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Posts with tag optout, opt-out, do not call list, unsubscribe

Filed under: Business, Internet, E-mail, Productivity

Too Much Information - Take back your attention span

Too Much Information? Opt out of email listsWe all suffer from TMI (Too Much Information). This week, I've made it my duty to opt-out of lists that once sounded good but are now simply an annoyance. It takes a little work but I'm definitely seeing results. With more than 150 average daily emails deleted (not counting the spam that is blocked before I see it), less email previewing time saves us time. Here's the how-to skinny on opting out of email, phone calls and postal mail.

Opt-out of phone calls
Most businesses and individuals are on the national Do Not Call List which prevents telemarketers from bothering you at work or at home with sales pitches and too-good-to-be-true offers. The big news is that your registration on the list is going to expire soon. Registration done in June, 2003, when the list was started will expire 5 years from that date, that is, by June, 2008. Your number(s) drop off automatically if you do not enroll again.

Those telemarketing calls are such a nuisance that some are encouraging making the list permanent but the director of the FTC, Lydia Parnes, reminds us that, "It is incredibly quick and easy to do." Our suggestion: go to the Do-Not-Call List and re-up all your numbers.

Use Safe Unsubscribe Make this the time you sign off those other useless email lists you thought you wanted but now have no time to use. Stores that you don't shop? Online e-lists that are from professional organizations you no longer belong to? Get rid of them if they offer Safe Unsubscribe features. One of the most frequently used mass email tools is Constant Contact and they offer a safe unsubscribe mechanism in addition to a rigid anti-spam policy. Newsletters sent via reputable firms have opt-out (unsubscribe) features. Isn't this a good time to get rid of the lists you no longer want?

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Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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