PM spam -- and the consequences

This thread will be used by the mods to keep a running log of users that have sent PM spam. The users listed below will be unable to send PMs for 5 days, beginning the day we catch them spamming.

If you have questions about our PM spam policy or need to explain it to others, please refer to dmorris68's excellent explanation below. Here's the gist you cannot

a) send reflinks; or
b) ask if they want to trade

unless they have opened a thread in the Trading Post specifically requesting to be contacted about the type of trade you are interested in.

[b9e1d58d839]To avoid having PM privileges suspended, only arrange trades in The Trading Post and only paste reflinks in the trade module.

"Business opportunities," whether related to trading or not, are subject to the same restrictions.[/b9e1d58d839]

If you receive PM spam, please refer the spammer to this thread and report him to a moderator.

[b9e1d58d839]NOTE Welcome PM's used to be allowed, however due to abuse in an effort to get around the unsolicited trading PM rule, WELCOME PM'S ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED! Also, sigs are now disabled in PM's to discourage surreptitious spamming via sigs.
- dmorris68[/color9e1d58d839][/b9e1d58d839]

[b9e1d58d839]Mon 03/23/2009[/b9e1d58d839]
Erik (PM sending suspended for 5 days)

[b9e1d58d839]Mon 08/18[/b9e1d58d839]
halo4 (PM-sending ability suspended for 5 days)
overseas72 (PM-sending ability suspended for 5 days)

[b9e1d58d839]Sun 03/02[/b9e1d58d839]
Pasinglet (PM-sending ability suspended for 14 days)

[b9e1d58d839]Mon 02/18[/b9e1d58d839]
s_marie (PM-sending ability suspended for 14 days)

[b9e1d58d839]Fri 2/8[/b9e1d58d839]
ironious
rsema19
pgilmore
puppeteer
shokesdogg
sandra habina
GreenMachine30

[b9e1d58d839]Wed 11/21[/b9e1d58d839]
climber34 (PM-sending ability suspended for 5 days)

[b9e1d58d839]Tues 11/13[/b9e1d58d839]
anaspen

[b9e1d58d839]Thurs 11/01[/b9e1d58d839]
daniel1 (PM-sending ability restored on 11/12)
Rakogo2 (PM-sending ability restored on 11/12)

[b9e1d58d839]Tue 10/30[/b9e1d58d839]
preshuzchula88 (PM-sending ability restored on 11/12)

[b9e1d58d839]Wed 10/10[/b9e1d58d839]
SilentQueef (PM-sending ability restored on 10/17)

[b9e1d58d839]Sat 10/06[/b9e1d58d839]
Molina (PM-sending ability restored on 10/17)

[b9e1d58d839]Wed 6/06[/b9e1d58d839]
Dee (permanently banned for repeat offenses despite numerous warnings)

[b9e1d58d839]Thurs 5/31[/b9e1d58d839]
Revilo (Banned for posting ref links as well)
ronnie99 (PM-sending ability restored on 5/31)
Latanya (PM-sending ability restored on 5/31)

[b9e1d58d839]Sat 5/26[/b9e1d58d839]
omron95 (PM-sending ability restored on 5/30)
tucker1003 (PM-sending ability restored on 5/30)

[b9e1d58d839]Fri 5/25[/b9e1d58d839]
cobaltmonkey (PM-sending ability restored on 5/29)

[b9e1d58d839]Tues 5/22[/b9e1d58d839]
Dee (PM-sending ability restored on 5/26)

[b9e1d58d839]Fri 5/18[/b9e1d58d839]
Prestony889 (7-day temp-ban for creating a second account from which to send PMs)

[b9e1d58d839]Thurs 5/17[/b9e1d58d839]
Prestony889

[b9e1d58d839]Tues 5/15[/b9e1d58d839]
Goombameister (permanently banned for repeat offenses despite numerous warnings)

[b9e1d58d839]Sun 5/13[/b9e1d58d839]
petieroman (PM-sending ability restored on 5/17)

[b9e1d58d839]Sat 5/12[/b9e1d58d839]
KevJumba (permanently banned for repeat offenses despite numerous warnings)

[b9e1d58d839]Wed 5/9[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/13)
Goombameister

[b9e1d58d839]Tues 5/8[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/12)
Caesar

[b9e1d58d839]Fri 5/4[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/8)
rollo97

[b9e1d58d839]Mon 4/30[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/4)
dossiej

[b9e1d58d839]Sun 4/29[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/3)
JennyH

[b9e1d58d839]Sat 4/28[/b9e1d58d839] (PM-sending ability restored on 5/2)
linksgal
KevJumba
creardon


[quote9e1d58d839="dmorris68"][b9e1d58d839]The fact that someone is browsing the Trading Post and reading topics does not mean they want to trade, and does not give you the right to PM them to ask about trading. We have a very clear method in place that makes it simple to determine who is looking for trades, or to signal that you are interested in trading. It's called "making/bumping a post in the Trading Module."[/b9e1d58d839]

Not everybody here is interested in trading. Of those that are, most aren't doing it all the time. Therefore to receive unsolicited trade spam is a major annoyance to them. That's one reason.

Another (very important) reason is that newbies are easy prey for scammers. A primary modus operandi of scammers is to jump on newbies as soon as they register. YOU may not mind being PM'd, but YOU aren't in the positions of having to deal with the dozens of others who ARE bothered by it, or who DO get scammed from it.

You can hide your IM and e-mail, you cannot "hide" your PM ability -- it's a function of the forum software. If you wish to ever send PM's, then you will also receive them. Now we can disable your PM access for you, but that completely removes you from liallli PM access, which is probably not what you want.

Therefore in the best interest of our members, and to help protect our newbies from being taken advantage of, [b9e1d58d839]unsolicited trading PM's have been and always will be prohibited. This is what we refer to as SPAM. [/b9e1d58d839][/quote9e1d58d839]

PM suspension and reinstatement is a manual process, unlike temp-bans which auto-expire. As we aren't going to set personal calendar entries and alarms to remind us when any given suspension is up, expect us to often not get to the reinstatement exactly on time.

As a reminder if your PM privileges are temporarily suspended, and not restored on the date you expect them to be, you can create a topic in the Help forum requesting your PM permissions be reinstated. Or if you have e-mail, IM, or other contact with another member, you can ask them to PM one of the staff to request reinstatement for you.

NOTE This only applies to those suspensions that have gone beyond the stated term. Do NOT use this to beg for reinstatement before the suspension is up, or else you'll just earn a longer suspension.

Bump due to recent spammage.