MailChimp is a newletter service that allows it’s users to send emails to anyone who subscribes to them.  They have a service that allows anyone to get up to 2000 people on a mailing list and not have to pay a cent.

Unfortunately there is a drawback to this service.

With the launch of my podcasting network, Say It Productions, I was going to sign up for the service, but for anyone out there who is doing podcasting out of their home might not want to use this service.

The reason is because MailChimp has to follow The CAN-SPAM Act.  With all legitimate online mailings there are a few things that must be posted in the email.  One of these things is to list where your business is located.  If you’re doing a podcast out of your home, you have to give you home address.  (There is no way around this, because if any false information is provided your mailing list, and possibly account, can be pulled.)

So, how can you get around this?

Besides providing false information the only legitimate way would be to go to your local post office and rent a PO Box.  It might not be cost worthy to do this, but if you really want to send out regular mailings this would be the way you can do it.

But there is another way to do it.

Your website is the safest place to do this.  The reason I say it’s safe is because this is the place where you own your own stuff.  If you put stuff on Twitter, Facebook, or any other site that isn’t yours there is no guarantee that you will always have access to it.  By using Feedburner you can create an email subscription feed that will send an email of any new postings to the user.  This is the closest you can get to a mailing list without supplying your home address.

Feedburner allows you to post a small piece of HTML on your site so people can sign up and be emailed the new posting from the website.  For more information on this check out the FAQ.

So, if you want to send mailings to your users but now want to give out your home address these two options are the best way to go.

What this feature allows (If enabled) is if a person is sending an email between two specified times it will force the user to answer 5 math questions within a certain time limit.  Essentially, this is a way to prevent people from “drunk emailing.”

Personally, I think that it’s just a gimmick by Google to convince people to switch over to their service.

Saturday night, I tested out this service.  I attempted to send a “drunk email” to one of my lovers – Drew Barrymore.  (“Why won’t you talk to me, Drew?”)  The only setting that this feature has is a math setting.  Unfortunately, I’m very proficient in math so I set it to the hardest setting.

I set up an email and hit the send button.  A window popped up with 5 math questions and a 45 second clock.  I answered the “hard” questions with plenty of time to spare.  My email went on it’s way.

If Google wants this service to work better they need to change a few things:

1. Don’t just have addition and subtraction questions
Even on the hardest setting they have all the questions where addition and subtraction.  They were double digit math questions, but still too easy.  Throw in some multiplication and division in there.  That would help make it more difficult for people.
2. Do more than math
Some people are naturally good enough at math.  (Me – case in point)  Give the users other options.  How about some spelling questions?  Maybe some analogies?  Something SAT related could work.  The easiest way to get around the math questions is by using Google to give you the answers.  Step it up a notch.
3. Time delay the mailing
When people are angry or drunk they do stupid things and then regret LATER!  Google could put an option in to the email settings where if there is an email sent at a certain time you put it in holding box and when the person logs in later on a window pops up asking them if they’re sure they want to send the specific email.  It’s a little more of a “mature” way to approach this.

In the end, this is just one of the features that Google put out there so people can talk about it, but not actually use it.