Tapatalk's Email Members Feature Defaults to On

[thedude]

Heads up for those with Tapatalk installed on your forum, go to your tapatalk control panel on www.tapatalk.com and see if the new Trending Email feature was defaulted to on. Mine was set to Twice Monthly, meaning once the feature goes into effect in July, it'll email my members who use Tapatalk twice a month. I set it to Disabled once I discovered this.

Here's the details about this feature: https://blog.tapatalk.com/?p=340

"Tapatalk's Trending Discussion Service can pick the best trending discussions from your community and serve them via a beautiful html email to send to your members. This is a great way to re-engage members of your community to visit more frequently."

 

[Brent W]

Yes, it uses their email system to send out the email and only includes content from your site.

I'm going to let it ride for a while and see what the feedback and results are.

 

[Adam Howard]

^#$%^$$#

I was wondering why one of my members claims they were getting marketing spam!!

@tapatalk WTF!?!?!

 

[Adam Howard]

Yes, it uses their email system to send out the email and only includes content from your site.

I'm going to let it ride for a while and see what the feedback and results are.

You sure it's only from YOUR site?

(And assuming it is, for how long before they change that to include paid sites?)

 

[Brent W]

You sure it's only from YOUR site?

(And assuming it is, for how long before they change that to include paid sites?)

Yes I am sure. I confirmed it with them. This feature will only be content from your site.

 

[Adam Howard]

Yes I am sure. I confirmed it with them. This feature will only be content from your site.

Which brings the question as to "for how long?". I'm sorry, I can easily see TapaTalk in the future using this to further monitorize themselves.

In their demo they already display their logo further promoting themselves.... So call me cynical, but I would rather have control over my own emails.

 

[Brent W]

Which brings the question as to "for how long?". I'm sorry, I can easily see TapaTalk in the future using this to further monitorize themselves.

In their demo they already display their logo further promoting themselves.... So call me cynical, but I would rather have control over my own emails.

Then disable it. Let them earn your trust back in the mean time.

 

[Brent W]

Just an FYI, no emails have gone out that pertain to that setting. So not sure what your member got but it wasn't from Tapatalk.

 

[Dakis]

Thanks for letting us know, I've disabled it for all of my forums. This is completely ridiculous and unprofessional, turning such a feature on by default.

One more reason to uninstall tapatalk.

 

[thedude]

This is completely ridiculous and unprofessional, turning such a feature on by default

Exactly. My concern is that we will have to keep monitoring our Tapatalk control panels in case they try turning on other intrusive features by default, down the line.

 

[Adam Howard]

Just an FYI, no emails have gone out that pertain to that setting. So not sure what your member got but it wasn't from Tapatalk.

Monthly Email
1.0.7

^ I stand corrected. This was the email that member was complaining about. Can't find it here on xenForo at the moment though.

 

[Brent W]

Exactly. My concern is that we will have to keep monitoring our Tapatalk control panels in case they try turning on other intrusive features by default, down the line.

All future new features will be announced on their blog. I have asked them to create a way to subscribe to the blog via email.

 

[Alpha1]

In the past they have made such changes without notifying anyone. Communication has not been very good. Hopefully they will inform us with any other changes.
I do feel very uneasy about these changes. There is no reason whatsoever that TT should email my members. Its a mobile app which can use PUSH notifications which is more effective. The only reason I can think of to start emailing members is if they want to reach members who do not have Tapatalk installed.
In any case: with this move TT shows clearly that my members are no longer my members, but in fact TT members.

At no point did Tapatalk ask for permission to start using our member data or start using member data for bulk mailings. I believe that this would be illegal action from tapatalks side.