Unsolicited mail

[Barb Barasa]

Most places that have rules about the allowed uses of mailing lists
seed the list with dummy names going to members' addresses.  If
someone sends out an unapproved mailing, the organization finds out
about it and can take legal action.

This is a simple procedure and doesn't cost anything. (seeding
the list, not the legal part) As far as not giving the list out on
disk, I would bet that any company that wanted to do an advertising
mailing would consider it pretty cheap to "buy" the mailing list
simply by becoming a member and then paying someone $5/hr to data
enter the records.  Unless there are rules in place prohibiting this,
and a way of checking to see that they are enforced, I would say you
have no control whatsoever.

Sad but true.

Re: the unsolicited mail: isn't it possible that Schaff or APSCO or
someone might sell their mailing list, and that it would have the RPT
designation with the name?

Barb Barasa



> This is the paradox I discussed with Larry.  A member has the right to buy
> the mailing list from HO; what the member does with it afterwards is his/her
> business. It is possible that a member has obtained labels and given them to
> non members or used them for other purposes.  Also, with today's technology
> it is very easy to scan our Directory and have one's own access to our entire
> membership list. The Home Office has no control over what an individual
> member does either with his/her PTG Directory or with the mailing labels
> after they receive them.

"When nothing is sure,
     everything is possible."