Sorry PR people: you're blocked

I've had it. I get more than 300 emails a day and my problem isn't spam (Cloudmark Desktop solves that nicely), it's PR people. Lazy flacks send press releases to the Editor in Chief of Wired because they can't be bothered to find out who on my staff, if anyone, might actually be interested in what they're pitching. Fact: I am an actual person, not a team assigned to read press releases and distribute them to the right editors and writers (that's editor@wired.com).

So fair warning: I only want two kinds of email: those from people I know, and those from people who have taken the time to find out what I'm interested in and composed a note meant to appeal to that (I love those emails; indeed, that's why my email address is public).

Everything else gets banned on first abuse. The following is just the last month's list of people and companies who have been added to my Outlook blocked list. All of them have sent me something inappropriate at some point in the past 30 days. Many of them sent press releases; others just added me to a distribution list without asking. If their address gets harvested by spammers by being published here, so be it--turnabout is fair play.

There is no getting off this list. If you're on it and have something appropriate to say to me, use a different email address.

aaron@sunshinesachs.com
acoffaro@fortythreepr.com
actionengine@techmarket.com
admin@cartipostale.ro
adrian.richardson@ar-edelman.com
agarson@taylorpr.com
aheng@moca-nyc.org
alerts@alerts.shephard.co.uk
alessandra@livingdivani.it
alex@highwatergroup.com
alexanne.brown@edelman.com
amaury.laporte@diplomatie.gouv.fr
announcements@dmi.org
apartmenttherapy@app.topica.com
as@thehalogroup.net
athierer@pff.org
awaitkunas@gmail.com
bbrignac@tunheim.com
becky@mediafirst.net
blogworldexpo@gmail.com
bobkatz@easidemographics.com
bounces@darklight.ie
bozenawilkspr@aol.com
broesler@5wpr.com
brranko@gmail.com
bruce@newnetworks.com
bulletin@safe-democracy.org
burrill_life_sciences_media_group@vnh10.net
business_travel_news@vnh10.net
callcenter_events@tig.cmptechnetwork.com
carol.tong@bitepr.com
ccashin@laforce-stevens.com
cemerson@webershandwick.com
cheryl.taylor@chorion.co.uk
chilife@topica.email-publisher.com
chilife1@topica.email-publisher.com
chris@iwebtrack.com
chris@onnetusa.com
chriskeswani@onnetusa.com
chuck@broadwick.com
clay.agee@intermarkgroup.com
clickabilitycentral@nl.clickability.com
cmarch@shiftcomm.com
cmoreno@5wpr.com
cmsprmv@yahoo.com
connect@mailer.idgconnect.com
contact@freenyc.net
contact@mecfilms.com
contact@thejsf.org
cw@email.computerweekly.com
cynthia@emediadynamics.com
dan@onewordphotography.com
danielaschrier@rationalpr.com
danielle@popculturepr.com
dasrate@5wpr.com
davenetz@wallstcom.com
david.cross@ableton.com
david@banktrack.org
dbakker@kirvindoak.com
dberry@5wpr.com
dealmakermedia@response.whatcounts.com
dehartdottie@aol.com
dhenderson@peterlangone.ccsend.com
dice_newsmail-bounces@virtual-hideout.net
dkadakia@inventures.com
dkogan@rsowens.com
domondond@thirteen.org
drumbeat@comminit.com
ecomxpo@theonlinexpo.com
edison.lee@ogilvypr.com
editor@more.punchstock.com
