HOW TO: Minimize Your "Spam"

HOW TO: Minimize Your “Spam”

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Thanks for this. 

I actually had a very polite and inneresting convo with a zaadz member about this last week.  He had sent me a bulk mailing, “Dear Zaadzster,…” and it triggered my “godammit, this is one place I was hoping to get away from that shit” impulse.  But I reigned it in. I told him how I felt when he did that and what I needed (I feel ___, when you ___, because I need ___) around it.  The response I got was GREAT! 

He is not from America!  His way of life has business totally integrated with just living life and is completely inseperable.  And as I thought about it, I realized that that is prolly really common for people from his culture (a country in the far east) and explains alot about their behavior.  In America, we are all suffering from advertizing fatigue mainly because of our capitalist system and also because we've got the money and everybody else wants it (not me, personally, but as a nation this is how it is).  It's the same thing with charities.  Everyone is begging at America's doorstep.  So, we have developed Spam-filters within our consciousness just to keep from being overrun with all this stuff.  The homelessness problem here is larger than in many parts of the world because of this fatigue.  We just can't allow it all to get under our skin.  There's just too much!  We have to function!

So I learned something valuable from spam in an indirect way.  What he was doing was not bad in itself at all.  It's mostly just troublesome for those of us who have been burdened with the responsibilities of this culture's wealth. 

Just thought I'd share. 

~Ww

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Just so ya know, this happened because after I hit the button the first time, the window with the text box and formatting bar hadn't disappeared and wasn't replaced with the window with the whole thread in it, but the status bar at the bottom of my Internet Explorer browser window said “Done, with errors”.  So I hit it again.  I also got a new window (that I didn't intend) with someone's blog with this post at the top, so maybe the linkage is providing too much traffic and messing up. 

~Ww

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

“I actually had a very polite and inneresting convo with a zaadz member about this last week.  He had sent me a bulk mailing, “Dear Zaadzster,…” and it triggered my “godammit, this is one place I was hoping to get away from that shit” impulse.  But I reigned it in. I told him how I felt when he did that and what I needed (I feel ___, when you ___, because I need ___) around it.  The response I got was GREAT! ”

exactly! that's perfect example of not blowing off our steam too quickly :)

thanks for this story. very inspiring indeed.

btw, no problem. i deleted the duplicate post ;)

~C 

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

~~ Your suggestions are always welcome. Feel free to post them on our zPod:Thinktank.

Um… how welcome are they when…

        Access Denied

                   You do not have access to this page.

              Possible explanations

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Tsuya,

my bad. forgot to include a disclaimer that zPod:Thinktank is only for Zaadz Amabassadors.  you're more than welcome to apply. it's not open to all Zaadzsters at the moment.

for all other issues, suggestions, ideas, and what not, zPod:HTFAQ is open 24-hours a day.

zPod:ZLounge is also open for chilling out :)

~C

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

So, is it normal behavior for a pod to be walled off, but its boards accessible?

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Thanks ~C.

This is a lovely explanation of how to reduce notifications of Zaadz related spam but it doesn't address the growing concern of reducing the spam itself. My intent to educate  “said spammer” will not be accomplished fully by this link but they will surely learn how to set their notifications when they themselves recieve spam.

I can and have adjusted my notifications long ago but that doesn't change the fact that when I finally do get into my email, there are multiple emails asking me to join this pod or impersonally telling me how their travel is going and asking me to send referals or recommending a product that they just happen to represent for profit. 

I would love to see a blog by you covering topics such as “Spam- the unhealthy truth” and “anti-spam diet”. Maybe adding in a little “she's busy, your busy…..post once in your blog”. Throw in a little “You asked to be “friends” not associates”  “if you are going to spam me, first buy me dinner” and a dash of “It's not necessary to stop being friends, just stop being annoying” (in kinder words of course).

