Adbase Is Scumbase
I am plagued, plagued, by unprofessional PR. I sometimes write to chastise the PR person who glowingly writes me in about something I couldn't be less likely to blog about -- or buy. McArdle at The Atlantic on the scumbags behind Adbase spam:
About six months ago, maybe more, I started getting emails from photographers, showcasing their new work. Clearly, my email got put on some list. But what list? No way to tell. I could opt out from emails, but that only opted out of emails from that particular photographer. All the other photographers kept sending. Since I was getting perhaps a dozen of these a day, I gave up and just let them cram my inbox.Yesterday I learned where they were coming from, when a photographer sent an email titled "my last email with Adbase". Some googling reveals that people are under the impression that this is a vetted list of creative directors and art directors who have specifically asked to receive emails from aspiring photographers. This is how the Adbase site describes their services:
Don't bother marketing to the wrong buyers or sending the right buyers promotions they'll never see. Our database makes it easy to find the contacts you're looking for and gives you an edge by knowing exactly how they want to be contacted.Note: I am not a creative director, an art director, or someone empowered with a budget to purchase photographs either by my firm, or my husband.
Further note: at the time that I was added to this list, my title was Business and Economics Editor. It is now Senior Editor. Neither of these titles implies that I am someone empowered with a budget to purchase photographs.
Even further note: I have never requested that someone add my email to a database that photographers could use to send me new work, because, as I may have mentioned, I am not empowered with a budget to purchase photographs.
And final note to purchasers of the Adbase list: this is the quality of email address you're buying. Hope you didn't overpay! Because even if I somehow acquired the budget to purchase new photographs, as god is my witness, I would make damn sure that I didn't buy one from any of the people who have wasted my time with completely unsolicited emails.
Here's a typical one I get from an unprofessional PR person. If anyone takes the time to look at who they're writing to -- the essence of professional public relations -- it takes a about 15 seconds on my site to see to see I write on love, dating, sex, and relationships and blog on those subjects, civil liberties, and a few related subjects. I typically get a message like this back, when I complain that somebody has written about me about, say, in this case, (subject line) "RE: Press Release - New Home Decor Line."
Himy apologies...you were not spammed...i went thru a list for 3 days and included key words such as interior decor, feng shu, home decor etc...not sure why you would have been included if none of those subjects show up on your blog!
liza fiorentinos
My email I sent to Liza Fiorentinos:
From: AdviceAmy@aol.com Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 10:53:40 -0500 Subject: Re: Press Release - New Home Decor Line To: liza@luludi.netFeng shui is idiocy and what about a science- and anthropology-based advice columnist who blogs on libertarian issues said to you I was an appropriate person to spam with your press release? Thanks for one more lazy email clogging my life.
P.S. My tiny house is "decorated" in piles of paper and my kitchen has no place to eat, because both sides of what would be the breakfast nook have floor to nearly ceiling shelves to ease the overflow of my books overflow.
And is it such a big deal to just delete an email? Yes, it is. My email box bounces when an email comes in -- which I like. And every unprofessional, wrongly targeted piece of PR takes me away from my writing or whatever I'm doing for something of no importance to me. The person who sends unprofessional PR is taking my time for no good reason other than their laziness. They're making me bear the burden of that laziness, and it is a burden where there's far more than one Liza with the feng shui client out there...daily, hourly.
Oh, and I think I was getting the photographer email, too, but I get so much unprofessional PR, it's hard to remember.
Amy,
Do you have a Kindle or an iPad yet?
I'm about to start getting rid of all my paper books in favor of my Kindle. I've been able to replace almost all my books I plan on reading again.
As for the spam -- talk to Gregg about setting up filters, rules, or whatever AOL calls them to move all the crap to sub-folders that you don't even see unless you go to the folder. I have about four folders that I check in my GMail account regularly. The rest all gets filed away until I want to read it or delete it.
Jim P. at December 4, 2011 6:16 AM
'my apologies...you were not spammed...i went thru a list for 3 days and included key words such as interior decor, feng shu, home decor etc...not sure why you would have been included if none of those subjects show up on your blog!'
Her writing 'style' sure would make me want to find out more! 'thru'?
crella at December 4, 2011 6:18 AM
If my house caught on fire, some of the first things I would save would be my paper books. First ones would be a first edition of "How to talk dirty and influence people", several signed Vonnegut's, my high school "Catcher in the Rye", "The Glass Bead Game" I read one stoned summer in Santa Cruz...
I just wouldn't deal with a cold computer screen..
Eric at December 4, 2011 8:10 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/12/adbase-is-scumb.html#comment-2827764">comment from Jim P.Gregg gave me his iPad. I LOVE IT! It extends my work day because it's so much fun to work on. I spent yesterday immersed in herpes...uh, the research for it. I didn't look up really from about 9:30 to 6, then went home (I was at a coffee shop I write at that's like home to me). Afterward, I went on my iPad on my couch and finished reading a paper on anti-heroes by Peter Jonason for my show tomorrow and went through a bunch of his work. Normally, I wouldn't have worked like I did -- till 9:30 pm! But, it was so much fun on the iPad!
