New harassive SPAM issue: please join me in doing something about this.

TCH Event Mailing List Information

Greetings,

This has recently been some question from people on how they got on the the TCH Event Mailing List.
This note card explains how people are added to our mailing list, how to remove yourself from the list,
and how to ensure you do not end up back on our mailing list.

TCH Enterprises utilizies the Hippo Groups System to manage our mailing list, since many people do not
have free SL groups due to the wonderful limitations of Second Life and the CAP of 25 groups.

HOW DID I GET ADDED TO THIS LIST
People are added to our mailing list in a number of ways below is a list of ways you may have ended
up on this list.
1. You clicked a sign on TCH Estates requesting enrollment onto the list.
2. You attended a TCH Event. Areas that TCH events are held in have a sensor that adds people to
our event mailing.
3. You purchased a product from the a TCH Enterprises Vendor.
4. You are on the friends list for ATown Fall the owner of TCH Enterprises.
5. You are / where a member of a TCH SL Group
6. You where manually added by a member of the TCH Staff because they know you and thought you
would be interested in the events.


HOW DO I GET OFF OF THIS LIST
Getting off the list is very easy and there is a couple ways to be removed:
1. IM the person who the message states its from asking nicely to be removed. There is no reason to be
rude about it the person who is sending the message is not the one who added you to the list. You
where added by one of the above meathods.
2. Direct your web-broswer to http://www.hippo-technologies.co.uk/ click on the Hippo Groups banner
at the bottom of the page. Login. Click Remove next to the group called TCH Events Notifications.
This is the best way to remove yourself since it also provides you the ability to see any other
groups you may be on that you are not aware of.
3. Visit TCH Estates and click the Event Notifications enrollment board, select the Unenroll option. DO NOT
do this during an active event. Or the Auto - Sensor may readd you to the list after you have removed
yourself.

HOW DO I ENSURE I NEVER GET READDED TO THIS LIST
Keeping yourself from being readded to the list is as easy as removing yourself from it. Use option Number 2
from the HOW DO I GET OFF THIS LIST section. Unstead of selecting remove select block. Please be aware
that if you do this you are blocking all TCH mailings this will include product updates and similar notices.


FAQ
---------------
Does everyone around me get the message?
Absolutely not! The message is sent as a object to avatar communication. You are the only one who gets the message.

Is there a object on my sim that is sending me these messages?
No the object sending the message is located on a TCH Enterprises land plot owned by TCH Enterprises.

Where can i purchase the product your using to send messages?
At the Hippo Technologies Main Store

Why are you spamming me?
US law defines spam as a notification via email or other meathod of communications that you are not able to stop from occuring. Second Life terms of service define spam in the same mannor. You are perfectly able to opt off this list by using one of the above meathods.

Do you share your list with anyone else in Second Life?
TCH Enterprises mailing list are private lists. Your information is not shared with anyone. In fact only a select group of TCH Staff have access to viewing the names on the list.

In the UK it's illegal I believe to automatically enter someone into a mailing list, you have to have an opt-in ("I want to receive updates regarding X" or opt-out ("I do not want to receive updates regarding X" options.

3. Visit TCH Estates and click the Event Notifications enrollment board, select the Unenroll option. DO NOT
do this during an active event. Or the Auto - Sensor may readd you to the list after you have removed
yourself.

...you have to go to the HIPPO Main Store first to get a password generated to be able to login the HIPPOGroups Website.

HippoTech's site is hosted in Europe so it's subject to European laws regarding spam considering the interaction between SL and the site, as well as the fact that their host specifically prohibits any site they host to be involved in any kind of spam (not limited to email).

Since it's a mix between EU and the US, the most restrictive laws would apply. Their clients' location is not relevant, the spam is being actively coordinated by their site which makes them responsible.

And this is part of the issue. Why oh why would I want yet another internet account just to be removed from their unscrupulous customer's spamvertisement IM broadcasts? Especially considering these spamvertisements go directly towards IM counts, which in turn, exacerbates already esisting IM cap issues? Furthermore, in light of the complexity of their other products, I really do not see why they cannot simply implement a "hard coded" opt in menu request, rather than allowing the thing to surreptitiously add people to their spamvertisement groups. And yes, I already suggested this to them and received an "others are doing it so we can too" reply. Which, afaics, is hardly a responsible reply.

HippoGROUPS is just a tool. The problem is not the tool, but how people use it.

Likewise, if you were interested enough to go by their place, chances are you would be interested enough to receive notice of other stuff. It's not actually spam, though it is voluminous, because of that. You have 3 means of getting off the list given to you. Just use one.

The tie-in between the site and the inworld object makes it seem more like a service than a tool which makes them responsible if they don't respond to abuse of their service.

That "I'm allowed to spam you, you can opt out" attitude can be used to justify just about anything.

If every store, every business, every club, etc you ever set foot in for 1 second started to send you notices you never asked for main chat would either be useless or you'd spend all your time trying to figure out how to unscubscribe.

I will never goes back to a business that auto-signs me up for a mailing list. I don't need my offline messages getting capped with the crap.

And that is the best way to tell them that you don't like it.

HippoGROUPS is just a tool. The problem is not the tool, but how people use it.

There are some business arrangements where a forced opt-in would be problematic. As a landlord, I will very well message my tenants as I please with hippoGROUPS if I wanted to, since notices are not 100% reliable. I am not going to ask their permission. Permission is implicit to my service. I would not use it if I had to have them opt in via a hardcoded method.

Likewise, if you were interested enough to go by their place, chances are you would be interested enough to receive notice of other stuff. It's not actually spam, though it is voluminous, because of that. You have 3 means of getting off the list given to you. Just use one.

And for the record, you wouldn't have another account tied to your email. It would be tied to your avatar, and the key would be given to you inworld.

Your landlord status is completely irrelevant to this situation, as it involves a joint contract between you and your tenants. As for your claim that "I was interested enough to go by their place?" When I am searching for items for my builds I go to all sorts of places. That certainly does not equate to wanting to be spammed just bc I popped in to see if they had what I was looking for. But it is certainly a good way to ensure I won't be visiting them again in the near or distant future.

I don't want to be spammed either, even though it is technically not spam.

Legally, it is not spam.

Whatever. You can "do something about this" and let the person know that that method is irritating, mute them, or unsubscribe and get on with your life. But if your "do something about this" involves quasi legal action or reporting to LL, you don't have a leg to stand on. So pick your "do something about this" and live with it.

HippoGROUPS is just a tool. The problem is not the tool, but how people use it.

There are some business arrangements where a forced opt-in would be problematic. As a landlord, I will very well message my tenants as I please with hippoGROUPS if I wanted to, since notices are not 100% reliable. I am not going to ask their permission. Permission is implicit to my service. I would not use it if I had to have them opt in via a hardcoded method.

Likewise, if you were interested enough to go by their place, chances are you would be interested enough to receive notice of other stuff. It's not actually spam, though it is voluminous, because of that.

You have 3 means of getting off the list given to you. Just use one.

(vii) upload, post, email or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, or promotional materials, that are in the nature of "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation that Linden Lab considers in its sole discretion to be of such nature;

Works for me.