Why I Love Spam!

Why I Love Spam!
By Paul White

Actually I hate it as much as everyone else when I get an anonymous email in my box from someone who has harvested my email address, and who always has a return address like:- XX1234@hotmail.com

Luckily I have a special tool installed on my email program. It's called a delete button!

What I do love however, is the type of unwanted emails you get when you are a member of a safe list, or if you mail to an FFA page, or even the solo ads which you get when you subscribe to some newsletters.

Those of you who have used these FFA mailing services know that you get hundreds or thousands of emails all at once, from people trying to sell you something.

The inexperienced marketer would use a junk email account to collect these, and then delete them all without even looking at them.

But the really smart marketer realises that these ads are a rich source of learning!

You could pay a thousand dollars for a marketing course which would teach you as much as you learn from looking through these ads!

So when you do look at them, what is the first thing that strikes you?

Yes! You can't possibly read them all!

So which do you choose to look at?

Those with the great looking subject lines.

Those that have that magic 'something' that set themselves apart from all of the other ads.

Now can you use whatever these ideas are for your own advertising campaign?

The same of course applies once you open the email. Does the headline grab you? Does it make you want to read on, or does this become just another one which you delete?

There is no single way to get your own ad to stand out. If there were then everyone would use it, and it would no longer be effective.

Trust your instincts. If it grabs your attention, then chances are, other people will respond to it as well.

Don't copy someone elses ad exactly though! Just use the feel of it, use similar words, similar layout etc.
until it becomes your own.

And keep experimenting, until you get the response you want.

And keep reading and looking at other people's ads to see what you should, and just as importantly, what you should not be doing!
Paul White is a former teacher, and is now a highly successful online marketer. He helps people all around the world to become successful online. Visit the popular 'Profit Websites' at:- http://www.profitwebsites.com

Who Sends Out Spam?

Who Sends Out Spam?
by Bob Osgoodby

There are a number of different groups of people who send out unsolicited commercial email, or as it is called spam. First there are those that don't provide a real existing email address and use one that is forged. They're no dummies - they don't want a ton of complaints sent to them. They may also not provide a mechanism that someone can use to be removed from future mailings.

Every jurisdiction on the state level and country level should pass legislation similar to that which exists in Utah, that requires that their real email address is used and there is a mechanism in place to be removed. Non-compliance fines should be severe.

The really bad guys, use the address of someone else which is valid. The holder of that email address could indeed be in for a rocky road, and even face the possibility that their ISP will shut them down. If this ever happens to you, and it will be obvious by the amount of "hate mail" you receive, immediately notify your ISP so they can takes steps to protect you.

Then there is the "poor soul" who isn't aware of the conventions of the web, joins an affiliate program, buys a disk with millions of names and starts his own advertising campaign. These people are identifiable and will be shut down in a matter of hours. In the "school of hard knocks", they have learned their first lesson.

Most people who purchase web space from a provider are put on a web server with 254 other people. If any one of those people start spamming, it clogs the server and slows down the service for everyone else. In fact, many servers have a built in "self protection mechanism" and if the number of returned emails (bounces) exceeds 500, it automatically shuts your account down. If people start complaining about the slowness of their service the technician on duty will quickly identify who is causing the problem.

Now we come to the professional spammers. These people follow all the rules, and send out bulk mail on the behalf of others. They use a legitimate email address and provide a method to "opt out" from receiving future emails from them. The fees they charge range from 2 cents to 5 cents for each email sent. Their lists are cleansed daily, and if they say they can deliver 100,000 impressions, they can. But, do the arithmetic - they will be receiving between $2,000 and $5,000 for a mailing of that size.

These "pros" have their own servers, don't go through the various ISPs, have their own dedicated high speed telecommunication links and servers, and are virtually "bullet proof" as far as being shut down.

Professional spamming is big business, and those who are involved have a lot of money tied up in equipment and ongoing costs. If national legislation is enacted similar to the "Utah Model", they will comply. Any attempt to stop them will likely result in failure. If they can't comply, their investment is so large, they would likely move out of the jurisdiction imposing the rules to someplace which is more lenient.

But let's think about the problem of spam a bit deeper. I'm sick to death with the porno ads - these people should not send me stuff I simply don't want to receive. They can send email to people who have agreed to receive it, but leave me alone as well as all the kids who receive their garbage. Violators should be heavily penalized for sending this out to people who have stated they don't want it.

I also don't want to get ongoing ads for affiliate programs or for mortgage services I don't want or need. Give me an "opt-out" system that works and penalize those who don't follow the rules.

I really don't care if I receive legitimate offers from reputable companies, and I will most likely read them once this problem is brought under control.

What we need is a national "opt-out" list. The penalties should be severe for those who send email to someone who is on this list. The list should be available to anyone who wants it to ensure they will not send advertising to them. There should also be a clearinghouse where complaints could be sent for those violating the law.

