To Spam or NOT to Spam?
By: Masked Webmaster


    We debated posting this article, but since our hard drive crash, we are a couple of articles short. Please note - we do not condone the sending of spam email.

Spam as it is defined by dictionary.com:

spam (spm)
n.

Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail.

Is There A Time To Spam?
If you ask most successful internet marketing experts, they say "Yes." Some of the biggest players have used spamming as a technique to drum up business.  Names like Microsoft and many others have used unsolicited mailings to bring attention to products and services they offer.

While this "outright" spamming is less common, when used with the proper etiquette these mailings can yield good results.


What can happen if I spam?
Before you know it, you've paid your left arm and left leg for some expensive software that claims to let you send unlimited E-mails without upsetting your Internet Service Provider.  You pay an extra $39 for a CDROM of millions of E-mail addresses of people described as "opportunity seekers".  And then, just three hours after you started using all these new wonders you suddenly find yourself without any Internet access at all... 

• Your ISP has terminated your Internet access account; 
• Your web pages and news group postings have mysteriously disappeared;
• Your free lifetime E-mail accounts at Juno, HotMail and Yahoo don't work anymore and you wonder if this is an omen;
• Thirty-seven residents of Washington State are each suing you for $200;
• AOL's lawyers invite you to a meeting;
• Your E-mail In-Tray still contains several messages talking about "black holes" and which sound generally quite threatening;
• Your expensive toll free 800 numbers are ringing off the hook and every time you answer it there is just music.  The callers seem to take a long time to hang up;
• You have run out of fax paper;
• Mysterious packages the size and weight of house bricks are being delivered by air express, freight collect;
• The Federal Agents who call say something about "Felony" and "Theft of computer services";
• Your significant other seems much more distant than you remembered, and keeps asking about all the extra money you were going to make, and "Will it start soon?";
• Life has become generally miserable.

-Dragon from the-dragon-cave.com

The Proper Way To "Spam"
Obviously if you get anything from reading the above paragraph, then you should have
correctly inferred that it isn't a good idea to do like the ole' spammasters of late and
blatantly send your garbage mail all over your neighbors inboxes. 

So how do you spam?  Well first you will need to read the latest laws regarding spam,
and after you understand exactly what is NOT permitted, then you can plan how to
properly take advantage of email mailings.

First you should understand the Opt-IN and Opt-OUT concept.
An Opt-IN mailing are those mailing lists where your visitor deliberately asks to 
receive your email. This can easily be done with any mailing list package including
majordomo which you probably already have access to.

The Opt-OUT method sometimes comes into fire, and you have to be careful to
use this method. Opt-OUT is a system where mailings are sent to the visitor unless
they say not to. This is usually done by a check box saying "Opt Out" or "Please
don't send me any email about your offers." or something to that effect.

What Now?
You may be asking OK that's fine and dandy, how do I actually make use of this info?

1. You can sign up for a service that will spam people for you - use extreme caution when dealing with these businesses - either they will take your money and not do anything, or they will flat out spam people - which you don't want either.

2. Advertise - It doesn't take too much looking around to find a newsletter (a great source) in which you can place reasonably prices adverts.  Locker Gnome, Tshirts, etc etc etc.

3. Leverage your website if you have any number of hits at all, and trade some advertising with someone who offers Opt-IN mailings.

4. Use a advertising company, specially those who focus on Opt-IN or Opt-OUT mailings.

In Conclusion
We all hate spam, don't do it, but also don't be blind to the recent opportunities in this
area, it can be cheap, effective advertising. Please follow all guidelines and your states
laws. Always check with your email provider to make sure it is OK to send mailings.