On 8/25/2019 3:41 PM, Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. via mailop wrote:
On Aug 24, 2019, at 7:03 PM, Al Iverson via mailop <[email protected]>
wrote:
Wait. There was spam before Anne Mitchell defined it for the rest of us?
Actually it was Paul Vixie who defined it - then we worked together to refine
the wording and put it up on the MAPS website.
Each time I take a fresh look at that Vixie/Mitchell definition - I'm
continually even MORE impressed by how BRILLIANT/EXCELLENT it is.
However, it a little on the academic/cerebral side of things, and I
recommend supplementing with the following more basic definition:
SPAM DEFINITION:
A message is spam UNLESS *ALL* of the following 4 things are true:
(1) the recipient never unsubscribed (since the last time they opted-in
or started a business relationship)
(2) the recipient has given permission to receive messages either via a
confirmed opt-in or via an existing business relationship with the sender
(3) the recipient has a reasonable chance of recognizing the sender and
connect-the-dots back to that opt-in or business relationship, since not
being able to do so nullifies any such claimed permissions. (this covers
"bait-n-switch" re-purposing of lists, or attempts to claim that the
permissions transferred to 3rd parties)
(4) message is not malware or misrepresenting the identity of the
sender, such as a phishing spams impersonating a sender.
EXCEPTION: A single personalized hand-typed message to a recipient that
never unsubscribed is an exception to these rules. But automation of
mass-sent messages with "print merge" variations that make it look
personalized and hand-typed - when it really wasn't BOTH of those - is
still spam.
EXCEPTION: If a sender CLAIMS to have followed these 4 rules, but the
vast majority of the recipients don't want the messages and clicked the
"spam" button, then it is STILL spam (and most likely failed #3 above!
This can happen if the sender did a poor job with branding, and the
recipient don't recognize their messages!)
This is still a little on the academic/cerebral side of things - but
might be a little more quickly understandable to most senders.
--
Rob McEwen
https://www.invaluement.com
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