Personnally, I have always wondered why some vendors--who participate on the
list--don't hawk their stuff and others do.
The rules are pretty clear. Any description of a part number and a price on
an e-mail shotgunned to the list does constitute advertising.
Understand, gentlemen, that the manager of this list gets NO reimbursement
for any of the activities on this list. And that includes financial
transactions that occur as a result of list postings. This list should not
be a vehicle for profit unless that profit is shared with the list manager.
I guess one could argue that because the entity in question--BCS--provides
enough gratis advice that they, too, should receive some element of
compensation. That would be up to them to decide. But the underlying
premise that advertising one's products and business on someone else's
resource without fair compensation to the manager of that resource, is not
the most fair practice.
God bless those who volunteer their efforts to contributing to this list.
God bless more those who contribute without expecting financial advantage.
I think the best option is for listers to keep posting requests and having
vendors respond directly to the requestor off the list.
Now, what constitues a vendor?
Just my .02
John Rued
Ethicist
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