Slog - Comments on Sally Clark

Comment by Some dude

Some dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:10:36 -0800

We need more articles on vaginal fisting. Fistees, where are your letters!

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:27:48 -0800

All city council members are under the deeply mistaken impression that asking them ONE question on ONE subject means you want them to add you to multiple mailing lists. They all believe that email is a communication tool that is only supposed to work one way -- for them to broadcast news about how fabulous and exciting they are -- definitely not as a one-to-one communication method.

Spam, in other words.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:36:23 -0800

Sadly, Fnarf is right.

And, as we all know, all legislators have exempted themselves from the spam laws, so you can't even sue them if they ignore your request to stop.

Papers, citizen?

Comment by Sally Clark

Sally Clark — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:43:18 -0800

Hey! That newsletter has important information for YOU the Seattle resident. Sure, I don't have the readership of Savage Love and never will (probably due to the fact that no public policy issues have arisen regarding vaginal fisting), but admit it -- you care about plastic bags, property tax levies, ugly townhomes, and cops. We just unsubscribed you, but you'll be back. Oh, yes, you'll beg to come back.

Fnarf - email is not real one-to-one communication. Get away from your keyboard. Go have coffee with a friend.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:03:10 -0800

Judging by that haircut, Sally Clark does not want you anywhere near her box, either, Dan.

Comment by rb

rb — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:04:02 -0800

If #4 is actually from Sally Clark, then my opinion of her just went up a big notch.

If it's someone masquerading as Sally Clark, well, still hilarious.

Comment by Larry

Larry — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:13:13 -0800

Sally is an out Queer - aka Dyke Lesbian

Dan would not survive Vagina 101 taught by a real lesbian ...

Comment by Dan Savage

Dan Savage — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:32:34 -0800

Agreed.

Comment by Sara

Sara — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:59:04 -0800

I'd hesitate to call city council members "legislators", as in American society the term is generally associated with State Legislators, and lumping everybody together can cause some confusion.

That said, most state political parties have some sort of mass voter database where they can make notations like "don't call this person again", or what have you. Most political offices I've volunteered for have been diligent about updating these systems, but when the vast majority of your workforce is there on a volunteer basis, the possibility of someone's info slipping through the cracks is relatively high.

Also, the loophole most places get through it ideologically on is that it isn't spam. Spam is unsolicited. When you register to vote, you are soliciting a whole bunch of shit, including jury duty calls and yes, political messages. You've declared yourself as a person who is interested in the political process. So, it's kind of logical for politicians to assume that you might be interested in hearing about what they're actually doing with the votes of their constituents.

Overall, I think Sally Clark handled this well- with humor, as well as with unsubscribing Dan from her listserv.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:29:06 -0800

The only real problem with your definition, Sara, is that it's full of shit. By registering to vote, I very much do NOT implicitly solicit EMAIL. The ONLY way to solicit email is to specifically ASK FOR IT. And sending bulk email to people who haven't asked for it is SPAMMING.

Yes, it is.

As for Ms. Clark's suggestion that I "Go have coffee with a friend", although I realize she is trying to be clever, it's actually profoundly insulting. I have plenty of coffee with plenty of friends, thanks very much. When I want to ask a council member a question or give them my thoughts on a subject, I'm inclined to send them an email. I doubt Ms. Clark much wants to go have coffee with me, or vice-versa.

Her rationale for spamming her constituents is IDENTICAL to the rationale used by spammers of p*rn, p*n*s pills, m*rtg*ges, or c*mmem*rative 9/11 dinner plates. "I thought it would be of interest to you". But email doesn't work like that. I'll tell YOU if I want it, not the other way around.

Subscribing people to email lists is an offense against the global email system and people's right to privacy, and constitutes "conversion to chattel" -- you are using other people's resources as if they are yours. It is EXACTLY THE SAME as if you walked into their house and started talking to them, or used a powerful transmitter to interrupt their TV signal to show your own programming on their screens. This isn't true when you use YOUR paper and YOUR ink and YOUR stamp to send me a newsletter.

What you are doing should be a criminal offense. Unfortunately it is not. 99% of all email traffic is spam, thanks to the inaction of elected officials who think like you do. As an email administrator I regard people who sign up other people to their newsletters without being asked to be lower on the ethical scale than child molesters.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:34:26 -0800

Git 'er!

Comment by Vince

Vince — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:05:19 -0800

I'm surprised she could remove her lips from the Mayor's ass long enough to answer.

Comment by perspective

perspective — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:51:48 -0800

As an email administrator I regard people who sign up other people to their newsletters without being asked to be lower on the ethical scale than child molesters.

Yes, Fnarf. This, more than anything, shows you really *do* need to go get coffee with another human. Bravo.

Comment by luce

luce — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:18:29 -0800

Man, fnarf, the more you type, the more you prove Sally Clark right.

Step away from the keyboard, man.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:26:48 -0800

Every email administrator in the world agrees with me.