4 ms·

Worse: Sending me an email after I unsubscribe because I don't want your emails, to let me know that I've unsubscribed.

by gfosco 14y ago

mongol 14y ago
That's not so bad though
pc86 14y ago
Just because it's a pet peeve of yours doesn't mean it's bad design. It's standard practice and should happen all the time. If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them clicks unsubscribe because they don't take 10 seconds to read the subject, I'm out an extremely loyal reader/customer if I don't send that notification email.
- maxk42 14y ago
  No, it's still a bad design feature. Having just gone through this less than 60 seconds ago, it really feels like a slap in the face from a company I otherwise respect.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - omni 14y ago
    Do you actually have a solution to the problem that pc86 laid out? Otherwise, we're talking religious differences.
  - pc86 14y ago
    I will agree with you if you have to type your email in first. The ideal situation, I think, is to have the user type in their email. If it's an existing subscriber, unsubscribe. If it's not, add them to a secondary list just to keep track of who definitely does not want the emails.
- FireBeyond 14y ago
  Let's rephrase, using two scenarios - One: "If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them -who also happens to be subscribed to the same newsletter- clicks unsubscribe because they don't take 10 seconds to read the subject -and then scroll through the email and still fail to recognize that this is a newsletter they had also subscribed to-, I'm out an extremely loyal reader/customer -who can't even recognize my newsletter- if I don't send that notification email." and Two: add to the end, "when both problems could have been solved at once by requiring the user to confirm the email address they wanted unsubscribed when they clicked on the link, thus providing both verification, and ensuring that a friend does not mistakenly do the same."
  - pc86 14y ago
    I think you misunderstood my point. 1. You receive a newsletter from [Retailer] and forward it to me. 2. I click unsubscribe 3. Ideally I'd enter my email. No damage done. But what if the unsub link is like a lot of unsub links, and it's something like: http://email.retailer.com/unsub.php?e=firebeyond@ycombinator.com http://email.retailer.com/unsub.php?e=firebeyond@ycombinator...? Then you get unsubscribed, I've done nothing to make sure I don't get the emails anymore, and if [Retailer] doesn't send you a confirmation, you never get another email and you probably forget about them.
    - Amadou 14y ago
      I like those "you have unsubscribed" emails for another reason beyond what you layed out. I collect them so that I can keep a record of what I've unsubscribed from, so if I ever get spam from them again I don't have any doubt as to whether or not the sender broke their promise to unsubscribe me. It might just be me, but it is doubly aggravating to get spam and feel like I had previously unsubscribed but not be able to prove it. With proof I can be righteous in my anger and blacklist all future email from them. Without proof I am left to doubt my self and wonder if unsubscribing (again?) would be futile.
  - omni 14y ago
    "If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them -who also happens to be subscribed to the same newsletter-" No, the people the user forwarded the email to are not subscribed. You have misunderstood the scenario.
- tomjen3 14y ago
  Pissing off your users is always a bad design. In this case it is why I don't usually click unsubscribe, but either set up a filter or report it as spam.
rocky1138 14y ago
I got one of these today. I thought "well that's annoying" but then I thought "nah I guess it makes sense. I wanna know they know they aren't going to email me any more."
unionpivo 14y ago
I strongly disagree. Every change to user account should send automated email stating what changed (and if email changed send it to both old and new address). This is so you know that changes took effect, and in case somebody else tried changing info for you. This includes cancellation/termination of service. Think of it as a commercial transaction, you request an action, and after action is completed you receive receipt.

Worse: Sending me an email after I unsubscribe because I don't want your emails, to let me know that I've unsubscribed.

by gfosco 14y ago

Worse: Sending me an email after I unsubscribe because I don't want your emails, to let me know that I've unsubscribed.

mongol 14y ago

That's not so bad though

pc86 14y ago

Just because it's a pet peeve of yours doesn't mean it's bad design. It's standard practice and should happen all the time. If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them clicks unsubscribe because they don't take 10 seconds to read the subject, I'm out an extremely loyal reader/customer if I don't send that notification email.

maxk42 14y ago
No, it's still a bad design feature. Having just gone through this less than 60 seconds ago, it really feels like a slap in the face from a company I otherwise respect.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- omni 14y ago
  Do you actually have a solution to the problem that pc86 laid out? Otherwise, we're talking religious differences.
- pc86 14y ago
  I will agree with you if you have to type your email in first. The ideal situation, I think, is to have the user type in their email. If it's an existing subscriber, unsubscribe. If it's not, add them to a secondary list just to keep track of who definitely does not want the emails.
FireBeyond 14y ago
Let's rephrase, using two scenarios - One: "If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them -who also happens to be subscribed to the same newsletter- clicks unsubscribe because they don't take 10 seconds to read the subject -and then scroll through the email and still fail to recognize that this is a newsletter they had also subscribed to-, I'm out an extremely loyal reader/customer -who can't even recognize my newsletter- if I don't send that notification email." and Two: add to the end, "when both problems could have been solved at once by requiring the user to confirm the email address they wanted unsubscribed when they clicked on the link, thus providing both verification, and ensuring that a friend does not mistakenly do the same."
- pc86 14y ago
  I think you misunderstood my point. 1. You receive a newsletter from [Retailer] and forward it to me. 2. I click unsubscribe 3. Ideally I'd enter my email. No damage done. But what if the unsub link is like a lot of unsub links, and it's something like: http://email.retailer.com/unsub.php?e=firebeyond@ycombinator.com http://email.retailer.com/unsub.php?e=firebeyond@ycombinator...? Then you get unsubscribed, I've done nothing to make sure I don't get the emails anymore, and if [Retailer] doesn't send you a confirmation, you never get another email and you probably forget about them.
  - Amadou 14y ago
    I like those "you have unsubscribed" emails for another reason beyond what you layed out. I collect them so that I can keep a record of what I've unsubscribed from, so if I ever get spam from them again I don't have any doubt as to whether or not the sender broke their promise to unsubscribe me. It might just be me, but it is doubly aggravating to get spam and feel like I had previously unsubscribed but not be able to prove it. With proof I can be righteous in my anger and blacklist all future email from them. Without proof I am left to doubt my self and wonder if unsubscribing (again?) would be futile.
- omni 14y ago
  "If a user likes me enough to forward my newsletter to 60 of their friends and one of them -who also happens to be subscribed to the same newsletter-" No, the people the user forwarded the email to are not subscribed. You have misunderstood the scenario.
tomjen3 14y ago
Pissing off your users is always a bad design. In this case it is why I don't usually click unsubscribe, but either set up a filter or report it as spam.

rocky1138 14y ago

I got one of these today. I thought "well that's annoying" but then I thought "nah I guess it makes sense. I wanna know they know they aren't going to email me any more."

unionpivo 14y ago

I strongly disagree. Every change to user account should send automated email stating what changed (and if email changed send it to both old and new address). This is so you know that changes took effect, and in case somebody else tried changing info for you. This includes cancellation/termination of service. Think of it as a commercial transaction, you request an action, and after action is completed you receive receipt.