bit-tech sent me spam?

Is this the evil hand of Dennis sending me spam? How do i unsubscribe from this 'mailing list' as i am not interested in a cheap copy of the ultimate guide to pc gaming?

 

Yes, Dennis.

http://forums.bit-tech.net/profile.php?do=editoptions

Uncheck "Receive Email from Administrators"

 

sigh, have unchecked it.
I had already opted out from receiving "news from out trusted third party partners" with the newsletter system, so wasn't expecting unsolicited spam from Bit.

 

More advertising?

No thanks, unchecked that option now.

 

Are Dennis just trying to see how much they can **** members over before we leave?

 

Dennis,

"Receive email from Admins" doesn't equate to

"I wish to receive marketing from Admins"



Edit: Ok. Glad to know it was a mistake and not a cheeky interpretation of the above.

 

this.

mega negative feedback from me regarding this use of admin email. please pass it on.

 

Good to know.. unchecked.

 

Hello all. My name is Alex, I'm the editor of Custom PC. Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the marketing email you were sent. We are sorry. It was a mistake, and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. (read on if you want the gory details about why/how it happened...)

I've just spoken to the marketing manager who works across CPC and Bit and other Dennis IT titles; we'd discussed trying to promote the gaming book on Bit, and so in addition to getting some banner ads, I asked if I could get an ad slot on the newsletter or send an email out to people who had opted in to receiving ad messages when they signed up. Now, with the Dennis/CPC reg system, when people sign up for the forums, they also get asked if they want to receive marketing stuff and the newsletter. This means we can target stuff to people who don't mind receiving it and we have a unified DB of users.

Bit runs a different reg system - one that separates out newsletters and forum sign ups. As a result, when I asked to send an ad out, I thought it was to be sent out to people had opted in, while other people involved in the process thought it entailed a different sent of users. Crossed wires meant it got sent to forum sign ups, not newsletter/opt in people. It was not my intention for marketing emails to be sent to members of the forum, and I'll make sure it never happens again.

 

Well I was initially dissapointed when I saw it in my inbox but since it all turns out to be a mix up, all is forgiven

 

Hi Sifter/Alex

Thanks for the clear-up.

What gets me is the fact that CPC mag even had access to the list of users. How did that happen?

 

Glad to hear this was a simple mistake that has now, no doubt been rectified.

 

Dennis need to be very nice to the bit-tech members as they are really starting to annoy us with all this extra advertising.

 

Well, as I said, we *shouldn't* have had access to the list. What we should/will have access to is a list of people who have opted in (i.e. said yes to commercial messages when they signed up).

The actual reason we could access it is that people were trying to be helpful - behind the scenes the Bit guys and the people here at Dennis (both CPC and in general) are working hard to co-operate. Everyone involved genuinely wants Bit's move to Dennis to work and bring positive results. In fact, although it might not seem like it, the original idea behind the discount for the gaming book was that it would be an offer exclusive to Bit readers, as a welcome thing. Didn't quite work out like that in the end, but c'est la vie

 

If this sort of thing won't happen again it could be useful for members to allow email from Admin. We use it to tell people they've been banned.

 

so its a abuse of power then !!! i think the data protection act covers this breach ?

after a quick read i don't seem to have seen a sorry form management or staff ? or are you lot above all that now ? i really am shocked that we are being treated this way ...


i think the staff involved with this decision and the managers should get there asses on here and start rebuilding the bridges they just burnt

 

While I agree it's not the best situation for it to occur in the first place, that counts an apology in my eyes! And mistakes do happen!

RwD

*edit*

I also can't remember what information you have to give when you sign up, but there's not much personal stuff, and certainly no sensitive stuff (the two types of information defined by the DPA) And I'm pretty sure email addresses fall under personal , as defined on the cityoflondon website. Full real names would but looking at the copy of the email here It looks like they used forum names, not real names, so I'd be fairly confident this doesn't come near anything convered by the DPA, assuming the database used only contained email addresses and forum names. Email addresses (and personal information, not sensitive) are allowed to be shared within an organisation, provided it fall within one of six categories (for sharing), but not passed outside it, from what i can make out from various websites. I'd take the view that Dennis and Bit count as one organisation these days...

Apologies to people if some information isn't correct there, I've tried to be as accurate as possible but I may have misinterpreted things. . .

*edit*

 

As per this post, there has been an apology and a full explanation. Now calm down. Mistakes happen.

In future, please before going OTT.

 

Read above. Alex has explained the situation as I've been stuck in meetings all day (10:30 - 18:00) so didn't have chance to respond myself.

 

yes it works both ways

its still unacceptable that they had access to our info when one of your own has stated that "Well, as I said, we *shouldn't* have had access to the list" this would constitute a breach of the DPA and your own T&C,s ?