erict@flatline.UUCP (The Evil Mel Fujitsu) (01/06/89)
What, if any, restrictions are there on selling a magazine distributor
a list of names and addresses from the comp.mail.maps files?
Why do I ask?
In the past week I have recieved issues of the "Sun Observor" and
"Altos World". No obligations, so it seems. I don't mind, I enjoy
industry rags. One problem, though, is the address.
In my entry for comp.mail.maps, I list an organization of
"Chem-Info-Med-Data-Bio-Net-Tech-Quik, Inc.", a joke name I made based
on all the buzzword names running around in the Houston/Clear Lake area.
Where were these magazines mailed to?
J. Eric Townsend
Chem-Info Inc.
511 Parker #2
Houston Tx 77007
When I get business related mail with an "organization" field, it's
usually my old company's name. (That company went out of business almost
a year ago. :-)
So what's the deal? Is anyone else getting free mags they've never gotten
before? Is there anyway to find out if some bozo is preening a "high tech"
mailing list from comp.mail.maps and selling it? Would Altos or Sun be
willing to tell me who they bought my name from?
Again, I don't mind the junk mail, it's fun to read during xmas break.
I just want to know why I'm getting magazines for computers with an
average price ~= to what I spend on college over a few years.
--
while !working { Skate(||) };
J. Eric Townsend -- smail: 511 Parker #2, Houston, Tx, 77007
UUCP: uunet!sugar!flatline!erict | EastEnders Mailing List(!):
..!bellcore!texbell!/ | eastender@flatline.UUCPcory@gloom.UUCP (Cory Kempf) (01/07/89)
In article <572@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (j eric townsend) writes: >What, if any, restrictions are there on selling a magazine distributor >a list of names and addresses from the comp.mail.maps files? > >Why do I ask? > >In the past week I have recieved issues of the "Sun Observor" and >"Altos World". No obligations, so it seems. I don't mind, I enjoy >industry rags. One problem, though, is the address. Wow! I was wondering why I just got a copy of this rag (Sun Observer)... I looked inside, and discovered a subscription card... they want ME to pay $43/year for this... most of the rest of the throw-away rags that I have seen were free. As far as selling the maps, I doubt that there are any laws against it... I'm sure it couldn't be traced... I am kinda curious to know how much the person got for it... and I'm a bit pissed that I didn't think of it first :-) +C: wondering... -- Cory ( "...Love is like Oxygen..." ) Kempf UUCP: encore.com!gloom!cory "...it's a mistake in the making." -KT
emv@a.cc.umich.edu (Ed Vielmetti) (01/07/89)
I am quite sure that if you could turn the comp.mail.maps postings into an attractive laser-printed format, with a reasonable index in the back, that you could sell such a phone book for several times the cost of production. If it were indexed well enough I would even consider asking the local library to buy one. Sounds like something that the Nutshell folks might consider. --Ed
jeff@drexel.UUCP (Jeff White) (01/08/89)
In article <572@flatline.UUCP>, erict@flatline.UUCP (The Evil Mel Fujitsu) writes: > > > What, if any, restrictions are there on selling a magazine distributor > a list of names and addresses from the comp.mail.maps files? > > Why do I ask? > > industry rags. One problem, though, is the address. > > In my entry for comp.mail.maps, I list an organization of > "Chem-Info-Med-Data-Bio-Net-Tech-Quik, Inc.", a joke name I made based > > Where were these magazines mailed to? > > J. Eric Townsend > Chem-Info Inc. > 511 Parker #2 > Houston Tx 77007 > > So what's the deal? Is anyone else getting free mags they've never gotten > before? Is there anyway to find out if some bozo is preening a "high tech" > mailing list from comp.mail.maps and selling it? Would Altos or Sun be I don't know if I ever got anything commercial, but my boss and I both recieved a one or two page notice from I think the University of Colorado (or some univ. in Colorada) advertising for an opening for a opening for a system administrator (or something like that). It was very nicely prepared, personally laser printer with our names (not just a copy). It took me a while to figure out how they our names. Since the maps are publicly accessible, I don't know if there is any legal reason why an individual can't mail stuff to persons meantioned in the maps. Even most magazines have a disclaimer that say from time to time they sell their mailing list to other companies. One thing I don't think they can do is to use your name or organization in an endorsement. We get newsletter for Template and IMSL which lists some of their users. I hope that just because we are listed as having a Vax 780 doesn't mean Digital can use our company in one of their ads. We may be a customer, but not necessarily a satisfied one. Jeff White Drexel University - ECE Dept. rutgers!bpa!drexel!jeff
shaver@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Dave Shaver) (01/09/89)
In article <308@gloom.UUCP> cory@gloom.UUCP (Cory Kempf) writes: > I was wondering why I just got a copy of this rag Sun Observer [which > "sells" for] $43/year. [Regarding selling the map information] I'm a > bit pissed that I didn't think of it first :-) Ditto here on both accounts. Especially the latter 8-) Maybe someone---other than a private company---could make a "profit" (read "fund raising") selling this. USENIX? Other ideas? /\ Dave Shaver -=*=- CS Systems Support Group, Iowa State University \\ UUCP: hplabs!hp-lsd!atanasoff!shaver \/ Internet: shaver@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu
henry@garp.mit.edu (Henry Mensch) (01/09/89)
funny, i got two copies of each; one copy delivered to my post-awful
box (!!!), and one delivered to my office. the copies delivered to my
office looked just like the copies *everyone* else got (not to mention
they used an address format i *never* use), which makes me believe they
got a copy of the institute staff directory ...
i didn't worry about it much ... i just pitched it all into the bin.
# Henry Mensch / <henry@garp.mit.edu> / E40-379 MIT, Cambridge, MA
# {decvax,harvard,mit-eddie}!garp!henry / <henry@uk.ac.sussex.cvaxa>tim@ora.UUCP (Tim O'Reilly) (01/09/89)
In article <5958@mailgw.cc.umich.edu>, emv@a.cc.umich.edu (Ed Vielmetti) writes: > I am quite sure that if you could turn the comp.mail.maps postings > into an attractive laser-printed format, with a reasonable index > in the back, that you could sell such a phone book for several times > the cost of production. If it were indexed well enough I would even > consider asking the local library to buy one. > > Sounds like something that the Nutshell folks might consider. This sure sounds like a good idea to me. We are currently working on a directory of key international links, but I'd love to turn comp.mail.maps into a printed directory if there's enough interest. Please let me know what you think, preferably by e-mail--I will post a summary. Please include opinions about how often such a directory ought to be updated, its format, what kind of cross-referencing would be most useful, whether you think we need to ask everyone's permission to include their address in a printed directory (or if it is already implicitly published by its availability on the net), and anything else you can think of that might be helpful in making such a directory a success. Last but not least, tell me how much you would be willing to pay for such a directory, so that I can evaluate the economic feasibility. -- Tim O'Reilly (617) 527-4210 or (800) 338-NUTS O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Publishers of Nutshell Handbooks 981 Chestnut Street, Newton, MA 02164 UUCP: uunet!ora!tim ARPA: tim@ora.uu.net
romkey@asylum.sf.ca.us (John Romkey) (01/10/89)
Yeah, I got a Sun rag and an Altos rag. It's pretty easy for me to tell they got my name off the USENET maps when the mailing label says John Romkey The Asylum since "The Asylum" is the organization name in my map entry... -- - john romkey romkey@asylum.uucp romkey@xx.lcs.mit.edu romkey@asylum.sf.ca.us "Maybe Acid would help."
