Subject: Defining Spam (WAS: Advertising (Hopefully List Appropriate))

Jay,

I agree exactly with your definition, and it is exactly the one that I use
when deciding to report anyone via SpamCop.

As a webmaster, anything selling generic stuff like MLM, subs to porn sites,
Chinese herbs, no-questions-asked-loans or credit, etc, and especially that
sent using a BCC, is automatically reported.

Anything where the person has used my name or sites to ask if they can sell
me a related service - like translation, web hosting partnerships, offshore
programming, graphic design etc, is considered on its merits, and either
goes in the 'might be useful' folder, or the 'deleted items', as
appropriate. Literate letters asking for employment are always answered
courteously and encouragingly , as I was young and looking for work myself
once long ago....

Sometimes, I have to do a bit more digging. Recent examples are people
purporting to be doing academic research who turn out to be unknown to the
institute in question,  or reporting that a domain name I have parked and
never mentioned online "isn't working". I decided on the available evidence
that both were spam to get replies with good emails, but similar ones might
be genuine!

Kind regards,

Lois Wakeman

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http://lois.co.uk
http://siteusability.com
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>To ME, spam is a message which I did not solicit AND which is sent
>with no individual decision making as to why it was sent to ME.
>I receive hundreds of emails from companies that buy my name and email
>address from mailing lists of people in the XYZ industry.  To me, that
>is spam because they made no individual attempt to determine if I was
>specifically qualified for their offer.

>However, when a person looks up information in an industry directory
>..., I want to hear from that person.

>Likewise, if a supplier of services or products finds one of my web
>sites .... at least not listen for a couple seconds.
>
>If their pitch is honest and individually targeted, it will be obvious ...

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