Tag: spam

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Are your email newsletters (eblasts) legal?

Did you know that there are laws regarding email newsletters?
 
Some of the basics you must have are:
  • A visible and operable unsubscribe mechanism is present in all emails.
  • A legitimate physical address of the publisher and/or advertiser is present. PO Box addresses are acceptable in compliance with 16 C.F.R. 316.2(p) and if the email is sent by a third party, the legitimate physical address of the entity, whose products or services are promoted through the email should be visible.
  • A message cannot be sent to a harvested email address.
That last one includes the fact that you can’t purchase lists that weren’t obtained legitimately. Such as buying lists from a company that scrapped whois data or harvested from a public directory. So if you are buying lists (which is not recommended) you really need to know how those addresses were collected.
What I’m actually referencing above is the 2003 “Can-Spam Act” (which is a horrible name for an act but easy to remember.) If you want to read over in detail, visit:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
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Dear SEO Spammers,

Dear SEO spammers,
I would LOVE to sell YOU my SEO services seeing how you FOUND my site and more importantly your SEO services must apparently be so bad that you’ve resorted to SPAMMING people! Your email address and information have been reported for said infractions – have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Hilary

<grumble>
Yes I know there’s more to SEO than someone simply finding a site but these scum still annoy me.

Posted on

Requesting that a small business or entity not spam your facebook wall

There are times when you know something is just flat out spam. There are others where you might want to give someone the heads up that what they are doing is spammy before taking that extra step and reporting them.

Letting them know can be a somewhat difficult task to do in a kind way so I’ve written up a reference to use in these cases.

“I just wanted to give you the friendly heads up that posting your <insert business / band / organization etc> events weekly directly on the <name of page> page/wall is not good facebook etiquette.

It’s one thing to <insert acceptable use example> but it’s another thing when it looks like you’re posting <repeatedly / all of your events / whatever they have been doing that’s spammy>.

It’s a fine line to walk. And I do understand that at times, facebook’s interface does in fact make it fairly confusing.”

It could use a better close, but that’s what I sent. I may come back to this and add a better close … or if you have a recommendation please feel free to add it in the comments below!