On Junk Email

(Not the IQ Test in Question)

Several months ago I clicked on a link that promised a free IQ test - just for fun.  I know what my IQ is, having sat a proper exam, and thought it would be interesting to compare the result.

BEFORE I did the test I had to enter some details: my name, my email address.  This of course rang an alarm bell - so I put my dog's name (Oscar) and a made-up email address (oscar@... a domain I own) especially for the purpose.  This address would work, but it's not one I use.  Nor does Oscar: he's a dog, after all.

The test was rubbish. I didn't even both completing it. My suspicion that this was a (not terribly) cunning ruse to get my email address was correct.  The mail started tumbling in and on every occasion Oscar wagged his tail, presumably because he thought someone new loved him.

Clearly not really a person

In these months Oscar (he's a dog, remember) has received:

• Offers of pre-approved credit cards ("Oscar, you can have a credit card if you want one")
• Home loan offers ("Oscar, unlock the equity in your home")
• Gambling offers (using his pre-approved card?)
• Free legal advice ("Oscar, have you been injured and it wasn't your fault?")
• Debt help (to deal with his loans and gambling debts) 

He has also received other marketing "offers" but I'm guessing it won't take much imagination to guess what they are, or need to spell them out. I cover his little brown eyes when they arrive.

How can he have been pre-approved for a credit card?! Either it's total garbage (most likely) or irresponsible sub-prime and shark lenders haven't learned a thing from the credit crisis and are still offering loans to people that don't exist.. and to dogs that do.  Not that great all said and done.

He's won an iPad2 !!

This week Oscar was really happy to receive "Congratulations Oscar, an iPad2 for you!"

His name was clearly set out, and if I clicked on (yet another suspect) link we might win.

He soon lost interest when I offered him a doggy biscuit instead though and took him for a walk.

Each time I carefully click on the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email.  It is the law (Article 13 of EU Directive 2002/58 as well as within the Code of Conduct for Email Marketing) that such an option has to be offered.  Frequently I'm told that I actually opted IN to receive marketing emails.  I didn't. Nor did Oscar. He's a dog... !

Away from his computer

However: what I suspect here, with good reason, is this is like a lawn full of moles.  I bash one on the head, another pops up.  The email address is being sold, illegally, without my consent, and passed round one junk mail agency after the other.  The emails keep coming.  And all of it can be traced back to a single visit to a single crap IQ test site, where I absolutely did not consent for the email address to be used for any purpose.

The Information Commissioner is supposed to regulate this type of stuff, but how do I prove it, and is his office really that bothered? There are big issues like Freedom of Information requests that fall under his remit which are also not dealt with terribly efficiently either.

That said, it is estimated there are 62 trillion junk emails sent every year (nine for every one legitimate email).  An average ISP server spends 90% of its time supposedly detecting these, causing 17 millions of tonnes of CO2 to be emitted - which is the equivalent of powering 2.4 million homes or taking 2.2 million cars of the road. Each and every year.

Is there a moral to this story? Well, not really: junk mail is annoying, damaging to the environment, and even if we're careful, we still receive it.  I just really used this blog as an excuse to put some pictures up of Oscar. He is a very cute dog, don't you think? :)

Oscar, being a dog.

PS Oscar *does* actually have a twitter account.  The irony is not entirely lost on me.

L to R: @EnglishSpaniel @LassieOscar @PME200