But there should also be a mechanism to protect the innocents such as publishers of newsletters. If I say something that someone doesn't like, they should not be allowed to report me for spamming. Any complaint received should require that a copy of what they received be included with their complaint. Face it - there are some people who simply react and make a complaint without following the "unsubscribe" options. There are others who simply forgot they requested something, and when they receive it go "ballistic". And then there are the zealots who fire off a complaint, about any email received that is not from a friend or family member.

Yes Virginia, there are some people who are not the "sharpest knives in the drawer", and any legislation enacted should account for this. We need legislation like this, and if enacted, perhaps the Internet would truly be a more viable place to do business.

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday. Instructions on how to place your ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm

When Computers Talk to Each Other -OR- Spamming My Autoresponder

Autoresponders are marvelous tools! They are YOU working 24/7, answering questions and advertising your products automatically. All you need is for someone to send an e-mail to your autoresponder address, and the autoresponder takes over from there to convince the prospect. Simple, huh?

Of course, the person who will be emailing you (hoping that you are a real person and not a machine) ALSO has a product to promote and an autoresponder to do it with. He or she uses his/her autoresponder address to request more information from you, with a smug grin about their cleverness, because, after all, they cant be bothered to answer all the questions you will have about THEIR product, and you just MIGHT complain that they are responding to an ad with an ad, and who wants that kind of hassle?

Their autoresponder sets off your mail sequence and you are happy because you have a lead receiving all your Pulitzer Prize ads. As soon as your first email is received by your leads autoresponder, HER autoresponder starts sending HER Pulitzer Prize ads to YOUR autoresponder and SHE is happy, because SHE got a lead.

What we end up with is two autoresponders that know one heck of a lot about each other. I see a romance budding somewhere between the "joins now!" and the "see its!" And it looks like a lasting relationship too. I mean, one is offering instant and enduring wealth while the other is spouting promises of an easy and blissful life. Electronic Heaven, here we come!

Exaggeration? No way! I know for a fact that my autoresponder is having a sordid affair with a suave and debonair gold digger called "digitalgold", because they keep writing to each other long letters full of promises and quivering anticipation.

And where do humans come into this equation? Frankly, nowhere - except of course, in footing the bill for this expensive digital love affair. And then they wonder "but why arent my marketing efforts working? I wrote my ads, I set up my autoresponder - everything is done 'by the book'. It must be the fault of the program I joined!" And, yes, sometimes it IS the fault of the program you joined, but more often than not is the lack of professionalism that hounds Internet Marketing.

It seems that some people hide behind the anonymity of the nickname and the impersonal nature of the Internet to treat the field as their own personal playground, not taking into consideration that the one they are hurting most is themselves. Why? Because I will never buy a product from my autoresponders suitor, "digitalgold". The whole idea of a business relationship has been shattered by a thoughtless action.

Then, of course, to avoid all the autoresponder messages to my legitimately placed ads, I too, will place an autoresponder as my return address. And the problem just proliferates.

I wonder if it is the beginning of artificial intelligence.

Do I suggest that we go back to doing things the old, long and tedious way? God forbid that we should actually start TALKING to each other - with words coming out of our mouths! And isnt everyone too far away from the other to actually have a face to face conversation? Beep! Wrong answer. With todays technology we could actually have that face-to-face conversation even if we are on the opposite poles. I have at least three programs on my desktop that will handle sound plus video. The webcam that sits on top of my computer screen cost me the humongous amount of 25 Euros. The headset I absconded from my brother. Dont have all that expensive technology yet? No problem. Chat programs are free - we can converse in real time by typing.

So - next time you want to pitch your product, do me a favor, will you? Talk to ME not to my autoresponder. Knock on my virtual door politely and who knows? I might even let you in and we can have what used to be called "a conversation". It might take a little longer than pressing the send button, but think of all the hours you spend cleaning out your email boxes from unwanted emails.

Plus, you never know what goes through the digital minds of those autoresponders. What if they stop courting each other and start discussing a revolution?

Amalia Sotiriadou, who is a huge fan of modern technology but is very, very tired of spamming.

Amalia has been training people for two decades in a corporate and a personal environment. Her relationship with computers began in 1974 when they still used punched cards for data entry and has grown to a passion ever since. She has been involved in Internet Marketing for three years and is determined to train people to be successful in this field.
At her new site, http://talentgrid.com/business, "TGeBiz: Your MAP to SUCCESS", she is planning to do just that in an almost revolutionary way, with group and individual mentoring programs.

Wham! Bam! Thank You Spam!

Once upon a time, e-mail messages flowed freely through
Once upon a time, e-mail messages flowed freely through cyberspace and the congenial smell of e-mails was everywhere.

I remember racing to my inbox each day with a wild anticipation that I was about to be informed of new and enlightening events, along with notes from friends.

Maybe, the collection would also include an order or two to quell my monetary wishes, as well as, containing some of my favorite newsletters.

