Mike West is the owner of Gulf1.net. He hides behind the name of Sidney Wallace. He not only makes it nearly impossible to unsubscribe from this endless stream of emails, but he also insults those who do.
Here is a set of mails from someone trying to stop the spam – Remember Congressman Jeff Miller, State Reps Clay Ford and Dave Murzin and PNJ columnist Mark O’Brien use this website.
To: west@gulf1.com
Subject: gulf1 mailing lists
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm
Please read the text in the URL above.
In my opinion, Gulf1.net is in violation of the CAN-SPAM act set forth by our government to protect consumers from unsolicited emails.
Specifically:
It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out method. You must provide a return email address or another Internet-based response mechanism that allows a recipient to ask you not to send future email messages to that email address, and you must honor the requests. You may create a “menu” of choices to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to end any commercial messages from the sender.
Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your commercial email. When you receive an opt-out request, the law gives you 10 business days to stop sending email to the requestor’s email address. You cannot help another entity send email to that address, or have another entity send email on your behalf to that address. Finally, it’s illegal for you to sell or transfer the email addresses of people who choose not to receive your email, even in the form of a mailing list, unless you transfer the addresses so another entity can comply with the law.
As a developer, I have a good idea of what you guys are doing. You keep a master database of everyone’s info you’ve ever collected, and every time you want to start a new mailing list, EVERYONE gets put on it. Your opt-out mechanism is on a list by list basis. So when someone thinks they’ve opted out, a week later they get another email from you guys, having to opt out of this new list.
I have reported you to the government. I recommend you remove my email address from your master database. If I get one more piece of SPAM from gulf1.net, I will personally sue you for everything I can.
Thank You,
Mike
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Dear Mikie,
Thank you for your informative Email. Please keep me posted as to the results of your efforts. I am just jumping with excitement to know how your efforts are progressing.
I started to point out some of the major flaws with your argument, but decided to let you experience the joy of finding out for yourself.
Please write again, I am anxious to hear how you are doing.
M. Sidney Wallace
Editor, Gulf1.com
www.gulf1.com
msw@gulf1.com
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Mr. Wallace,
Thank you for reading and responding to my email. It didn’t take me long to find the flaws in my initial argument. In accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act, I personally can’t sue you (nor do I wish to spend the time, effort or money required to do so), but my ISP can. I have contacted them, and they take these matters seriously. They have asked that I forward any emails I have been receiving from gulf1, and any emails I receive in the future.
All I’m asking is that you provide a master opt-out mechanism so that users can permanently end the receipt of unsolicited emails from your organization. I’m sure you’ve spent the time to find all the loopholes you can to stay in accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act.
I’m not familiar with the finer details of the Act, but I’m sure it requires that the originating email address be a valid email. I tried to respond to the email address that the Thursday Nights in Seville email lists are coming from, and it’s not even a valid email address.
As far as my efforts on this matter, I’m done. I’ve spent my five minutes filing a complaint with the FTC. Not sure if it will actually result in anything, but that, and this email, is all the time I have to devote to this matter.
Have a good day.
-m
_________________
To: Editor Gulf1
Subject: Re: gulf1 mailing lists
Corrections:
I said:
“I’m not familiar with the finer details of the Act, but I’m sure it requires that the originating email address be a valid email. I tried to respond to the email address that the Thursday Nights in Seville email lists are coming from, and it’s not even a valid email address.”
I tried to respond to the concert or concerts@gulf1.net email that is in the body of the Seville Music nights email. That is the invalid address, not the sender of the email. I suggest you make that a valid email address so Gulf1 doesn’t look like such a hack organization.
I see someone from Gulf1’s phone number tried to call me twice this evening. Sorry I missed you, feel free to call me tomorrow. Also, feel free to post my phone number in the next public restroom you visit. Apparently, that’s what you like to do to people who put in an honest effort to remove themselves from your list(s).
-m
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Dear Mikie,
So nice to hear from you again.
You write so voluminously for an individual with reduced mental capabilities. I encourage you to keep trying because you will get better only with practice. (Also try to take your medications on time, because we don’t want nurse Ratched to get upset with you.)
As for all you have written so far, you seem to have missed the mark on 99% of the attempts. Look at the brighter side, the only way you can go is up.
I am so disappointed in your deciding not to bring legal actions. I was so looking forward to spending your money in court cost and time wasting.
Please in the future don’t act like a Democrat and threaten legal action at the drop of a hat. Look where it has gotten your buddy Al Sharpton.
Like I said in my last Email, keep me posted on your adventures. They read like a modern day “Ivanhoe.”
M. Sidney Wallace
Editor, Gulf1.com
www.gulf1.com
msw@gulf1.com
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Mr. Wallace,
Based off of the role models you’ve got plastered on your home page, it doesn’t surprise me that you prefer to spew hateful/insulting rhetoric than actually address the issue at hand. Luckily for me, I grew up at the bottom of the pecking order in a group of brothers and male cousins, so such attempts to rile me up fall on deaf ears.
As for the “drop of the hat” comment, this has been going on for years. Every time I unsubscribe to one of your lists, I send in an email asking to be taken off of the master list. The emails I saw this week were simply enough. I’m tired of personally asking you to remove me.
In the future, for each email I continue to receive from Gulf1, I will simply report it to the FTC and let you know that it has been reported.
Have a nice day.
-m
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Dear Mikie,
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am so glad to hear that the medical procedures had not permanent ill effect. I was so worry that you might be even slower after the shock.
Please make sure that you let me know the results of you ventures with the “FTC.” They are such a wonderful organization, chock full of incompetent bureaucrats that can’t find any other work in society. I am sure you will find many like yourself there.
I must admit that I was very disappointed that your decided not to carry on with your initial idle threats. It is so hard to find an honest complainer these days.
Now don’t forget to write whenever nurse Ratched takes a break.
M. Sidney Wallace
Editor, Gulf1.com
www.gulf1.com
msw@gulf1.com