Thank you for your comment.

I disagree very strongly. Yes, I have asked people to tweet about something or Digg something or Stumble something, sure. But, that is not what Sports Legends Challenge did. In fact, no activity like that is mentioned in my article. It is difficult to discuss this because, from your comment, it seems as though you did not read my full, first article.

Let me give you an example. One of the things I mention in my post is:

1. Post spam message linking to your site. Post is removed, you are banned.
2. I e-mail you telling you not to post these sorts of things on my site again.
3. Posting from the very same IP, a new account asks what resort experience my members recommend for him and his fiancee.
4. My members make legitimate suggestions.
5. That new account comes back and begins to introduce your tournament once again.

Yet, in your comment, you reference my whole article and say “to call this spam is a little rich.” In my opinion, that is the very definition of spam, but not just that, it is deceptive and unethical. You are deceiving my members, lying to them and wasting their time. We may disagree in the definition of spam.

What I am saying is that, as detailed in my article, it goes much, much deeper than you indicated. To spam online communities into the triple (maybe quadruple) digits, acting like you have no affiliation to the event – that is spamming to me.

I have been managing online communities for 9 years and it is something that I am deeply passionate about. I’ve seen plenty of spam. I have never seen anything like this. I didn’t really have to out them as much as I did have to connect the public dots.

I make no comments or judgment regarding the cases you speak about. My goal here was not to talk about everyone in the world who is doing unethical marketing. If I did, I’d have plenty of my own people to talk about. I deal with unethical marketing every day on my forums and I never talk about it. No, this is different. This case was so widespread and so massive that I could not sit idly by and let this company take advantage of the online community space so obviously and blatantly and get away with it.

Just because others do wrong, that does not justify what Sports Legends Challenge did. Nor does it mean I should ignore it. If you encounter a massive, documentable trail of unethical online marketing, I urge you to take it up with the appropriate parties and to do what is appropriate to expose it, if such action is required.

Thanks,

Patrick

However, I can’t blame them. It is nigh on impossible to get legitimate publicity in the poker industry….pretty similar to any other competitve market. The poker sites won’t talk about it because it is a rival company behind it, while the affiliates would not be interested.

To call this spam is a little bit rich. They did have a geuine, unique product and seemed they just wanted to spread the word. Sometimes things need a boost. Don’t tell me you have never asked anyone to Tweet a post or Digg a story or Sphinn an article.

Before having a go at one company why not dig a bit deeper and see what other poker sites are doing..namely cheating Google.

The well respected PokerStars indulges in some shady stuff. Take a look at this news story (disguised advertorial) found through Google News in a respected UK online newspaper.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/poker/news/2009/09/02/a-wcoop-bracelet-and-sup ernova-elite-115875-21643037/

seems harmless but is in fact giving links to three of PokerStars sites. No mention of it being advertorial /paid links.

The company sponsors apoker league on the newspaper website.

Shouldn’t this be the type of site you are ‘outing’ rather than the one you talk about?

Nice research though:)