Re: Unsubscribing and HTML e-mail? (was: Blocked)

["Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>]

"Dick Margulis" <margulis -at- fiam -dot- net> wrote in message news:212844 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
> Chuck Martin wrote:
> > "inadvertently opting-in" indeed......
> >
> >If it's not an explicit, clear choice--in other words, not buried in
mounds
> >of surrounding tiny type and in plain language--then it's a sneaky
> >underhanded trick to drive traffic and increase circulation.
> ></soapbox>
> >
> It's an explicit checkbox on the registration form. It is worded more
> clearly than most of what I write. It is on by default and it is
> immediately above the submit button. Some people may click the submit
> button without taking time to read the line next to the checked box.
> That's inadvertent in my book.

OK, sounds like the clarity part is there.

But if it's really opt-in, then why allow users to click Submit (and I won't
go into the issues with using that word as a button label) when they could
not read the line? Why not make it true opt-in and have the check box
cleared by default?

If users can inadvertently go past that--as we've seen many can
do--designing it so they have to take explicit action to get it, rather than
not get it, would reduce the possibility of users getting what they don't
want. In other words, change the design so users overlooking that line won't
have unintended consequences for them. You know that users make the mistake,
and we know they often don't read, so don't let them make the mistake in the
first place.

Chuck Martin