Spam from Topica [RE-wrenches]

[Michael Welch, Home Power]

Dear list members,

I owe you all an apology.

We use Topica as our list server for this list. I have other lists served by Topica, as well. I have recently been informed that Topica is planning on sending periodic email messages to everyone that is on each of the lists they serve. That means you, and hundreds of thousands of others.

It is very unfortunate in that one of the things they promised me as a list manager is that nobody will spam my Topica list members. I based my choice of Topica on this promise, at least in part.

This has been a subject of heated discussion among Topica's vast number of list managers. To me, what they want to do is spam us. They say they are trying to inform you of Topica services, and they do not consider it spam. They feel they have a right to your addresses. To me, they are stealing addresses of our list members for their own commercial purposes.

Most list owners feel they are just that; owners of the right to singularly manage our members' addresses. We are the ones to determine what kind of email gets sent to our members. They are stealing your addresses from me as owner and, since this list is yours, you too. What they intend to do is highly unethical.

This is unfortunate as Topica has been an excellent company for us list managers to deal with. But for them to betray their own promise to all of us is something I cannot abide with. We list managers have been unable to sway them from their intentions. Some other list managers are not as uncomfortable with this new policy as I am, and are willing to put up with it. A handful actually agree that Topica should have this right.

I will be searching for a new way to deal with managing this list. I hope to find a suitable list server soon, but I may not be able to do that before they get a chance to send their first spam, which is scheduled for "sometime in November." 

If you get their spam before I have the chance to move our list, I encourage you to NOT validate their spamming policy by clicking on any of their enclosed links, and I further encourage you to complain in writing to the following email addresses:

abuse at get.topica.com
"Ariel Poler" <ariel at get.topica.com>  (this is Topica's CEO)
abuse@(your host here)
postmaster@(your host here)
michael.welch at homepower.com

If you are on any other Topica mail lists, I encourage you to complain directly to the list and the list manager about Topica's new policy.

Once again, I apologize for their betrayal of trust.
   
Michael Welch
   
------------------------
"Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you get a lot of scum on top."

			Edward Abbey
         
Michael Welch, michael.welch at homepower.com www.homepower.com
      Associate Editor, Home Power magazine
      Office Coordinator, Redwood Alliance
      (Not HP mag's #s) 707-822-7884 fax: 707-822-3481
      

- - - - - - -
To send a message:
 RE-wrenches at topica.com

The archive of previous messages: 
 http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

To unsubscribe send a message to: 
 RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

To check out the other RE-Wrench participants:
 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine: 
 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com

___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  http://www.topica.com/t/17
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics