In one of the organizations that I am involved with, we routinely include an “email” field on all marketing and ordering materials. Next to the email line, there is a box marked “Yes, please add me to your mailing list.”
While this is standard procedure, it has presented an ethical question regarding adding the names to the list. One would assume, that if they filled out the email part of the form, that they do indeed want to subscribe to the newsletter/list. However, in the majority of cases we have noticed people are filling out their email address but not checking the box.
So what should we do? Should we not add the email address since the box wasn’t checked, or should we add the email addresses since they were provided, and they can always unsubscribe later. My first impulse is the latter, since you wouldn’t fill out a blank on the form if you didn’t want to be added. Besides, it is easier to ask forgiveness later, right?
Just curious what YOU would do in the same position.
I would not add them by default. Some organizations may need the email address to clarify something, or contact a person directly. Online, sometimes you can’t download software updates or trials for certain items without entering an email address, but you don’t want to be included on the mailing list. Just a personal opinion…