ankit4d Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Its disheartening that CGA has resorted to spamming to generate revenue for website and forum. This website has been a very useful resource for me to learn many new things, but i hate spamming as everyone else, I don't mind clicking delete button to delete it, but the question is if i don't raise a voice i am accepting what i feel is a wrong practice. I feel this is forcing advertisements on users who would not otherwise choose to receive it. The fact that it was done to generate revenue for website doesn't justify it. I daily receive more than 50 spam emails and i have to painstakingly check every mail so that i do not miss any important one. I despise spamming in every possible way and feel it is privacy intrusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devin Johnston Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I suggest you look at the "spam e-mail" from CGA as the cost of your membership, it's as simple as that and if you don't understand that then I'm sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt McDonald Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 You can always opt out of the emails if its that big a problem to you. Personally, I think its understandable that this site has to do something to at the very least, support itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAcky Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Its disheartening that CGA has resorted to spamming to generate revenue for website and forum. This website has been a very useful resource for me to learn many new things, but i hate spamming as everyone else, I don't mind clicking delete button to delete it, but the question is if i don't raise a voice i am accepting what i feel is a wrong practice. I feel this is forcing advertisements on users who would not otherwise choose to receive it. The fact that it was done to generate revenue for website doesn't justify it. I daily receive more than 50 spam emails and i have to painstakingly check every mail so that i do not miss any important one. I despise spamming in every possible way and feel it is privacy intrusion. I don't know how you work but I personally run my own business and understand how it must be for Jeff to be struggling during these times. I will personally be more than happy to pay a monthly fee to remain part of this community. I learned almost everything I know about this industry through this site and aside from pop-up adverts, I'll be happy for Jeff to send me 10 emails a day if it means the site remains open. This is the number one architectural-CG site on the net and for it to stay open, we're going to have to start clicking on banners and accepting emails that you might not want to read. I think you fail to realise that this is a full time job for Jeff. This isn't an autonomous forum that Jeff moderates on occasion. We need him and he needs us. The choice for you is easy! Either unsubscribe to the emails or go away. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Hunt Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I understand your predicament, you need to make money to keep this wonderful site alive. I dont want to impact on the future desire of advertisers to keep advertising here and as such impact on future revenue. In the future I will be deleting the emails, as with junk mail in the post I have a quick look and then send them on to landfill. jhv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneis Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Its disheartening that CGA has resorted to spamming to generate revenue for website and forum. Resorted?! How rude! Think a little longer before you submit, perhaps? This website has been a very useful resource for me to learn many new things, but i hate spamming as everyone else, I don't mind clicking delete button to delete it, but the question is if i don't raise a voice i am accepting what i feel is a wrong practice. So I assume you stand by your letter box each morning and yell at the postman when advertising brochures and catalogues are delivered? Hmm, I thought not. Just fighting the good fight are we? I feel this is forcing advertisements on users who would not otherwise choose to receive it. The fact that it was done to generate revenue for website doesn't justify it. I daily receive more than 50 spam emails and i have to painstakingly check every mail so that i do not miss any important one. I despise spamming in every possible way and feel it is privacy intrusion. OK, so that's 50 spam mails a day... 50*30=1500... divided by 1 email per month from CGA... that's only 0.0666666667% of your spammy mail! Perspective, my boy, is not just some view you can choose in a Max viewport. So whilst the original mail in question was technically spam (even then it was only because of a minor 3rd party and unsubscribe issue - which Jeff has stated he will fix - while on holidays) by comparison of volume, the email doesn't even rate as spam. Just try to think of it as a personal message from Jeff or Karen that goes something like this, "Hi, a company that we speak to regularly has this great new thing that could help you and your business make some good money! We though you might be interested." Isn't that how good business relationships work? It's the old "I help you make money, you help me make money" thing. All of you must have a contact or a colleague in your industry that always has some inside information, or always knows what's going on. That's Jeff and CGA as a whole! Hey, he's not a spammer, he's a valuable industry contact and when you consider what this site has done for each of us let alone what he has personally done for our industry, he's someone that deserves both respect... and most definitely deserves an income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trick Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 ...I despise spamming in every possible way and feel it is privacy intrusion. In the end it's you who has to make a choice then. Either accept the "spamming", hope this site lives forever by the revenue and enjoy the (free) advantages of it, or remove yourself from the member list, unsubscribe in all possible locations and log in with your friends name, who is more "spam"-friendly. Either way: it has been announced some time ago that it is neccessary to get some revenue somehow, to keep this site in the air. People who don't want to see the banners, and don't want to receive "spam" should be offered a paid subscription, just like CGTalk has done with it's CGSociety Membership !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seismograph Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 I think the main problem is what europeans thinks to be the correct use of the internet and web nettique. In our case x-thousand users, who subscribed the cgA newsletter, got a mail without even be asked if they want mails which absolutley haven't anything to do with cgA. In europe some things are a nogo because there are still collective ethic rules which stands above the rules of making business or direct marketing. .. btw, in europe we also have court decisions which confirm some ethic rules. Why not asking ppl when they subscribe the cgA newsletter (as you do with the london meetings), if they want to get special offers from partners? In this case everyone can decide if he/she wants to support cgA not only by providing content for the forum or gallery but also by allowing cgA to make direct marketing with the email addy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattclinch Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I think the main problem is what europeans thinks to be the correct use of the internet and web nettique. In our case x-thousand users, who subscribed the cgA newsletter, got a mail