Actually Larry, those two lists have never been used because well, the back end to mail out to those lists are not complete. It is the "Receive Email from Administrators" feature of this forum software that we have based all emails sent out before and current.
I also respectfully disagree with you that "News & Announcements" does not include us offering a macosx.com t-shirt. Yea, I could see your point if it had to do with just some special we were offering for some advertiser, but this is our own shirt and could be considered an Announcement and since it is our first ever shirt, that is news in my book.
But... that aside... Recieve Email from Administrators in the forum software is indeed broadbased and could include anything the Admin wants to send.
I hate spam as much as the next person. I get around 150-200 spam (real spam, from places I have no association with) on a daily basis. The occasional emails I get from sites that I have signed up for (no matter if I have ever visted them again) I don't consider spam because there is an "association" and as long as they remove me (if I ask) then thats cool with me. It is that same thoughtfulness that we extend to our users here.
I think spam is not only one of the most annoying features of the internet, it is also the most diversed definition to man kind. What you think is spam, I may not and vise-versa. Some people paint a broad brush... If I didn't specifically ask for it, then it is spam. So, if your my best bud and I email you about a party next week and you didn't ask me about the party or request details via email, then that is spam by the same definition - even if the party was for you.
Considering the number of emails we send out, we only had about 1 in 10,000 people contact us about being removed from our mail-list. I think it is safe to say that the opinion that our email was spam, was only left to a select few.
No harm done. So, you picking up a shirt?
