[thelist] Is this too harsh? :-)

[Samir M. Nassar]

Hi gang..

As I've mentioned in the past, I am extremely sensitive to spam.

Today I found an email that seems like a brochure.

It was unsolicited, it wasn't a specific business proposal, and it was
HTML email. (grrr)

I sent the following reply. I just wanted some reactions as to whether
this is harsh or not. Recieving person is protected...

<copy>
It is a bad business practice to send unsolicited mail.

First, you are not making a business proposal to RedConcepts.NET, you
sent me a brochure. This puts you well into our definition of SPAM since
we did not solicit your business.

Second, you sent HTML email. This is something we find offensive and
rude. Rest assured that this detail on its own removes your product from
our consideration. Our bandwidth and patience cost money, and we don't
have the time to sift through markup that is irrelevant to the message.
Your sales-pitch could just as well have been achieved through plain
text. Frankly I find the need to use HTML a tad insulting, since it
seems to assume that RedConcepts.NET does not posess the brainpower to
comprehend regular text.

Third, after visiting your website I am not convinced that dealing with
your business is in our best interest. Mass search engine submissions
can be interpreted as a hackjob and can actually cause us to be
blackballed if we are percieved as spammers ourselves.

Fourth, unless you are soliciting RedConcepts.NET for a project it would
not be advisable for your mail to find itself in our mailbox as we'll
consider that agressive spamming, the consequences of which will be
submission to an RBL and notification of your ISP.

Fifth, if we felt that we needed more exposure don't you think we'd have
sought you out? Well now you don't have to wonder. This is one customer
who will not seek you out.

Remember, this is in no way personal, it is merely business.
</copy>

Your friendly neighborhood anti-spammer,

Samir M. Nassar
RedConcepts.NET - Open Source, Public Service
http://www.redconcepts.net