They probably scraped it from UT postings or the Wiki or other foxpro forums... etc.

BOb


>>>>>I didn't realize one email constituted spam. ...
>>>>
>>>>I think one single email can very well be spam. I am not sure about the present case, but a single email would be spam if it is sent to a large amount of people, who didn't ask for it.
>>>>
>>>>Now, is such an individual email a problem? I am sure it is. Even if I, personally, receive only a single e-mail from an individual company, I might also get thousands of single e-mails from other individual companies around the globe.
>>>>
>>>>Hilmar.
>>>
>>>I agree. I don't care that it's one email: I didn't ask to be mailed their info, they clearly got my name from someone's list, and I have added them to my "junk email" list. That is spam in my book.
>>>
>>>I had heard about this conference through word of mouth and was considering it. Now I am not sure (yes, I feel THAT strongly about getting unsolicited email).
>>
>>Jeesh guys, lighten up. At least it's on topic email. Or would you like to have some of the crap I receive to lengthen your member or refinance or whatever else? I get plenty so I can share...
>
>Oh, I get those too, don't worry!!
>
>But, it doesn't make this any better. I don't care if it's on-topic. It's unsolicited mail, and as a result it is no more or less spam than those offers to naturally improve my breast size.
>
>-- If the conference organizers received my name from a list that they believed included only folks who want to receive such mail, no harm done on their part. But, I want to know where they received it (I've emailed that request to them already).
>
>-- If they went trolling around the UT or experts-exchange or wherever, than I would factor that into any decision to write them a check for their services. It wouldn't disqualify them automatically, but it would factor into the decision of which of the half dozen potential conferences I should spend money on this year.
>
>I understand the need to advertise. And I'm under no illusion that any purchasing decision that I make will have an affect on a product's ad campaign. But, on a personal level, these campaigns factor into my decisions. Again, if these organizers believed they were sending to folks who wanted this mail, then there's no harm and no foul. Frankly, I mainly want to know where they got my email address so that I can keep track of which sites are selling my info (even when I opt out).