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Forced Into Spamming By Your Employer?
SOS asks: "My employer has asked me to setup a 'SPAM super boxen' in which all it does all day is spew out spam. We have setup a bogus domain, and brought in several broadband internet connections from several ISPs in which to do this nasty deed from. I have insisted at the very least that we actually do setup a system in which people can take there name off the list by simply replying to the spam email. But I would rather not do this at all, while still being employed by this company. The impression management is under is that 'spam works'. Its very simple, they spend $2000 for a server and internet connection, have there system admin spend a few hours setting it up, and if they only gain 5 clients from 50,000 emails, it will be well worth it. If one ISP shuts us down, we switch to another one the same day. What argument can I use to somehow dislodge this idea from there head, and possibly implant something a little more sensible, while staying employed?" I always liken SPAM to telemarketers. Everyone hates being associated with telemarketers. However if that trick doesn't work and the legalese surrounding SPAM isn't enough of an argument against it, what other arguments are likely to gain the attention of your neighborhood PHB?
XML causes global warming.
I was placed in a similar position when I was CTO of a company and the marketing weenies decided to start a spamathon.
Remember that the main motivator is money when you're dealing with marketing/sales people. If ethics won't sell them on the spam=BAD equation, then use money to do it. I wrote a lengthy memo (I don't recall whether I saved a copy or not) describing the possible negative side-effects of starting a spam campaign.
The primary negative was revenge. Ask them how they'd like to have their 800# shut down by people calling to complain, or how they'd like their main Web site (not just the spam machine) and network compromised and destroyed by anti-spam hackers. Ask how they'd like the fax machine to be constantly busy and out of paper. Ask how they feel about hauling in the lawyers to respond to complaints that they've violated California's anti-spam law (you don't have to be in California--you just have to spam someone in California). Even if they can show they didn't violate the law, it'll cost money to fight it.
When I made this argument to the marketing guy, he said that if someone did that to us, they'd be breaking the law. I told him that wouldn't prevent people from doing it! I also had him read CAUCE propoganda and other anti-spam materials.
I'm not sure whether he ended up seeing my point, or gave up out of frustration having to deal with me, but he gave up.