Association Forum - More Spam

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

More Spam

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/14/2002 : 19:43:52

Remember Cruising Direct, the guys who pretended to be sail purchasers on our forum but turned out to be sellers? They're BAAAACK. I just got spammed again by them. I can tell you where I won't be buying sails...

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/14/2002 : 19:58:39

Me, too! <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
Lake Erie

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 08:58:55

I also got that piece of spam, and have it all the others that are not listed in my directory sent to a junk mail folder. Most of the junk mail doesn't ever get opened as I just clean out the folder. New York has a "Do Not Call" Law for teemarketers. That has pretty ended their assault, but it would be good to have a spam killer law to end that kind of junk mail.

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk
The Great Sacandaga Lake, NY

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 10:07:36

Trouble is, most spammers don't obey laws and many aren't in the US. They worm their way through filters, counterfeit their addresses, ignore the Federal law requiring a "no more spam" (unsubscribe) option, and so forth. I just got a LOVELY one this morning that sneaked through AT&T's filters--glad I don't have young kids who might have seen it!

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 13:04:03

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I just got a LOVELY one this morning that sneaked through AT&T's filters--glad I don't have young kids who might have seen it!

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

was that the one for the penile enlargement of the free pass to th Hooker video live show?

Duane Wolff
"The Flying Wasp"
C-25, #401 std,sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d603b3127cce9f858f0ef3ef0000001010" border=0>

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 13:37:43

By the way, I got hit too...What gets me is that a sailmaker who would have been up front with us and said Hey I don't own a c-25 but I want to take an interest in your group, answer your questions about sails (as in cloth not the act of taking a) been reference for us, would, in my opinion be welcomed...This guy Misrepresented himself, was by no means helpful and now sends us spam.

I sent the following email to Chuck Allen, the manager at the Cruising Direct Loft in Rhode Island.
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> Chuck,

I wanted to drop you a line regarding Anthony Kotoun, whom I believe is one of the employees in your loft. If you recall, I am an officer in the Catalina 25/250 fleet. A few months back, Anthony made a posting on the groups website, misrepresenting himself in an attempt to sell a few sails. He has since started sending spam email to most of the members, which we can only assume he obtained the email addresses from the website and not some list elsewhere. (without an "opt out option" either, which by law is required)

In all reality, I understand that a sail loft is like any other business and you need to market your products accordingly. However, like any other business, upsetting the customers usually isn't the best method of winning them over. Our group has about 600 active members with the website being available to both them anda good quantity of C-22 sailors, C-25 prior owners, and a number of non member C-25 owners. Among some of the quotes I have seen recently are like the one below

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>"Remember Cruising Direct, the guys who pretended to be sail purchasers on our forum but turned out to be sellers? They're BAAAACK. I just got spammed again by them. I can tell you where I won't be buying sails..."<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
A lot of us are fairly influetial among the group and when the guy who posted the above on the site, you probably lost many more people than just him. Thought this was something you should know about....dw<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Duane Wolff
"The Flying Wasp"
C-25, #401 std,sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d603b3127cce9f858f0ef3ef0000001010" border=0>

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 14:35:43

Well stated, Duane--thanks.

BTW, my e-mail address in my profile reads "*NoSpam*bristle@att.net", so they had to purposefully remove the *NoSpam* to use it.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/15/2002 14:36:37

Edited by - on

John Mason
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 16:24:12

Another problem with spam that I've heard (hearsay?) is , if you hit the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the e-mail, the company takes those "no longer useful to them" e-mail addresses and sells them to other companies as part of the lucrative "directed mailing list" sales business. So you eliminate one spam, and for your efforts receive a dozen new ones.

John Mason - Ali Paroosa
1982 - FK/SR #3290

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2002 : 18:51:13

Correct John, except it's worse... The real spammers use that as a signal that your address is active, and both use it and sell it. If they had any interest in dealing with you legitimately, they wouldn't forge their addresses and use subject line tricks to evade spam filters. I guess it's the price we pay for having an essentially free worldwide communications channel. When you get right down to it, NOBODY is in charge.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Ellis Bloomfield
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
85 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2002 : 10:52:31

Dave, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "real spammers". I'd consider it spam when I get a dozen or so e-mails a day for things I have shown no interest in and certainly haven't solicited. Often these aren't even addressed to my correct e-mail address. Sexually oriented material and financial offers are the most freguent. It doesn't bother me in the least to get offers for boat or printing equipment. I'm a printer and lists have been available for many years to enable targeting specific audiences. I'd bet you there is one for Catalina 25 owners who spend between 200 and 500 dollars a year on gadgets. (Also by age and income level and occupation.) If I developed something useful for Cat 25 boats I'd certainly use one of the many e-mail lists to tell them about it. Those who were interested and bought it would think it was great and those not interested would probably consider it "spam". Really all you have to do is scan the incoming list and read the ones you're interested in and then "select all" and kill the unwanted ones as a batch. It takes less time than tossing unwanted advertising envelopes in the mail. The ones that disgust me are the ones with huge attachments that take forever to download, but that's another issue.

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2002 : 13:06:22

Reading these posts reminds me I have to call Bank of America. The presumptious #@$%$#'s spam you while you are using the ATM!!! I don't need to be jabbered at nor see a video while I'm counting my boat units.

Paul
Sparky C25FK

PZ

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2002 : 14:51:51

I responded to this particular ad by telling him that I don't do business with people who lie, or make up cute, little, fake "testimonials" like he did before. Maybe he'll respond, but I doubt it.

Gary B.
Encore! #685 SK/SR

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2002 : 20:40:43

Ellis... I agree that this one e-mail ad didn't ruin my whole day, but there's another issue here. This association's site is paid for by the members and has e-mail addresses to facilitate communication between us. It is not intended as a free resource for commercial ventures. If equipment suppliers and sail lofts want to advertise using our forum or e-mail list, they should be upfront about it and compensate the association for the value received from these resources. I'm not aware of a policy for doing that, but I doubt that Cruising Direct, for example, has even paid the $20 association dues. (They can't be members if they don't own a C-25, so I think my odds are good.) On the other hand, they faked a "testimonial" on our forum, pretending to be their own customers, and then swiped our e-mail address list for free. Bad form.

BTW, I don't buy that this was done by some renegade without knowledge of the brass... We're not talking about General Motors here.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/16/2002 20:42:58

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2002 : 19:11:38

Unsolicitated advertizing has increased, I'd like to say exponentially over the past few months. Hotmail provides the capability to define junk mail filters - I suspect others do as well. I have set my filter to send to my inbox only e-mail from the people who are listed in my address book.

Everything else goes to the junk mail box, maintained by hotmail and not on my computer until I open the e-mail. When I check e-mail I'll check mail from peopleI know and then will check junk mail. Anything in the junk mail box I want to read I can open, anything else I wipe out in two key strokes. 99% of what I receive in the junk mail is and is immediately deleted.

So, while I don't appreciate the volume of junk mail I receive, I get rid of very quickly!

Let's talk about sailing!

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk
The Great Sacandaga Lake, NY

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.