Come on Baby, Fill My Inbox

I find it amusing that Jakob Nielsen, in his report on Newspaper Useability, grades the campaigns down for not "setting user's expectations." Now, what does he imagine users think when they sign up for a candidate's newsletters? "Gee, I'll sign up for this newsletter and maybe I'll win a new car?" Nope. Users sign up for one of four reasons:

1. They want to be asked continually for "desperately needed" money.
2. They want to receive positive, issues-based information that they can happily forward on to their vehemently Republican (or Democrat) Uncle Bob to annoy him.
3. They want to receive bitter, partisan attacks on the other candidate that they can happily forward on to Uncle Bob to really annoy him.
4. It's a class assignment...

What he should really grade them down on is actually fulfilling the preceding expectations. My experience with campaign newsletters is that they come too often and are filled with nothing, but fundraising appeals and garbage.

I would be much more likely to read a campaign newsletter that focused on one issue in depth and included links to outside articles or information supporting the candidates views. I'd be incredibly impressed if one included an article on the opposing view with rebuttal commentary by the candidate.

Until candidates put their resources toward producing something of value, they aren't getting anywhere near my inbox.