Another key point that I can see being included in the document might be an explanation of using a blog as a marketing/mass contact/introduction tool rather than emails. I would suspect that most just don't know that this is what blogs are basically intended for…. reaching mass readers in one place. I didn't know this until I read Who Let The Blogs Out….which fortunately I did right when I started here and was able to bypass the whole spamming everyone all together. I never once sent an invitation to my pod, yet it is nearing 100 members. (Small in comparson to most but at least I know that the members came on their own free will and truly desire to be there.) My point… advertising can be done with out spam.

You guys have provided excellent tools to help people get their projects and passions to the masses. (zPod, zEvents, zPages, blogs) Maybe now that they are available it is time for Brian to send out the “How to be courteous in the mailroom” note (yes via email….. when I signed up here I naturally expect to get updates via email from the Zaadz team as part of my subscription) In the past people might have thought email their only way to share their passions, businesses, etc. since the other tools did not yet exist? Now that they do, they no longer need to solicit via email? I would personally like to see every existing and all new Zaadzster recieve this note in your personal “welcome to Zaadz” presentation along with tips about other fine features they can partake in here at Zaadz.

I hate sounding all curmudgeonly about this but the simple fact is, whether the email is all fluffy and “well meaning” doesn't really mean much when spam is defined as “bulk” and “unsolicited” email. Sure we can be patient and caring and compassionate, but at some point some structure needs to be put into place that somewhat  reflects industry standards. And with all due respect, I have been asking about this since long before the Thinktank ever existed and still nothing has been done. I am hearing several complaints also and if word-of-mouth is our greatest advertising advantage…. I think it best to keep the existing members happy and proud to invite other new members. One problem for me is that I am hearing (from people that I invited) that they dig the site, they just don't dig the spam.

In addition….here's a couple of things that might be located at the actual mailroom to nudge people in the right direction:

1. Rather than
“Please think carefully before sending to more than a few people at a time :)” under the “add all” button
I would like to see:
“Remember, even at Zaadz, when you bulk email, it can be considered spam.” Please confirm that your recipient has authorized this type of message.” The spam link could even go to the blog that was created to define what Zaadz considers spam thus making it site specific.

2. An option for members to be able to block all bulk emails or those that were sent to say 5 10, 20(tbd) members.

3. A “Being Courteous In The Mailroom” or ”Our take on Spam” ,etc. link next to MAIL MESSAGE on the “write new message” page that connects to above said ,blog or definition page so people can be reminded and also self-educate if necessary.

4. (and I am almost finished) A button next to the reply/forward/delete buttons at the bottom of the reply to mail page that says something like “this is spam” which the member can select thus sending a Zaadz created reminder about spam sent back to the sender and also logging the message as spam for tracking puposes.

These are all rough ideas that I pondered today. They certainly have room for adjustment. I am certain that a resolution to all of this will be found soon and mass education and understanding will be the norm rather than mass emails from here on out.

Enough playing at Zaadz and working for free for now. I hand this back to you. This girl has to go drum up some business so these hungry critters staring at me can eat. :-)

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

wow.

thank you, Shelly.

We're working thru how to address this and I LOVE your ideas.

thank you thank you thank you.

-bri

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

My pleasure Brian. Always glad to put these crazy ideas to use.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

~~ “Spam- the unhealthy truth” and “anti-spam diet”. Maybe adding in a little “she's busy, your busy…..post once in your blog”. Throw in a little “You asked to be “friends” not associates”  “if you are going to spam me, first buy me dinner” and a dash of “It's not necessary to stop being friends, just stop being annoying” (in kinder words of course). ~~

LOL, Shelly - and hear, hear!  The 'frrends vs associates' I have actually been wondering about - would it be helpful to have 2 categories?  When I connect with someone who is new to zaadz, I want to be able to tell them 'take a look at my friends list and contact who looks interesting, they're good folks' - unfortunately, it seems to be a race to sign up as many friends as possible, and so much a part of the culture to always accept, to give people a chance - that the word 'friend' sure has lost its meaning here.


