DivePro - Info :: Serving The Scuba Community Since 2004

Serving The Scuba Community Since 2004

Jul 25, 2008

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=163856011&tag=httjsdtk-20&camp=212689&creative=384141&linkCode=ur1&adid=177X0YRJKE19D9Q82SEH&

Scubamarketing.com / Diverspress.com
Steve75 rates it: Community rates it:
154 of 309 readers found this review helpful.

Just a little heads up about a email i received (nothing wrong with the receiving part - i subscribed to it at one point in my life) from newsletter@*****marketing.com .
I don't know what the late "trend" on websites for divers is, i get outrageous amounts of spam about new sites, everybody seems to have me (WHY ME?, CAN'T YOU FIND SOMEBODY ELSE?) discovered lately as a VIP diver and internet surfer they can't live without.
As i said, the email wasn't spam - i subscribed to it and usually like the content. So i get:

Dear all, this is an very short and quick update to let you all know that we have decided to join forces with ***********.com - a new diving newsletter system.

From now on we will be sending our articles and updates via their distribution system.

We are in the process of working on a new version of *****Marketing with more articles, options to download information and a more "portal" look to the system.

In the meantime, we have launched a few subscription systems for paid advertising to different directories and scuba sites, for more information visit ScubaMarketing frontpage www.*****marketing.com

We will be updating you at the end of next month about the new website, until then we hope you continue having a great diving season.

Kind Regards

*****Marketing Team.
No Spam Only Requested information.

All good! Thanks for letting me know.... and off goes Steve to check the site out. Design looks familiar, ok lets run the famous www.dnsstuff.com whois check....
Amazing result is www.*****marketing.com and www.***********.com have the same owner Evil or Very Mad

Do i look stupid? Do i need to be bullshitted about some new "joint forces"?
What is wrong with our community lately? Why not simply send me a newsletter as usual announcing that you created a new service and (since it is better suited to distribute the news, sounds fancier, is just another "brain fart" that needs web traffic...) like me to know.

Simply put, you accomplished:
1. that i further read the newsletters Laughing
2. that i look even more critical at them now and do a background check on every mentioned link or website
3. that i consider every tidbit you write as a hype and potential bs
4. that i do the same with most other newsletters from now as well
5. that i will not really visit both websites anymore, since i have to assume i get "dic*ed" around anyway and rather pull the newsletters apart for more hypes
6. that i now even more consider to finally get my own website up as soon as i am back home and call it SCUBABULLSH*T.ORG or something like it, dedicating my time to a diving-online Penn & Teller version.

OK, now i go back to read my mail and see what else i will find Smile.

Thank you all for your attention, stay with the facts and don't think of your clients as dumber as you are and you will be good i guess...

Steve

Added: Friday, May 11, 2007

Related Link: Scubamarketing
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Posted by Guest on May 11, 2007 - 05:36 AM
My score:

I get the same newsletter and it was a 50/50 news and "nice to hear it again" story. What I try to say is, it was not annoying, sometimes interesting and sometimes not. Right now I am thinking about unsubscribe or just keep it coming and follow your concept of constant background checks. I do not like the idea at all! News I subscribe to should be trustworthy and reliable without double and triple checking!
I actually did check (as you described) and came to the same result. I do not mind at all improving services, I have to agree that creating stories like the mail are not helpful for the business. I would never dreamed about this kind of checks and was shocked (that's maybe a strong word) about it. Be truthful in business as in private live and you will suceed! What is so bad about announcing that you created a better way to distribute your newsletter to a project you started?
I actually found some other website interconnections to make me think in the process.

As if the real life is not wicked enough for a dive professional. Now you guys try to do the same online?

Bastian

Posted by Guest on May 11, 2007 - 07:08 AM
My score:

One other website trying to sell itself! What's wrong with that? Life is a business, sell your life!!

Posted by Guest on May 15, 2007 - 09:51 PM
My score:

Don't know them myself. Reading about the kind of deception to your (seemingly not valued) clients is disgusting to put it mildly. It opens also questions about the honesty and value of any affiliated websites. Short a very wrong move (an apology would be the least to expect as a starter) only prone to raise questions about all the good and informative websites trying to do the best for our community, often on personal expenses and a sense of (as somebody i know put it) a "mission" to better things and provide information to divers.