SallyRand

Since DamainJ operates his own little "email advice column" here:

http://www.adultmarketing.co.uk/email/

it's pretty clear what is going on with his repeated attacks, so for those of you not familiar with email marketing, let's get some terms defined and procedures outlined.

"Harvested" email lists are obtaine through the use of software which "scrapes" email addresses from the 'net, especially from forums, blogs, Craigslist, eBay and other sites on which an email address may publicly appear.

The use of harvested lists in email marketing is clearly prohibited by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, at least in the USA. What with being located in the USA we strictly observe and comply with USA laws, so we will never use a "harvested" list.

"Douple-opt-in" email lists are created in this manner: A surfer finds a site which he or she perceives to offer some value in the form of a service or product. That surfer then signs up to receive emails from the operator of that site. The autoresponder then sends an email to the registrant asking basically, "Are you sure you want to reeceive our emails?"

If the surfer replies "Yes", the registration is confirmed and the email address is added to the double-opt-in list. If the surfer says "No.", the address is discarded and deleted and never appears in the database.

Included in all emails then sent is an "Unsubscribe" link through which the registrant may unsbscribe at any time, which link automatically removes the address from the database.

Everyone on the email list has ASKED to be there and has CONFIRMED through the software that they WANT to be on the list!

Our email system meets the requirements of SPAMHAUS as LEGITIMATE COMMERCIAL EMAILING!:

http://www.spamhaus.org/faq/answers....ting%20FAQs#17

"What is "confirmed opt-in" (COI)?

Confirmed opt-in (COI) is a process by which a mailing list owner verifies that an opt-in request did in fact come from the owner of the email address and was therefore not spoofed, forged, typo'd or otherwise fraudulently subscribed. The essence of COI is that the subscriber MUST respond affirmatively to the initial message sent to their e-mail address or else they are NOT added to the list. COI ensures that all addresses are added to the list legitimately and only with the owner's permission. Note that simply sending a "welcome" message where the e-mail address owner is subscribed unless they take specific action in order to stop the mail is a form of "opt out" and does not fulfill the "opt in" standard required by Spamhaus' users.

For the user subscribing to a mailing list, COI is as simple as replying to an automated confirmation e-mail or clicking a link in an automated confirmation e-mail. In professional list management software, COI utilizes a unique token (sort of like a single-use password) passed from the list software to the would-be subscriber, and the subscriber returns the token to confirm their permission. Such "closed-loop confirmation" has been Best Current Practice in mailing list management software since about 1996. Software handles all the token transactions and maintains logs to document each and every subscription."

COI = DOUBLE-OPT-IN!

This is how we work but DamianJ would have you believe otherwise and most certainly thinks that his little advice column is threatened.