~~ I would suspect that most just don't know that this is what blogs are basically intended for…. reaching mass readers in one place… In the past people might have thought email their only way to share their passions, businesses, etc. since the other tools did not yet exist? ~~

I think this is very true, and well-stated.  My problem is not with spam (I manage to stay beneath the radar there) as much as it is with great, fantastic, wonderful emails - that should be blogs.  People (including moi) ARE getting used to this new way of doing things, the power and potentials therein, and don't KNOW there's another way to do things, which is why I blogged on the importance of blogging, as opposed to email - to send newcomers to…

But I think a message from the chief would be well-timed in this regard.  I don't know about building a lot of anti-spam tools; my general take on architecture is bridges not walls, and I don't believe walls work anyway; there's always some wise guy determined to get across.  It seems to be the consensus (from what I saw of the barricaded Think Tank posts) that these spammers are not generally malicious, just uneducated.  So rather than incarcerating, let's teach them, eh?  My 2c anyway. 

Some great ideas here, thanks for articulating them Shelly, as I suspect they've been burning in a lot of folks' brains of late.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

hi Shelly,

wow!!! what an awesome feedback. this is the type of feedback that gets us more pumped up :) now please see my reply…

“I would love to see a blog by you covering topics such as “Spam- the unhealthy truth” and “anti-spam diet”. Maybe adding in a little “she's busy, your busy…..post once in your blog”. Throw in a little “You asked to be “friends” not associates”  “if you are going to spam me, first buy me dinner” and a dash of “It's not necessary to stop being friends, just stop being annoying” (in kinder words of course).”

yes, Shelly, i have these in mind. if you notice, i've been blogging the howtos one by one and posting them here also on this pod. and i am always looking for creative ways for spreading those “educational” messages. if you read carefully the how tos, i did cover the essence of what you're talking about. but i agree. for some people, we have to make it more obvious. so i will spell it out as best as i can :)

but i need Zaadzsters' help too! not everyone reads my blog. not everyone here cares what i have to say, not everyone here sees what i post so whenever you have an opportunity to link back to the stuff i wrote before, please forward those links :)

“Another key point that I can see being included in the document might be an explanation of using a blog as a marketing/mass contact/introduction tool rather than emails. I would suspect that most just don't know that this is what blogs are basically intended for…. reaching mass readers in one place.”

exactly! and yes, i'll get around with that soon enough! that's one of the reasons why i also created zPod:Kosmic Blogging. remember? but i (or the Wizards) still can't do this alone. we need your help in spreading the message. so feel free to blog about it when you feel like it (like what you're doing Shelly). then give me the heads up so i can link to your stuff :)

and also, i'd like to make it clear that in the long run zPod:HTFAQ is not only for Wizards helping out Zaadzsters, but also for Zaadzsters who like to help other Zaadzsters!

if you see questions here and you know the answer, feel free to jump in and give it your best shot. this pod is a hyper-evolving KNOWLEDGE BASE, by Zaadzsters for Zaadzsters. that's the basic idea of pods anyway :)

“And with all due respect, I have been asking about this since long before the Thinktank ever existed and still nothing has been done.”

as a power user myself, i am more than familiar with all the quirks of our site but i assure you that we're doing everything we can in the background. and just to let you know, ALL your suggestions here, are on our radar. i personally suggested them too before this thread even existed :) so yes Shelly, we're on it. but please keep in mind, Zaadz is still on Beta :)

{ allow me to remove my Wizard hat and let me speak my mind as a power user… }

i understand and feel all your frustrations. but please give the Dev team some more slack,  because they're people who need to sleep and rest too :)  i've used tons of social networking services, other Web 2.0 services, etc. and i have never experienced a Dev team or a service who are more passionate and responsive as the Zaadz Wizards. and if you look at the magnitude of what Zaadz is trying to accomplish (blogs, emails, books, quotes, events, biz listings, pods, social networking, partnering, technical support, zaanghas, etc.) you'll probably have some understanding why some areas are not getting the attention that they deserve.

i'm not making an excuse for them. it's their job to make our experience here as pleasant as possible. just merely trying to emphatize with the challenges that they face.

