So I want to be a spammer

[Smackdab]

Well, not really.

I own/manage apartments in a community with 2 universities and 2 community colleges. All students at the colleges have access to free IP usage through their respective schools.

I normally send out 5-6 bulk mail per year in the way of flyers to areas densely populated with students. While lying in bed last night it came to me that sending out bulk email would be much, much less expensive if I could get a DB or figure a way to send an email to all account holders at these colleges.

Anyone know how I may accomplish this or know of a resource that might help out?

I know I'm just asking to get flamed here but it's not like I am soliciting viagra, penis enlargers or a sex site to random people throughout the country.

Flame away and thanks for any info you could provide. If you can be of assistance but don't want to reply to this thread please PM me.

[jakethebake]

So you're practicing by posting this over and over here?

[Smackdab]

Well Happy B-day Jake!

Dang! Already failed I should have crossposted this in every forum.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Well Happy B-day Jake!

Dang! Already failed I should have crossposted this in every forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, man.

[Al P]

I wouldn't try it.

Try and find out if they or any students run some type of e-zine that allows classified ads.

[Smackdab]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't try it.

Try and find out if they or any students run some type of e-zine that allows classified ads.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why would you not try this?
How is this different from obtaining a DB of addresses and sending out a bulk mail?
Are there legal ramifications I am unaware of?

[slickpoppa]

I thought sending unsolicited mass emails is illegal now.

[Smackdab]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought sending unsolicited mass emails is illegal now.

[/ QUOTE ]

OH....my bad.
Looks like I keep forking over the 4K 5x/year for the bulk mails. Too bad thats not illegal as well then I could save the 20K//yr I spend to keep up with my competitors.

[slickpoppa]

http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.shtml

[ QUOTE ]

(b) Aggravated Violations Relating to Commercial Electronic Mail-

(1) Address harvesting and dictionary attacks-

(A) IN GENERAL- It is unlawful for any person to initiate the transmission, to a protected computer, of a commercial electronic mail message that is unlawful under subsection (a), or to assist in the origination of such message through the provision or selection of addresses to which the message will be transmitted, if such person had actual knowledge, or knowledge fairly implied on the basis of objective circumstances, that--

(i) the electronic mail address of the recipient was obtained using an automated means from an Internet website or proprietary online service operated by another person, and such website or online service included, at the time the address was obtained, a notice stating that the operator of such website or online service will not give, sell, or otherwise transfer addresses maintained by such website or online service to any other party for the purposes of initiating, or enabling others to initiate, electronic mail messages; or

(ii) the electronic mail address of the recipient was obtained using an automated means that generates possible electronic mail addresses by combining names, letters, or numbers into numerous permutations.

[/ QUOTE ]

[TheTROLL]

I believe this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_Spam_Act) is the relevant law in the US. I think your only real difficulty may be getting hold of the target email addresses. Perhaps a few crisp bills in the direction of a hard-up systems administrator in the relevant institutions would be a possibility...

[beta1607]

Can't you just post on craiglist for free? Almost everyone I know got their apartments from there.

[Smackdab]

[ QUOTE ]
Can't you just post on craiglist for free? Almost everyone I know got their apartments from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was just wanting to hit my target audience in this community more cheaply than bulk mail. In 20 years I have found in this market the best advertising sources to be the student newspapers and bulk mails. I have not had much luck with craiglist type of advertising but guess it wouldn't hurt to try if it were free.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I thought sending unsolicited mass emails is illegal now.

[/ QUOTE ]

OH....my bad.
Looks like I keep forking over the 4K 5x/year for the bulk mails. Too bad thats not illegal as well then I could save the 20K//yr I spend to keep up with my competitors.

[/ QUOTE ]

The difference between spam and bulk mails is that *you* are paying for the bulk mails along every step of the way. You are paying for the printing and the shipping. With spam, those who own the mail servers are the ones that are paying for your distribution, because you are eating up their bandwidth with your email -- at no cost to you. This isn't fair for companies who run these mail servers, and it isn't fair to their customers who end up paying higher fees when these companies have to upgrade their systems because network traffic is coming to a crawl due to all the spam eating up bandwidth.

If there was a way to charge spammers a per email fee, things would be different. As it is, spammers are the leeches of the internet.

[Freakin]

If you're trying to spam for realsies, it will cost you a lot more than a bulk-mail campaign, and a helluva lot more time. If you have access to a student email directory, then you wouldn't be asking questions of an OT poker forum. Do you expect us to hack the university and pm you a link to the 30k current student email addresses or something? How much you paying? What universities? The CC's will be almost impossible to view email addresses for, because most of them do not offer a directory.

Freakin

[bort411]

Please drop this idea. Ideas like this make the internet blow. Personally speaking, I would never consider renting from you if you spammed my private university account.

If you are considering doing this, why not just talk to the colleges first? What are you trying to find a way around?

[Smackdab]

[ QUOTE ]
Please drop this idea. Ideas like this make the internet blow. Personally speaking, I would never consider renting from you if you spammed my private university account.

If you are considering doing this, why not just talk to the colleges first? What are you trying to find a way around?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not trying to find a way around anything. Just not very knowledgeable in this area. After researching this morning I have come up with email addresses from the student directory at the major university. So only question is, can I purchase a DB or hire temps to enter them in one for me.

Seems to me if I can target 30K potential renters at negligible cost its big +EV advertising. I wouldn't email the crap out of them just say 4-5 times a year during peak rental periods based on past performence.

Sorry to hear you wouldn't rent from me. So be it. Been in business for 20 years w/o you so I'm sure I'll be fine.

Is this really spam? I mean I am not randomly sending out 20 million emails hoping someone will bite. I have a service that expressly caters to the people in my DB.

Oh well just a thought I had while tossing ands turning last night and one I think worth looking into.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this really spam? I mean I am not randomly sending out 20 million emails hoping someone will bite. I have a service that expressly caters to the people in my DB.


[/ QUOTE ]

Your idea isn't as bad as most of the spam (ie porn, viagra, penis enlargement) that clutters mail servers, but it's still spam nonetheless. It's unsolicited commercial email, which is spam.

If you go through with your plan, one or more people on your distribution list will complain to the University's ISP, and they'll block your email address (or your domain) from accessing their mail server. The webmaster will complain to *your* ISP about your behaviour, and your ISP will close your account. Spammers are the bane of the internet, and ISP's are very quick to act when they catch one in the act.

[Smackdab]

Yea I wondered about the ISP getting blocked. Figured this would be a good probabiltity. Again, I'm just looking into it. I of course would give the option of being removed from the DB as the software I was looking into would do that automatically.

I am like everyone else. Get tons of spam a day and there seems to be no end to it. However, very rarely I get one that is unsolicted but somewhat may interest me and those I don't mind.

I also wondered what type of effect this would have on the way people viewed my business if I attempted this.

Thanks for the input.