I’ve personally lamented the end of Business 2.0, a magazine I faithfully subscribed to until the very end. But today they spammed their user base with an offer to subscribe to other magazines. With all due respect to my co-editor Erick Schonfeld who just left that publication, this was a pathetic end to an otherwise glorious publication. At least, I hope it’s the end, and that they don’t spam us again.
by
Michael Arrington
on
October 9, 2007
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You should blur out the green url so they don’t advance from this posting.
Why is this spam?
Companies you subscribe with do send offers within terms of subscription. Yahoo! does it and so do tons of companies.
I’d take this as a ‘Going out of business’ offer rather than blatant spam as you deem it to be.
waaaaaahhh!!! Delete the message you big baby!
I agree with Chris, companies with which you subscribe will continue sending you offers. I don’t see it as an ignominious end.
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
Might as well go for it, not like they need to try to protect the Business 2.0 brand anymore. Flame it out.
too bad most of those magazines are not worth reading
That is not SPAM, you were a subscriber! And 94% off is a really good deal.
good deal
Why would I need it when I already have TechCrunch for free?
I am really going to miss Business 2.0 – Not really interested in Fortune. Anyway… I am sure some one will step in and fill the void. Business 3.0?
Why would this be considered as spam???
If this is spam – publishing and publicizing conferences that the editor of a particular blog is speaking at is a bigger spam !!! wouldn’t u agree?
It was a great offer prize that they wanted to share with their readers.
Not that u are forced to sign up
Now if they sell this email list to a marketer – that would be dangerous territory
TWX sucks. I think Facebook should be able to buy them out in a few years. LOL.
you call this spam? NINETY-FOUR PERCENT OFF?!?!?!? PLEASE FORWARD ME THIS “SPAM”
This didn’t deserve a post mike, this is they kind of thing you mention to your mailman as he casually ignores your whining.
Hey Mikey, how much did they pay you to put that up on your site? Not only did you show us “3 easy ways to buy” but a phone number ta-boot! Clever.
Yeah I am a B 2.0 fan too, but to put the actual advertisement on your site, instead of the news of them spaming us with it seems obviously transparent.
Come on give us the good stuff, that was a waste of my valuable time.
/logs back into WoW
Valuable!
Mike, how about i give you my postal address and you signup on my behalf. the subscription is practically free. if anything I’ll use them for my fireplace
Does anything ever happen in the USA anymore without some corporate boards and bean counters scheming about how to “leverage” everything into profits?
I got the same email from another time warner magazine that is not going out of business.
Not a spam I guess. When you signed up or whenever you gave your e-mail id, you would have subscribed for such promotions also. Even you didn’t, term and conditions will have this thing covered. With no offense, this should not have been a post in one of the technology’s biggest blog.
Mike, you are obsessed with B2.0. We can get you help.
I would love a really good definition of Spam. I’m sure there will be sixty, with ‘unsolicited email’ the base to work from. I’m betting there are a wide variety of opinions on what is and is not permissable, and what crosses the line – unintentionally even – when sending e-mails.
I agree with the others who think this is not a big deal. Biz 2.0 had a ‘goodbye’ cover on the last issue, explaining they (Time) wanted to switch me to Fortune, which I will decline. Was that a Spam cover?
So someone please give us ‘The Rules’ of Spam. An email from Biz 2.0 to its former sub base is a different than the bot-network spewed Viagra pitches we all despise. That, to me, is Spam.
Yeah, I got that email too. Sooooooooo annoying. The least they can do is say “Farewell” and give us a free 1 yr subscription to a magazine of our choice. I agree with you Mike – the email was spam.
I received it too, and I thought it was weird. But “Ignominious” is a strong word. The magazine is closing down, you have to give it some chance to recover its user base.
sorry Richie Rich. those are some great deals. EW for $10 a year?!?!? I’m filling out the form right now. my wife would love InStyle – which is never discounted deeply – for less than $20 a year.
if you know of any other 94%-off savings on, say, cars, or boats, or homes from legitimate sellers, please feel free to send along the “spam”
I promise to stop publishing my spams on techcrunch
Chris Anderson and James Daly founded Business 2.0. They are big boss. They know their rules. They don’t like blogging websites. Why would they shut it down?
What if CNN got smart and did not shut down business 2.0?
I was reading about companies fire employees for Blogging. I was googling and wikipedia business 2.0. The article here:
In July 2007 the New York Times reported that the September issue could be the magazine’s last. In response to these reports a number of readers organized a Facebook group called I read Business 2.0. And I want to keep reading! to speak out against Time Inc.’s possible decision to close the publication.
