Secret Weapon Sidearm - thanks for your help, ROFB

Chris Rennert's quote from ROFB on the page about our new Secret Weapon
Sidearm spinnerbait was so good that we use it on our Website (see link in
sig, below). We held off releasing the bait to dealers and the public until
New Year's Day weekend because we'd like it to be considered for best new
bait of 2007.

Of course, some of you have been using prototypes of this bait for several
months. Our first tournament field test of this new spinnerbait design was
at the ROFB Northwoods Classic last summer in Rhinelander, WI. Before moving
the lure into production, we wanted to see how well they worked and whether
anglers who were fishing for pride, money, or just the fun of competition
would reach for these baits. As it turned out, several did, and they did all
right.

To those who helped us with field-testing, many thanks for your feedback. I
think we've got an exciting addition to the Secret Weapon arsenal. If you
want to give it a try, we've created a 50% discount code for ROFB members,
good through the first week in January.

Regards, and Happy New Year!

Joe
--------------------
Secret Weapon Lures
Better designs... better performance... better results!
SWL Sidearm: http://secretweaponlures.com/sidearm.htm
50% ROFB Member Discount (through Jan 7, 2007): rofb750

Joe Haubenreich wrote:
SPAM snipped

I'd like two fried eggs, over easy, with my SPAM.

Thanks.

--
Ken Fortenberry

You still eat that stuff?

Myself... I gotta lay off the fat.


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. net...
Joe Haubenreich wrote:
SPAM snipped

I'd like two fried eggs, over easy, with my SPAM.

Thanks.

--
Ken Fortenberry

How about some wine with that too?

--
Chris S
Replace com with net to e-mail
---

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. net...
Joe Haubenreich wrote:
SPAM snipped

I'd like two fried eggs, over easy, with my SPAM.

Thanks.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. net...
Joe Haubenreich wrote:
SPAM snipped

I'd like two fried eggs, over easy, with my SPAM.

Thanks.

--
Ken Fortenberry

You eat at Hawaiian BBQ's?

I defer to others' expertise regarding SPAM. Nobody I know is as finely
attuned to the nuances of SPAM or as dedicated to its eradication (good luck
with that, by the way) as a few of our members are, so could I get someone
to explain to me again exactly constitutes SPAM, please?

Is it only SPAM if I post about a product in which I have some sort of
financial interest?

If I post about another company's product (not SWL) that is sold
commercially, is that SPAM? As a hypothetical example, if I write "Wow, I
really like the Bill Dance Porcupine Fish Attractor! I put out three the day
before Christmas on Percy Priest, and I caught bass off them every day last
week!" Is that SPAM?

If I recommend the commercially-sold product (still not Secret Weapon), is
that SPAM? Hypothetical example: "If you're thinking of putting out some
fish attractors to create a milk run for your tournament season, do yourself
a favor and consider the Bill Dance Porcupine Fish Attractor. They're the
best I've ever seen... easy to assemble and place, lures don't hang up on
them, and they attract fish!"

If I mention the price of that product, or where it can be purchased, is
that SPAM? Example: "You can buy the entire Bill Dance Porcupine Fish
Attractor as a set for $42.05, complete with PVC hub and pipe. Or, you can
do what I did -- buy a bag of three hubs at Bass Pro Shops for $47.05 and
use scrap PVC pipe from a construction site to finish them off."

If I let people know about a way to win that product for free, or let them
know about a great deal on products, is that SPAM? Hypothetical example:
"During the fishing tackle show season, look up the fella who came up with
this idea, and you can get a great discount -- up to 33% off -- at the
shows. He's usually in Memphis, Little Rock, Louisville, and other shows
around the mid-South."

If I have become acquainted with a business owner and I recommend his
product and tell where one can buy it and the selling price, but I have no
vested interest, is that SPAM? Hypothetically: "I met the inventor, Larry
Harper, and he is one of the nicest gentlemen you'll ever meet. Listening to
him describe how he came up with the idea and what he went through to
manufacture was fascinating. I'm looking forward to fishing with him this
spring. He told me he's trying to get the fish attractors in Dick's and
Sportsman's Warehouse this spring, so I'll probably stop by there and pick
up a few more before tournaments start."

