Doing my part to help the BYOND cause

ID:274932
 
Oct 21 2002, 8:34 am
I hate junk mail. I hate email spam too (probably more), but I'm talking about the stuff that exists in the real world, delivered by the US Postal Service. Credit card offers are the most common ones I get, but regardless, if they want my money, they'll include a way for me to easily give it to them. Usually this means a postage-paid return envelope.

I used to shred them and throw them away, but what a hassle. Lately I've been having more fun with it, and at the same time, costing those bastards some money. I stuff the pre-paid envelopes with any useless paper I can find - expired pizza coupons, other junk mail, random papers I don't need anymore - and send them back. The weirder the better. I figure it makes the job of the poor sap in that company's mailroom just a little more interesting for a moment.

Then the idea hit me this morning. Why not print up a short advertisement for BYOND and send it back?
Tired of working a dead-end mailroom job? Ever wanted to easily create your own computer games? Start your career as a computer game designer, using the powerful and easy BYOND system. It's totally free, and anyone can create their first game in minutes.

http://www.byond.com/
Build Your Own Net Dream

Don't wait, get it today!

Is this a good idea? Or is it just as bad as the bastards sending me the initial junk mail? ;-)
Oct 21 2002, 8:39 am
Air Mapster wrote:
Is this a good idea? Or is it just as bad as the bastards sending me the initial junk mail? ;-)

Sounds devilishly clever to me, and I don't really have a problem answering junk mail with junk mail. (Although I wonder about the legality of it all. Sounds like it should be legal, but there's just an outside chance there's some law against using someone's postage like that.)

Of course, I don't often see that stuff come with prepaid return envelopes. Without those, the whole scheme falls apart.

Lummox JR
Oct 21 2002, 8:52 am
In response to Lummox JR
I like it! I'd be willing to even send back the ones that require a stamp occassionally...

Another avenue would be community bulletin boards near the entrances to businesses, particularly grocery stores.
Oct 23 2002, 8:47 pm
That's the best advertising idea I've heard in ages. :P

I don't often get junk mail like that (from what I've heard, it's not quite as rampant here - in Australia - as it is in North America), but if I did the next one I received would be sent back with a BYOND advertisement. :)

Of course, it'd be good if anyone around here who is a lawyer could confirm the legality of it first, so we don't get Dantom or ourselves in trouble...
Oct 24 2002, 1:15 pm
In response to Crispy
I'm pretty sure Lummox is a lawyer.
Oct 24 2002, 5:13 pm
In response to Sariat
Sariat wrote:
I'm pretty sure Lummox is a lawyer.

Programmer. I'm not that evil yet.

Lummox JR
Oct 24 2002, 5:53 pm
In response to Lummox JR
Lummox JR wrote:
Sariat wrote:
I'm pretty sure Lummox is a lawyer.

Programmer. I'm not that evil yet.

I've worked with a number of lawyers in my time, on important moral issues, and they were consistently great.

I've worked with a number of HR people in my time, on important moral issues, and they were consistently evil.
Oct 24 2002, 5:56 pm
In response to Deadron
But have you worked with the evil genius who 'Programs Lawyers'? I rest Lummox's case :D
Oct 24 2002, 6:22 pm
In response to Deadron
Yes, as shown by Catbert, Evil HR Director...

lol
Oct 24 2002, 6:38 pm
In response to Lummox JR
Lummox JR wrote:
Programmer. I'm not that evil yet.

Yet? Do I dare ask what evil plans you have in store for the future?
Oct 26 2002, 2:02 pm
In response to Lummox JR
Gazoot told me that you were a lawyer.
Oct 27 2002, 7:41 am
In response to Sariat
Sariat wrote:
Gazoot told me that you were a lawyer.

He must've been joking around, then. I've never taken a single course in law; I've been programming, however, pretty much all my life.

Lummox JR