E-mail opt-in, opt-out--what's it all about?

In the words of Release 1.0 publisher Esther Dyson, "Permission marketing is the wave of the future." Capturing an e-mail addresses isn't enough to be able to send those persons e-mail. They have to opt-in.

Not opting-out isn't the same as opting-in. The safest route is giving the prospect the choice of checking a preference like "Yes, I want to receive material" or "Put me on your e-mail alert service."

Anne Holland, of IndependentExpert.com, recommends [e-mail] for its report, "How to convert email lists to opt-in lists."

Meanwhile, the Direct Marketing Assn.'s e-Mail Preference Service will begin Jan. 10, 2000. It will work similarly to the DMA's Telephone Preference Service, in which consumers may visit www.e-mps.org to indicate that they do not want unsolicited e-mail.

Smart marketers will cross reference their lists against DMA's "suppression" list.