“This week, we will be offering Mahi-mahi!” Thus begins a marketing e-mail sent by the people that sell smoked salmon at the Farmers Market.

I think it is very sad that someone is telling businesses that they have to send these messages to everyone that buys from them. I’ve enjoyed buying your smoked salmon, and would be open to purchasing other products, but this is not the way to build goodwill among customers.

Every !smallbiz should be told, again and again, to make these sorts of communications OPT-IN (or “active subscribe”) only. It reflects negatively on Square that they facilitated this without asking me first.