Unsubscribe and save your sanity

I have been on a mission, blind online rage some have called it. I have viciously been unsubscribing my e-mail newsletters. Why? I don't know. I woke up about 4 days ago and just lost it. I think being at a new job, with new challenges and so many new emails everyday, coupled with nicharalambous.com, sarocks.co.za and other projects I just couldn't cope with the email load. Literally, a load of email.So I have been going ballistic on these newsletters. Really giving it stick, left, right and center.Here are a few things I've learned:

1. I subscribed to anything about 2 years ago

Now, I don't. I can't even remember signing up to about 80% of the newsletters that I received.

2. Untick the checkboxes

When you sign up to a new service, website or network be sure to uncheck that little tickbox that says something like: "Receive neverending contact from us that will make you want to end your life."

3. Signing up for newsletters is great - if you use them

Obvious, but true. I have decided that I will be signing up to food and recipe newsletters and keeping the ones that I already have coming in. Why? Because I want to learn more about cooking and always have a resource that is searchable (Gmail search) on hand when I cook.

4. You just don't need them but you can't get rid of them

Newsletters are hard to get rid of, trust me, I've tried. The outcome of making it difficult for me to unsubscribe is simple, I wont use your service again. So if you are about to design or send out a newsletter, make sure that it's easy to unsubscribe.All in all I have reduced my new messages per day by about 25% thanks to this madman approach to e-mails and newsletters. What a pleasure.