Re: opt-in mail list best practice

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Scott Haneda wrote:
...
> I use it to create HTML emails, send them to 1000's of people.  I think I
> did a test to 30K or so, it handled it fine using mail locally.

HTML emails [shudder]

> As for tracking, what we do is embed a image bug in the html and track when
> that loads, it is getting less reliable in todays anti spam world, but in my
> case these are paying subscribers so they generally want to get these
> emails.

[shudder]
The above paragraph is why I abhor HTML emails, and why I am glad that
Mozilla lets me block all remote images (and click to view if I *really*
want to see them).

>
> To track your users, at least the bounces we set the bounce address
> (return-path) to mysql_user_id@xxxxxxxxxx and POP check domain.com every few
> seconds.  We then scan for the bounce address and mark that user as bouncing
> x times, if they go over y we cancel the account.

Now this is interesting... so you're telling me that all I have to do to
get you to stop emailing me, is to bounce back all of your messages?
Sure I'll have to forge a few headers to make it look like the mail
server daemon didn't recognize my address... but THAT sounds like time
well spent!!!

OK, OK, I'm being a little harsh here.  Because after all you're sending
emails to customers that have at least opted-in (or so I hope).  But
there are so many shady ways of getting someone to opt-in, or making it
hard to opt-out, or just plain harvesting emails and ignoring the wishes
of the users.

So yeah, sometimes when I hear about these things it just rubs me the
wrong way.  To anyone reading this: please use these techniques
judiciously if you use them at all.

--
Teach a man to fish...

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