Hi: I haven't posted much in the last week - I've been catching up after being sick... but I have been receiving email. As you know, with the new "Adlander" features, paid members now have a "Direct Contact" link on their admin page. That feature allows anyone with a paid account to send a message directly into the email inbox of EVERYONE on their friends list. In true yin and yang form, members ALSO have the ability to TURN OFF messages from people that are sending them. You know what that means? Abuse it and you lose it. It doesn't matter how many messages anyone sends out if everyone is "turning you off." Think about that really hard for a minute. Think past yourself for a minute. Let's pretend... Let's pretend that 50 people decide to send out a "sign up under me" email every day. Do I need 50 more emails a day to deal with? Do you? Who does? Let's pretend that members start turning the senders off. Blocking messages - maybe even from you. -- Would the people getting slammed by email want to upgrade or renew next time? No. -- Would the people sending the messages want to pay to renew if no one is responding to their messages? No. -- And if people don't want to renew because they are sick of "offers" or no one is responding to "offers" - what happens to Adland as we know it? The point Every single time you click that "Direct Contact" button - think of what you're sending out first. If what you are sending out does not warrant landing in everyone's email inbox - along with the real business email, orders and letters from Mom - then don't send it. Post it to your forum instead. If no one is responding to your forum, sending your stuff by email isn't going to make them interested. The trick isn't to get in people's faces more - it's to be more interesting. That's how marketing works. Adland is not a safelist. Don't treat it like one. How we all use that "Direct Contact" link can make or break Adland as we know it. : ) Linda

I think that is a great idea.

Some good points there Linda. It's easy to blow a good thing. People, by nature, tend to do that all the time. It's only after it's gone do they say "Well maybe if I didn't. . . ."

Linda Thanks for the invite For your new Adland features Linda http://www.m2cglobal.com/CraftieLinda http://craftielinda.tripod.com http://www.wolfsundown.com http://www.cashmagic.biz/random/index.php?id=dutchpenny@btinternet.com

Hello Linda, That's a "very good point"! I think it would be a good idea if everyone remembered the old addage "open mouth and insert foot" before sending out unwarented messages. I try to read all messages anyway even though I don't always respond to them. I can usually tell within the first 2 lines if message is worth finishing reading, and if it isn't I just delete message. One option we might use is reporting offender in some way, or replying back that their message is not wanted. But you are definately correct in stating that if everyone started blocking messages, it would have a very adverse effect on Adland. I hope they wake up and realize what a good thing we all have here now. your friend, Steven