Re: !!ATTENTION DATABASE DEVELOPERS!! - Boycott boors who rudely advertise in news groups!

In article <gburnoreE8A67H.9Ms_at_netcom.com> gburnore_at_netcom.com (Gary L. Burnore) writes:

>Tom Abraham (tabraham_at_concentric.net) wrote:
>: mr/scuba wrote:
>: > Boycott boors who rudely advertise in news groups!
>: >
 

>: While I certainly agree with the sentiment, I have to wonder if it will
>: be applied. I've often (OK, a few times), posted a response to an
>: article saying that I thought the post was more ad than not. I've been
>: "sent to the woodshed" each and every time (as I'll likely be for
>: posting this), and accused of not understanding that the poster was
>: "merely trying to help the original poster with INFORMATION". (I suspect
>: that a lot of this is because I mostly lurk and don't "advertise" and am
>: not seen as an "expert".) If an ad IS information, then why do people
>: get upset with SPAM??

Let's first observe that "massive cross-posting" is another problem unto itself. I decided, after careful consideration, to leave the reply-list of this message the way it is to cover the entire audience.

Let's next observe that people *do* for whatever reason get very inflamed sometimes about "commercial postings," and treat it as a fact of life. If you are an advertiser, you can't predict or control how people will respond to your ad. But in the Internet you can certainly *see* it.

Now, where can the two interests meet? Here's what I'd suggest:

	(1)  Use the keyword "Announce:" in your message header.
	(2)  Briefly describe your product or service in the header.
	(3)  Slightly-more-loquaciously, describe what you have in mind
		in the message text.  Be sure that the text is relevant to
		the newsgroup to whom you are posting.
	(4)  IMMEDIATELY refer to your web page.
	(5)  Do not "bulk mail" to newsgroups that have no real relevance to
		your product or service.
	(6)  Keep your religious opinions, anti-IRS opinions, and other "noise"
		entirely off this medium.
	(7)  Post only ONCE and then SHADDUP.

And...

        (8) Don't cross-post to newsgroups.

You can reach millions(!) of people through news groups. The trick is to find customers without <!>ing off the rest.

I cordially apologize in advance to the people who will be offended by *this* posting and request the favor that you don't-reply. Please recognize this as an attempt to do good... to address, not to extend, a problem that is real to every one of us, present company included. I understand your sentiments and, in fact, share them, and that is WHY I've posted here.

{To those of you who wonder why I'd add the aforesaid paragraph... the need for it is precisely my point!) Received on Mon Apr 07 1997 - 00:00:00 CEST