As you are probably aware there is a massive email virus attack underway today. It has been escalating over the past 72 hours and now the situation is critical.

In addition to this, we have learned some office buildings in Manhattan are still without Internet service due to problems at Verizon so loads of people are not getting their email.

Our quick advisory for you:

#1. Contact your broadcast service and ask them to change any account settings you may have so that no one whose mail has been bounced since last Thursday afternoon is automatically removed from your list as a "bad" address.

#2. Expect to see significantly lower open and response rates from email recipients who have small mailboxes, especially people who do not pay for Hotmail, MSN mail and Yahoo services. The virus is filling up boxes so quickly that other mail just may not get through.

#3. Check your subject lines to make sure they do not include the following terms, which filters are being adjusted to stop ASAP:
- Account
- Details
- your document
- movies
- that movie
- Your application
- wicked screensaver

#4. Feel thankful it is August and unless you are sending a back-to-school offer, this may not be a big time of business for you. It could have been worse! :-)

Good luck!

Anne Holland
Publisher & Managing Editor
MarketingSherpa