msa@toybox.UUCP (Mark Anacker) (01/10/89)
In article <572@flatline.UUCP>, erict@flatline.UUCP (The Evil Mel Fujitsu) writes: > > In the past week I have recieved issues of the "Sun Observor" and > "Altos World". No obligations, so it seems. I don't mind, I enjoy Well, I'll be - so that's why those rags showed up (with neither a Sun nor an Altos anywhere NEAR here). What's more, I got two copies of each (one for each node in the database). I pity the poor SA's who have many nodes listed... ** I predict a run on laser-printer toner, as 3/4 of the SA's in the country run out and try to hawk their pathalias listings :-) ** -- Mark Anacker, US West Network Systems Inc., Bellevue, WA {...uw-beaver!tikal,...!thebes}!toybox!msa -or- msa@toybox "Their mission read, To Boldly Go, But how ill-bred, To phrase it so." - Phil Garland
sl@van-bc.UUCP (pri=-10 Stuart Lynne) (01/10/89)
In article <1443@ora.UUCP> tim@ora.UUCP (Tim O'Reilly) writes: >In article <5958@mailgw.cc.umich.edu>, emv@a.cc.umich.edu (Ed Vielmetti) writes: >> I am quite sure that if you could turn the comp.mail.maps postings >> into an attractive laser-printed format, with a reasonable index >This sure sounds like a good idea to me. We are currently >working on a directory of key international links, but I'd >love to turn comp.mail.maps into a printed directory if >there's enough interest. >Please let me know what you think, preferably by e-mail--I >will post a summary. Please include opinions about how often >such a directory ought to be updated, its format, what kind >of cross-referencing would be most useful, whether you think I've thought an interesting way to collect information for a directory of this type would be to simply snarf signature lines as they go by. If you did this for a reasonable period and maintained a database you could build quite an interesting set of data. You would have develop some AI techniques to recognize multiple signatures for the same person and try and only use the most recent one. This isn't quite as hard as it sounds because you can also save some header information showing a path address, Organization, date etc. >we need to ask everyone's permission to include their address >in a printed directory (or if it is already implicitly published by its >availability on the net), and anything else you can think of Unless explicitly marked with a copyright I think news articles are fair game. Of course anytime someone tries to do something overtly commercial that doesn't appear to have a direct benefit to the net people start flaming. In fact even if it does benefit them people start flaming :-) >that might be helpful in making such a directory a success. >Last but not least, tell me how much you would be willing to >pay for such a directory, so that I can evaluate the >economic feasibility. I think a two part directory, one summarizing map data, the second summarizing signature data would be worthwhile if priced under $25/US per edition. At least one, possibly two editions per year. -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca {ubc-cs,uunet}!van-bc!sl Vancouver,BC,604-937-7532
erict@flatline.UUCP (The Evil Mel Fujitsu) (01/12/89)
I've gotten two more magazines:
Supercomputing News and Focus (an AIX Systems magazine).
The company that's mailing all these out, with handy subscription
cards inclosed, is:
Publications & Communications, Inc.
P.O. Box 399
Cedar Park, Texas 78613-9987
I can't find an entry in the pathalias database for them, so they
probably just have a friend on the net.
Oh well.
--
while !working { Skate(||) };
J. Eric Townsend -- smail: 511 Parker #2, Houston, Tx, 77007
UUCP: uunet!sugar!flatline!erict | EastEnders Mailing List(!):
..!bellcore!texbell!/ | eastender@flatline.UUCProot@mcgill-vision.UUCP (el Root) (01/16/89)
In article <3470@mit-amt> henry@garp.mit.edu (Henry Mensch) writes: >funny, i got two copies of each; one copy delivered to my post-awful >box (!!!), and one delivered to my office. the copies delivered to my >office looked just like the copies *everyone* else got (not to mention >they used an address format i *never* use), which makes me believe they >got a copy of the institute staff directory ... > >i didn't worry about it much ... i just pitched it all into the bin. > How come you people get all these free magazines :-) All I ever get in my mail is slick advertizing trying to con (oops) get me to subscribe to their wonderful, cannot-do-without, magazines, at a price just short of a month salary (for 4 issues per year!). Of course the offer is limited to a "selected group of individuals"!!!, and for a limited time, so send your money or P.O. ASAP. Louis Vroomen vroomen@larry.mrcrim.mcgill.ca vroomen@mcgill-vision.UUCP