Randy Cassingham’s Blog: Yahoo Alert: True’s Biggest Crisis Ever
According to its own web page:
“This is True® is a weekly syndicated newspaper column by Colorado humorist Randy Cassingham.”
Randy offers two editions, one free, one premium.
Yahoo! has decided to block the free edition. It does not go into the spam or bulk folder, but it is not delivered to the subscriber AT ALL.
Since early on in This is True’s history, around 1996 or 1997 I began subscribing to the free edition of Randy’s newsletter that “retells strange-but-true stories from “legitimate, mainstream” newspapers from around the world, each capped with a humorous, ironic, or opinionated comment (and, with luck, some combination of the three).”
I got so hooked, I have been a premium subscriber for the last 6 or so years. Randy has several publications, but This is True is his primary newsletter. While I only know Randy through his work, and a few emails back and forth, I respect his opinions and views.
The newsletter has run up against hard times, primarily due to Yahoo!
blocking the newsletter as spam. The only way you can subscribe to the newsletter is via double opt-in method that requires you to verify your email address. So Yahoo! is doing what would be akin to the USPS deciding not to deliver you Time magazine, even though you asked for it to be delivered and ignoring your complaints.
http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-yahoo_alert_trues_biggest_crisis_ever.html
That is a link to Randy’s blog article on the problem.
So, why am I writing? I ask that you take a moment, look at This is True, and if you think it is something you would enjoy on a weekly basis, subscribe to the FREE edition. If you don’t like it, thanks for looking. If you decide later that you don’t like it, or just don’t read it, please unsubscribe via the link in the newsletter. Don’t mark it as spam, by definition it is not spam.
I don’t want to see this publication disappear. While I am between jobs, This is True is always a bright spot in my week.
Thanks for reading! If you would like a sample copy, the current issue is at http://www.thisistrue.com/currentissue.html
If you want to help, pass the word to people you think would enjoy This is True, but please don’t spam everyone in your address book, that defeats the purpose!
Yahoo!, please fix this problem. You are not solving a spam problem.
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“This is True” is spam by almost every definition; it is a vehicle for soliciting readers to click and sign up to a premium newsletter; it contains advertising; it advertises itself and other web-sites; the web site contains pop-ups. The is no reaason why any ISP should have to shoulder the cost of delivering 100,000 bulk e-mails from a self-promoting publicist who places himself above criticism.
David, London on September 21st, 2009 at 2:06 am | Link