February, 2008

Years ago Paul Simon sang of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” And there are probably as many ways for an email newsletter publisher to offer its subscribers a way to leave – or unsubscribe from –  future mailings. Until today, my favorite bad email unsubscribe practice has been “Guess my email address.” This bad practice requires that I tell the email publisher what my email address is.   Then they tell me whether I guessed right in telling them which of several addresses that float into my Outlook client is the one to which they mailed. Chances are you have your own favorite but un-amusing bad email unsubscribe practice.

But I submit there is a new and undisputed king of bad email unsubscribe practices held by a leader in the technology field. In an email from Adobe System Incorporated came the following option:

"This is an advertising message from Adobe Systems Incorporated, its affiliates and agents ("Adobe"), 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110 USA. If you’d prefer not to receive e-mail like this from Adobe in the future, please mail your unsubscribe request to:

There it is, the winner and king of bad email unsubscribe practices.  If you want to get off this email list, send them a letter. Can anything compete with this?

“From traffic alerts to dining updates – the guides, blogs, and tools you should know” is the focus of Chicago Magazine’s February 2008 cover story on Chicago’s 171 best websites. Included in this list are:

Cheap Uncle – Just another shopping website? Wrong. This locally-based company features a shopping site that integrates thousands of online stores with discounts available using e-coupons. For the consumer, this is revolutionary (We use this word cautiously. See for yourself.). For those interested in technology this is more than a mash-up. Some remarkable, but invisible, technology drives this website. Who knew?

Chicago Park District – This is the online home of the world’s largest park district. Recognized for the website’s ability to find esoteric sports program, the site includes information about programs at every park district property as well as the ability to shop and enroll in hundreds of in-demand park district sponsored programs.

CareerBuilder.com – This remarkable job resource includes an array of resources for those on the move and in transition. CareerBuilder’s intensive focus on constant and iterative improvement in the usability of this site is evident. The blood, sweat and tears required to achieve it is not.

Duo Consulting congratulates three of its clients who are recognized in what Chicago Magazine calls, “The best the web has to offer Chicago.”