batray

Registration CAPTCHAS have not been working here. I'll bet they are using manual CAPTCHA killing -- I've read about companies in China that break CAPTCHAS for nearly nothing (using cheap labor). They are never going to work in areas that spammers really want access to.

I use CAPTCHAS for every post, not just registration.

Eric,
Good luck with your spamer battle. I have had to deal with it on my forum as well.
I had to implement the use captchas for every post to stop the spambots. I had very little luck with text filtering.

Chris

Roger,
Your apology is gladly accepted.
I hope we can do business in the future.

Thank You!
Chris Grossman
diver.net

If you take some time to look at the advertisers on Wetpixel to help support the site and learn about relevant and releated products you may have noticed that AluminArte is already paying for advertising here. Oh well at least they found a way to grab your attention after the normal means of advertising was completely missed by you !

It is certainly not among the banners on this page or on the front page, perhaps they need a bigger ad because whatever they have now is well hidden.

The message you sent is spam, and here is why;

Your message is a bulk message because you sent the exact same message to multiple recipients who did not request it and with whom you had no prior business relationship.  You may not have done it on the scale of hardcore spamers, but your message is a bulk message.

You harvested the email address of a web site and sent an unsolicited email to someone who has no use for it.  The reservationist for our dive club to whom you sent the message is not a photographer and has no need for your services.

Therefore your email is spam because you sent an unsolicited bulk advertising message to a recipient who has no need for your services.  Your denial does not change the facts.

Unfortunately many people respond to spam as is proved by some of the postings in this thread.  However it is my firm belief that not only is it unethical to send spam, it is also unethical to respond and purchase products advertised by spam.  Those who respond help perpetuate the deluge of unwanted email on us all by making spamming profitable.

The other problem I have with your email is that I bet you did not ask the people whose names are being used as references for permission.  I am willing to bet that if you asked them the honest question ”Can we use your name as a reference in unsolicited email advertising?” that you would get a resounding no.  I have given permission for my name and work to be used to promote products on a web site, but that permission does not include using my name in unsolicited emails.

I understand as a business you need to advertise your product, however you should use ethical methods in doing so.  Here are some examples you should consider;

A: Web site advertising.  You could choose this web site and perhaps digitaldiver.net to target underwater photographers.  I am willing to bet the rates are very reasonable.  I do not know Eric, but if he is a regular customer of yours you might even be able to work out a barter deal with him.

B: A non bulk email addressed to the person you are targeting.  If your employee had spent another minute you might have turned me into a customer instead of a pissed off spam recipient.  To do that you might have noticed that my photos say diver.net on them, go to that web site, glean some personal information and personalize the email.  For example if your message was targeted at me with the following beginning paragraph it would not be spam.


Chris Grossman,
      I was looking at your web site and a really liked your pictures from San Miguel Island at diver.net/californiadiveboats.com/Peace/2009.05.01-02/.  Many of them would look great reproduced with our AluminArte process.

You could then insert your from message after the personalization.  The fact that you actually looked at my work, managed to read the title, and acknowledge it at the start of your message would get my attention, and make me read the rest.

If you are an ethical businessman you will apologize for sending spam and refrain from doing so in the future.  If you are not you will continue your ways and no ethical person should do business with you.

Chris Grossman
diver.net