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| Double opt-in subscriptions |
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Opt-in mailing lists are mandatory for all customers of Fat City.
We additionally recommend that our customers use a double opt-in technique to add subscribers to
their mailing lists. Double opt-in lists are more accurate, more secure, and ensure that
the correct subscriber is added to your list.
The differences are minor, but effective.
In a plain opt-in subscription, the subscriber either signs up to the mailing list by filling
out a form on a website, or by sending an E-mail to the list server address. The result is that the specified
E-mail address indicated is immediately added to the mailing list.
In a double opt-in subscription, the same first step is performed as above. However the user
is temporarily added to the mailing list, pending confirmation. A message is sent to the
E-mail address specified indicating that the subscription is pending. The subscriber need only reply
to the message to make their subscription permanent.
This extra step eliminates many problems with subscriptions. For example, it is fairly easy
for someone with knowledge to send an E-mail message on behalf of another address, or to "spoof"
an address and pretend to be another user. Somewhat akin to identity theft, hackers can subscribe
unsuspecting users to mailing lists that they had no intention of using. Naturally, the same
applies to unsubscribing users from lists. Plain opt-in subscriptions are susceptible to
this kind of problem. The instances of this happening are fortunately very few, but nonetheless,
the do occur from time to time.
Double opt-in mechanisms eliminate this potential problem by requiring that the intended new
subscriber confirm that they wanted to subscribe to the mailing list. While hackers can fake
the initial message, it's almost impossible for them (or unlikely for them) to break into the
real user's account and confirm the subscription. If someone did fake the initial subscription
request, the real user can simply ignore the confirmation E-mail. If no response is received
from the potential new subscriber after seven days, the subscription request is canceled and the
information removed from the system. If they actually did request to join the mailing list, then
they only have to reply to the message to make their subscription permanent.
If you have any questions or concerns about which mechanism is best for your needs,
contact us at any time and we'd be happy to help out.
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