Putting aside the recent NSA furor, let’s talk about giving away your privacy.
Look at who I would have had to have given permission to view my browser
activity in order to view a slideshow at Reuters.com.

Hello,

Very nice email. Thank you for sending me information on your upcoming event/opening/new jewelry/family news/little Sally’s birthday/funniest picture you’ve ever seen/etc.

I would like to say that I was a bit distressed to see my email address within 352 other email addresses of your nearest, dearest, friends and potential fellow promoters.

Some people might be upset by their email address becoming public – especially if they are PAYING for an email account ($99/year for a .mac, MobileMe, me.com, etc.), or if they are celebrities, public figures, doctors, lawyers, and like to protect their privacy.

Here’s a couple of things that you might want to keep in mind next time you plan on a mass mailing so you don’t alienate some on your list, or run into other trouble:

Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field when sending your mailing. Putting your addresses in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) means that all email addresses will remain private. Limiting the occurrence of one’s email address in public posts and messy email headers is the best way to limit spam. Spam often contains malicious code as well as code which tracks what email address has received and opened their mail. Knowing this confirms to the marketer that they have a “live” address.

IF your email program doesn’t immediately show the BCC field, check the instructions. If your free email provider doesn’t offer this, you may have to pony up and use a real one.

When you use the CC list as you have here, everyone’s address is made public, as attached.

Last you should read, be familiar with, and conduct your mailings within current commercial
email guidelines. Doing so will help with your professionalism, and keep you from ever having
your email account terminated by your service provider, your website shut down, or being fined (possible, but not likely): http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/ed/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

Your email should offer the individual a way to exercise their right to not receive mailings from you (“opt-out”). This is a courtesy I am certain that you would want if the situation were reversed.

At your current number of email recipients you might want to consider using a commercial mailing service which will keep you in compliance and help you send your mails effectively, along with powerful marketing tools. Fees are reasonable.

I hope you find some useful information in this note.

While working on my taxes, I saw how much money I spent on audiobooks for bicycle riding and on long trips this year. This was good motivation to mine the net and the library for less expensive alternatives. As I was setting out to search for “Free” material, I quickly realized again how nothing was “free.” More accurately, material is available for download at a reduced rate after calculating monthly connection fees, computer costs, taxes, and related transportation costs when visiting the library. Trips to the library contain their own subset of costs including time to obtain and return titles, and the price of gasoline now hovering at $3.10 a gallon. Most contemporary recordings lack production value, the best produced that I have heard are the “old time” radio shows. The caveat there is that the media quality varies from title to title, site to site. Let me know if you have other sources.

Mercury Theater / Orson Welles programs
Odeo – Audio and Video titles
Stories Now