In addition to following guidelines, make sure that you don't post your message more than once. Announcement lists receive many submissions and only send out a certain number of posts each day. It may take up to a week or longer before your message is approved. Reposting only serves to delay process even further.

Unsubscribing

In order to remove yourself or unsubscribe from an ezine, discussion group or announcement list, you must follow instructions for each individual publication. Some lists will provide a link that will instantly remove your email address. Others will require you to send an email message to remove yourself. However, you MUST send unsubscribe email message from same address you used to subscribe.

Many times, subscribers may use an email address that redirects to their main email account. When they try to remove themselves from a list, they can't remember which address they used to subscribe. This causes them to become frustrated and take their anger out on list owner. There is no way for a list owner to determine what email address a subscriber used to subscribe to list. However, there is a way you can locate address yourself and save yourself and list owner a great deal of frustration.

If you're using Outlook: Under "View" menu, select "Message header" or "Source."

If you're using Eudora: Click on "Bla bla" button.

By viewing message headers, you can determine what email address message was sent to. This is email address you used to subscribe to group. Your unsubscribe message MUST come from this address in order to remove it from database.

SPAM

Professional list owners will NEVER add your email address to their database without your knowledge. Most of time, if you're receiving their publication, you subscribed and may have forgotten. Keep in mind, keyword is "Professional" list owners. There are many list owners that use unethical means of obtaining email addresses.

Before making a "SPAM" complaint, it is VERY important that you understand consequences. NEVER make a SPAM complaint unless you are absolutely positive that it is in fact, SPAM. It is much better to delete one hundred potential SPAM messages than to wrongly accuse one innocent publisher of SPAM. What you probably don't realize is that when you make a SPAM complaint about a publication, your complaint also affects advertisers and article writers that have no affiliation with publication. One SPAM complaint can cost an innocent publisher, advertiser and writer their entire business. It's just not worth it.

Advertising

Although many ezines will allow you to purchase advertising, discussion groups, announcement lists and forums DO NOT allow blatant advertising. This is considered SPAM and will probably get you immediately removed. Most groups will allow you to include your signature. Make sure you review guidelines prior to posting.

If we all work together and follow a few simple guidelines, we can make Internet a better place for us all.