I’m puzzled when I get automated replies like this, generally to having sent a “reply all” to a group:
I apologize for this automatic reply to your email.
To control spam, I now allow incoming messages only from senders I have approved beforehand.
If you would like to be added to my list of approved senders, please fill out the short request form (see link below). Once I approve you, I will receive your original message in my inbox. You do not need to resend your message. I apologize for this one-time inconvenience.
First, a message like that looks a lot like spam to me — it’s something I had to call up, thinking I have a reply to my message, only to find out I’m wasting my time looking at it.
Second — I find that spam filters work pretty well these days, compared to their lame antecedents 10 years or so ago. Avoiding spam just doesn’t sound to me like good reason to slam virtual doors in people’s faces. Does it to you?
I don’t hit “reply all” on anything unless I have something legitimate to share with the group. Once or twice a month is about it. It just doesn’t seem that I should encounter things like that in the year 2014.
But thanks for the apology, anyway…
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So few people use that nowadays. Old people, of the sort who share email and Facebook accounts….
It looks like the sort of thing earthlink (which I use) sends out. It means lots less trash in my mailbox. It doesn’t ask for personal info though. It’s pretty straight forward. Of course, I may well belong to that “old people” category. Of course, just looking at my “suspected spam” leads me to like that a lot.
I used to use mindspring, bought out by earthlink, but Gmail is so much better. You don’t have to prescreen spam. Any decent spam filter should do it for you. Asking people to get permission to send you email is annoying.
Look at the sender on that message. It’s probably someone you know virtually, and they may be trying to protect their privacy. You don’t need to fill out the form. Just contact that person directly and ask them about it.