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Hmmm...that's a curious definition of both "unsolicited" and "spam". If you post a profile on a dating site, are you not soliciting responses? As for spam, if

Hmmm...that's a curious definition of both "unsolicited" and "spam". If you post a profile on a dating site, are you not soliciting responses? As for spam, if someone contacts me for the very purpose which I have solicited responses for (in this case, finding someone to date) I would hardly call that spam.

minimaxir 12y ago
You're soliciting responses from OKCupid, not from a direct competitor.
- downandout 12y ago
  You're soliciting responses for a date. If someone responds with "we have someone we want to set you up with"....that gets me to my goal of finding a date. I don't think real users looking for dates make the distinction that you are.
laurenkay 12y ago
@Minimaxr - Calling us a direct competitor is a HUGE compliment. Thank you! I've talked to people at OkC and they could care less about us now. We're peanuts compared to them. Also, they have really good spam filters etc, so they can (and do) kick us off whenever they want.
- prawn 12y ago
  Someone from OKC posted above and asked you to stop. Why make them do it with spam filters!? Just honour their request.
  - TeMPOraL 12y ago
    Exactly. Playing fair and showing friendliness can go a long way. Isn't that what YC teaches, by the way?
untog 12y ago
are you not soliciting responses? Yeah, from a prospective date, not a matchmaker. A similar situation: posting a job ad and having a recruiter reply to it trying to sell you their services, rather than a prospective employee. If you've ever been in that situation you'd know that it isn't a comparable response, and is just irritating spam that results in an instant delete.
- downandout 12y ago
  I'm getting tons of downvotes but I have karma to spare so I really don't care and will continue to express my opinion. Those two things are not remotely close to the same. The recruiter is a nuisance; someone that moves you closer to what it is that YOU WERE SOLICITING for in the first place would be a welcome response. In fact given that people are shy, someone acting as a middleman would add value to the experience. The downvote button is to the left....fire away.
  - untog 12y ago
    The recruiter is a nuisance; someone that moves you closer to what it is that YOU WERE SOLICITING for in the first place would be a welcome response. That's exactly what a recruiter does, though.
    - downandout 12y ago
      No it's not. The recruiter hasn't matched you with a specific job at the time they send you the message....they're just spamming you. A matchmaker would have already done this and is bringing you precisely what you were asking for. Gigantic difference.
      - untog 12y ago
        I'm talking about a recruiter approaching an employer. Sometimes they will e-mail with a specific candidate, sometimes they won't. In either case, they won't show you until you agree to pay them.
      - 12y ago

minimaxir 12y ago

You're soliciting responses from OKCupid, not from a direct competitor.

downandout 12y ago
You're soliciting responses for a date. If someone responds with "we have someone we want to set you up with"....that gets me to my goal of finding a date. I don't think real users looking for dates make the distinction that you are.

laurenkay 12y ago

@Minimaxr - Calling us a direct competitor is a HUGE compliment. Thank you! I've talked to people at OkC and they could care less about us now. We're peanuts compared to them. Also, they have really good spam filters etc, so they can (and do) kick us off whenever they want.

prawn 12y ago
Someone from OKC posted above and asked you to stop. Why make them do it with spam filters!? Just honour their request.
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  Exactly. Playing fair and showing friendliness can go a long way. Isn't that what YC teaches, by the way?

untog 12y ago

are you not soliciting responses? Yeah, from a prospective date, not a matchmaker. A similar situation: posting a job ad and having a recruiter reply to it trying to sell you their services, rather than a prospective employee. If you've ever been in that situation you'd know that it isn't a comparable response, and is just irritating spam that results in an instant delete.

downandout 12y ago
I'm getting tons of downvotes but I have karma to spare so I really don't care and will continue to express my opinion. Those two things are not remotely close to the same. The recruiter is a nuisance; someone that moves you closer to what it is that YOU WERE SOLICITING for in the first place would be a welcome response. In fact given that people are shy, someone acting as a middleman would add value to the experience. The downvote button is to the left....fire away.
- untog 12y ago
  The recruiter is a nuisance; someone that moves you closer to what it is that YOU WERE SOLICITING for in the first place would be a welcome response. That's exactly what a recruiter does, though.
  - downandout 12y ago
    No it's not. The recruiter hasn't matched you with a specific job at the time they send you the message....they're just spamming you. A matchmaker would have already done this and is bringing you precisely what you were asking for. Gigantic difference.
    - untog 12y ago
      I'm talking about a recruiter approaching an employer. Sometimes they will e-mail with a specific candidate, sometimes they won't. In either case, they won't show you until you agree to pay them.
    - 12y ago