It's Funny What the Web Can Do

It started with a blanket e-mail from Marieke (I'll leave out her last name to protect the innocent) from Michael Bailey Associates with a message along these lines:

Well, this may not be her exact words, and I might be exaggerating about the job description and wages, but that's how I felt when I read the message anyway.

I politely replied her and asked her in what database she found my profile, and more importantly, how on earth did it end up there in the first place (other than posting my resume out in the open on the Web, I am pretty protective when it comes to my privacy).

Within a pico second I received an answer that she hadn't found my profile in "the database" but on the Internet.

I had seen and heard enough and again replied her, this time asking if I could be removed from her mailing list as I wasn't interested in job offers from her company. That was the last thing I ever heard from her or her company.

Now, there are a couple of things wrong with this whole conversation. First of all, she's sending me unsolicited mail, also known as spam. OK, it was a personal message, she was really interested in me (I guess) and she took the time to visit my site and send the e-mail, but still; spam is spam.

Secondly, she started her e-mail with a lie. I have been wondering for some time why that was. (Sure, for the purists among us, you can see the Internet as a large database, so technically she was right). But why would she want to do that? What business is she in that the first communication she sends out to a potential customer is a lie? Why not just say: "Hey, I saw your site. Do you want to work for us?". IMO, honesty is the best thing to do; especially in personal communication.

But what's irritating me most, and what brought me to writing this Blog entry, is the fact she never answered my last reply. She was very quick with an answer when she still thought I was interested, but as soon as I showed my disinterest, she completely forgot about me. Why? Why didn't she have the decency to send me an e-mail like this:

Now, that would have been a solid ending for our short, but firm relationship, don't you think?

Again, I just don't understand why things go like this. If you're willing to waste someone else's time with a job offer, why not have the decency to finish it politely?

Oh well, just 257 other spam messages in my Junk mail box to answer today...... ;-)




Talk Back Think I am naive by answering spam personally, instead of hitting the delete button? Or do you think I am too soft on poor ol' Marieke and should have handled her much harder? Think I am worrying about nothing and seen much worse? Use the Talk Back feature to let me know what you think... (That also applies to you, Marieke; if you want you can shoot me an e-mail at my Contact page.)