I love stats: my inner nerd lights up with anticipation at the mere mention of statistics, reports, and analysis. Even if you’re not a professional geek like myself, you should still pay attention to the figures: they can tell you everything (and, occasionally, nothing). Want some examples? Here you go:

• Europe Grew by 10 Million New Facebook Users Last Month – figures on the top 20 gainers in social media
• Email software popularity: 5 lessons for your list – useful analysis of email client usage from Mark Brownlow
• Surprising Email Study – an overview of a recent, interesting, report by smartFOCUS
• Cyber Monday/Black Friday Forecast for 2009 – predictions based on stats from previous years
• New Research Shows Email Marketing Still Delivers Impressive ROI – stats to back up what you should already know
• SocNets, Email at Top of 2010 Media-Buying List – a review of a commercial report available from MediaPost

Amusingly this week, news about the sale of SORBS for “a cool half mil” broke via jedsmith.org (with a later followup of the effect) after Michelle Sullivan foolishly revealed details over IRC (apparently in front of 25 other people, d’oh). SORBS is not known as being the most, ah, user-friendly blacklist around (the word “reviled” has been used), but it’s hard to doubt its reach – something which irate sysadmins have often complained about after finding it difficult to get a legitimate netblock removed from the list. GFI have now issued an oft-quoted official statement regarding the matter, but seem to have been caught slightly off-guard, as there’s still no mention of it on their main site.

Special mention this week to Chris Wheeler, whose brother passed away unexpectedly last week. Prompted by this awful event, he has decided to offer up his own time to try and give something back to the world by doing what he feels he does best: help improve people’s email deliverability. It might seem a little strange, but it’s a gesture that I’m sure is heartfelt, and from the content of the post seems as genuine as they come. You have our sincere condolences, Chris.

Subject lines are the first thing seen by someone when they open their inbox, and as such are one of the most important elements of any email campaign – possibly the single most influential part of any email. Here’s some pointers on how to get it just right:

• Who needs Subject Lines…? – a clever strategy from Southwest Airlines
• Straight Talk on Subject Lines – four essential points to note
• Thoughts on email subject lines – what’s compelling – and why?
• Email Marketing Minute – “Subject Line Special Characters”
• Subject lines: Amazon’s lessons on discounts and frontloading – stats, analysis, and conclusions
• 7 fixes for terrible subject lines – dos and don’ts from iMediaConnection.com

The Wall Street Journal posted an article this week with the title “Why Email No Longer Rules… And what that means for the way we communicate“¹. In all honesty, this is — as you may have predicted — not true; at least as discussed by many of the prominent bloggers out there. This isn’t the first time the death of email has been predicted, and I’m certain it won’t be the last.

This week’s special mention goes to a post by Neil Schwartzman, Spamfighter.com are Spammers (reached via laura on Word to the Wise). An interesting tale of how not to deal with customers – made even more wince-worthy by the comments from the CEO of SPAMfighter.com below the post.

¹ This may be a little geeky, but can I say, what the hell is up with WSJ’s URLs? Ye gods, people, this isn’t 1995! How are we supposed to take advice on the latest forefronts of technology from a company that can’t even translate SB10001424052970203803904574431151489408372.html into something a little more friendly?

An inconsistent week of posts in the email marketing blog world this week, meaning a lack of highlights that can be easily be grouped together. However, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of useful, interesting, and amusing subjects discussed:

• How often can you send to your email base – before they unsubscribe or disengage?
• 8 email statistics to use at parties – guaranteed to break the ice
• Email as a PR problem – clear, concise advice on what to do when you mess up
• Consistent Facebook, Twitter and YouTube branding – from our very own Gareth Langston
• How to Conduct Email Surveys – Marketing Sherpa’s special report
• Stop Sending So Many Emails! – more is not always better
• Music for Mailing – an email-related playlist to get you in the mood

In what has become a regular note about goings-on in the good ol’ US of A, one of the more discussed items this week has been the recent news that the state of Maine has introduced legislation prohibiting the collection of information from under-18s without parental consent… which was promptly reversed after practically everyone pointed out how badly written it was.

Special mention this week to to a post by the always-excellent Mark Brownlow (of Email Marketing Reports fame) Beware the wisdom of the minority, where he discusses some subtle ways that raw stats and vocal minorities can be misleading.