I signed up for an online course late last week, and immediately noticed something I’ve noticed before. The company started flooding me with advertisements.

Message to companies: I am not your best buddy. I am not your parent. I’m not your lover, and I’m not even necessarily a fan. I am your customer, and I have no need to be in constant contact with you.

It’s not unreasonable for a company to request an email address with an order; after all, they need to be able to get in touch if there is a problem. I don’t even mind occasional updates if there is something new to say. But constantly bombarding me every day — and I think I’ve gotten one from this online course nearly every day — with mail of “offers” is supremely counterproductive; it is the fastest way to get me to hit the unsubscribe button. And I think twice before dealing with the company again.