Ah! Those were the salad days...when my inbox was a welcome sight each morning.

Oh, of course there was that occasional sales pitch, but that was just to keep me alert.

But alas, those were days of yore.

Today we are drowning in a deepening cascade of rubbish, as a result of unsolicited e-mails irritatingly referred to as "Spam."

"Spam" is a term contrived in a parody a few years back by an English group of comedians (Monty Python's Flying Circus), describing a food product (Spam) exploited in a humorous manner.

While this form of e-mail sludge(Spam) is far from a laughing matter, the irrational reaction to it by some is itself fraught with calamity.

If we were simply confronted with this daily deluge of these unwanted emails, that would be annoying enough.

However, what is now occurring is far worse! In fact, its really scary.

Part of this chaos springs from the fact that there in no clear cut definition to everyone of just what comprises this thing we term SPAM!

Further, nothing explains, nor excuses the destructively paranoid reactions of some to this proliferation of spam plaguing us now.

On one hand there are the saintly IP's, installing what is loosely described as "Anti-Spam" software, which I must admit does accomplish two things.

Those being the purging of many needed emails, while taking no notice of, most of the porn and sludge.

Yet the real damage comes from the growing number of self-appointed crusaders ('e-mail nazi') that inhabit the Internet.

They take it upon themselves to police the net vowing to squash any unsuspecting spammer.

These "Not in my inbox" nerds, suffering from delusions of importance, mistakenly harass the IP's of honest marketers and purveyors of newsletters.

In fact, many a website has been shut down as the result of a false accusation of spamming.

Often, the accusation is all it takes today, due to the hysteria prevalent on the Web, along with the growing fixations of many hosting companies.

These spiteful actions have indeed caused devastating financial harm and damage to the reputations of many well known and blameless Internet pioneers.

A few states have enacted legislation against spam, but they still can't define it. The U.S. congress has also mentioned some sort of a bill, but are bogged down with, things more important. Such as, which luxuries to pass new taxes on like food, cars, etc..

Once congress settles on a definition of this phenomenon and passes a new law, you can count on the spammers to really come out of the woodwork along with their lawyers.

They could sue for obesity to inboxes!

As for me, I long for the days when I can once again utter, "Don't you just love the smell of email in the air!"

Joe Myna is webmaster at http://www.anezbiz.com "The Virtual Warehouse Of Info Products." Also, http://www.ahowto.com "The Virtual Bookshelf Of How-To Courses." Mr. Myna who began marketing on the Internet in 1996 is also the author of many best-selling marketing and How-To eBooks.

Joe Myna is webmaster at www.anezbiz.com and involved in direct marketing for over 30 years. Mr. Myna first went online in 1996. Mr. Myna is author of "Internet Profits - The Quick Way" Download now at http://www.anezbiz.com/Quick.exe

All About Spam

Spam is annoying. Period. Why people would want to send all of us stupid messages about buying prescription drugs or getting some outrageously good mortgage rate is beyond me. Well, not really.

You might ignore those emails. But not everyone does. And that's why they're sent. Emails cost so little (or nothing) to send. So sending out a million of them could be a cakewalk. Let's say one out of every 1,000 recipients falls for their ploy. Someone just got 1,000 new customers!

How in the heck did those spammers get your address in the first place? Well, they actually use a variety of techniques. They use programs called spambots to search the web and pick up any email addresses that could be listed on websites. They use what's called the "Dictionary" technique, where they take a well-known email extension (earthlink.net, for instance), and make up all kinds of possible user names to go with it. For example, with me they could try the usernames "kara", "kara1", "kara2" and so on, until they can confirm one of those connected to an earthlink.net extension is a valid email address. Kinda like going page by page through the dictionary.

Ever fill out a registration form on a website and find a little checkbox, probably near the bottom, asking if you want to receive additional information, newsletters, or something of that nature? Often the box is checked, and in order NOT to receive the info, you have to UNCHECK it (or else). Well if you miss those types of boxes on the wrong kinds of sites, your email addresses may be handed to spammers on a silver platter. Well, almost. Often a zillion email addresses are sold for next to nothing to spammers on CDs. (Couldn't you almost call those silver platters?)

Many internet service providers (those guys that keep you connected to the internet so you can send and receive email) use a variety of methods to block spam before it ever gets to you. Nevertheless, we all know that some spam inevitably gets through to our inboxes. That's when we need to take a proactive stance and install some sort of software to filter it out!

Feel free to reprint this article in newsletters and on websites, with resource box included. If you use this article, please send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: kara333@earthlink.net

 http://www.karathecomputertutor.com

For help on installing anti-spam software, check out this article on Kara Glovers website: http://www.karathecomputertutor.com. You can also find more articles, tips and tutorials on topics such as Microsoft Word., Excel, and PowerPoint there. Kara is a Computer Tutor and Troubleshooter.
kara333@earthlink.net