Apathy Sketchpad

A little while ago, Camelot announced that if you play the lottery online, they’ll email you to let you know if you won. I don’t really like the idea of subscribing to a lottery and then being told by email how you did. That would seem to extract all the fun bits from it — buying the tickets, checking the numbers… Surely without that you’re either addicted to gambling or else you’re making the least shrewd financial move ever. It’s worth pointing out before Dave Hitt turns up and starts ranting about nannies and inventing new words for what kind of freedom hating jerk I am that I don’t actually think this should be illegal; just that it’s dumb. My problem with emailing lottery winners is that I get loads of emails telling me I’ve won various lotteries, and this is going to make that far, far worse (and the real emails will probably be hidden as spam). I realised this within ten seconds of seeing the TV advert for the new service, so it’s reasonable to expect Camelot to figure it out. And today, just like I said would happen, I received this:

From: Mr Steven Mark <camelot_group01@yahoo.de>
Date: Fri, Apr 25, 2008 at 2:20 PM
Subject: You Have WON

You have emerged Winner from this Weeks Draws. Contact

Mr Steven Mark.
PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
Email:camelot_group02@yahoo.de
Tel:+447031908108

For Claims Of Funds, Provide the Following Information in your Email
NAMES:
Sex:
Address:
Age
City:
State:
Postcode:
Country
Occupation:
Tel:
Nationality

BATCH Nº.: 2008UKL-01
Amount Won: £1.8million pounds
Date Of Draw:April 24th 2008.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Dianne Thompson
Online Coordinator

Why do people never listen to me?

I do like that I won the Thursday draw, and that Camelot’s email runs through Yahoo! Germany.