Angela Wu

The 'ListBot Dilemma' and List Hosting Alternatives

I'm ... On June 22, 2001, one of the most popular list hosts ... that it was ... it's ... service with a 'new and ... version. We have to save allour ... lists an

I'm disgusted.

On June 22, 2001, one of the most popular list hosts
announced that it was replacing it's excellent service
with a 'new and improved' version. We have to save all
our subscriber lists and archives by August 20, or they'll
be lost forever - unless, of course, we upgrade to their
new service.

You might already know that I'm talking about ListBot.
Yes, the extremely popular ListBot is to be replaced
with something called 'ListBuilder'.

Now I don't begrudge them for eliminating the 'free
ListBot'; they're a business, after all, and they have
to try to remain profitable. What bothers me is that they
don't seem to care one whit about what this means to their
customers - free AND paying customers.

Let me add that they had a lot of loyal customers - people
who loved their service and were willing, even happy, to
pay for it. I was one of them ... until recently.

This change has a big effect on those of us who
used ListBot to manage our newsletters. Our ListBot
subscription links will now be defunct. In other words,
years of hard work promoting our subscription links -
in articles, eBooks, links, and so on - are completely
*wasted*.

THAT is why I'm disgusted. It's hard to believe that
ListBot would behave so callously towards their loyal,
paying fans.

My trust is broken. I loved ListBot. I *don't*, however,
love what they've done. So instead of upgrading to their
new ListBuilder service, I went looking for another
solution.

SCRIPTS
~~~~~~~~

One option is to purchase a script to manage your list.
Two such examples are:

== Opt-in Lightning, http://www.optinlightning.com/
== Mail Master Pro, http://www.cgitoolbox.com/package.html

With scripts, there's a number of things to consider.
For example, does your web host allow you to install and
run scripts? Is there an extra charge for doing so? Do
you know how to install a script - or know someone who
can do it for you?

On the good side, once installed, your list management
is completely under your control. No more relying on
another company to handle your newsletter! You typically
pay a one-time purchase fee for the script (and possibly
the installation as well) and it's yours to use forever.

FREE LIST HOSTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ListBot used to have a free version (ad-supported). If
you're determined to only use a free list host, two of
the most popular are:

== Yahoo Groups, http://groups.yahoo.com/
== Topica, http://www.topica.com/

If, however, you choose to use a free service, be aware
that although they're free *now*, they may not *remain*
free. At any time they could choose to start charging
for their services (like so many previously 'free' online
services have done) ... or they could withdraw services
altogether.

Heck, ListBot was run by Microsoft. If Microsoft
couldn't make it work, how much longer do you think
these other services will remain free?

FEE-BASED LIST HOSTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While searching for a solution to my 'ListBot dilemma',
I came across a large number of list hosts. What I was
looking for was a host that could provide all the usual
newsletter management features, along with reliability
and a strong dedication to customer service.

In terms of money, fee-based list hosts usually work on
a subscription basis. You pay a fee periodically (every
month, quarter, or year, for example) in exchange for the
ability to send a certain number of messages each month.
Some list hosts will charge you based on how many messages
you send (for example, $1 for every 1000 messages).

Two list hosts that were highly recommended to me are:

== SparkList, http://www.sparklist.com/services/hosting/
== ListChannel, http://buildyourhomebiz.com/listchannel.html

I finally chose to go with ListChannel (SparkList has a
minimum of $50/month, which is more than I want to spend).
So far I'm happy with ListChannel: it's fast, reliable,
and their customer service is consistently prompt and
helpful.

If you're a 'ListBot Refugee', ListChannel has set up a
special discount for you (good only until August 20, 2001):
http://buildyourhomebiz.com/listbotspecial.html

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