This morning I received the following SMS text message on my mobile phone:
AT&T Wireless: $25K sweeps, reply YES to enter! NO PURCH REQ. Odds dep on # entries. Ends 9/30. [email protected]/usa 2 stop msgs go2 attwireless.com/privacy
Personally, I found the unwanted message highly unprofessional. The message made it very simple to enter the "sweeps" — just reply and say YES. If you would rather not receive further messages, you have to visit attwireless.com/privacy. No hot link was provided. Just as well because it would take a long time to download on a mobile phone. Upon visiting the Web page, I found a ten page 5,290 word document. A paragraph on the Web page said, "If you are an AT&T Wireless customer and wish to change your preferences on receiving these types of communications, you can click here and complete a form to tell us your preferences". Want to opt in? No problem. They already did that for you. Want to participate further? No problem. Hit reply and say YES. Want to stop the unsolicited messages? Not so easy. Visit a Web site, look for the relevant information, and if you find it, fill out a form.
What I find amazing about this example of unprofessional and unsolicited spam is not that I received it, but who I received it from. AT&T Wireless is a public company with significant financials and a market capitalization of nearly $40 billion. This is not a fly-by-night operator. Their Web site highlights the philosophy behind their corporate citizenship, and sites many examples of the good things they are doing. It truly is a fine company in most respects.
I wonder if their board of directors and CEO realize that their company is saying “Giving back to the community isn’t an optional program at AT&T Wireless. It is both a responsibility and a privilege.” and also saying "AT&T Wireless: $25K sweeps, reply YES to enter! NO PURCH REQ. Odds dep on # entries. Ends 9/30. [email protected]/usa 2 stop msgs go2 attwireless.com/privacy".

• patrickWeb Privacy And Trust series