The word “Could be” don’t always mean, they will shut it down.
Nevertheless, on Sept. 5, 2007, the New York Times reported that Time Inc. had confirmed it would shut down Business 2.0 with its Oct. 2007 issue [1] “as the magazine’s ad pages precipitously dropped this year” [6]. A number of the reporters and editors have been transferred to work on Fortune.?
Again, the word “Nevertheless” and “It would shut down” doesn’t always mean, they will shut it down.
Will they shut down it Business 2.0 operations?
I’m business 2.0 website. I don’t get notice either.
I like to get memo from founders of business 2.0, not from blogger websites. Ask the big boss… Will they shut it down?
I like to read it.
In another, less spam-obssessed universe this would be known as a cross sell. Everyone does it these days to people who have already shown an interest in one of their other products. It’s simply business common-sense.
I got this same email and thought the same thing. It all reads a lot like spam – overly markety and trying to trick a person into thinking they’re getting a good thing. And to clarify, it’s up to 94% off – meaning one sub is 94% while the rest are normal sub price. Not any good deals here.
If it was 10-20% off, I would mark it as spam, but 94% off of Fortune magazine is a killer deal! I would not call this an ignominious email…
I don’t think this can be classified as spam at all. I think to subscribers, its a good opportunity to get a good discount on the other magazines on their stable and if is not interested you just ignore it and delete the email. But the email does not say save 94% but save up to 94% but its still a good deal in my book.
It shouldn’t matter if it’s a good deal or not. It’s either spam or it’s not. You either subscribed to get the offer or not. In this case it looks like Michael subscribed… and in his (faux?) anger gave their offer 609K more pairs of eyeballs.
I think that the obvious cozy relationship Michael has with B2.0, has him throwing them a bone by promoting this final offer. Maybe it was part of Erick’s signing bonus?
and as you show us spam keeps working…
Lighten up Mike! really. I hate spam as much as the next guy, but you me and many who read this are all in the “make money from the internet” game. These guys are not overt spammers, we all know who they are. Just dump the email and call it a day.
If you people had listened to me you would have known that this was coming. They didn’t defend and push MS products hard enough, they woulda’ been paid.
http://fakestev...er.blogspot.com
I think the email has been designed (and written) badly but I don’t think the content constitiutes SPAM. I reckon it’s a textbook example of targeted email marketing. It would be interesting to see the take-up off the offer.
What is difference between blog website and news media website?
These guys are really on top of things. If you follow the link you’ll notice that Time Warner still lists B2.0 on the “friends and family newsstand”, along with a cover photo.
Of course the link doesn’t work, but geez, how hard would it be to take it off the list. Dinosaurs…
The site doesn’t say anything about end of Business 2.0.
http://money.cn...ines/business2/
Did blogger tried to bring down Business 2.0 ?
When I click this business 2.0 is going belly up.
http://ap.googl...5EABnZqhfcxM47w
I see nothing. But I like to know by next week. I like to know who is telling the truth Blogger or Business Press.
I’ve tried TWnewstandfriendsfamily.com/b2/ link. It doesn’t work….
I think CNN or Business 2.0 is shutting all bloggers websites, like this one
http://blogs.business2.com/
The problem with business2.0 blog websites. They are not getting feed back from users.
Speaking of Business 2.0 blogs, have you seen this one:
http://www.vivabusiness2.com
Wow….
vivabusiness2.com
I like it…. Thanks…
I will spread the words….
Sorry MA, I think you are making a bugger deal than what it is.
another poor post mike. Really. At least you could have seen if the offers were good deals. Perhaps you might save some money or your readers… instead all we get is – cry.
I think Mike tried to assassinate Business 2.0.
He encourage secretly mass mailer to spam users mail, and to force people hate Business 2.0, and switch Techcrunch.
Please give Business 2.0 positive views and stop terminating Business 2.0. I like to know if Business 2.0 going out of business.
Founders of business 2.0 must speak, not Timewarner, not bloggers make up stories of fabricate idea.
I want to truth damn it!!!
I really want to truth….
I love Business 2.0
I got this email as well. I would have been ok with it if it didn’t look like a scam. The link itself looked a bit fishy. What kind of a URL is TWNewsstandFriendsAndFamily?
Sounds kind of annoying, but this is not newsworthy.
finally some real news on techcrunch…
I dont think its spam but i understand it can be annoying.
….why is Erick pushing Business 2.0 Demise Grief Counselling and not Spam Aversion Therapy ..?
We need to know!