Say one of our customers uses and recommends Secret Weapon Lures products
and were to learn that we're offering a certain product to ROFB members at a
50% discount, if he posts that information here, is that SPAM?

Is it SPAM when a business owner gives away product and posts an
announcement here? Hypothetically, if I were to write that anyone who comes
to the Northwoods Classic will receive any Secret Weapon Lures of his choice
absolutely free, would that cross the SPAM line?

Would it be SPAM if a buddy of mine posted about it? Like if Chris Rennert
were to write, "I received one of the new Secret Weapon Sidearm Spinnerbaits
at the Northwoods Classic, and it quickly became one of my favorite baits. I
caught fish on it at that event and every time I've thrown it since then
(hypothetical situation, again). Secret Weapon was making and giving these
away at the NWC, as they do every year."

What if the business owner was selling the product at or below his cost (no
profit on the transaction). Would that be SPAM?

If someone else not a part of Secret Weapon Lures learned about the at-cost
sale somehow and passed the information along here, knowing that there would
be people here who would want to take advantage of the opportunity, would
that be SPAM?

In order not to SPAM the group, would it be ok to create a special page on
our Web site and then refer people to the page in a post on ROFB? What would
we have to write (or not write) in order to keep it from being SPAM? If I
put a line in my signature that reads, "Check our special ROFB-Members Only
offers" and include a link to the Web page, would that be SPAM?

Thanks in advance for the clarification.

Regards,

Joe
--------------------
Secret Weapon Lures
http://secretweaponlures.com
"Over $3,000 in ROFB Product/Service Donations Since 2001"
-------------------------

Joe Haubenreich wrote:
I defer to others' expertise regarding SPAM. Nobody I know is as finely
attuned to the nuances of SPAM or as dedicated to its eradication (good luck
with that, by the way) as a few of our members are, so could I get someone
to explain to me again exactly constitutes SPAM, please?

Give up Joe, these members don't want other members to know anything
"new", they want to talk about all the same "old" lures and techniques.

I guess that's why there are no other manufacturers (or their employees)
who would waste their time dealing with individual news groups (not be a
member), because of the self appointed net cops. These net cops don't
understand a manufacturer could not make enough money from news groups
members to justify his time drafting a single post to the group, much
less answer questions. Your doing what you are, as a service, not for
profit.


No spammer can make "any" money posting to "one" news group at a time,
and taking an active roll in the group, that's why the "real" net cops,
don't call what you did as spam, you have nothing to fear about your
news server pulling your plug for spamming, because you didn't.


--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Nutri Shield insect repellent. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com

Joe Haubenreich wrote:
I defer to others' expertise regarding SPAM. Nobody I know is as finely
attuned to the nuances of SPAM or as dedicated to its eradication (good luck
with that, by the way) as a few of our members are, so could I get someone
to explain to me again exactly constitutes SPAM, please?
snip

ftp://ftp.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/advertising/how-to/part1

HTH

--
Ken Fortenberry

Rodney Long wrote:
Joe Haubenreich wrote:
I defer to others' expertise regarding SPAM. Nobody I know is as
finely attuned to the nuances of SPAM or as dedicated to its
eradication (good luck with that, by the way) as a few of our members
are, so could I get someone to explain to me again exactly constitutes
SPAM, please?

Give up Joe, these members don't want other members to know anything
"new", they want to talk about all the same "old" lures and techniques.
snip

That's a bunch of hooey, Rodney. What Usenet readers of non-commercial
Usenet newsgroups want is a newsgroup free of commercials, a newsgroup
where they know the information is honest, personal opinion and not
a bunch of marketing hype.

--
Ken Fortenberry

I hardly qualify as an expert, but that never stopped me from giving my
opinion. And I don't know the poster well enough to be sure that his recent
comment about your Spam was 100% serious.

For sure, it's not spam to talk about a product that one has no financial
interest in. After all, a substantial portion of every fishing forum is
devoted to discussion of products and how well they do and don't work. One
of the first things people want to know is "what lure did you catch it on?"

