I was over at Michael Port’s blog reading a post written by Elizabeth Marshall called Do You Ask Permission? Your Credibility Depends on It. In this post, Elizabeth surmised at the number of times people add her email to their distribution list without asking her permission.
I responded to that post with my list of do nots. And since everyone’s doing ’em these days, I call this my Ask Me Don’t Spam Me Manifesto.
Here’s my list.
- Just because I email you asking about your product or service doesn’t mean I give you permission to add me to your mailing list.
- Just because you opted into my mailing list doesn’t give you the permission to add me to yours.
- Just because you emailed me asking about my services, doesn’t give you the permission to copy & paste my email into your distribution list to spam me with something I’m not the slightest bit interested in.
- Just because we’ve built a good rapport over email doesn’t give you the permission to add me to your list.
- Just because you got my business card at a networking event I just recently met you at doesn’t give you the permission to add me to your email list.
- Just because I subscribe to your podcast doesn’t mean you can add me to your general ezine list.
- And, when I ask you to remove me from your list because I didn’t give you permission in the first place, don’t get angry at me or ask me why.
In essence, don’t spam me, just ask me.
What would you add to this list?
Leesa,
You’re right. Canadians expect this kind of treatment from Canadian businesses and social enterprises because we should all be playing nice by the PIPEDA rules (http://www.privcom.gc.ca/legislation/02_06_01_e.asp; page down to the “Guides” section).
Americans on the other hand seem to have virtually no privacy protection and many US based organizations collect information with impunity. Alex Saunders has also made some good points about this topic (http://saunderslog.com/2006/11/20/privacy-in-a-location-location-location-world/).
Nobody should ever be added to a list just because emails have been exchanged between people. A list sign-up should be explicitly opt-in and allow for easy, instant and automated opt-out. And if I want to be on 17 other lists, let me do the work by making 17 more requests; don’t sign me up for every newsletter in creation.
Brad Gibson
http://www.bradfordgibson.net
If someone can take the time to type out my email from my business card to add me to their list without my permission, they can take the time to type up a quick email asking my permission first.
The reason why someone does this is of little concern to me. I’ve got a family to feed as well, but my needs don’t give me permission to be unethical.
As someone who is on a lot of email lists and gets a lot of spam, I find people are way too uptight about this.
I once heard a radio piece on CBC about spam and the host/researcher informed us that the majority of spam is created by new Canadians who are struggling to get by and just trying to feed their families etc.
Also, I am always glad to be added to any list of any arts organization, musicians etc. I find it to be an interesting way to watch our world both locally and internationally. ie. I like getting emails about peoples gigs in NY even though I live in Toronto.
Email culture is relatively new and it will be interesting to look back on it someday and say; “wow, were we ever weird back then.”
tim posgate
http://www.guildwoodrecords.blogspot.com