RECA, the e-mail service providers group, is becoming an AIM committee. But only some of RECA's interests will be considered.
RECA, a group formed by e-mail providers in 1999, drafted principles for e-mail marketing. The principles included procedures to handle marketers accused of spamming. This pitted RECA against the Mail Abuse Prevention System (MAPS).
The new AIM entity will be called the E-mail Delivery Committee. A major goal is to reach out to Internet Service Providers "about dealing with technical issues," such as streamlining delivery, said Reggie Brady, the committee's spokesperson.
"E-mail providers who were members of RECA want to talk to the ISPs," said Brady.
But the spam issue is not on the agenda for AIM, the Association for Interactive Media. Spam will be part of the outreach effort, said Ben Isaacson, executive director of AIM. "ISP abuse managers don't understand direct marketing."
Since the Exactis legal settlement ruled Exactis did not have to use a double opt-in standard, "MAPS has less clout," said Brady. But, "service bureaus are still nervous about the issue [of their e-mail being stopped]."
What about opt-in standards? "We're beyond putting out standards for opt-in/opt-out," said Isaacson. "Companies have their own opt-in standards" and are more interested in e-mail append and merge/purge issues.
In early 2001, the DMA will enact Online Commercial Solicitation Guidelines that members will be required to follow early in 2001.
RECA lost momentum as the economy soured and members' attention and funds were pulled elsewhere. The RECA Web site will stay up and "it's possible the group will become active again," said Brady, a former member.