eflyer@choicecutsonline.com
ekannett@sspr.com
email@dealmakermedia.com
emails@agencyaccess.com
engnews-bounces@rfanews.org
enotes@amnh.org
equalitynews@feitventures.com
erik@erikalmasphotography.com
evan@themarketingdivision.net
events@freenyc.net
events@mail.homeplug.org
events@sensesf.com
facilitator@americaspeaks.org
feedback@t-shirtsearchengine.com
financo@financo.com
fllamas@webershandwick.com
fttf@mww.com
gina.ghensi@analysys.com
guestlist@lushonline.com
hcohm@lgphilips-lcd.com
heather.mumm@fleishman.com
henk@isomedia.com
india-now@ibef.org
info.freespeech@gmail.com
info@artexpo.nu
info@asetek.com
info@cceia.org
info@csi-annual-event.p0.com
info@designboost.se
info@goodforparty.com
info@involver.com
info@policyinnovations.org
info@sustainabletable.org
info@tagonline.org
info@wordaffairs.com
internet@rsf.org
invest-now@ibef.org
is@news.imagesource.com
jamie.adams@ciscopress.com
jasperwireless@techmarket.com
jbrown@stantoncrenshaw.com
jdorfman@vivavi.com
jelena@crosbyvolmer.com
jennifer@credibilitybranding.com
jessica.tuquero@dc-intl.com
jgadley@gmi-mr.com
jill@market2world.com
jm@pmgintl.com
jmclaughlin@sspr.com
jmedrano@execforum.net
jmke.madshrimps@gmail.com
jmke@madshrimps.be
jneu@webershandwick.com
jodie@mpogd.com
john@larkinvolpatt.com
johnswren@aol.com
jonas.thornholm@xcerion.com
jorgen.nordin@end2endmobile.com
jroberts@hwhpr.com
jscoggins@doc.gov
julie@liaisonpr.com
julie@softscribeinc.com
justsystems@techmarket.com
kamika@sutherlandgold.com
katie@contosdunne.com
katie@fortythreepr.com
kcabrera@carabinerpr.com
kell@taylorcurtismedia.com
kelsi@investorscircle.net
kevin.johnson@techimage.com
kevind@text100.com
kfoley@coynepr.com
kim@scottandscottllp.com
klipsch@vnewscenter.com
klister@pr-vantage.com
krisj@geminiinc.com
krista@montageagency.com
kristen@hensonconsulting.com
kristien@prioritypr.net
kristin.coleman@morris-king.com
kszarkowitz@mporia.com
kthomas@thomas-pr.com
kwarman@b2zentertainment.com
kzox@nycap.rr.com
laurelkao@comcast.net
lauren@perkettpr.com
lauren@piercemattie.com
laurie@highwatergroup.com
lcapurro@jmprpublicrelations.com
leighnofi@sironline.com
levi@meiff.com
liaisonpr@liaisonpr.com
license@hypetraxx.com
lighthouse-list@independent.org
list@freepress.net
listmaster@soex.org
lkornblatt@sspr.com
llomasky@webershandwick.com
locone-bounces@dna-nyc.info
louis@future-works.com
lpalmer@comminit.com
lsambells@pressoffice.targetwire.com
maeilnews@mk.co.kr
mail@atoa.ws
mail@billiondollarbabes.com
mail@lensmodern.com
mail@pff.org
mailers@marketingmatters.net
mailman-bounces@box153.bluehost.com
mantos@sspr.com
marc@mail2.zogby.com
marge_casey__associates_rqbsrgb@cmpgnr.com
mark@choicecutsonline.com
marlenecheetahlearning@rogers.com
marquiswhoswho@email.marquiswhoswho.com
matt.otepka@104west.com
mchase@calysto.com
mclean@rodmclean.com
mcraig@ringling.edu
mdepoint@tunheim.com
mediacenter7@rothmedia.org
mediarelationsbounce@amnh.org
megang@mbooth.com
meghan@artfinancepartners.com
melissa.robbins@mtvnmix.com
melissa@pepcom.com
menziesbob@lages.com
mertine@melmpr.ccsend.com
messa@americanarab.com
michaeli@hwhpr.com
mika@platformlondon.org
mktinfo@pmai.org
