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WebWord Weblog Posting

Posting Date: August 08, 2002
 

Not a Moment Too Soon -- "For the first time in years, my e-mail inbox is totally and completely spam-free." (Comments: Thanks MadMan.)

 

  

Reader Comments...
 

Not sure about the extra hoops people have to hump through, but maybe it will work.

A challenge: Create a disposable e-mail account, ask all Webworders to get it on as many junk lists as possible. Then try this software to see how well it works, to send it all back to the spammers.

Posted by: Mac on August 8, 2002 10:32 AM

 

Interesting idea. Might work if handled properly.

Posted by: Ron Zeno on August 8, 2002 11:16 AM

 

I don't like that it sounds proprietary. I pay for the software, and if the company goes out of business, am I out of luck?

I'd like to see a piece of freeware that could work with a web form you create, or give you the option of paying the author to use his form. After all, what choicemail does isn't terribly complex.

Posted by: Jack on August 8, 2002 11:32 AM

 

Here's an e-mail I just sent the company:

Hi... a couple questions:

Can I configure Choicemail to work with my own web form? e.g., non-approved e-mail senders are directed to a web form I created, instead of the one provided by your company.

If not, do you have plans to make Choicemail a subscription service? It doesn't make sense to me that you would sell a one-time product and then provide web forms in perpetuity for an unknown number of customers. Plus, my copy of Choicemail becomes useless if your company ever goes out of business (not such an unusual occurrence for tech companies). Food for thought.

Posted by: Jack on August 8, 2002 11:41 AM

 

Jack, did you mentioned that you learned about it through WebWord? ;-)

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on August 8, 2002 11:48 AM

 

Damn -- "mentioned" = pargh!

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on August 8, 2002 11:49 AM

 

High marks for a prompt, personal e-mail response:
-------
In theory you could use your own web server.
Andy Sivak
Vice- President, Sales
-----
Thanks for the prompt reply Andy. Could you clarify "in theory?" Do you mean Choicemail allows me to specify the web address senders will be directed to, and that you provide documentation on how the web form I create needs to interact with Choicemail? Thanks.
-Jack
-----
To quote the Hertz commercial --not exactly--- We are developing a server version of CM for ISPs and the like. Some of them want to run their own registration servers, which is fine with us. This version of CM does allow the user to change the verbiage but not the url.
Andy Sivak
Vice- President, Sales

Posted by: Jack on August 8, 2002 12:07 PM

 

Great idea, but agree with Jack.

Also I think it really does depend on the number of new and legitimate emails you receive each day.

I just don't know how business emailers would respond if they were immediately flipped to something they were not expecting - with a message to the effect of - we don't know who you are and you need to verify your real existence.

Posted by: JB on August 8, 2002 12:37 PM

 

It would not be a big deal if the auto-email explains the circumstances and that it's a one-time verification measure.

It *would* be a big deal if _everyone_ used this service and we had to jump through web hoops everytime we contacted someone new. This service won't scale, unless it becomes an accepted as a necessary nuisance.

Posted by: Jack on August 8, 2002 02:57 PM

 

I don't see how it would work for those who receive emails from higher ups. I can't imagine people senior to me going through such hoops. Not to mention those people who'd be really confused and would have no idea what's going on. (We are all interested in Web stuff and know the Web enough to follow directions in such an email but lots of people don't have that Web savvy.) I guess if it was widespread enough many people would pick it up eventually, but that would be a lot of lost communication in the meantime.

Also, what to do if you use a program like pine in UNIX and not a Web-based email program?

Posted by: Eszter on August 8, 2002 07:33 PM

 

Am I the only one annoyed by the authors's saying POP means Point of Presence? It means Post Office Protocol in this context.

He also complained about having to wait for the message to show up to delete it. I guess no one ever told him he should turn his preview pane off.

Posted by: Chad Lundgren on August 8, 2002 10:58 PM

 

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