I've been seeing these spam discussions from time to time here for almost
seven years. Certainly nobody likes to see someone take advantage of an
unmoderated forum by using it for self-promotion. On the other hand, I never
had a problem with someone who's a regular member of the group occasionally
making an announcement about his wares.

In your case, you might catch a little less flak with a simple statement
along the lines of, "SWL has a special for ROFB members. For details, click
here."

"Joe Haubenreich" wrote in
message . ..
I defer to others' expertise regarding SPAM. Nobody I know is as finely
attuned to the nuances of SPAM or as dedicated to its eradication (good
luck
with that, by the way) as a few of our members are, so could I get someone
to explain to me again exactly constitutes SPAM, please?

Is it only SPAM if I post about a product in which I have some sort of
financial interest?

If I post about another company's product (not SWL) that is sold
commercially, is that SPAM? As a hypothetical example, if I write "Wow, I
really like the Bill Dance Porcupine Fish Attractor! I put out three the
day
before Christmas on Percy Priest, and I caught bass off them every day
last
week!" Is that SPAM?

If I recommend the commercially-sold product (still not Secret Weapon), is
that SPAM? Hypothetical example: "If you're thinking of putting out some
fish attractors to create a milk run for your tournament season, do
yourself
a favor and consider the Bill Dance Porcupine Fish Attractor. They're the
best I've ever seen... easy to assemble and place, lures don't hang up on
them, and they attract fish!"

If I mention the price of that product, or where it can be purchased, is
that SPAM? Example: "You can buy the entire Bill Dance Porcupine Fish
Attractor as a set for $42.05, complete with PVC hub and pipe. Or, you can
do what I did -- buy a bag of three hubs at Bass Pro Shops for $47.05 and
use scrap PVC pipe from a construction site to finish them off."

If I let people know about a way to win that product for free, or let them
know about a great deal on products, is that SPAM? Hypothetical example:
"During the fishing tackle show season, look up the fella who came up with
this idea, and you can get a great discount -- up to 33% off -- at the
shows. He's usually in Memphis, Little Rock, Louisville, and other shows
around the mid-South."

If I have become acquainted with a business owner and I recommend his
product and tell where one can buy it and the selling price, but I have no
vested interest, is that SPAM? Hypothetically: "I met the inventor, Larry
Harper, and he is one of the nicest gentlemen you'll ever meet. Listening
to
him describe how he came up with the idea and what he went through to
manufacture was fascinating. I'm looking forward to fishing with him this
spring. He told me he's trying to get the fish attractors in Dick's and
Sportsman's Warehouse this spring, so I'll probably stop by there and pick
up a few more before tournaments start."

Say one of our customers uses and recommends Secret Weapon Lures products
and were to learn that we're offering a certain product to ROFB members at
a
50% discount, if he posts that information here, is that SPAM?

Is it SPAM when a business owner gives away product and posts an
announcement here? Hypothetically, if I were to write that anyone who
comes
to the Northwoods Classic will receive any Secret Weapon Lures of his
choice
absolutely free, would that cross the SPAM line?

Would it be SPAM if a buddy of mine posted about it? Like if Chris Rennert
were to write, "I received one of the new Secret Weapon Sidearm
Spinnerbaits
at the Northwoods Classic, and it quickly became one of my favorite baits.
I
caught fish on it at that event and every time I've thrown it since then
(hypothetical situation, again). Secret Weapon was making and giving these
away at the NWC, as they do every year."

What if the business owner was selling the product at or below his cost
(no
profit on the transaction). Would that be SPAM?

If someone else not a part of Secret Weapon Lures learned about the
at-cost
sale somehow and passed the information along here, knowing that there
would
be people here who would want to take advantage of the opportunity, would
that be SPAM?

In order not to SPAM the group, would it be ok to create a special page on
our Web site and then refer people to the page in a post on ROFB? What
would
we have to write (or not write) in order to keep it from being SPAM? If I
put a line in my signature that reads, "Check our special ROFB-Members
Only
offers" and include a link to the Web page, would that be SPAM?

Thanks in advance for the clarification.

Regards,

Joe
--------------------
Secret Weapon Lures
http://secretweaponlures.com
"Over $3,000 in ROFB Product/Service Donations Since 2001"
-------------------------