Define "Marketing" ?

[jfrancho]

(2nd edition: corrected to make it more concise and to the point)

It has come to our attention that POTN PM and member email messaging systems have been used for recruiting members to some another forum. Our members have complained to moderators about those PMs.

Marketing ANYTHING using POTN PM or email system will be considered as spam, and that will end very fast into permanent ban for the offending member.

Big thanks to all POTN members who reported those spams.I can appreciate discouraging the use of forum tools to promote new forums via mass emails and PMs. But, does this include sending a PM with a link to a forum "buddy" to check out something relevant on another forum? I'm personally guilty of that activity, for sure, but I don't consider that marketing. The suggestions to visit another forum are made in the spirit of sharing information. Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Jon]

That's fine. A message to A buddy to check out A topic which you know, based on past contacts and/or discussions on the topic, will be of interest to them is one thing. Messaging more than one POTN member encouraging them to check something out with the intent to sell a product or solicit their membership is a completely different matter. This is no different from the mention of retailers or other forums, where relevant, in existing threads, which never has, and never will be, discouraged.