Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.

            They are good promotions but not so good for the receivers of emails, texts (where did they get my cell number?), and social media messaging.

            Each of those days, I received over 400 emails alone; I received more than 40 text messages each day regarding promotions and contributions.  And, most of them were requesting immediate responses.  There is no way to respond to the requests and handle your normal workload during a busy time.

            Forgive me, there are just not enough hours in a day to get to all the communications, let alone respond to them

            Not being able to read and respond makes one anxious and fills some of us with remorse that we couldn't get to everyone.

            Remember when, in our younger days, the onset of the holiday season was an exciting time.  Of course, for me, that was a time long before email, social media, and those mobile communication devices we hold and revere so dearly.

            When Tuesday morning came along, most of the 400+ sales offers and requests for contributions reappeared, telling me they extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

            Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work part-time in a "mailing house" where I would process names and addresses for a variety of businesses and charities to mail via the postal service to their recipients.  I processed hundreds of thousands of names and addresses sent to us every day by companies that collected them from a variety of sources.  The computers did the hard work of sorting for the customers and printing the labels.  I just set up the parameters

            In the 1960s, the cost was $1.50 per name and address.  It was quite a sum that the company earned from what I was doing.  It took about one hour to process each customer's request.

            So keep in mind, before you enter any information into your computer, cell phone, social media, or any other electronic device, take the time to read the privacy clause.  Few do because it is too time-consuming.  What are they going to do?  Maybe sell it to a mailing house that will sell it to other companies for their use.  It could go on and on.

            If your name and address were worth $1.50 in the 1960s, imagine what it is worth today.

            Be consumer savvy this holiday season and take the time to read the privacy clause or policy before you decide what you will do.

            Know that others (most likely many others) might be making a profit with the information you share.