Spam-lurkers at networking events!

[BB]

Originally Posted by King

Two points that have been overlooked:

1. Maybe you were too keen on handing out cards to anyone who would accept them, rather than handing them out for a reason

2. If you were doing 1. then the act of giving them your card was an invitation (albeit tacit) for them to open up communication with you, even if it is the unwanted kind.

It is a good tale and a great heads up, as others have alluded to.

If you read the original post again, King, you will realise that the point was about SPAM and not how to build a database.

1. Yes - I did exchange business cards with many people. (that was part of the activities that this event insisted upon)

2. I had / have no problem with them communicating with me or being on their database. (I would not have given them my card otherwise)

The whole point of the post was about those people who communicate via 'newsletters' that DO NOT have an unsubscribe link - and who can be classed as spammers. No matter how many times you respond and ask to be removed from their list, if they ignore this request - then they are still SPAMMERS.

It's a true story. The person involved was also collecting email addresses from this forum.

B.B.

[King]

Sorry, I read it, from the title to be about the people who attend events to specifically gather emails, not about newsletters without optout mechanisms.

I have no doubt about the intentions of the person gathering the cards (be it primary or secondary intention) but my point is simply if you provide the opportunity, then people will take it.

I am not condoning what they are doing at all and reporting them to ACMA is also a wise course as well. The electronic communication guidelines (Act) are quite specific on what they were doing (as in no opt-out) was wrong.

A similar scenario applies to restaurants who have brandy balloon glasses for a monthly meal giveaway. The Act expressly forbids them from using contact details for marketing purposes, unless advertised that entry means people are willing to be contacted.

The grey aspect of this is when you willing give them contact details at an event that by its purpose is a precursor to further communication.