Wariness Grows About Using E-Cards for Home Business Greetings
July 30, 2007 by Mary Emma Allen
E-cards or postcards proved a handy way to send a greeting or thank-you to online customers or those with e-mail. However, business owners have become increasingly wary of using them, as Des Walsh explains at Thinking Home Business in his post, Email Greeting Cards R.I.P.
Because spammers have begun using e-cards or postcards, business owners as well as the general public have become wary of this great way to remember friends, relative, and customers.
“Sadly, I suspect that the days of sending and receiving email cards might be numbered,” states Des, then goes on to explain why.
I realized, after I read Des’s post, that the e-mail cards I once received from friends have become minimal. In fact, because of warnings, I don’t open e-cards or postcards unless I know the sender. What about you?
Very true. I’ve been inundated with emails from familiar looking e-card websites informing me that ‘You have received an e-card from a school mate!”.
Now, unless I see a familiar name in the subject or sender’s list, I don’t dare open the link. E-cards were fun at one time,but now they are pretty predictable. Give me good old postal mail any day!
Found your blog through the latest Absolute Write newsletter. It’s great!
Chryselle
http://writersblocindia.wordpress.com
Is nothing safe from spam? Thanks for alerting us to this, Mary Emma. I never open an attachment from someone I don’t know, just in case there’s a virus, but this is a new one on me.
Phishing is another black hat email strategy I get nervous about. I’ve often almost opened emails which mimicked my bank or pay pal email enough to look genuine.
Luckily I didn’t, as they then have some pretext requesting you to enter the account details, which is a red flag straight away.
Hi Chryselle,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Yes, what once was a nice way to send greetings has become one most people stay away from because of all the spamming. Thanks, too, for letting me know where you learned about my blog. I have fun writing my column for Absolute Write/Absolute Markets.
Hi Yvonne,
Yes, e-cards have become very suspicious nowadays unless you know who they’re from. They once were, and still are, a nice way to send greetings, encouragement, thank you, etc. But spammers have gotten involved in these.
Maybe there’s a bright side to this? — dare we hope that the decline in ecards might mean something of a new life for postcards and actual notes in the mail? I’m with the others on this, hitting the delete button automatically on the flood of e-cards. You’re right, it does look like spammers have successfully done in another mode of communication!
Yes, Jen, let’s hope people start writing more postcards and notes that they send through the mail. I’ve found, with the increased postage, that I’ve gone to postcards in many cases. But these can be fun to create and send. You even can make your own.