Count Wired magazine among the growing legions that are piling criticism on charities and businesses that use direct mail.

The magazine, in its list of the 33 things that make us crazy, sticks junk mail in the same category of annoyances as credit cards and office copiers.

And the magazine throws charities under the bus as it airs its gripes about bulk mail.

“You have no one to blame but yourself,” it says. “You refinanced a mortgage or got a new credit card. You subscribed to a magazine or donated money to a charity.”

Such complaints are not new, but those who deal in direct-mail solicitations are increasingly contending with a backlash from those who believe the medium is bad for the environment.

“Consumers increasingly will be offended by wasteful packaging. It will affect their purchase decisions,” writes Tom Belford in The Agitator. “Apply that to ‘wasteful’ direct mail.”

Is direct mail losing its appeal? Or are these complaints old hat for those who raise money for charities? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.