Nigel   
I welcome what others call Spam. I am not adverse to evaluating offers. However, out of respect for others, I am cautious about what I send to others. I have just read about a spam button in this enviornment. If there is such a thing, it seems like overkill to me; like a gun in idle hands. No thank you.
Jul 29th 2007 14:07   

Karen Weir  Local Internet Advertising Consultant
Wow Graham, you're tough! Your position reminds me of the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and it is true, but there is also another thing called social grace. In a social community, whether online or offline, the members of the community set the tone. Do you want a community where the norm is to pull people down, or do you want a community where we lift people up?

Sure, I can decide if what I receive is spam or not, but when I decide to hit that spam button, I also realize that I am harming a fellow marketer's reputation. Why would I want to do that? Revenge? Jealousy? Spite? Those are the only reasons I can think of. Otherwise, I simply block the offensive person from sending me messages, and when others in the community do the same... the person either gets the message and changes his ways, or he leaves.

I believe in Karma - and the true of art of networking is in helping others. I gain no pleasure from harming others, and I prefer a community where we lift each other. Together Everyone Achieves More. We can have a spam free community without the blood... IMHO

~ Karen ~
Jul 29th 2007 14:10   

Stephen Lapointe   
thank you Valerie there is actually someone here who speaks up for the newbie's like myself . me personally have been involved with APsense for a little over 1 month and someone told me already they reported me as spam and i did not understand why, cause they were one of my contacts, this keeps up Apsense will no longer be the place to share with others. Valerie keep up the good work, sincerley in his service steve!!!
Jul 29th 2007 14:11   

Eric Smith   Online Professional
There should be a flag on members pages that says something like "Talk to me but don't SPAM me" or "No SPAM mail" or something similar...

If this is present on a members profile and SPAM is still received then there is justification in hitting the SPAM button. If the profile does not have a flag for No SPAM then there is no grounds.

It would not be hard to only have the SPAM button appear if the "Flag check box" is highlighted in the members profile.
Jul 29th 2007 16:43   

Scott Richard Adams   
Hi guys

I think the admins should maintain this alone. Also, the spam can act will tell you whatever you need to know about spam.

mail is only spam if:

1. you email someon who is not an opt in subscriber

2. you do not have a opt out or unsubscribe option

3. you send an anonymous email without headers or return valid address

You can email people who are not opt in as it is a grey area. this means that those people may have opted in to one of your partners and agreed to receive mail from anyone in the partners network.

But... if you get reported to the proper authorities, WOW it is a $10000 fine and a ban for life in some cases.

Hope this helps and keep in mind that there are varied opnions on spamming.


regards


Scott
Jul 29th 2007 17:12   

Jenny Stewart   
i am in two minds about the spam button.

On the one hand i am getting sick and tired of seeing advertising all over the place at ApSense instead of discussion between members.and I loathe getting copy paste adverts in my mail box.

On the other hand it is very disconcerting to think that the spam button can be abused by over zealous members who then give that person

I agree with JamesMax that "One person's spam is another person's jam" (or ham -I love food) So Eric's idea of having a no spam flag on peoples' profiles or by their photo is not a bad one. It gives people an option and satisfies everyone.

AND I agree wholeheartedly with Karen (that will be 5$ Karen. lol) that the general atmosphere at ApSense if very important. This needs to stay a good place to be, if we are going to get to know each other and buiid relationships. So we do to lift each other up and not bring each other down and try to achieve a spam free community without the blood.

I personally (surpirse) think that Group Categories will make life easier and then it will keep smap out of the Groups that do not accept it. They will go into Advetising!
Jul 29th 2007 19:53   

bye  
I dont have problem with spams. I have an open minded to this issue. If i receive the unknown emails senders I just delete it or if I have time I will browse it to see if any good things to be swallowed. Who knows, the unwanted emails could lead you making money online. I believed that we are matured enough to asses the emails contents. Apsense is the place where you develop biz network as well as social network. If the members want the so called private network, I suggest they go to blogging like multiply.com for closed social network OR maybe apsense can just create a separate environment for this kind of people.
Jul 30th 2007 06:05   

John Bassett   
To have an internal spam swap site just go to http;//www.yahoogroups.com and set your own mutual spam advertising appreciation society, that way the, and I use this word in it's loosest context "Normal" networkers can carry on learning, developing skills and building professional relationships. Thud!!! Ouch!!! I just fell off the soap box. Over to you guys. Who wants to start a Yahoogroups Spammers group? Any offers?
Jul 30th 2007 10:36   

Clifford Messer   
I personally do not like the spam button. I also agree that there are some people who choose to be unprofessional in this world. One Bad Apple concept. This site " apsense " should be a relaxed site to share opportunity with others without the fear of being rejected by someone who may or may not take offense of another persons interjections. But maybe the spam button was put in place by design to offer a mild threat to anyone who would not take this site serious enough to maintain semi-professional courtesy , In that regard I can somehow understand their intentions.. Whatever the case may be here on the spam button , I think anyone who actually uses this button , should have to enter an explanation as to why they felt that they were spammed. Then the site administrators can determine if said complaint is valid or not before lowering the percentage... Or they can do away with the spam button entirely.. It sounds like a catch 22 situation to me. Then again Im just a newbie member myself. I will probably take the lesser of 2 evils , and just go with popular oppinion.,
Jul 30th 2007 11:05   

John Bassett   
Well, I'm climbing back onto my soapbox and can say this as a final thought for now anyway. Well at least half an hour. Why do we join APsense in the first place?