mkusa@marketing.agefotostock.com
mlevine@lcoonline.com
morgan@allisonpr.com
morgan@gregoryfca.com
msg@msgnyc.com
mwalker@mww.com
news@metku.net
news@platformfestival.com
news@uiuc.edu
news@velocityreviews.com
news@vmagazine.com
news1@eprairie.com
news2@eprairie.com
newsbot@tweaktown.com
newsletter#27963.169@pink.nimbussoftware.com
newsletter@fineartamerica.com
newsletter@glass-inspiration.com
newsletter@worldsecuritynetwork.net
newsletters@chicblvd.com
newsletters@webshots.online.com
newwest@newwest.net
nfabris@corp.abiresearch.com
niewalda@kurzfilmtage.de
nikki@chicblvd.com
noe@future-works.com
no-reply@wetpaintmail.com
offers@mercurynews.com
ollie@commontime.ccsend.com
online_resources@cxolyris.cxomedia.com
paarmstrong@myspace.com
palm_software_newsletters@news.palmnewsletters.com
pam@techmarket.com
pandreu@5wpr.com
pattyb@gruman-nicoll.com
paula@kohnkecomm.com
pedro2nd@hotmail.com
petertulba@spe.sony.com
phil@contosdunne.com
photomonday@peterhollander.com
pih@bankinvest.dk
pine&gilmore@strategichorizons.com
pr@adremsoft.com
pr@elcomsoft.com
pr@mayocommunications.com
pr@welcomm.com
pr@xcerion.com
press@creditcovers.com
press@diacenter.org
press@freepress.net
press@lebook.com
press-bounces@taxjustice-usa.org
proctor@anet.net
promo@email.batteries.com
publications@houlihan-lokey.com
publicity@justrockpr.us
q@varnishfineart.com
qualcomm@qualcomm.com
rachel@inspire-communications.com
raghu.madabushi@opco.com
renata.guazzi@r-w.it
reply@reply.marketingsherpa.com
reply-34374@uptilt.com
resposito@5wpr.com
rexmore@themarketingdivision.net
rferguson@stantoncrenshaw.com
rferguson@thinkequity.com
rhart@nine-patch.com
rich@contosdunne.com
rick@montageagency.com
rippmedia@aol.com
robert.reeve@videojug.com
robertj@gymr.com
roger.howie@zaha-hadid.com
rpopko@webershandwick.com
rscanlan@gmail.com
rstephenson@cleanair-coolplanet.org
rsvp@believingisseeing.tv
rsvp@sonnenschein.com
s.goodrich@niveusmedia.com
salesinfo@diskeeper.com
sarah@caromarketing.com
scfowler@20m.ccsend.com
scleland@precursor.com
scoggin@waggeneredstrom.com
scover@crownpr.net
send78-proxymedia@caedefensefund.org
service@outpost.com
sfedulow@gcigroup.com
shannons@ferencomm.com
shipserv_newsflash@mail.vresp.com
stannenberger@mprm.com
stephanietrussell@gmail.com
steve@madeit.com
support@projectcamelot.org
swood@inxpo.com
syreeta@sparkpr.com
talentinfo@stocklandmartel.com
talia.andrews@fusionpr.com
ten@firstbornmultimedia.com
terrece.walker@mtvnmix.com
tesco.online@agboville.aviso.ci
tgould@shazaaam.com
thamer@delianet.com
thecallcenterschool@tallent.com
thesterlingreport@topica.email-publisher.com
thinking_out_loud@enews.1up.com
thomas.trenker@filmangelsclub.com
tim.billings@morris-king.com
tina@letoile-pr.de
tom.steiner@edelman.com
tomd@stylegroup.com
tribalddb_sydney@tribalddb.rsys1.com
trichardson@mrb-pr.com
tstadnicki@alphamediagroup.com
ttg-news@tweaktown.com
tvnewsday@tvnewsday.com
unitydeals@unityelectronics.com
update@activate.us
virtualworldsforum@dynamail.co.uk
vivek@rapleaf.us
wachovia.economics@wachovia.com
walmart@newsletters.walmart.com
wfeek@comminit.com
yj@onnetusa.com
yyamashita@lippetaylor.com
zingrec@zingmagazine.com