without even be asked if they want mails which absolutley haven't anything to do with cgA. In europe some things are a nogo because there are still collective ethic rules which stands above the rules of making business or direct marketing. .. btw, in europe we also have court decisions which confirm some ethic rules. as a European, please do not speak for me. i find your post fairly inconsiderate considering the fantastic free resource you are using - ironically to admonish the very thing that pays for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 In our case x-thousand users, who subscribed the cgA newsletter, got a mail without even be asked if they want mails which absolutley haven't anything to do with cgA. Don't you use computers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seismograph Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 no .. i still use mud on stonewalls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic H Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 whining euros put up with it, its not bad at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ankit4d Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Why not asking ppl when they subscribe the cgA newsletter (as you do with the london meetings), if they want to get special offers from partners? In this case everyone can decide if he/she wants to support cgA not only by providing content for the forum or gallery but also by allowing cgA to make direct marketing with the email addy. I agree. When i joined CGA i had checked receive email from administrator check box, but there was no such check box as receive complete advertisement emails from administrators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ankit4d Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 So I assume you stand by your letter box each morning and yell at the postman when advertising brochures and catalogues are delivered? Hmm, I thought not. Just fighting the good fight are we? Are you comparing letter box with emails? I hope not. Next you will compare computers with calculators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Isn't that how good business relationships work? It's the old "I help you make money, you help me make money" thing. Quoted for agreement, thank you for putting what I was thinking into a concise sentence. That sums up my relationship with this site. I choose inclusion over exclusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Moir Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 What a lot of fuss about nothing. Just delete the email and get on with life. BTW, I pay a subscription to CGSociety for what I perceive to be little benefit over free membership, but I get the satisfaction of knowing I help contribute to a resource I use every day. I'd happily pay to use this site too. Right, I'm off to order an HP... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I'd happily pay to use this site too... Jeff The fact that you do NOT have a 'donate via Paypal' button on this site like some others I use suggests that you have rejected the idea. I'm sure you've thought of it. Perhaps its time to think again. A mandatory paywall would be fatal to our forum. We would never again get new, curious members. It would become a slowly shrinking group of insiders. I would be fine with having an optional donation to aid you in running this site. Any single quick answer I've received to a problem with my software or hardware is probably worth hundreds of dollars in lost time, and I have received that very benefit countless times over the years. At the very least, you should add a 'donate' option when someone clicks to opt-out of site emails/sponsored notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattclinch Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Jeff The fact that you do NOT have a 'donate via Paypal' button on this site like some others I use suggests that you have rejected the idea. I'm sure you've thought of it. Perhaps its time to think again. A mandatory paywall would be fatal to our forum. We would never again get new, curious members. It would become a slowly shrinking group of insiders. I would be fine with having an optional donation to aid you in running this site. Any single quick answer I've received to a problem with my software or hardware is probably worth hundreds of dollars in lost time, and I have received that very benefit countless times over the years. At the very least, you should add a 'donate' option when someone clicks to opt-out of site emails/sponsored notes. quoted for agreement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cassil Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I just got turned on to this thread because someone reported it to me. Here's my take which mirrors many others: I wish there were more ways I could directly support CGA, because it has been that valuable to me. I actually have some software and hardware purchases I need to make and if I can spend that money in some way that helps support CGA than that's what I'm going to do. Premium content for a fee, online store, gallery space, and sure... advertizers. I'm fine with whatever Jeff needs to do so long as it is legal and I have no questions about that. It is worth mentioning, that I never got the e-mail about HP. We have a very strict e-mail filter and it didn't make it through... but I wish it would have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 oops, I almost missed this post completely. Must have been my browsers anti-spam software... "What a lot of fuss about nothing. Just delete the email and get on with life." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 What a lot of fuss about nothing. Just delete the email and get on with life. The larger issue in play is what, if any, responsibility we have as users of this forum in funding its operation. The information age has made us re-examine how we value things. That process is far from complete. This thread is looking at what we are willing to pay/accept for what we consume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seismograph Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 This thread is looking at what we are willing to pay/accept for what we consume. ..and what creative energy or knowhow we contribute... don't forget this too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 ..and what creative energy or knowhow we contribute... don't forget this too! I contribute a lot, but I give it without charge. I expect nothing in return except maybe the goodwill that makes others help me when I need it. Which they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmccoy Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I contribute a lot, but I give it without charge. I think you should add a donate via paypal button to your profile I love the fact that I can help or find help so easily on this website. Whether or not we pay for it is not really an issue. I would gladly pay for the help on this website (like the CG Society membership). This website is a great place for our community and an invaluable resource. Send the spam and let us click the banner ads to keep this going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seismograph Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 I contribute a lot, but I give it without charge. I expect nothing in return except maybe the goodwill that makes others help me when I need it. Which they do. Me too, but i also see what we (have) contribute(d) , which is IMHO the real value of this forum and as you said before, limiting the access with paid membership will decrease this virtual value by loosing many many users, but sending 30000-40000 users ads/spam will do the same in few month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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