YourSolutions.net, LLC & The YourSolutions.net Group 
Are 0% Tolerance for Spam companies!

What is SPAM? 
A Very Clear Explanation

What is spam? It seems as if there is a lot of it going around, but consumers and businesses are often confused about what spam really is.

ISPs and web hosting companies ultimately bear the burden of receiving these unsolicited mail complaints, and differentiating between what is, and is not spam.

Often providers terminate websites or dial up access based on just one complaint. Providers must strictly enforce their terms, or face action by their own upstream providers for servicing reported spam accounts.

Here is a universal definition of what spam actually is:

Spam is ANY unsolicited or unwanted message that arrives via email. Period. (Including 'Ask Permission Email'.)

If the mail was requested, and this request can be produced by the sender, then all follow up messages that are sent must contain ALL of the following when they arrive:

1. Valid "from" address. This means the from address must be a working domain name that someone can write directly to should they want to. If the address is valid when the message is sent and is then shut down after the mail is sent, it is still considered an invalid "from" address.

2. Valid "reply to" address. This is slightly different to the "from" address, it is the address mail goes to if someone clicks reply on the email. It may be the same as the "from" if you choose.

3. Valid sender information, including the name of the company or individual that sent the message, a valid phone number, and a physical postal address where written correspondence can be sent if needed.

4. Valid remove processes must be in place to instantly remove any individual from future mailings upon request. A real-time remove link or standard reply with "remove" in the subject line are acceptable if they work every time, without exception.

If all of these factors apply, and the mail is sent with the prior permission from the recipient, then the mail being sent is not considered spam.

So, what if one of these factors is slightly different? Like what if it is a one-time mailing so there is no need to have a remove, as some mail will claim?

This is not acceptable because there is no valid remove and there is no permission granted from the recipient. 

How about targeted lists, or opt-in lists purchased from companies in the same industry? 

Mail sent to these types of lists is also considered spam, because the names on the lists did not give you permission to mail to them, even in the rare case that they did give this permission to someone else.

How about if you actually visit a sales prospect's web site and write to them individually, not in a mass mail and say, "I visited your website at www.yoursite.com and noticed you were in need of my services?"

This is also considered spam, even if the from, reply to, and other information are valid including a remove link. This is still spam because it is not solicited. If the mail, or sales literature was not requested, it is spam mail, no matter what.

Now that the real rules of spamming are established here, you may be asking, how can I run a legitimate newsletter, weekly specials sheet, or ad to my prospect list? How can I send out mail and know that it is not going to be reported as spam?

Simply put, you cannot prevent reports. No matter how closely you follow the rules as a sender, there is the chance that a user will report the mail as spam. 

To avoid fallout for these types of complaints, be sure to have your own abuse network and procedures in place. Make sure abuse@yourdomainname.com is working, and that it goes right to someone important in your organization.

Once an abuse report is received, you can be certain that your host, internet provider and others have also received the same abuse complaint. You should respond to the complaint as a remove request immediately.

Reply to the letter and include all addresses that also received the original complaint. Address the individual by their name, and provide a copy of the original subscription request with date and other supporting information. 

Tell the user and other abuse addresses that you have processed the remove, the letter is not spam and was indeed requested. Be as brief as possible and be sure to reference the URL where you post your terms of service and the URL where the user agreed to receive your mail.

Be sure this letter arrives at all of the addresses listed in the original complaint immediately. Even a one-hour delay may be too long, because some providers will shut down sites for spamming as soon as a complaint is received.

You will want to be sure that once your host, or ISP starts to read the original complaint, that there is an accompanying letter from you with a subscription authentication and removal confirmation. This way, your host or ISP can clearly see that the mail is not spam, and complies with their terms of service.

Written by: eTrader (TM) Newsletter is published by yourfavorite.com using the list management resources of AWeber Communications: AWeber List Services