Comments

[James Stockbridge]

Dear Lord!

I work at a very junior level in PR. I try to know my media, and sell client's stories to the people who'll be most interested. I tailor my approach , and comment to readerships and editorial, I suspect in a way which isn't a particularly commercial use of my time. And yes, sometimes you fire off info on the off-chance it might be useful - and sometimes, indeed it is. Surprisingly frequently, one gets something which is of more than parochial interest to a particular readership.

Without an element of somewhat random information, a journalist might miss out on the odd serendipitous contact, or different angle. We're not after a regurgitation of a release or uncritical repitition of comment after all. And whilst I agree, as salespeople of a sort, that it is up to us to get our contacts right, at a junior level, young PRs are learning their trade and their media. Whilst I've been fortunate to have been given the odd boot up the backside by my boss (a former magazine editor) and some surprisingly helpful (and possible mildly irritated) journalists, perhaps the media should not automatically blacklist the intern or junior exec who fails to get their audience right. We all get spam, or near-spam, and yes, in a volume not far off that of the esteemed Editor of Wired. They will nevertheless be a journalistic asset when they've got to know their journalist's audiences.

For example, I've got the boss of a big search engine who'll probably be dying to review Chris' forthcoming 'Free', when he gets his hands on it. I don't doubt that he's a damned impressive intellectual figure, and will have something provocative to say to a specific audience, say about Mr Anderson's take on cross-subsidy. But, although I do know one or two reviewers, none of us know particularly review editors personally, (and even flacks at the big US firms aren't omniscient) and I know for a fact that at least one of Mr Anderson's former publications simply bin approaches from people they don't know. Like me.

Qui bono, from this approach? Not the readership that's for sure.

[han hu kyi]

WHEN U R READING THIS DONT STOP OR
SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN! MY NAME IS
SUMMER I AM 15 YEARS OLD i have BLONDE
HAIR ,MANY SCARS no NOSE OR EARS.. I
AM DEAD. IF U DONT COPY THIS JUST LIKE
FROM THE RING, THIS IS NO JOKE SOMETHING GOOD WILL
HAPPEN TO U IF YOU POST THIS ON 5 MORE
PAGES.

[Dare McDane]

I may be an old fogey but at least my info on trends is as real as anything from Myspace etc. I like to check here:

http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=invite.addfriend_verify&friendID=251140488

[Darren Lai]

nice Chris. list their email out. great!

those r PR dont even respect internet marketing manner n your Long Tail idea.

block them.

[cath]

its a nice site... it is so cool... and the information is complete

[catherine hudges]

it is a great site... i like it... it is different from the other site... it is informative site

[PR Pro]

Yeah ... well, here's the thing. Turnover at media outlets is huge. No sooner do we get all the right names and titles in a database than a third of them change. And guess what? Most companies with PR staff (I'm not talking agencies; not my area) are tasked as much as you are when it comes to time and staff. So we have to wait for an intern -if we're lucky - to call every outlet and try to update the list. And then it changes again. What makes more sense ... that you and other media outlets provide a complete list of contacts that you each keep updated, or that everyone else constantly contacts you all for the same info because your list isn't complete? OR ... you receive a lot of pitches and info addressed to "editor," and you have to decide whether they are news for you and distribute them appropriately (which ... isn't that part of your job, to find news?). This is such a ridiculous posture on your part. We ALL have to sort through a lot of info. That's the nature of the world today. If you aren't going to make it easyfor people to find the right contact where you are, then don't complain that you get poorly addressed e-mails.

[Christopher]

Brilliant, I stand by you!! I hate PR Emails

[Andrew]

Yeah, PR emails are sooo anoying. That is a heck of a long list...

[biometric01]

About Identity Theft and stolen passwords, recently I came across a site that uses Biometrics of finger, face and voice verification so the user just scans to log on. You can read more at http://www.mybiodentity.com

[sözlükler]

no no no this is not the way to do it. it will create more spam for spammers and email harvesters!

[Nadja]

Dear Everybody and hopefully dear Mr. Anderson,

I am a graduating student for Media & Entertainment Management in the Netherlands and I am busy writing my thesis. For this I am inspired by your theory of the Long Tail effect on Media (and any other products)but feel, however, that the theory is merely applicable on products that are directed to B2C.

See, I am writing my thesis from a video-ad PRODUCTION company that is functioning as B2B partner. My goal of the research is to support my theory that also production companies in future, due to all the aspects you mention in your book, will have the opportunity and maybe responsibility to enlarge their client base from agencies only to agencies and direct consumers.

If I am considering the traditional ad at this stage, however, the ad itself may be cheaper ad therefore longer distributed on additional channels then TV, however I get hung up on the aspect that I am wondering what a Long Tail could be for the actual production company.

My discussion inspiration therefore, and I certainly would be grateful for a reasonable answer from anyone:

Is (and if, in what way would be) a Long Tail visible in present an/or in future for an advertising production company that functions as an intermediary in the B2B production mechanism?

Thank you very much for considering investigating this idea. I really would be grateful for any inspirations.

With all my best wishes and appreciation,

Nadja

[Daniel Avery]

19 months on and Chris, this is still a classic in my book! A timeless lesson that needs to be re-visited by the new crops of PR kids.

