What are REDUser sponsors allowed?

[Tony Lorentzen]

I have a question regarding REDUser sponsors and what they're allowed to do on the site. Is it okay for a sponsor to private message users with pricing information about the products they sell (it's basically advertising) just because the user posted in a thread about that product in general? I'm asking because I think it is something that could turn into a slippery slope very quickly if it isn't addressed.

 

[Michael Hastings]

IMHO Seems to me that Reduser sponsors are what sustains the site and, short of out and out mass spam, should be allowed maximum flexibility and tolerance.

 

[Andy Jarosz]

I'd consider that a convenience more then a problem.

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

one dinner with Kelly?

 

[Tom Lowe]

i hate those kinds of PMs. sounds like SPAM to me.

 

[Eirik Tyrihjel]

SPAM SPAM SPAM, LOVELY SPAM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(Monty_Python)
-courtesy of Monty Python

And I agree, I don´t want spam. (Unless it´s the Mony Python kind)

 

[Martin Weiss]

Annoying for some, helpful for others.

I wouldn't call this spam. Spam is unsolicited bulk messaging. The way I understand it, what Tony got was a very targeted, unique message.

 

[Tom Lowe]

The person got PM'd just because they posted on a certain thread. Any given thread might have 20, 50, or 100 posters or more on it. To send out that many PMs sound like SPAM to me. But I guess it depends on how many messages we are talking about.

 

[Martin Weiss]

OK. Hands up: who got a commercial PM because s/he posted on a thread?

 

[Michael Hastings]

OK. Hands up: who got a commercial PM because s/he posted on a thread?

Since I posted before, ;et me post the opposite: With over two thousand posts in a variety of threads since 2007 you would think I would have experienced this, but I have only gotten a few spam PMs - none from sponsors -and can't think of any commercial PMs but may have gotten a couple very specific to some request - certainly nothing at all abusive.

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

nope, no spam PMs here.

 

[Liam Hall]

OK. Hands up: who got a commercial PM because s/he posted on a thread?

Nope. Anyhow, one man's spam is another's personal service.