Forum Moderators: phranque
Pot....kettle....pot.....kettle.. :)
This is crazy!
Firstly, AOL's spam crusade is totally hypocritical - coaster anyone?
Secondly, why are AOL getting paid $7m, when its their users that are getting spammed?
Does this mean that royal mail could sue AOL for sending out so many CDs? ;)
JOAT
As for the CDs have you seen the latest UK advert where the older man already has a CD that he is using as a coaster. How I (nearly) laughed!
It just seems to me that the end users are the ones who are inconvienced by the spam emails, so they, if anyone, should recieve the compensation.
Yes, AOL have the resources to commit to a legal battle, but the doesnt make it right (or fair).
But then again, if things were right and fair, then all my sites would be number one and my 21 year old swedish handmaiden would be feeding me grapes right now....
Ah well... :(
JOAT
sem4u sorry I can only hook up preferred members or above :)
No doubt it has the same benefits as other forms of mass marketing - low % sales conversion, but on such a large scale its worth it.
But, surely they must realise how many people they are annoying (like verity said, theyre mocking themselves in their own adverts - no doubt attempting improve their pretty bad image)?
If you consider the millions it must take to produce the CDs, mail them, etc dont you think that their marketing budget could be used more effectively?
Yes, they are getting 1% sales conversion, but they are pissing off the other 99%! :) Surely that cant be a good long term strategy?
And i still find it ridiculuos that they, of all people, can successfully sue spammers!
JOAT
PS....im setting up a new business - www.mail-order-handmaidens-from-sweden.com - ill return from Sweden in a few days with the under 21 female volleyball team... :)
[nomoreaolcds.com...] :)
They only got me as a customer after five months of free service!
I once installed Netscape on my parents PC for them, I uninstalled it after my Dad didnt like it that much, it was only on the PC for about two days.. a week later an AOL CD arrived offering 3 months free for being a valid Netscape customer :)
I made a few calls to the tech help desk and got another two months free!
[added]You'll never get in the SERPS with an over hyphenated domain like that JOAT :)[/added]
[edited by: creative_craig at 1:55 pm (utc) on Dec. 18, 2002]
How much junk mail do you get each day? Im willing to bet a lot of it is from AOL or their subsiduries / partners! Regardless of whether or not it says so.
How many websites (ie different names, different brands) do you think the average WW members has? Then how many do you think we would have with AOLs budget... ;)
JOAT
I wasnt happy, as far as I know I have never given any details for anything like that to be sent to me. I made a call to the offending film company and they removed me from their mailing list, but wouldnt tell me how I got on the list in the first place :(
The amount of junk mail I get a week relating to the web is around 20 or 30. I dread to think what other members around here get!
[newline.com...]
>We use the information that you provide about others to enable us to send them your gifts or cards. From time to time, we also may use this information to offer our products, programs, or services to them.
>The information we collect in connection with our online forums and communities is used to provide an interactive experience. We use this information to facilitate participation in these online forums and communities and, from time to time, to offer you products, programs, or services.
>We sometimes use the non-personally identifiable information that we collect to improve the design and content of our site and to enable us to personalize your Internet experience. We also may use this information in the aggregate to analyze site usage, as well as to offer you products, programs, or services.
>At some other AOL Time Warner sites, you can submit information about other people. For example, you might submit a person's name and e-mail address to send an electronic greeting card and, if you order a gift online and want it sent directly to the recipient, you might submit the recipient's name and address. The types of personally identifiable information that may be collected about other people at these pages include: recipient's name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number.
That last one is particularly nasty! Not only do they keep your info, but the info of people who you send stuff too as well! ;)
Who needs tightened information security...lets just let AOL and co run the world! They know more about us than anyone else.... ;)
JOAT
ps....i really hate the privacy policies and disclaimers of big corps...make interesting reading though!