{ ok, i'm putting on my Wizard hat back on so i can continue with the stuff i'm working on … }

thanks for all the feedback. keep them coming (with compassion) because as you can see, we're all listening.

~C

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

~~ that's one of the reasons why i also created zPod:Kosmic Blogging. remember? ~~

Okay, but you seemed to imply in your comments on my blog that this is a closed membership roster, yes? - which I TOTALLY respect BTW!  But see, if you keep referring folks to things they can't use (like the thinktank, above), they are going to get pissed off thinking they're not among the elite chosen few, and just bugger off (which is why, though I've long been interested in applying ambassadorship, I've held off, because then, apparently, I'm not seeing what the everyman is seeing - and I LIKE the everyman and want to be able to talk to him!)… though it's very cush and all being among the chosen few, it's very 'partial' - as I've noticed you integral folks saying.

And while I agree the Wizards shouldn't hold sole responsibility for issues like this (no one needs a warden here!), I think that it 's also nice to have a consistent message from the zaadz folks (like your great post How to Respond to Bulk Email Trigger-happy People - brava!) in addition to our individual 'signs by the gate' - great phrase, Shelly!  And, call me small minded, but y'alls gettin PAID to work on this stuff whereas folks like Shelly and I are only contributing out of the goodness of our GREAT BIG HEARTS!!

Which leads me to…
 ~~ in the long run zPod:HTFAQ is not only for Wizards helping out Zaadzsters, but also for Zaadzsters who like to help other Zaadzsters! … this pod is a hyper-evolving KNOWLEDGE BASE, by Zaadzsters for Zaadzsters. that's the basic idea of pods anyway :) ~~
While that is a lovely fluffy concept and all (I always like to quote John Maynard Keynes: 'this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs.  In the long run, we are all dead.'), that's just not what this pod has been.  In the past, I've been hard pressed to get any response at all using it.  So while I'm pleased as punch that this pod seems to be burning up the bandwidth now, and that thou, ~C, are CONTRIBUTING SUCH DAMN FINE ARTICLES to the KB, I still don't see that it MATTERS unless there is a CONSISTENT message about where to go for answers.  Is it here?  The thinktank?  The lounge?  Our individual ideas tabs?  Your blog??  I know before you were ever a Wizard, you did your time contributing massive amounts of stuff to the overall knowledge pool here on zaadz, but rather than a deep well of knowledge, what exists now is a bunch of shallow, ineffectual mudpuddles.  Now, maybe on your end, you've got the six of all those little puddles, but from here it looks like chaos - and not yummy, delightful chaos either - but frustrating, enervating, tear-your-hair-out turn-and-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you chaos, ya read me?

I for one am tired of seeing good folks get burned out here and drift away.  I'm tired of seeing all the bright, fresh faces, so jazzed thinking they've discovered manna from heaven, fail to connect with anyone meaningfully cause they just don't know where to turn.  I'm so tired of seeing those lovely (but needy) folks latch onto anyone they can to 'show them the ropes' - and we do, because we have no where to point them for answers.  So we end up rehashing how to get email notifications when we should be having top flight knock-down, drag-out gorgeous yummilicious conversationes about how to change the world.  You remember - the world out there? - not necessarily the zaadz world.  And while I'm into the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm, the butterfly effect, the hundredth monkey, yadda, yadda - well then, let's clean up our own back yard to save the world.  Let's get a streamlined help board on everyone's main page, with a referral to pods like this where the content goes deeper.  Cause I know if I just logged on yesterday and I looked at all this here, I would think we were NUTS (but of course!), log quietly off and go about my life sans zaadz.

