
Enforcement is therapeutic
Policies exist for a reason. For instance, most email service providers have a policy forbidding the use of non-opt-in lists. Those policies exist because of statements like this one: Microsoft prohibits the use of the service in any manner associated with the transmission, distribution, or delivery of any unsolicited bulk or unsolicited commercial e-mail (“spam”). You…

Partial bulking & other warning shots
This morning, I got a question about some, but not all, of a mailing going into the bulk folder at a large ISP. “What does it mean when they do that? What should we do?” Most folks seem to think that sending mail to the bulk folder is an “all or nothing” proposition. They know…

I Can’t Give You What You Want
Yesterday, I was talking with a potential client about engaging my services. The prospect asked for a guarantee of results with regard to a smallish blocking list, and left the telephone call unhappy because I would not do that. The reason that I, and indeed ANY email delivery consultant, cannot guarantee results seems obvious to…

Something that authentication can’t help
The email said, “Our last mailing had 30 complaints at AOL. Will signing with DKIM and SPF help with our reputation there?” In some ways, that is a fair question. We do talk about reputation a lot and how authentication ties into that. But, really, this is something that authentication can’t help because, for all…