Lileks makes a very good point today about freebies, spyware and Opt In/Out. This has been bugging me for a while too. Why not let us have a taste before slamming down the disclaimer and Opt in/out notice...it seems very counter intuative to hit a prospective client with a wall of negative legalese and expect a positive response and possibly a lust to buy. My response is probably typical:
Whoa! Delete/Escape/Click off.
Just as I hit the "Top Menu" button as soon as the DVD spins up, I never read the legal disclaimer and Option pages on a "gimme" download or CD up front. Why should I waste my time? The industry needs to get a handle on this issue before some blow-dry empty suit in Congress thinks they should intercede and really screws up our freedom to set/use cookies.
I don't care if a faceless number-crunching market drone totes up my web stats and feeds it to a focus group on a platter...AFTER I enjoy their gimme and opt in. Their heavy handeded approach is off putting...why aren't focus groups telling them so?