Why Is This So Rare?

I cannot understand how some people and companies expect to lie to prospective customers and still somehow have a fruitful relationship.

When an auto dealership disguises an advertisement so it looks like an official government document, that is a lie.

When I email a question about a product or service, I do not want to be automatically added to your daily email newsletter, or have my information shared with any other party.

And when I unsubscribe, that means you should immediately and permanently remove me from all marketing communications and lists, unless I actively opt to resubscribe.

Treat others the way…

In the months leading up to the recent launch of a project I’ve been working on, I had a web page with the following “One Email Only” signup form:

It’s absolutely clear — we promise only one email to notify when we launch.

That’s it.

Anything other than that one single email is a breach of trust.

So when I finally got all my ducks in a row, I sent the people who signed-up one email, which included the following text in the “P.S.” section:

And then, I deleted every single one of the email addresses for people who signed up.

This was a little painful, because I know I’ll lose touch with some of these people forever, but it’s the only way to truly fulfill the “one email only” promise.

Bare Minimum

Of course this is not anything amazing or heroic — it’s the bare minimum I could do while still honoring the promise.

Why does this kind of basic decency seem so rare?

If you’re curious about the project, have a look at it on Kickstarter. Thanks!