[MySelf]

I need some contributtion
Bank Acc. BCI Chile 90115646

Deposit some bucks please

[kabin]

thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner

[Jim]

Perhaps everyone can learn from everyone. Here is a fair blog post that I recently read about what PR people can learn from journalists and journalists can learn from PR people. bit.ly/tg4wk

None of us are perfect, and we can all be better at what we do (no, I'm not on the list).

[aion kinah]

I agree there needs to be a more controlled outreach method but what is interesting me is all the newsletter emails and publication adresses. Looks like you subscribed to a couple (like dealmaker) and are continuing to get news from them.

[enricko]

iterest article. visite our website:
http://scripts.cac.psu.edu/clubs/up/spa/forum/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Research

[maplestory meso for sale]

If your reputation as a successful PR entity relies upon covert spamming, you obviously need to rethink your business plan.

[Dunk Sb shoes]

It was constant - up to 10 emails per day from various PR firms for about a week.

[Dunk Sb shoes]

where the email from ?

[Huebi1212@web.de]

Huebi1212@web.de

[Ruth Ann Barrett]

I heard an interview with you on radio (Terry?) and felt you more than paraphrased Marshall MCluhan from his Gutenberg Galaxy re: the content of the new being, initially, the content of the old e.g. best sellers on TV and TV on the Internet. Think you should give credit where credit is due. Downloading your book this evening.

[promosyon]

intresting

[nhattruong]

thank you for sharing
--------------------------
nuoc hoa |nuoc hoa nam | nuoc hoa nu

[nhattruong]

thank you for sharing
-------------------------
nuoc hoa | nuoc hoa nam | nuoc hoa nu

[asdasd]

office.mbi@aon.at

[darkfall gold online]

If their address gets harvested by spammers by being published here, so be it--turnabout is fair play.

[Ally]

I generally find that editors are jumped up little pricks who think PRs are a pain in the arse but come the day they need something, PRs are they besties again. Get over yourself! And no, I've never sent anything to this particular prick and am not on his little 'power-trip' list.

[Amber Case]

It is strange to think that so many would try to send an E-mail directly to Chris instead of the editorial team. I looked up "Chris Anderson E-mail address" hoping to be redirected to a more general contact form. This told me that my E-mail would be more appropriate if sent to editors@wired.com. More people need to know about this. Sending E-mails to editorial teams saves me a lot of effort. I would never E-mail Chris if it wasn't something that was directly interesting to him.

My policy is to never, ever send press releases. Instead, I keep a short list of bloggers and contacts that I've formed good relationships with over time. I also make sure that anything I send is brief and useful to usefulness/coolness/excellence of their blog or publication.

It is much better to have quality over quantity, personalization and relationships over mass empty text attachments. There will always be PR people who do not understand this, as there will always be companies who do not understand digital manners. Instead of getting upset, it might be amusing to write a press release and start sending it to PR firms, letting them know that press releases are not the way to send information to bloggers and news publications that have any traction with visitors.

[loans]

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[Weight Loss]

Nice post, thanks for sharing this wonderful and usefull information with us.

Green Tea

[Kate]

I work as the managing editor for a pair of national magazines that have little, if any, crossover with Wired's readership.

Just for kicks, I checked my "not you again" against Chris's.

It's a little disturbing how many addresses overlap.

Of course, it looks like Chris hasn't gotten the "shiny sparkly fairy economy up despite general economic downturn" press releases I've been getting lately (you think I'm joking), nor the press releases announcing new events in downtown Corpus Christi. Pity - some of those are fun.

Come on, PR professionals. BE professional. Press releases can be helpful. I get good column fodder from some of them. But maybe, perhaps, once in awhile, it would do you some good to check your lists and see who, exactly, you're sending this stuff out to. The EIC of Wired probably isn't interested in foofy pom-pom bedecked driving gloves...

[mersin evden eve]

hello
very good web site

[ezel izle]

Comments are not getting dislayed

[mersin tüp bebek merkezi]

hello, beatiful site. good luck

[ambulans]

Hi, very good web site. Thanks.

[Grover]

I'm surprised at the number of comments dissing you for publishing those e-mail addresses. SPAM -- in all its guises -- is pure evil. Turning that around is evil genius. Wat to go.

[Klip FM]

Thanks admin, very post.