OBVIOUSLY it's not all in the hands (or on the heads) of the Wizards.  OBVIOUSLY we all need to contribute and do our share to keep the community vibrant.  But, just like anywhere, some do more than others (and us really obnoxious high achievers try and drag things along kicking and screaming cause we know that, at least in dissent, there is ENERGY).  But Shelly didn't post this to the faq because she wanted big brother to swoop in and fix things for her.  She posted it AFTER she had taken on the problem herself by writing that great blog.  She posted it AFTER I had done the same (and there's gotta be more scattered about).  She posed it, it seems, AFTER months hearing the resounding silence I've heard from y'all in the past.  She posted it AFTER her level of frustration got so high with the tools that she just HAD to. 

I recognize that.  And I recognize it's totally not your fault.  The frustration's not WITH you, or with any of the Wizards.  I believe it's a weakness in the system, a weakness of communication as to what is essential vs what's nice-to-have.  Working smarter vs working harder - you know the one.  It seems we all as humans have to work harder at compassion when our very human systems fail us, whereas I believe, if the system is smarter (and built with compassion in the very bricks and mortar, as you espouse doing here at zaadz), the compassion flows more freely.  A smarter system.  A fluffy aqueduct.  As opposed to a maze, which, if you've ever been trapped in one, you know is no fun at all. 

It just seems you Wizards are working SO DAMN HARD and you're producing BEAUTIFUL stuff, but sometimes it seem as though you're doing it using that old, ingrained IT model in which users are morons that need to be protected from themselves or else left to squabble like children with no intervention.  Saying, well, we all have to chip in, we can't do it alone is INSULTING to the contributions made here - no one is asking you guys to do it alone.  We're all jazzed to help whatever way we can - to the point of burnout often on this end too.  It takes a village and all that.  But beware building Anasazi ruins of pristine architecture and zero inhabitants.  Zaadz is a freakin' MASTERPIECE - but it's quite exposed to the winds of change, and the natives are restless, you know what I'm saying?

~~ i assure you that we're doing everything we can in the background. ~~
We need those reassurances.  Your work in the background is beautiful (love the new flash feature while spellcheck's loading!) - but have some patience with us humans, here.  Our brains are small and weak and can only hold so much data, and not all of us live and breathe zaadz.  Mostly we end up wondering, 'was that there before and I'm just SLOW?!'  Toot your horn!  Make changes known!  You don't have to be a shamelessly self-promoting used car salesman, but let us know what's up once in a while, even when nothing's up and 'we're working on it' - cause you know, anywhere else, one hears that and thinks 'yeah, right, whatever, don't call me, I'll call you' - but HERE, you ARE working on it and we DO see that.  But it's still nice to have that human connection every once in a while like - hey, I built that - rather than just seeing changes mysteriously show up.  Y'all are like the invisible servants in Cinderella or something - being TOO efficient - we love you, warts and all, so stop bowing into the background - butlers get left out of wills that way.  Development au naturel, all organic, letting things 'evolve' and what-not is nice, but entropy is always a factor, and they DEvolve just as often.  So we (I, anyway) like to hear what's doing every once in a while - and who knows, maybe by throwing it out there that you're having nightmares over one particularly recalcitrant piece of code - someone will have just the thing that helps - isn't that what it's about?!  NOT staying up sleeplessly being the white knight, but leveraging the power of community to best effect…  ?  That's why I'll keep carpin on WHAT AN AWESOME JOB y'all are doing, even though I start to sound like an redundantly obsequious brown-noser to my own ear - it's good to check in, to know we're all rowin for the same boat and all (so where's my cockswain??)  And, as one of my fave writers Sherman Alexie says, you've gotta sweeten the deal when you go around hitting folks upside the head with 2x4s!

Now that I've kept y'all up nights reading (or at least skimming) this hella long post, I'll desist.  But I'll be back.  You know it!  Cause I CARE…

Lotsa love, empathy, and compassion, Tsuya

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

“Okay, but you seemed to imply in your comments on my blog that this is a closed membership roster, yes? - which I TOTALLY respect BTW!  But see, if you keep referring folks to things they can't use (like the thinktank, above), they are going to get pissed off thinking they're not among the elite chosen few, and just bugger off (which is why, though I've long been interested in applying ambassadorship, I've held off, because then, apparently, I'm not seeing what the everyman is seeing - and I LIKE the everyman and want to be able to talk to him!)… though it's very cush and all being among the chosen few, it's very 'partial' - as I've noticed you integral folks saying.”

for what it's worth. Ambassadorship is an elitism to which everyone is invited. it's all up to you.

