Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 09:41:43 -0500 From: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> To: Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com> Cc: chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: [OT] Spam from Windriver - how should I react? Message-ID: <15156.43687.528839.758090@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <3B3428D8.6FD65A0C@iowna.com> References: <15155.53722.908690.505545@guru.mired.org> <3B33E17D.F1F715BE@iowna.com> <15155.59329.751227.991311@guru.mired.org> <3B3428D8.6FD65A0C@iowna.com>
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Most of the things are now just differences in how we interpret words. But I wanted to point out one more difference, and an ethical issue. Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com> types: > It _is_ clearly bulk because I haven't ordered anything from FreeBSDMall > since January, thus they must have sent this mail out to all their > customers (not just the ones with outstanding orders that may have been > delayed) I don't think it's bulk at all, because "bulk" means "send it to every address you can." In the snail mail world, bulk mail is sent to every address in a zip code (*). In the email world, you get lists of 10s of millions of addresses, with on indication whatsoever that the recipient has any interest in the subject at question. This mail was sent to a specific list of people known to be or have been interested in FreeBSD. These two things are qualitatively different, even if they may not be quantitatively different. > > I don't recall ever seeing any kind of privacy policy for email > > addresses from BSDi. It may be there, and if Wind River violated it, > > they are out of line. They should have printed their press release and > > thrown it in with the subscriptions to get me to pay for the shipping. > Here I'll stand my ground. > You shouldn't have to have a g*d damned legalise document to establish > what can and can not be done everywhere you go. Some things are just a > matter of personal integrity. I provided my email address so my order > could be confirmed. To use that addy for anything else is a violation of > the trust provided when the web form said "please give us your email > address so we can provide you with an order confirmation." Well, if they explicitly said it wsa for order confirmation, then you're right - that's an explicitly stated privacy policy. On the other hand, I would say it's acceptable to send notice of problems with the order should they occur, even though those are outside the area you agreed to. If this mail went to FreeBSD subscribers instead of FreeBSDMall customers, it fits in that area. <mike *) For those interested, the bulk snail-mail companies collect stats on a per zip code basis, and send the mailings to zip codes that show a high density of people interested in what they are selling. -- Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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