Hi Mary, In this most rare of cases, I am in disagreement with you! lol! I think the title of this thread is quite fitting, as it is a direct quote from the forum spammer who gave me the idea for this thread. You are right, though, about misleading titles. It has become an all too common practice, especially for spammers, to use misleading titles to try to get their message read. Most good safelists will penalize members who use misleading subject lines. The rule is quite simple and very broad. The subject line, or title, must be relevant to the information contained in the body of the email or, in the case of a forum, the article. I must thank you for your generosity, as well! It's nice to know I have friends who would reach for their purse for me. God bless, Dave

Hi Norm, Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience. I hope it gets noticed! W.C. Fields was a pragmatist and one who spoke from experience. Another good quote is, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!" Your point about the headline is a very good one, and is one rule I try to always follow. I think I have succeeded in this thread, but can accept that some would disagree. God bless, Dave

Hi Lorraine, Your reaction to the title is the same one I had the first time it was used in my own community forums. That quickly turned to annoyance when the same person used that line time and time again under a variety of different usernames. Your point about people not having the guidance they need is so very (and sadly) true. It is difficult for a newcomer to marketing to sift through all the nonsense and to find the truth at the bottom. Most good safelists have rules that need to be followed, although it's difficult to police them (I own a safelist). However, if a person wants to learn how to do it right, they should follow the rules. They are put there because they are the right way to do business. Thank you for your support! God bless, Dave

David, Just as there is a truth in lending law, I think we need a truth in title law. Here is a title I recently saw "Let me expose you". The message had little to do with that subject, thank goodness.

Hi Brian, You've made an excellent point. It makes a lot of sense for newbies to take a marketing course before they start marketing! As far as passing a law... well... they haven't in the brick and mortar world, yet, either, and a lot of people are still going broke from lack of expertise there, too. Many companies do offer training, but very few require that it be followed through. I find this surprising, as it would really help the company image if people were properly trained before representing the company to the world. Most companies post warnings about the severe penalties involved for marketing their name via spam, but that's kind of like closing the gate after the horses have escaped. I hope a lot of people see the way that TGAMM FM posts in threads around the forums. There is usually a bit of a plug for TGAMM FM in the message, but it's done in a way that goes with the flow of the post AND the thread without appearing as blatant advertising. There's nothing wrong with doing that when it's done properly. Spam is more what I would call, "In Your Face" advertising. It's like sneaking up behind someone at a key moment in a TV show or sports event, putting something in front of their face that completely blocks their view and saying, "Hey, look at this!" It may be something the person would really be interested in under the right circumstances and at the right time, but done incorrectly, it can be extremely annoying. Anyone out there taking notes? :-) God bless, Dave