“And, call me small minded, but y'alls gettin PAID to work on this stuff whereas folks like Shelly and I are only contributing out of the goodness of our GREAT BIG HEARTS!!”

really appreciate the help. we do our best in every situation. and i really enjoy getting paid doing what i love. it makes me work HARD and PLAY hard. i think even Shelly would be able to vouch for that (hi Shelly :)). she knows what i'm all about. i hope you see that too.

“I still don't see that it MATTERS unless there is a CONSISTENT message about where to go for answers.  Is it here?”

there is. see this and this. and all new users receive hyperlinks to those btw. but yeah, we still have to make it more obvious. i'm constantly thinking of ways on how to make it more obvious. any suggestions?

and mark my words. this pod will matter in the near future.

“Now, maybe on your end, you've got the six of all those little puddles, but from here it looks like chaos - and not yummy, delightful chaos either - but frustrating, enervating, tear-your-hair-out turn-and-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you chaos, ya read me?”

i don't see it as Chaos. trust me, it's just a matter of time before you see the connections.

“I recognize that.  And I recognize it's totally not your fault.  The frustration's not WITH you, or with any of the Wizards.  I believe it's a weakness in the system, a weakness of communication as to what is essential vs what's nice-to-have.  Working smarter vs working harder - you know the one.”

yep. it's a weakness with ALL the Web 2.0 stuff. try it. look at other Web 2.0 services out there. then come back here and compare it with what we've got. i''m proud to say that even while we're still on Beta ours is one of the best out there. don't take my word for it. try looking out and see. but that's not an excuse. that's a statement. and we're constantly working hard to figure out the best AGGREGATION. you'll appreciate what i'm talking about as Zaadz evolves. evolution doesn't happen overnight.

“It just seems you Wizards are working SO DAMN HARD and you're producing BEAUTIFUL stuff, but sometimes it seem as though you're doing it using that old, ingrained IT model in which users are morons that need to be protected from themselves or else left to squabble like children with no intervention.  Saying, well, we all have to chip in, we can't do it alone is INSULTING to the contributions made here - no one is asking you guys to do it alone.”

huh? where did this come from? did i say something to elicit this response? sorry if you misnterpreted what i said. i didn't use or even implied the word “moron”. my point in asking for user contributions for users to help out to:

1) point out to relevant entries via hyperlinking to this pod so this pod will get more visibility
2) helping out other Zaadzsters if they have questions

not sure why would you be insulted by a plea like that.

so much to do, so little time. so i now better retreat in the background and work on stuff.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

~~ Ambassadorship is an elitism to which everyone is invited. it's all up to you. ~~
But above, just one day ago, you said, and I quote,

~~ there is. see this and this. ~~
This (sub1) - very nicely done, a good reference.  This (sub2) - the first link on the page appears to be broken.  Thus my point about (not) inspiring CONFIDENCE.

~~ ALL the Web 2.0 stuff. try it. look at other Web 2.0 services out there. then come back here and compare it with what we've got… ~~
I've said about a zillion times that you're the hottest game in town.  No one is disputing that.  WHAT. SO. EVER.  But it seems like you're taking my feedback as some kind of attack, and that is not my intent at all.  The technology is HOT.  However, the interface between the PEEPS seems light to me.  Am I wrong?  Are you getting lots of feedback (from users other than moi), or is the on-going development happening in a vacuum? - that's all I'm trying to determine.  I know it's beta.  I know you guys are working hard.  I know (I'm pretty sure) what you're about.  What I don't know is if I should keep hammering away at these issues, or just go away.  I've gone away a lot, these past few months, but when I come back, I keep seeing the same things.  Cool-looking new features. Same problems with basics like the text editor.  No acknowledgment of either.  You say: we got it, we know, it's on the radar, check back soon, we're working, we're busy, we're on it, and you give MULTIPLE resources to keep me hoppin.  But I arrive back here, and it's still just mostly me, and that just doesn't seem like a very effective feedback mechanism.  Thus my emphasis on COMMUNICATION.

