🚀 go-pugleaf

Jim,

While not speaking officially, this note is prompted by my job on the Internet 
Engineering Steering Group.

There has recently been an increase in the sending of commercially-related
messages to distribution lists.  I believe your note to have exceeded the
limit of currently-accepted practise.

We are trying to prepare a statement for publication, to help guide Internet
users; until then, what follows is simply my own interpretation of the line:

Pretty much anything between consenting hosts is ok, tho there is some
questions about hard-core financial exchanges (purchase orders, invoices,
and the like.)  That is, if it really is 'private' communication where
the sender and receiver(s) are clearly comfortable with the exchange, then
practical limits seem to be few, tho some of the Internet's consituent
networks have more stringent, formal rules.

There is one, and possibly more, distribution lists/bboards that permit
explicitly commercial activity, such as product announcements and job
announcements.  Recipients have signed up for the traffic.

However, for run-of-the mill lists, the sending of unsolicited, commercial
material to a receiver list which has not EXPLICITLY signed up for such
messages is not ok.

Dave