or - Where is the line between the letter and the intent of the law?

PhilC over at SEO Forum threw a mini tantrum over at Web Pro World about getting so many “spam” emails from them and iEntry (WPW’s parent).. The thread, as many things over there do, got heated, closed, and then moved from public view.. But, out of curiosity I got invovled because several months ago I had added all iEntery addresses to my spam filter because I got tired of trying to stop the “Sponsor Updates”..

Within an hour of unblocking iEntry I got my first sponsor update.. It was probably just good luck on my part.. This led to a discussion at WPW with Mike about how they manage their mailing lists.. Apparently WPW is following the letter of the law when it comes to being removed from their mailing list.. You get removed one sponsor at a time.. Not from the whole list.. Does this make sense??

Here is the reasoning.. They seperate each advertiser into a seperate list (presumably) and as you “opt out” you are opted out for that sponsor only.. But all the others are still fair game since you didn’t opt out of that “other” sponsor.. All the rest are fair game and you keep right on getting email advertising long after you thought you had left the program.. Sucks doesn’t it??

So how did you get on this list to begin with?? I don’t recall ever seeing any mention of agreeing to be on their list when signing up for the forum.. You know why?? It’s not there.. It’s hidden.. The last pararaph of the confirmation email says “oh by the way - we are going to spam the crap out of you”.. No really, it does.. I don’t know about you, but I don’t read the signup emails when I sign up for a forum.. Like 99% of the world, I look for that link and click so I can join the forum and start posting.. Guess what, the team at iEntry knows this and takes advantage of you by doing it this way..

There are other ways to get on the list as well.. Sign up over at jayde.com to get a link and you are on the list.. It doesn’t say so when you sign up, but it is in the very small TOS.. Hidden well away so that you don’t opt out to begin with or not sign up at all..

So how do you get off?? Apparently there are 2 unsubscribe links in each email.. The first link opts out of that advertiser only, not the entire iEntry spam program.. But there is a second unsubscribe link further down the page that gets you out of the whole thing.. Again, placed where it is intentionally to decieve people into thinking that iEntry is doing a great job of managing their list, not playing fast and loose with the code of ethics most of us would like to observe when it comes to spam.. When you want off a list you hit unsubscribe.. You don’t hit every one on the page, and you most likely don’t read the small print, you click the first unsubscribe you come to.. Too bad it doesn’t do much good..

Is what ieNtry is doing Spam?? Legally, probably not.. But in my mind it is an incredibly deceitful way of doing things for that allmighty ad dollar.. I would have expected better from the team over there seeing how they are positioned in the industry.. Apparently I was mistaken, they appear to be just another batch of mercenary spammers with a jones for your email address and the money that brings them..

~Fey

Malcolm Wells was an early supporter of taking architecture into a more green way of thinking.. Starting back in the 60’s he experimented with various ways of building without harming the surrounding world.. From energy conservation to soil preservation to water conservation.. His book, Gentle Architecture (1984) Powell’s Books, was something that I picked up when I was studying Architecture at the University of New Mexico.. (BA Architecture 1994)..

I picked the up the book again because it has been a long time since I’ve done anything with my degree and we’ve been talking about building a new house.. And if I am going to build a new house I want to do everything I can to make it the best house I can in every way possible..

I was surprised at how little I remembered from reading this book more than 12 years ago.. A lot of it seems like common sense today, but so much more of it seems like we have made almost no progress in that time.. From massive paving projects to green spaces that aren’t really green at all, we seem to have been stagnant in the field of architecture on any grand scale.. Yes, the tree huggers are going to say, See, I told you so, but there has always been the need to strike a balance between conservation and use.. And while I like a lot of what Malcom has to say, I find a lot of it preachy at best..

It is possible to be environmentally considerate without being an extremist.. I just wonder how much of this I can put into effect on our house project..

~Fey

Breaking news tells that London based British Petroleum is closing down the Alaskan Pipeline and the Prudhoe Bay Oil fields to repair a leak in the pipeline.. Leaks happen, I understand that, and in the grand scheme of things the Alaskan oil fields only produce about 8% of the US domestic oil so it ’shouldn’t’ affect price very much.. But it will as even more profit taking happens.. This really isn’t the issue for me..

My concern is that foreign based and owned companies are now purchasing significant amounts of US based infrastructure.. From oil pipelines to toll roads.. Where I live we have a group from Austrailia and Spain purchasing the Toll Road near me.. They are paying a one time lease fee of 72 billion dollars.. That’s $72,000,000,000 dollars.. And they get all the tolls collected over the next 75 years.. It sure is a quick hit in the pocket for the state, especially when they say that the toll road has been loosing money for a while now.. But this company has projected that they will project some 160 billion dollars over the 75 years from this deal.. now, how can they make money when local government can’t??

And then we had the sale of major US ports happening that involved a company from the middle east.. What an uproar that caused.. And it got stopped.. Even though a Chinese company is already involved in the ports and we don’t actually own them right now anyway..

This trend bothers me for several reasons.. The first is pure nationalism.. Here we are, handing control of potentially important national infrastructure to companies in pther parts of the world.. How are we supposed to maintain control?? What if that current friendly becomes a hostile later?? Like today’s announcement of the pipline closure.. How is letting a company based in London control 8% of the US oil suppoly a good thing?? And even more importantly, this same company already has a history of spills and non-compliance.. Why do they still control it??

But, as important as this is, what really bothers me most is that total lack of competence of our own governement.. Here is a group that says that they can’t break even be providing basic services (roads etc) to the nation, yet a foreign company can turn a rather healthy profit from that exact same deal?? If you can’t provide these services, what good are you??

~Fey

The end of the cold war may finally be here as the hot wars are getting hotter.. It has been announced that the cost overruns and the lack of performance of updated early warning systems and various communications devices have finally forced the Air Force to relocate to an above ground facility at Peterson AFB..

The base will not be entirely closed, it will be put into a standby mode with minimal functionality until needed again.. Like many major military installations I see this simply a measure to appease local politicians to maintain some level economic contribution to the areas.. I’m sure that I’m wrong, but I’ve seen so many base closings and restructuring of units with the ‘intention’ of them being in standby only to never be used again and eventually shut down after more millions are poured in to them..

I’m all for military spending.. In fact I would support more military spending if it were up to me.. But I am always disappointed to see these types of things happen.. A decision needs to be made and stood by when it comes to impostant decisions like base closures.. Close the base.. Don’t waste millions maintaining a location that will never be used again.. It serves little military value any more.. Close it.. Weld the doors shut.. Or better yet, weld them open, take out the top secret material and make it a tourist attraction.. I’d pay $20 to go through it..

Or even better, finally admit that Stargate SG-1 is a documentary and tell us about the Asgard..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072801617.html