There’s a wonderful German word - schadenfreude - which means to take pleasure in other people’s misfortune. It might be the fun of watching slapstick comedy, for example. And what other reason can there possibly be for the popularity of TV shows such as America’s Funniest Home Videos? But it can also have a serious and possibly useful side, which may be more succinctly captured by the phrase, "there but for the grace of God, go I."

Because it’s been happening across the pond rather than in my own back yard, I raised a wry smile when I read about the recent "scandal" involving political emails sent by the White House. The redoubtable Al Iverson - always worth a read for his serious (if sometimes over-serious) analysis of all things spam-related - neatly summed up the latest shenanigans on his blog. Whatever you believe about the motives (and be assured that I’m not making any comment on the rights and wrongs of either side of any argument), one aspect that really stood out for me was finding out that it was possible to sign up to some political campaign lists without having to confirm your email address.

Whether or not one believes that there should be a hardline about double opt-in (and I personally don’t think it’s a magic bullet against spam that should therefore be employed in every situation), it does seem to me that some of the problems in this case could have been avoided if recipients had been required to confirm their email address before they were added to the mailing list.

I read this alongside a fascinating discussion on the must-see blog, Word to the Wise by Laura Atkins. She asked her readers to complete the sentence, "You might be a spammer if...", and there were a host of suggestions.

I’ve long held the view that you’re sending spam if at any point you send a message to someone that they’re not happy to receive. It seems to me like a broad enough definition which neatly covers content and relevance as well as sign-up and opt-in. But I’m also well aware that many (most?) email marketers probably cross this line a few too many times.

It would be great to open up a conversation here too. Tell us: what are your definitions of spam, spammers, and spamming?

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About the Author

Kieran Cooper is senior manager of support services for Lyris' international operations. Located in the Lyris UK office, he is responsible for account management, implementation and support.

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