[comp.org.eff.talk] The Victory for the Little Guy...

wayner@kama.cs.cornell.edu (Peter Wayner) (01/25/91)

In essence, Lotus's decision to recall "Households" (what an affected
name that could only come from the PC software market) should send
a few shivers throughout the whole direct-mail business. 

But I predict the shivers will just be few and marketeers will decide
that mailing lists are okay if the People just don't get the
impression that the lists are available at the neighborhood McData.
That means the little guy gets screwed in a way because the lists are
only available to bigger businesses. The neighborhood Joe Hardware
store can't use them, just Tru-Value national.

This isn't so bad, because people just seem to be annoyed by how
person the lists are. A list of 1million across the country is much
less "personal" than a list of 25 in your neighborhood.

Of course, this is really just a battle in the war which could turn
the other way. 

-Peter
Peter Wayner   Department of Computer Science Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY 14850
EMail:wayner@cs.cornell.edu    Office: 607-255-9202 or 255-1008
Home: 116 Oak Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850  Phone: 607-277-6678

peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (01/26/91)

In article <51153@cornell.UUCP>, wayner@kama.cs.cornell.edu (Peter Wayner) writes:
> That means the little guy gets screwed in a way because the lists are
> only available to bigger businesses. The neighborhood Joe Hardware
> store can't use them, just Tru-Value national.

Well, I'm more concerned about the use the neighborhood Joe Pawn Shop/
Joe Auto Junkyard front for a fence might put it to.
-- 
               (peter@taronga.uucp.ferranti.com)
   `-_-'
    'U`