~~ sorry if you misnterpreted what i said. i didn't use or even implied the word “moron”. ~~
I was speaking of the IT community generally and its tendency to discount the importance of the users of a system.  I've seen some evidence of that here.  I came up with what I thought was a rather elegant architectural metaphor to illustrate that point, but I guess I failed to convey my meaning effectively. 

~~ not sure why would you be insulted by a plea like that. ~~
The implication that such assistance had not already been rendered, by both Shelly and myself, in providing those links, that feedback, that assistance to other zaadzters - and having done it independently on our own initiative - was what I found to be insulting.  I've spent inordinate amounts of time doing just that, and I see Shelly and many others have, too.  We're all out there reinventing the wheel, and we didn't bring this stuff up the first time we had an issue, but after we'd put in significant time grappling with it ourselves.  zPod:HTFAQ is not only for Wizards helping out Zaadzsters, hyper-evolving KNOWLEDGE BASE, by Zaadzsters for Zaadzsters' 

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

hey tsuya

that broken link worked for me…weird…

We're well aware of the fact that products and companies are made when you listen to and RESPOND to your peeps. We built eteamz into a site that serves 2.5 million teams b/c we paid attention to what people wanted and delivered. We're striving to do the same thing here.

We ARE listening and we are churning–big projects and what we affectionately call RAID projects to kill bugs dead. And, we do love your feedback and your inpatience. the fact is that we have a lot on our plates and only 6 full-time wizards cranking currently (3 more to the rescue this month). and, tragically, only so much can get done in 24 hours/7days and even the stuff we want to do often takes a back seat to other important stuff and (gasp!) stuff falls thru the cracks more often then we'd like…

To be honest, although I can feel your passion and appreciate it, sometimes, in all your excitement, your energy comes off a little harsh, so you might be feeling ~C4's response to that. :)

One of the things we've been investing a lot of our energy into is the creation of a magic wand that we can wave and immediately have all ideas implemented! coming soon. ;)

in service,

-bri

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

just want to throw a few pennies in on this thread…..

I know there are many zaadzsters offering feedback to the wizards… I, for one, know that I've sent a plethora of pleas and “fixit-please” to the team… thinking they may be getting sick of hearing from me!  =P  (I say that in jest, really - this is the most loving group of developers I've ever interacted with in the technical world)

So… just wanting to point out that it is being built as we the zaadzsters request … lots of us zaadzsters… and I am aware that they are working hard… I offer assistance to many of my friends who come with questions about hiccups in their mail, blogs, or what-have-you. – offering whatever help I can freely.  But I am certain I am not the only one extending my hand to a fellow member in need… I believe in the goodness of ALL the members here at Zaadz.

We are all in this together … and we all offer our great big hearts to making this site a useful community for all members. 

Again… just a couple more coins to add to the meter on this topic.


Be well,
~K

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Dittoing Kelly.  I get hundreds of support requests per day (I head the member support department here… when you use the support link below, I'm usually the one responding… and then we build “tickets” and assign them to our wizards–of which we've attended to over 400 since we implemented this system about a month ago–and this is on top of them simply building the new tools.  So, we're revising as we build.  It's kind of like if you were building a 100-story skyscraper, and while you were still building the 87th floor (i.e. you haven't even started on the next 13), you were also having interior decorators (who are actually the same people constructing the building) adding the finishing touches to the fifth floor). 

