Valentines Spam

Each year about this time, thousands of well-intended sweeties send their adored ones e-cards. The sentiment is sweet, but sometimes e-cards can be a gift that keeps giving. Sending someone an e-card can be more like giving them crabs than a box of chocolates.

4 Reasons Not To Send Someone An E-card This Valentines Day:

1. Many e-cards have a "terms of service agreement" that allow them to send you spam email. Yes, you may in fact be opting yourself in for spam. Some may even sell your address to third-parties. Once this happens, you're well beyond being able to opt back off their email list.

2. Some e-cards sign up the recipient to receive spam. If this doesn't sound fair, it's probably because it isn't. Some services send the recipient a message with text like the following:

Click here to retrieve your e-card!

By retrieving your e-card you agree to our the terms of service viewable by clicking the link below.

3. People don't like getting e-cards, at least I don't. Got something to say? Send me an email. Want to send me a picture of a puppy dog? Well, then attach a picture of a puppy dog, if you must. Want to send me something really fancy? Make a webpage and send me the link.

4. A large portion of e-cards never make it to the recipient. Spam stoppers see the images, service agreement text, excessive HTML and tracking links and conclude they are spam. Who knows how many relationships have gone sour due to this? Someplace out there someone used an e-card to propose marriage, and assumed it was over when they never heard back.

For similar reasons, Incredimail and Hotbar generated emails also suffer from a higher rate of false-positive filtering by anti-spam applications. These same concerns apply to many electronic invitation services. The best solution is for users not to use them.

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