THE LATEST BUZZ around the internet about effective web business is all about e-mail marketing via newsletters and e-zines.  IT WORKS WONDERS AT ESTABLISHING AND KEEPING CLIENTS! You have no doubt noticed the increase in contact from online businesses in the frequency of their news and product updates that come via e-mail to your mailbox. This is only likely to increase as more of them establish and maintain a database of customers' e-mail addresses.

 Heated debate over the issue of SPAM, even hair-splitting definitions have cropped up on forums and bulletin boards UCE or Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, seems to be getting lots of attention lately as get-rich-quick-fly-by-night operations spring up to take advantage of the web and it's relative anonymity. Everyone seems to be taking a stand firmly on one or the other side of this splintered fence.

 Responsible OPT-IN lists are the only way to avoid the anger and heat generated by the topic of SPAM. If you're planning on starting your own e-mail list, be sure that you use the opt-in model to establish your readership! Many list hosts like ListBot and Onelist as well as a new list server at Internet-Gazette require a follow-up reply from new members to confirm that they truly WANT to receive your e-mail. So there can be no confusion about subscriptions. The list server  maintains secure lists that are protected from the SPAMsters.

 Regular, valuable content is the only way to avoid ANNOYING your subscribers. Entertain, instruct, amuse or delight your list members with valuable offers like
contests or freebies. You'll find that your e-mail is greeted like a ladybug or a fluttering butterfly by the recipients when you offer content. If you loudly buzz
in and annoy them with "BUY YOUR WIDGET FROM ME!!" Your customers will delete your messages then swat you like a fly and unsubscribe.