Back on point, basically, right now my job is to make sure that all Zaadzsters are taken care of.  And from the replies I get from folks after giving them the best support I can, the support they (our Gaadz and Gaadezzez) deserve, I get the sense I'm doing my job.  Of course we want you to keep helping us make this better and better.  We just need a hug every now and then too :)

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

On these notes and in this thread…  I too get sooo frustrated - finally get some time, figure out what to blog, or reply, or add to a list, so many wonderful choices AND then I go to do it and halfway thru I get an “eek” message or it doesn't post as I put it and I can't change or delete.  Time up…  back to real life try again later.

Try and send the info to who I think needs it and just wait…
I've been practicing my patience - am so excited by what's happening here and completed enthralled by the possibilities.  Thankful for those working so hard to build it and also those working so hard to use it and breathe and trust and wait.

Very used to the world as we pretend to present it (I'm generalizing to most of us in modern society here) - what I want when I want it.  NOW.  Yet I know from life and how I try to live that this isn't true…  I can get fresh strawberries in January in Minnesota - yet there's a trade off for and effect fom that in the bigger picture my world.

So I'm trying to breathe and wait — so I won't post that quote or reply or blog today.  Maybe tomorrow, maybe never, maybe it was meant to be…  breathe.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

So as I tried to spellcheck that's where the post locked up and that's what you get…  I couldn't get back into the textbox to edit, add, etc, copy and paste no good, etc…  could be me, the system at large, beta, I don't know.

POINT:  I'm not out of excitement or patience yet - cause this patience is gonna change the world.  BIG HUS again to all working on it and with it.  I'm better for this whole zaadz experience.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

UUUGH!!!  reference above

THAT's HUGS ALL!  OK I gotta go to work.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

hey david: Ack! your eeks physically pain me!!

In the removal of all eeks,

-bri

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

Wow! What an amazing thread. I appreciate all the incredible ideas and the collective goal to make Zaadz as awesome as possible. We get just as frustrated with the eeks and bugs. And we do not get sick of your ideas and requests, they help us improve big time.

We want things to run as beautifully as possible and to stay in touch with everyone. That's the goal. We love you. And it's not just in the intent, it's the action. As Brian wrote, we ARE listening. We want to know what you think. I wanted share my voice in this thread as another wizard who is thinking about you all both day and night.

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Re: HOW TO: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam"

and here you go, my friends. HOT off the press :)

TIP: How to Respond to Bulk Email Trigger-happy People

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Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam" - a workaround for mailers?

I've really learned a lot reading this thread and love the way we all talk this stuff through!

As a receiver of mass mailings and spam, and being on the sending end of a few unwanted notes, it occurs to me that those of us who are interested in mass mailing can take matters into our own hands and be proactive in honoring our receivers' preferences.  I'm suggesting this as a workaround to use until the wizards can put something together that will no doubt be easier.

We can invite people to choose to receive our communications (i.e. “opt-in”)  intended for the masses. and use the features we already have.  I might send to my friends like this,

***

TITLE: “This is the only mass mailing you will ever receive from me”

HERE'S:

- what I'm up to (maybe include a link to my profile or a specific blog post)

- why I would love for you to regularly read my stuff, how you can do that by your own choice (get notifications of updates to my blog or pod - KEY)

- very specific instructions on how to adjust your notification choices in the My Account section so you get emailed when I add something new (if you wish) . (Include link to ~C4…'s instructions in this pod post. )

***

AND THEN, when I get a new friend, I can include this same invitation to “opt-in.” 

To me this is a way to mimic those legit organizations we receive mail from (outside Zaadz) that ask to confirm that we are interested in their communications and honor our choices.

Just thought this might be a helpful idea.

Mary_C

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Re: Minimize Your Zaadz-flavored "Spam" - a workaround for mailer

hi Mary,

this is a terrific idea!!! i would pitch to the Dev team to make your sample email as a default welcoming message when someone invites another person into his/her network of friends so people don't have to send bulk messages to their friends :)

opting out on mass mailings and removing people from your network of friends will also be on the list of things to come as we further improve stuff on Zaadz.

keep those great ideas flowing. thanks!!!

~C

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