Well, I thought I’d seen some pretty cynical bastardry in my time, but today’s Email in-box had the cake-taker of the year.

It read “This year, instead of spending money on posting out Christmas cards, we decided to donate the money amongst three of our favourite charities”.

Which, on first thought seems reasonable enough.  Second thought “ah, yes …. and get a 100% tax deduction … with no accountability for how much actually IS donated”.

But there was a rider …. As the recipient of the Email, I was asked to pick amongst three worthy charities by clicking on a link …. and thereby helping their marketing people update the database – revealing amongst their clients and suppliers, who was still alive and paying attention to their Emails.  Click on that link – get spammed to death !

I think this piece of scroogality really alienates people at Christmas and turns generosity into a cynical tax dodge and marketing exercise.  Instead of opening a nicely hand-penned card that joins us for a moment with our friends and which we put up on the venetian blind or on the TV stand as a warm reminder, we get a soul-less poisoned Email.

Bah, humbug to them !