Very [OT] Re: Was: What kind of VW are you?, Now: spam blocking?(fwd)

[tim at unrealexpectations.ath.cx (stetson)]

Hmmm.....speaking of which.....2nd try. See below for rant.

To err is human, to forgive unusual.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 23:13:01 -0600 (CST)
From: stetson <tim@unrealexpectations.ath.cx>
Reply-To: stetson@unrealexpectations.ath.cx
To: T. Reed <treed2@wsu.edu>
Cc: Brett VanSprewenburg <brett@netacc.net>,
     scirocco list <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Subject: Re: Very [OT] Re: Was: What kind of VW are you?, Now: spam blocking?

Toby,

The exact argument that needs to be practiced, but it's tough to get
everyone on board.

DO NOT stop preaching! But spam will never go away, even though I hate
spam as much as the next netizen.


The following is a RANT.


<rant>
The only thing wrong w/ that argument (and it IS a good point to
champion!) is the 3% rule that cold calling (and emailing, for MUCH less
cost) proves.

If you cold call ANYTIME you will get 3% positive response.

Whether it's someone who is truly that gullible or just someone who wants
off the phone and is "polite" about it, 3% has been proven time and again.

It's all math.

If 10 people can get paid $500 each to call 10,000
households in a 40hr per person work week (25 calls per hour) with a 3%
positive response selling a product that has a $50 profit per sale, the
"owner" of this particular venture still rakes in $9000/wk.
(figuring $1000 rent and phone cost per week).

If a person can be hired to write and impliment an emailing program that
covers the same amount of people per week (and that is very slow for
email) for $2500 once every 3 mo. selling the same product (apply the
rent/phone to email list purchases and bandwidth) the net profit jumps to
$14800/wk approx.

Almost half again the phone amount.

I think Dale Carnegie was the first to put this in print.
"I'd rather have 1% of 100 peoples labor than 100% of my own in a
venture." (Often touted in MLM ventures.)

Who are these 3%? Where do they live? Whom do they work for?

<snip - REALLY nasty commentary directed @ a percentage>

The ratios are consistant. The amount that ratio is applied to is always
growing along w/ every other percentage.

Sad but true.

And these figures assume an english speaking population that can be
talked to. The world only needs to be able to read english and click, not
speak english.

The LAST thing I think needs to happen is legislation. Very irregularly
does it alleviate anything instead of complicating it 10 fold.

Mom said stay away from strangers....so do SysAdmins about strange email.
 But some kids never listen.

</rant>

Donning the asbestos underwear and other accoutrements,

Tim



If the human brain were so simple that we could
understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003, T. Reed wrote:

> > <soapbox>
> > The _WORST_ thing is this:  Spam Works.  No shit.  The successful click
> > though and buy rate of spam is like 3+%.  Everybody want spam to stop?
> > Don't click though.   Many of them will "know" you've clicked through
> > because each email message contains unique portions of the link they
> > sent you...and guess what, it just makes the spammers try harder
> > knowing they're getting people to react.  So DON'T FRIGGIN' CLICK!
> > </soapbox>
>
> This is so true.
>
> And if they give you a unique URL to click on they can also identify you
> by your e-mail address as a responder. Your address will wind up on their
> "good list" and you'll get more spam.
>
> I think instead of the federal anti-spam laws that are utterly pointless
> (why does everybody keep forgetting that the internet is not US-only??),
> we need to launch a "say no to spam" campaign. Tell the public that the
> best way to stop getting spam is to ignore it completely even if some
> part of it looks enticing or relevant. It won't be entirely effective, but
> it will be far more successful than passing laws.
>
> -Toby
>
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