I'd like to be nice to Elsewhere, Greensboro's artist collaborative. They've added some events to the Greensboro 101 events calendar and I've promoted them at this blog, but right now I am ^&#*# furious at their stupid move to spam me by providing my personal information to a third party spam mill.
I just received their "e-news" newsletter, something I did not ask to receive and to which I did not subscribe. When I clicked on the unsubscribe link I was taken to a third party website that displayed my full name and email address. Elsewhere, this was a bad move. What in the world made you think I would be okay with you submitting my name and email address to this website? You should have asked first. I would have said no, but at least you wouldn't have done me wrong. Now, in addition to being a funky cool part of Greensboro, you are also obnoxious.
Businesses are routinely adding every contact they encounter to opt-out email lists, figuring that the opt-out lets you do just that. I wonder why they don't send a mass "do you want to opt-in" invite, or would that be spam, too, in your opinion?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm opting out of every one that isn't critical to what I'm doing just to reduce my massive incoming email. My firm also sends 1-2 "newsletters" a year (but we send warnings and updates that are critical to business as they occur, approximately 2-3 times/year).
Just TMI in my inbox. WAY too much.
Thanks for commenting Sue. Elsewhere gave my full name and email address to this outfit. As you know, opting out is confirmation for these firms that your email address is valid. Opting out may stop the receipt of emails for that list, but it doesn't delete your name and email address from the third party's database.
ReplyDeleteI send unsolicited business-oriented emails, but with two important distinctions. I am not providing the recipient's email address to a third party and I am not subscribing someone to a list without their permission.
An email from the person who gave my name and email address to this third party first asking me if I wanted to be subscribed to their list would have been okay.
I have an e-mail newsletter but require double opt-in before addys are added. Yes, I could add them manually but I don't-- ever.
ReplyDeleteAnd opting out of my newsletter is 1 click, simple you're done-- the way it should be unlike many who force you to jump through hurdles or re-enter your addy to opt out.
I really think that double opt-in should be to only legal way to get added.