I have written about how to handle double opt-in so that your e-mail messages reach subscribers who really want them. But things on the 'Net haven't improved much.
I just got a series of weather bulletins for abecerra@gibbs.com and there is no such person in my domain. Obviously "abecerra" is confused about the domain he or she is in, or is possibly just a bad typist. Whatever the truth is, here's the way you do double opt-in:- On your Web server or list server, you receive a message requesting that somebody@somewhere.com be subscribed to your e-mail list (first opt-in).
- You send somebody@somewhere.com a message saying "You asked to be subscribed to 'somelist' - reply to this message to start your subscription." Put the user in the pending list.
- If you get a positive response (second opt-in) from somebody@somewhere.com within x days, activate the user's subscription.
- If no response in x days, purge the user record from the pending list.
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Mark Gibbs is a consultant, author, journalist, and columnist. He writes the weekly Backspin and Gearhead columns in Network World.
Mark Gibbs is a consultant, author, journalist, and columnist. He writes the weekly Backspin and Gearhead columns in Network World. Gibbs is also co-conspirator of the Vitally Important Information Web site.
Gibbs can be contacted at webapps@gibbs.com. Press releases to pr@gibbs.com.
Sent for a loop by mailing listsNetwork World, 05/08/00. Spam debate goes to Washington
Network World, 05/03/00. Europe cracks down on spam
IDG News Service, 05/12/00. Archive of Network World on Web Applications newsletters
