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from the people-with-short-term-memories dept

Wed, Jan 5th 2000 1:30pm — Mike Masnick
For the last few months the Up-To-Date newsletter took a bit of a hiatus, I'll admit. It came back this weekend with the plan that it would be going strong into the new year. However, that may not be possible. Today I was accused of spamming with the newsletter because someone apparently forgot they had signed up for it. However, the accusation came to me via my ISP, so I have no clue who the person is and therefore cannot remove them from the Up-To-Date list. Thus, at the current time if I send out another Up-To-Date, there is a strong chance I will lose my ISP account. I am not sure what to do about this, but have made it clear to my ISP that this was not spam, and am awaiting their reply. I am completely and totally against spam. I am somewhat religious in reporting spam, actually. For nearly 3 years I have sent out the Up-To-Date newsletter and never been accused of spamming. If anyone has any ideas on what I should do, please let me know.
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7 Comments

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  1. identicon
    Dmitry L, 5 Jan 2000 @ 2:55pm

    SPAM

    Well as long as you show a clear way for people to un-sign up from the mailing list, and maybe have some verification on the signing up part so someone else can't add the people without them knowing till the letter comes, you should be fine. If your ISP starts giving you trouble i suggest you go to the top with it and sort it out.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Jan 2000 @ 4:10pm

    things to think about

    1) move to an ISP/Method that will allow you to send the e-mail (Aka someone with a backbone)
    2) send your present ISP the maillog from sendmail showing the sheer volume of mail, and ask, If I was spamming, why a complaint now
    3) see if any 'internet notables' (aka people who are known by three letters or, say Vixie himself.)

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Zebulun, 5 Jan 2000 @ 4:12pm

    recreate list.

    Simply create a new mailing list. People who visit with any sort of regularity can resign up on your main page. send the signed up email a message to the effect (someone has signed up this email address for the techdirt newsletter, please reply to confirm) then add them to the list if they reply.

    -Z

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Mike (profile), 5 Jan 2000 @ 4:27pm

    Re: recreate list.

    Unfortunately, it's not so easy to "recreate the list". The newsletter list actually predates the web page by a significant amount of time and a very large percentage of the people who read the newsletter don't actually read the web page. I have contacted the ISP and asked them to contact the particular user with a clear explanation how to unsubscribe from the list. I'm also looking at installing better list mgmt software to make this all easier as well.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Lissell, 5 Jan 2000 @ 7:59pm

    Re: recreate list.

    Well, have you thought about the idea that your ISP may have put in new filters. There are a few ISP's that will give you SPAM warning if you send an email to more then a givin number of people. Probably wrong, but an idea none the less.

    Lissell

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    Mike (profile), 6 Jan 2000 @ 12:05am

    Re: recreate list.

    Definitely a good point, but that was not the case in this instance. It was a report that someone filed at Spamcop.net (which is somewhat ironic because I'm a big fan and user of Spamcop.net and have even recommended it on Techdirt a number of times). So, it was someone who took the newsletter and filed it at spamcop. And, anyway, the mail went through techdirt's server, which is different than the ISPs. It was just that spamcop tracked the original connection to my ISP (as they should).

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Brick, 7 Jan 2000 @ 10:06am

    Re: things to think about

    An Anonymous Coward recommends someone with a backbone. I'm not slamming or flaming. It's just funny :)

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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