A. To learn about stuff?
B. To promote an ethical opportunity (Business or otherwise)?
C. To help somebody else get a brighter future?
D. A combination of the above three?
E. Some other reason perhaps?

Copy and paste style promos should not be encouraged, Like I said earlier there is an ethic taking place somewhere. We just need to appreciate others have differing views. Nobody has started a Spammers at yahoo groups yet, or are they keeping it quiet? Hmmmm, over to you guys...

Jul 30th 2007 12:53   

Mattias Kroon   
Spamcop?

I think it´s a good chance to get a high quality of a network with clear spamming rules.All the spams on the internet has destroyed much of the ethics and moral standard that should be there.
Jul 30th 2007 13:17   

Eric Smith   Online Professional
Although this thread is focused on APsense spam issues, one thing that hasn't been mentioned is the viruses and back door programs that are often attached to spam mails and wesites. By accepting and saying that spam is ok and tolerating it, we are also saying the by-products that are often associated with these emails are also acceptable...
Jul 30th 2007 20:38   

Karen Weir  Local Internet Advertising Consultant
Eric,

I'm not sure where you are getting that anybody likes or wants spam - in email, on search engines or in communities. The discussions are on how best to deal with it. In my opinion, it is clear that there is no concensus on what constitutes spam, and there are many people who don't understand what real spam is, how it is generated, or even if they are doing it. Those lines become even blurrier in a community such as Apsense.

In addition to those who just don't understand and think that by reporting spam they are doing good, I am sure you are aware that there are people who are angry, resentful and vengeful. If you are going to give people the power to damage others reputations, there should be some accountablility on the part of the reporter.

Personally, I let my conscience be my guide. I know that I am not perfect, that I have and will make mistakes. I prefer to help rather than hurt - that does not mean that I condone spam or think it should be encouraged. That's like saying someone who doesn't believe in capital punishment is in favor of murder.

IMHO ~ Karen ~
Jul 31st 2007 09:33   

Rusty Rose   
Karen said, and I quote:

"In addition to those who just don't understand and think that by reporting spam they are doing good, I am sure you are aware that there are people who are angry, resentful and vengeful. If you are going to give people the power to damage others reputations, there should be some accountablility on the part of the reporter. "

I could not have said it better myself. As I said in my previous comment, I was irreparably harmed by an accusation of spam, even though I was innocent. Everyone has some enemies (known or otherwise) and that spam button is a dangerous tool for unethical people. As I said before, get rid of it--if you can block people or just delete the messages, it is extraneous anyway as well as dangerous to innocent people's reputations.

Jul 31st 2007 09:55   

Sheri Stuart   
Dale, you just made me knock myself in the forehead. I would have never thought to use spam to my advantage, but you know, it's a great idea.
Jul 31st 2007 10:16   

Bj aka Bill Brown   Hosting and Backup Service provider
Hi Sheri,

There is nothing good about spamming a spammer. it makes you just as bad as they are and you in turn become a spammer.

Also I have known cases where someone has responded to a spammer and the spammer turned round and reported the person for spam. So think twice, brefore you get yourself in trouble.

Bj
Bill Brown aka Bjantiques

Jul 31st 2007 10:36   

Rusty Rose   
Spamming The Spammer:

For those of you who claim you take advantage of the spammers-don't do it. You will find yourself in trouble. The rules of spamming are:
You need permission to send information or an advert to someone. Irregardless of whether the person sent you an advert that you didn't want or ask for or gave permission for, which constitutes spam on his part-your answering him means you accepted his spam, but he did not accept yours. You are a spammer and he could report you as such. There are evil people out there who use such entrapments just for the fun of it. Since they are already labled spammers, they could care less. Watch yourself.

Jul 31st 2007 10:37   

Karen Weir  Local Internet Advertising Consultant
Rose, it is not about taking advantage of spammers. Not at all. It is about replying to emails you receive - thanks for the email... and a link to a lead capture page. It is about potentially reaching people who don't know what they are doing.

~ Karen ~
Jul 31st 2007 10:57   

Beth Schmillen   
Thanks Valerie for posting this here...

Now I will go find a version or two of mine and post it here also!

Beth
Jul 31st 2007 11:20   

John Bassett   
OK a slight change of direction for this one. Spam can also be constituted as an act of ignorance. Try that one for size the see how far you get before somebody chews you up and spits you out...

As an aside, people also hate getting emails that contain multiple addresses in them as they believe that their email address will end up where it doesn't belong. Let's suppose you want 10,000 people to read your email advert. (Nobody actually knows that many people but it makes the point) BJ some while ago contacted me personally about this very subject about how difficult it is to do in reality and he's an expert. So you join a safelist full of people you have never head of and you send out your advert and guess what?...

You still don't get to the people you want to contact in large numbers so you send out small batches in the BCC box with the main address being yours. this way you overcome revealing addresses you don't have permission to promote. Yeah! we've all done it once or twice thinking OK they will let me off. I still get emails with a whole list of names in them and temptation creeps in. I'm Human. I'm also going overboard here too. So to wrap this up. We just need to be careful get permission.

JB in the UK... The Sun is Shining first time this year...
Jul 31st 2007 11:36