Hi All,

This is both unfortunate and bizarre that I need to create such a site rule but after recently being contacted a few times regarding it, I think it is best to have a rule in place. I suppose we have reached a size now that leaves us highly vulnerable to such spam. The new update regarding 'poaching':

Poaching

-Poaching is basically when an active member(s) of our websites (typically disgruntled member(s) or participant(s) of competing websites trying to gain new members) use clandestine methods of contacting our membership on a mass scale, trying to convince them to "try out" or "have a look" at a different website, the idea being to either poach members away from our sites to the site of their preference or poaching to build numbers on external websites. If we are made aware that certain individuals are engaged in using our systems for poaching, it would be grounds for banning the poachers account. This is absolutely a form of spam and we are adding this policy to our additional spam policies throughout our system. If you've been contacted by someone that is engaging in this type of spamming, please let us know (your anonymity will be guaranteed.)

Please ensure you understand that I am not targeting members privately plugging other sites in a genuine manner which is acceptable behavior. What I am targeting are those who are blatantly plugging other sites on a mass scale by taking advantage of our PM system and member email links. If there is one thing I can't tolerate it's spam. It comes in many creative forms and I'll continue to keep this site as spam free as possible..

Thanks,
Sean

Not being a super computer programmer, can you explain it a little simpler for the simpler types? Maybe tell what's being done without giving the details of how to do it? If it's too complicated don't bother I guess the one's who are doing it will know.

Thanks,
Curt

It's not a computer programming issue--just aggressive marketing.

We've never had a problem with, say, someone starting one thread to say "look at my new website" or including a link to their website in their signature or posting an occasional link to a thread in another photo discussion forum when it has relevance to a topic under discussion here.

We have banned people, however, for aggressive promotion of other websites or commercial products, usually after multiple requests to dial it back or to find a path for promotion through sponsorship, which includes the ability to promote one's business in the sponsors' forum, but not to spam the other forums.

Another technique that we would regard as spam is contacting individuals through PM or e-mail using the e-mail or website link in individual APUG profiles as a way of drawing traffic to another website or promoting a commercial product. APUG doesn't try to sell members' e-mail addresses in any way and does what it can to keep e-mail addresses secure from e-mail harvesting programs that gather e-mail addresses mechanically for the purpose of sending spam, and by the same token, we try to protect APUG members from individuals who abuse the system by manually accessing the e-mail links in member profiles or by using the PM system for spam.

As for what the threshold for "aggressive" is, there is no hard quantitative rule. If people start reporting posts, threads, PMs or e-mails that they feel are unwanted solicitations, then we look into it, and if it smells like spam, we'll act on it.

Sounds reasonable, Sean. Thank you.

Gee I feel left out. No one is asking me to come to their site. I feel so lonely LOL. I did PM about 4 people with respect to the site Robert started so I hope I didn't offend the gods. I know one of those people got a little twisted when he found out his type of photography wasn't within the guidelines. Oh well.

One thing I have received is numerous requests to become "friends" with various APUG'rs on Facebook. I guess they got my Facebook ID from my profile, or at least figured out what it might be.

Hi Eric,

I know that Sean isn't talking about Facebook "friend" requests or Linked In "connection" requests or other similar things. It's more about people sending PMs that pretty much say: "Psst, Eric? Fcuk APUG and go here instead ..."

Regards, Art.

I personally have not had any such problems yet, Sean, ro I would ahve told you about them. Thnaks for making the site even MORE hassle free than it already is. Good onya.

No one has spammed in over a year here. Maybe two. It is nice.

What other sites are people being told to go to? Just curious.

There's been a little spam over the past year or two, but we're usually quick about catching it and banning the spammer before they can post more. The "report post" function has been particularly helpful in this regard, so if you see spam before we do, please report it by clicking "report post," and Sean and the moderators will all get an e-mail about it.

Art is correct, but it can also be less mean spirited.
Mark,
We get spammed every month or so, but we usually delete the post(s) and ban the member within minutes -- yes we are that good. The kind of spammer that Sean is referring to is under cover and not as easy for us to deal with.

Hybrid had a pm spam where a person sent a pm to many, members (not me) offering a greeting. In that person's sig was a link to a religious site. I thought little of it until I joined another forum and received the same pm.

Thanks for the high quality, easy to use, well-maintained site.