MainSleaze

SalsaLabs, the ESP side of liberal U.S. political activist group Wired for Change, is sending bulk email to yet more email addresses that were closed years ago, inviting the owners to a Webinar on the tools and techniques for advocacy organizations. Since SalsaLabs is an ESP as well as an organization that provides tools and training to mostly-liberal and leftist advocacy groups, this email was sent by them from their own IPs.

The topic of the Webinar that SalsaLabs is holding is… topical, to put it mildly. Their methods for advertising appear to be stuck in 2000, however, or perhaps in reverse. Either they are reactivating lists that they have not contacted for many years, or they are emailing third-party lists that they purchased or otherwise obtained without thereby obtaining the permission of those on the list to send them email. That an ESP would act this way is disheartening: they *must* know how most users and most blocklists define spam (hint: unsolicited bulk email) and how most of them feel about receiving spam.

Sending IP: 69.174.83.172

Spam Sample:

Actual Headers:

Received: from m172.salsalabs.net (m172.salsalabs.net [69.174.83.172])
        by <xxx> (Postfix) with ESMTP id <xxx>
        for <xxx>; Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:xx:xx -0600 (CST)
Received: from [10.174.xx.xx] ([10.174.xx.xx:xx] helo=<xxx>.salsalabs.net)
        by <xxx>.salsalabs.net (envelope-from <<xxx>@bounces.salsalabs.net>)
        (ecelerity 3.2.3.43244 r(43244)) with ESMTP
        id <xxx>; Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:xx:xx -0500
Message-ID: <<xxx>.wiredforchange.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:xx:xx -0500 (EST)
From: "Jeanette Russell, Salsa Labs" <feedback@salsalabs.com>
Reply-To: feedback@salsalabs.com
To: <xxx>
Subject: Webinar, Thurs Jan 19 - Advocacy Rising in 2012: Is your
 organization ready?
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
        boundary="<xxx>"
Envelope-From: <<xxx>@bounces.salsalabs.net>
X_email_KEY: <xxx>
X-campaignid: salsa<xxx>

Readable Email:

From: Jeanette Russell, Salsa Labs <feedback@salsalabs.com>
To: <spamtrap>
Subject: Webinar, Thurs Jan 19 – Advocacy Rising in 2012: Is your organization ready?
Reply-To: feedback@salsalabs.com

From “Arab Spring” to rallies and movements bubbling up across the US, people around the world are organizing and demanding change. Whether your organization is local or national, with the right tools and techniques, you can tap into the rising tide of advocacy and make your voice heard.

How do you harness grassroots energy to exert influence and strengthen your organization? *Check out our upcoming webinar — “Advocacy RISING in 2012: Is your organization ready?” — to find out.* [ https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/<xxx> ]

The webinar will take place on *Thursday, January 19th at 2 PM ET.*

<removed>

If you prefer not to receive this email, you can always unsubscribe.

[ http://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/8001/p/salsa/supporter/unsubscribe/public/index.sjs?<xxx> ]

1700 Connecticut Ave, Suite 403 Washington DC 20009