mail merge gone bad:

Mail merge is a powerful tool that I love dearly, but let this be a lesson to all of us - pay attention to detail when you're inserting those merge fields. This is a marketing email I got today. Note how my name changes from Arif to Joe between the salutation and closing of the email:

Progressive Technology Project

Arif: I wanted you to be aware of our software as a resource for the nonprofits you support.

The [Product Name Deleted] is an integrated, easy to use solution that provides organizations with a web site and content management system, online fundraising, membership, database manager, group emails, events calendar, polls, forums and much more. Since the tools have a nominal learning curve, multiple members of the organization will utilize the software and increase the community interaction with their mission.

It has [Feature and cost info deleted to obscure product ID] --so community based groups can get the technology they need to make significant impact.

Joe, please let me know the best way to pursue this conversation with you.

Thank you,

[Name and contact info deleted]

to reiterate - make sure to watch those merge fields. Thankfully in this case it was just a name and not something really outlandish like zip code or phone number. Even so, when email is a primary method of contact, a botched merge is not a good start to a relationship.