Yes, it does. They can't possibly know if they are bothering you or not, if you won't even click that link.
If I ask you every five minutes if I'm bothering you and you don't say anything, then later you write a blog post about how I won't stop talking, who acted passive-aggressive?
> They can't possibly know if they are bothering you or not
Really? Take off the programmer hat and put on your human hat for a second. #include <empathy.h>
How would you feel getting a vaguely aggressive message every day from some random company? I can't imagine there are very many people who would appreciate it. In fact, I can't imagine there're very many people on the planet who would think it's a good idea.
The only way anyone ever thinks some stupid thing like this is a good idea is if they're blindly following the results of their A/B testing without taking a look at the big picture. The kinds of people who do this are the same people who play D&D as minmaxers, rule-lawyers and metagamers, then get confused when the gaming group falls apart. You might be measuring conversion rates (or XP and magic items gamed), but conversion rates are not your business. The point of a business is to make something people want to buy, just as the point of a D&D session is to have fun.
By blindly following the numbers without thinking about the people involved, you optimize yourself into the ground.
> the same people who play D&D as minmaxers, rule-lawyers and metagamers
Bank managers do this, realtors do this all the time: if the prospect doesn't say "I'm not interested", assume he's busy and try again later. This is just regular hustle. Now if you tell me not to contact you again and I do, then we are in creepy territory.
The disconnect in the article comes from the company assuming the OP is a potential customer (a valid assumption, since most people that do give their email create a site).
They can possibly know if they may other people by using their imagination and a little empathy. If I get to the point that I hunt around - and I often do have to hunt around - for the unsubscribe link, your company has failed.
