Pathfinder 1E Has Paizo been selling my address?

[Lonely Tylenol]

There's a term for advertisements that are easily ignored...I believe marketers call it a "waste of money".

I think you have it backwards..."good" ads aren't the ads you easil ignore and line your bird cage with...that's where 'bad' ads go (though even in this case, as I doubt you are the target for the WOTC insert, the adds may still be quite successful).

I think you are putting way too much stock in the public's capacity for independant information seeking... market research shows time and time again that people do not (and do not particularly) want to sit down, create a needs/want assessment and do their own reserch on what they really need. IF they did, you would get your wish and the advertising industry would collapse. OF course, so would our entire economy.

IF they did, they'd probably end up with better stuff.

And yes, I know that the fate of the economy rests on the noble sacrifices of the advertisers, toiling day and night to keep the wheels of commerce turning so that I, myself, may have food on my table. I hang my head in shame at having slighted these selfless individuals who have devoted their lives to making sure that each citizen avoid the evils of savings and investments, and instead dispose of their income in ways that ensure that money continue to flow from the pockets of the public into the coffers of businesses everywhere, no matter how useful they may be, so that those businesses can, in their wisdom, dole out that money in measured doses to the very public from which it was drawn.

Or, you know, not.

edit: And besides, who the hell does needs/wants assessments?

Me: My Rolls Razor needs a new strop. How can I get one?
Internet: A guy in the U.S. sells them by mail order. Here's his email address.
Me: Well, that took all of two minutes. I will now send my money in exchange for something that I actually need, rather than something that someone has decided that I should believe that I need.
Guy in U.S.: Yay, money! Boy, I'm glad I didn't spend a big pile of money on mass-mailers, because anyone who wants one of these things will just Google it, except the people who are apparently too lazy to use Google to find things they want to buy.
The Economy: As long as someone's spending money on something, I'm happy.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I can dig your disdain of receiving ads in your mailbox, but when he says advertisers allow them to make a profit, he means every stream of advertiser revenue, not just print ads inside the magazine itself. Without getting into the ethics or fuzzy-term "rightness" of the action, your subscriber list - a list of guaranteed addresses that have real people on the other end - is a resource of great value. From a business standpoint, if you don't (or can't) find a way to leverage that resource into quantifiable money you're missing out big time.

So, what you're saying is that it is all right for Paizo to lie to me about sharing my contact info with advertisers because they want to make money? That seems like a pretty low position.

That sort usually can't accept the benefits market research gets them in the long run, they just think about the inconvenience it's causing them now.

I think that sort would really rather the market researchers go stick their follow up calls where the sun don't shine, because they're perfectly capable of learning about new products and don't need any more "benefits" showing up in their mailbox for quick transfer to the recycle bin.

 

[Piratecat]

EDIT - I misread a post, and made a warning that wasn't needed as a result. My apologies for that.

As I think about it, it might be that your address was sold before you clicked the boxes to off. There is often a 4-8 month lag on mailing lists generated. On the other hand, such lists are almost always generated on a "x # of uses" basis, so when that expires they can't use it any more.

 

[hexgrid]

And yes, I know that the fate of the economy rests on the noble sacrifices of the advertisers, toiling day and night to keep the wheels of commerce turning so that I, myself, may have food on my table. I hang my head in shame at having slighted these selfless individuals who have devoted their lives to making sure that each citizen avoid the evils of savings and investments, and instead dispose of their income in ways that ensure that money continue to flow from the pockets of the public into the coffers of businesses everywhere, no matter how useful they may be, so that those businesses can, in their wisdom, dole out that money in measured doses to the very public from which it was drawn.

Yeah, this is almost as ridiculous as your moral outrage at receiving an unsolicited piece of paper in the mail.

 

[Scribble]

I'd like to add that I think Paizo should retool that check box.

Perhaps instead of click here to be taken off the list, make it click here to be placed ON the list.

That way, those of you who apparently enjoy junk mail, and the "opportunities" it offers can still receive it, while those that do not enjoy nor have use for it will not waste paizo's resources as the ads are thrown away.







i before e... except after c...

 

[Piratecat]

Gang, do not turn this into a bashing session of either Dr. Awkward or Paizo, please. Neither is justified.

 

[Scribble]

Gang, do not turn this into a bashing session of either Dr. Awkward or Paizo, please. Neither is justified.

My appologies if my statment was taken as an insult? It was not intended to be in any way shape or form.

 

[DanMcS]

Gang, do not turn this into a bashing session of either Dr. Awkward or Paizo, please. Neither is justified.

If Paizo added an advertising option to peoples' accounts and made it opt-out, that's pretty shady.

 

[Maggan]

I'm with Dr. Awkward here. I have a sign on my door saying "No advertising material accepted" and woe those who think to violate this.

Why do I have that? Because I don't want hundreds of pounds of paper stuffed through my letterbox each year, that I instantly throw away and subsequently have to take down to the recycling bin.

Better I don't get it in the first place, since I don't read it. Saves a bit on paper and printing, and the companies can devote their money to reaching those who don't object to recieving unsolicited advertising.

Also, I'm signed up to a list which takes care of 99.9% of all sales calls as well.

The paradox?

I partly work with advertising and communication, so I know that the advertising material basically works, and it's one channel to reach prospective customers.

I don't have a problem with ads in newspapers. Unsolicited ads, I don't like, and will actively take steps to not recieve it.

But my mind reels at the thought of using pages from Dragon as bird cage lining! The horror, the horror!

/M

 

[Kesh]

If Paizo added an advertising option to peoples' accounts and made it opt-out, that's pretty shady.

Not necessarily. It may have been that , previously, you were opted-in with no recourse but to call/write the company directly. Depends on how the policy was written and who was in charge.

Honestly, we don't have enough information to judge either way, so it's a bit premature to be making any accusations.