Do you think it's rude to sign up everyone who's ever emailed you/everyone in your addressbook to your corporate newsletter list?

Do you think it’s rude to sign up everyone who’s ever emailed you/everyone in your addressbook to your corporate newsletter list?

was a question I asked the social networks today.

Just think about how you’d respond to that – the results and some commentary is below.

Results (as of about 8pm):

Facebook:

6 respondents:

• 3 clear “it’s rude”
• 2 “it’s rude, with caveat that it might be ok to ask them to opt in”
• 1 clear “it’s rude” and may be illegal

Twitter:

7 respondents:

• 3 clear “it’s rude”
• 2 clear “it’s rude” and may be illegal
• 1 “it’s rude, with caveat that it might be ok if unsubscribing is easy”
• 1 “it’s rude, with caveat that it might be ok to ask them to opt in”

LinkedIn:

2 respondents:

• 1 clear “it’s rude”
• 1 clear “it’s not rude”

Reddit:

7 respondents

• 5 clear “it’s rude”
• 1 clear “it’s rude” and may get your company blacklisted
• 1 “Would you like somebody to do this to you?”

Just to be clear, I’m not signing anyone who’s emailed me recently up for the Pokebook newsletter anytime soon – there isn’t one, yet – but there’s something slightly more serious at stake.

Background

I have a policy of keeping my day-to-day email, free from mailshots. It’s not because I don’t like bulk email and newsletters. It’s not because I don’t read bulk email and newsletters. It’s because I want to separate mailshots with a low priority, from important work or family emails that need instant attention.

When my phone beeps to say “you have new email”, I want to be certain that I’m bein interrupted about something that deserves my attention. Bulk email and newsletters deserve my attention too, but they deserve it on my terms.

My terms are quite simple: I should opt-in for it, and it will go to a separate email address so it doesn’t interrupt me.

The Problem

The frustrating part is that various well regarded companies and organisations. Companies and organisations that wouldn’t have to try very hard to encourage me to opt-in to an email or two from them about what they’re up to, have started assuming that because I once emailed a person at that organisation and am in their Outlook address book, that I’d like to opt that address in to their bulk email and newsletters, without being asked.

Why the survey?

I was worried I might be the only one who thought this, however out of twenty two response, only a single one said it was completely ok:

“If it’s relevant and interesting, no. If they’ve emailed you then they’re probably interested in your company in some way and they’ll likely appreciate it. Either that or they sent you spam in the first place – so fair play for you to send them unsolicited mail in return!”

What now?

I’m not sure. Obviously I’ve now unsubscribed from the 3-5 newsletters, but this problem isn’t going away.

I could drop all email from them, I could hit them with Data Protection Act action, I could email them nicely and ask them not to email me without my consent.

But they’re not the long term solutions… What can you do?