Yuch ... or, how not to sign people up for your ezine!

Just signed up for an email newsletter whose list is managed by Topica. They sent an email requiring that I confirm my subscription. Not a problem, I thought. Double opt-in policy, wants to ensure that only serious subscribers need apply. Cool, right?

Nope, very uncool because once I hit the confirm button I was whisked to Topica's MyTopica signup obstacle course, errr, form. In very tiny letters at the top it said that I'd joined the list but then it said to complete the information to continue the process. My guess is that I probably didn't need to but I wasn't sure (which I believe is their, Topica's, intention), so I did. As an email marketer, it made me feel dirty and, if I was the list owner, I'd be p.o.'ed. Topica asks you your gender, date of birth and full name among other tidbits. None of this info is optional, nor, in my mind necessary (except for your email address) in order to sign up for a stupid ezine. Okay, now I'm the one who's p.o.'ed.

At the bottom of this screen they strongly suggest that you leave the check box checked permitting them to contact you further. Completing this screen, you're taken to the next which is actually 3 screens worth of sign up information for various lists and newsletters that are advertised via the Topica service. You need to scroll to the end to find the 'Continue' button. If you don't select any lists, you're assaulted with a pop-up window suggesting you do. If you do continue you are taken to another screen with more offers, just in case you've changed your mind during the act of clicking. Oooh, I'm feelin' a little slimed right now.

Once you've cleared that screen you're delivered to your subscription management screen that lists the subscriptions you've signed up for and provides prominent links to sign up for more lists. Like that's what I'm going to do; Yeah, right.

Anyway, this is the most intrusive, invasive ezine sign-up I've ever seen. I'm sure this was not the list owner's intent. I'm equally sure that the ezine publisher would not appreciate the way in which Topica imposes themselves on a relationship that the publisher developed, in order to build their (Topica's) business. Why do they use Topica? Well, I'll bet, for one, that they've never actually subscribed to their own ezine. I mean, I hope they haven't. What business owner would consciously choose to sabatoge a budding relationship by submitting a potential customer to an ordeal like that?

Respectfully submitted,

tom.gray@gemsolv.com