Re: Bulk Mailing question -- MIDRANGE-L

Sounds like spam, it is spam unless they double opted in for this type of mailing. Just because you target a specific group does not make it wanted email. Where you got the 3000 email addresses and what they agreed to when they gave their address, determine if it is spam or not. You may also want to look at http://www.spamlaws.com

Do not use the receipt to, use the blind carbon copy, this will keep others from seeing all the email addresses.

Yes it is common for ISP to put a limit on the number of receipt to, carbon copy, blind carbon copy. I do 20 for most of my domains. But if you are not using what they call a smart host or your ISP mail server you do not have to worry about that.

I am not sure there is a normal way. But expect some of the emails to be blocked by spam filters. The hard part is not sending the email, it is getting it to the people who want it. I would look at the format of some bulk emails that you get from the opt in list. They usually have you as the only one listed on the TO.

Now for some words of caution. The odds of some of the 3000 reporting what you send as spam is pretty good. If you are using your ISP mail server and you get them black listed they will not be happy. If you are using your own mail server then you could be reported to your ISP and also get your mail server black listed.

This can really be a sensitive subject, from people who like to get the email to those who want to take your Internet connection away, and not do business with you again.

John Ross
www.netshare400.com

At 09:32 AM 1/9/2003 +1100, you wrote:

Hi Guys,

A non-as400 question.
Hope its OK for this list.

My retail marketing dept wish to send out about 3000
emails - same content to each recipient.

Basically a "Special Sale on now" type.

I know it sounds a bit like spam, but it is actually
targeted to specific retail clients.

We have an email server called MDAEMON, and an
ADSL connection ( 1.5/256 ).

MDaemon seems to support what it calls Mailing Lists,
even from an ODBC source ( handy..). This seems to support
at least the same basic functions as the Midrange-l list, although
all im after is a way to bulk send about 3000 emails efficiently.
Its not meant to be a BBS like Midrange-l.

The ability to let clients "subscribe/unsubscribe" automatically
does sound nice though.

However, it talks about not sending any more than about 20
directly from your own server direct, but via a "Smart Host"
option,  using the SMTP server of the ISP, using 1 email and
multiple "Recpt To" cmds ( 3000?). The system will handle
this itself with the appropriate selection. It also talks about
some ISP's having limits on how many of these types of
msgs as a guard against spammers.

Does this sound typically how these things are done? Or are
they done some other way, using other technology?

(something done on a el-cheapo linux box?)

I get a number of newsletter-type email from as400 sources that
must have many hundreds, if not thousands on their lists, so it cant
be that hard.


Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated



Regards


Ian Scotson.