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Results of the SpamCatcher
Attitude Survey
SANTA CLARA, CA - April 30, 2003 - The SpamCatcher
Attitude Survey was conducted by Mailshell in March
of 2003 and includes data from more than 1,000 respondents.
The survey solicited responses from 9,321 users of Mailshell's
anti-spam service and yielded 1,118 responses, a 12% response
rate. The survey was conducted online.
• Summary of Findings
• Raw Scores and Responses
Summary of Findings
- There is no clear definition of spam. Consumers'
definitions of spam differ dramatically from marketers',
service providers' and legislators' definitions of spam.
It will be difficult for all constituencies to agree on
a solution until the problem is more clearly defined.
|
Percent Who Agree
|
"Which of the following would
you define as spam? Please check all that apply." |
|
97%
|
"Random commercial email promoting
pornography, unwanted business opportunities, etc." |
|
88%
|
"Any email sent by any company with
whom you have no prior relationship." |
|
59%
|
"Chain letters, virus hoaxes, etc.
sent to you by someone you know." |
|
53%
|
"Any unwanted email sent by companies
from whom you have purchased something before." |
|
44%
|
"Mass distribution of any email you
don't want (jokes, political views, fundraisers, etc.)
sent by someone you know." |
|
33%
|
"Any email that you don't want." |
|
5%
|
"Other" |
- People still purchase products promoted via spam,
making spamming profitable. More than 8% of respondents
admitted that they have actually purchased a product promoted
to them via spam. Given the low cost of sending spam,
and the surprisingly high purchase rate among these tech-savvy
users, it's not surprising that spamming thrives.
- Consumers make themselves targets for spam. Although
more than 50% of respondents believe that, "my own behavior
online affects the volume of spam I'm currently receiving",
a shocking 28% admit that they have replied to spam, thereby
making themselves likely targets for future spamming.
- Many people blame their ISPs for spam. 48% agree,
"My ISP is capable of doing more to reduce spam but is
not willing to do so". Even worse, 57% of respondents
don't trust their ISP; 20% 'agree' and 37% are 'not certain'
that "my ISP sells my email address and is therefore responsible
for some of the spam I get."
- Spam is more than a nuisance. 23% of respondents
say that their computer has been infected with "a virus,
worm, tracking device or other invasive code via spam."
- Many people do not believe that anti-spam legislation
would help. Only 62% agree, "making spam illegal would
really help reduce the problem."
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SpamCatcher Attitude Survey - Raw Scores and Responses
Survey conducted online, during March 2003.
• Total queries = 9,321
• Total respondents = 1,118
• Response rate = 11.99%
• Numbers below in RED
indicate percent responses and actual number of responses.
- Which of the following would you define as spam?
Please check all that apply:
| 97%
(1,085) |
Random commercial email promoting
pornography, unwanted business opportunities, etc. |
| 88%
(986) |
Any email sent by any company with
whom you have no prior relationship. |
| 53%
(591) |
Any unwanted email sent by companies
from whom you have purchased something before. |
| 59%
(661) |
Chain letters, virus hoaxes, etc.
sent to you by someone you know. |
| 44%
(495) |
Mass distribution of any email you
don't want (jokes, political views, etc.), sent
by someone you know. |
| 33%
(368) |
Any email that you don't want. |
| 5%
(53) |
Other. |
- Have you ever purchased a product promoted to you
via spam?
| 8%
(92) Yes |
92% (1026)
No |
- How often have you opened a spam message?
| 7% (76)Frequently |
6% (65)
Often |
22% (246) Sometimes
|
54% (605)
Rarely |
11% (130)
Never |
- Have you ever sent a reply to a spam message?
| 28%
(315) Yes |
72% (802)
No |
- My computer has been infected with a virus, worm,
tracking device or other invasive code via spam.
| 23%
(258) Yes |
51%
(572) No |
26% (289)
I'm not certain |
- I believe that my own behavior online affects the
volume of spam I'm currently receiving.
| 50%
(566) Agree |
26%
(286) Disagree |
24% (265)
Not certain |
- I believe that my ISP is capable of doing more to
reduce spam but is not been willing to do so.
| 48%
(533) Agree |
16%
(181) Disagree |
36% (401)
Not certain |
- I believe that my ISP sells my email address and
is therefore responsible for some of the spam I get.
| 20%
(229) Agree |
43%
(478) Disagree |
37% (411)
Not certain |
- The press exaggerates the problem of spam.
| 8%
(86) Agree |
79%
(883) Disagree |
13% (149)
Not certain |
- Making spam illegal would really help reduce the
problem.
| 62%
(693) Agree |
16%
(179) Disagree |
22% (246)
Not certain |
About Mailshell
Mailshell is the creator of the SpamCatcher Engine,
the easiest solution to spam. The company's products include
anti-spam software developers' tools and a suite of enterprise
and personal anti-spam products. Mailshell recently earned
an "Editor's Choice" award in PC Magazine's review of spam
filters, and has been dubbed "priceless" by Forbes magazine,
"excellent" by the Associated Press and "easy to use" by
CNET.
# # #
Contact:
Stefan Pollack, The Pollack PR Marketing Group, (310)
556-4443, spollack@ppmgcorp.com
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One of "the best ways to prevent
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