Monday 23 November 2009

Hacked by the Tories!

I've received two emails today - well, actually I've received loads, but two that are worthy of comment.

The first is addressed 'Dear Compass Supporter', which I'm not as such 'though I don't have any objection to them getting in touch with me so long as they don't suggest I agree with them on issues where I don't, such as the leadership and PR. It asks for my suggestions for an Alternative Manifesto, to which my response would be that we don't need one, and they'd perhaps be better off submitting their suggestions to Ed Miliband, the Labour manifesto supremo. This close to an election we should be past the policy wonk stage of kicking round interesting ideas; we need to focus on what the election campaign will be about. If they're doing it with the aim of then having some input into the Labour manifesto, then all well and good. If they're doing it with the aim of presenting a 'progressive' alternative then I think that sends out all the wrong signals. But I am sure someone will explain to me what it's all about in due course.

The second email is addressed to 'KerryMP' saying

"Thank you for joining us at MyConservatives.com. You can now log in to http://www.myconservatives.com/user using this username and password", etc, etc.

Well needless to say, I haven't expressed a desire to do anything of the sort and they've clearly got an automated way of signing me up based on my Twitter account, (which is the only place I go by the name of KerryMP). This is in addition to my regular emails from Eric Pickles and David Cameron, sent to a different email account, which I didn't ask for either. They'll be sending me begging letters to fund the Tory campaign in Bristol East next.

2 comments:

eric joyce said...

It's odd that they would think automated actions based on Twittering would inspire anything other that distaste and cynicism. But I've heard of it elsewhere (although not experienced it). There's an odd thing going on at the moment where the Tories seem ahead on new-media based upon what a small number of accomplished players do, while Tory MPs, for example, seem generally well behind. I wonder if new media is much like other Tory policy areas, where there's a technically capable elite (quite earnest and honest-to-themselves) sugar-coating which disguises an unreconstructed core.

TheBoilingFrog said...

This is in addition to my regular emails from Eric Pickles and David Cameron, sent to a different email account, which I didn't ask for either.

Unsolicited emails are spam and therefore in breach of this EU Directive: 2002/58/EC.

As a mischievous thought won't it be amusing if you prosecuted the Tories using EU legislation.