by controlling the frequency of our mailings.
How we protect your privacy
We use security measures to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of data used by our system.
Sharing and Usage
We will never share, sell, or rent individual personal information with anyone without your advance permission or unless ordered by a court of law. Information submitted to us is only available to employees managing this information for purposes of contacting you or sending you emails based on your request for information and to contracted service providers for purposes of providing services relating to our communications with you.
How can you stop receiving email from us?
Each email sent contains an easy, automated way for you to cease receiving email from us, or to change your expressed interests. If you wish to do this, simply follow the instructions at the end of any email.
If you have received unwanted, unsolicited email sent via this system or purporting to be sent via this system, please forward a copy of that email with your comments to your company.com for review.