And thanks, Gregg doesn't need to set up my email. I've had email since the early 90s. I want important mail to get through so I don't have my filters set on high. It's people like this nimrod LIza who think they can just eat your life that make things awful. The thing is, there are professional PR people (I understand it well because I worked in PR in Michigan when I was 15, and worked in advertising there -- WB Doner -- and New York -- Ogilvy & Mather -- right out of college).
I always open mail from people from Penguin and Wiley, for example, because they send me books I can use. Cynthia Shannon from Wiley sent me Beverly Engel's book, which has helped countless people (they email me after I recommend it to tell me it's changed their lives). She emails me, I'll open it before I open mail from my mother, who probably just wants to tell me she still can't figure out how to hear my radio show. My mom's seriously smart, but trying to explain technology to her is like trying to explain it to my dog.
Amy Alkon
at December 4, 2011 8:30 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/12/adbase-is-scumb.html#comment-2827767">comment from EricIf my house caught on fire, some of the first things I would save would be my paper books.
This is especially true for me of the ones I have notes and sticky tags in!
PS On the iPad, if you read a lot of studies, as I do, check out the fabulous annotating prog, iAnnotate - $9.99. I can print out only the annotated pages if I want...it's just super. And really fun to use.
Amy Alkon
at December 4, 2011 8:35 AM
I too get a lot of email spam. The worst was on 9/13/01, when some marketing outfit saw fit to use the Twin Towers tragedy as a hook for an email blast to interview some media therapist - "Dr. So and So can speak eloquently to the tragedy and explain how Americans are feeling," blah blah blah.
Rather than delete it, I followed up and ended up talking to the president of the publicity firm, who was unrepentant. His last words were "I can see you're emotional about this, so there's no point in discussing it further."
Well, yes, the fact that I was emotional about this, while he saw it as a marketing opportunity, was rather the point.
Kevin at December 4, 2011 8:47 AM
I get tons of bad PR emails and I just wonder how much these people are getting paid.
What drives me even more crazy is when I'll get one that seems relevant and interesting and so I respond with a question and they do not get back to me. This happens so incredibly often, it's crazy.
Why bother to send out the email if you aren't going to read the replies? I'm not going to write an article about your new book/idea/mouse trap without asking a few questions.
Suzanne Lucas- Evil HR Lady at December 4, 2011 9:38 AM
The best suggestion I have seen about emails. Senders on my white list could send emails to me for free. Other senders would have to buy a permission of 5 cents for each email before sending it. The nickel goes to me. I could set the fee. Default $.05, or different if I liked.
The payments would link the sender to an economic identity. This would end of spam.
Andrew_M_Garland at December 4, 2011 3:34 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/12/adbase-is-scumb.html#comment-2828267">comment from Andrew_M_GarlandI like that idea!
Amy Alkon
at December 4, 2011 3:42 PM
I run my own domain and am a sysadmin by trade, so I have an advantage in this case, but one thing I do is run my own mail server for my personal mail. On that server, I add a new mail alias for every website or mailing list I sign up for. It's a bit of a pain, but I've scripted it up so it's relatively quick. Each alias/address is named to match the site/list so that if/when I get any spam, I know exactly who sold my data. Then I usually let them know how pissed off I am, and I can update my proemial rules to dump their mails too if need be.
Miguelitosd at December 4, 2011 6:36 PM
I used to get upset at spam. Now I just don't care.
Like Miguelitosd I use emails for different functions. The one I put into the form here is my throw away. I don't track them to each site, just use the same address for any form or newsletter I want.
When it gets too crowded with spam, I delete the address completely so all emails to it bounce, and set up a new address. An added benefit is I need to update the address for the newsletters I want to keep getting.
Oddly, I got an email today from a new author in Israel who has a book my newsletter subscribers might like. I don't mind his email, and would be happy to get more like it. If you spend the time to research who I am and my audience I'd love to hear about your products. Otherwise you'll get banned.
Terry
PS my favorite spam for 2011 was the series of missives from a copywriter who makes millions of dollars a year and came across one of my websites and decided to contact me and offer his services.
From his letter:
+++++
I get emails, phone calls and letters from potential clients everyday...
Unfortunately I don't have the time to take everyone on board... and you would be surprised by how MANY people I turn down... but I ALWAYS take on clients who I know will be great to work with... (I also charge a lot LESS for these 'hassle-free' clients ESPECIALLY if the topic interests me!)
To put it simply... the earlier you contact me, the better."
+++++
He's so busy making millions he trawls the web looking for sales letters and then tracks down the seller's email addresses so he can send them a templated email. Sounds more like desperation to me.
Terry Gibbs at December 5, 2011 11:59 PM
I've had my email addresses since the early 90s and I'm not going to change them -- nor can I. The burden should be on the sender.
Amy Alkon
at December 6, 2011 5:05 AM
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