I've never seen someone get banned for private messages. Especially not a permaban. Either way, I don't see the big deal with keeping it to PMs. Publically? Yeah I can understand why that's an issue but sending someone a PM is like sending them a text message. Who cares?

I don't receive unsolicited publicity via text messages.

I don't think Jaywood sent out recruitment PMs to everyone. I didn't even get one! He probably talked about it with the other people from the Xbox thread. 

But is it all really permaban worthy?

He got banned because he talked about creating a new site through PMs. Explain what I've misunderstood about this whole thing. 

I'll wait. 

The mods and others have explained the reasoning. He was warned for promoting his website and he only changed how he was promoting it on vgchartz. 

How he was promoting it on this site doesn't really matter and that's not the issue.  

He could of just stopped mentioning his site altogether on here and promoted it through any off site means. He would still be here.

That's fine and all but I saw a certain other site get promoted and no one got banned for it. And that was very public where Jay mostly talked about it privately

It was a site for an indie game but it had a forum section, and let's keep it real. It was heavily promoted and as alternative site for Playstation fans that were upset/tired with VGC.

Now I'll go through some of the "violations" JayWood did.

Gaining Information - Jay asked people why they prefer certain sites over others in threads

Advertising his site in his threads - Jay put a Slogan? at the top of his threads, something most people wouldn't even know it's his site. lol

Let me say I have no issue with Joethebro, I actually liked him as a user.

But here's a clear example of advertising right in the open, even comparing features and providing links to the forums. How's is this not advertising/gaining information? (Thread was also not locked when I first brought it up)

Honestly if you ask me that's much more than what Jaywood ever did. He put his website's slogan in a few threads, something like I said people would probably not even think is his new site, and I don't really see how having multiple people put a site as a link in their sig is any better.

I could try and find some posts I've seen that openly talked about the Vizioneck forums but that'll be way too much work. And you're kidding yourselves if you think that wasn't discussed in PMs as well, and to be quite honest, why does it even matter what is discussed privately between members?

Also Shame on whoever "reported" it in the first place.

I honestly don't see an issue with either in my eyes but it has to be brought up if Jay is going to get perma'd over something as silly as that.

Jay should be given another chance when you take this all this into consideration, but sadly I don't see that happening. 

It was a site for an indie game but it had a forum section, and let's keep it real. It was heavily promoted and as alternative site for Playstation fans that were upset/tired with VGC.

Now I'll go through some of the "violations" JayWood did.

Gaining Information - Jay asked people why they prefer certain sites over others in threads

Advertising his site in his threads - Jay put a Slogan? at the top of his threads, something most people wouldn't even know it's his site. lol

Let me say I have no issue with Joethebro, I actually liked him as a user.

But here's a clear example of advertising right in the open, even comparing features and providing links to the forums. How's is this not advertising/gaining information? (Thread was also not locked when I first brought it up)

Honestly if you ask me that's much more than what Jaywood ever did. He put his website's slogan in a few threads, something like I said people would probably not even think is his new site, and I don't really see how having multiple people put a site as a link in their sig is any better.

I could try and find some posts I've seen that openly talked about the Vizioneck forums but that'll be way too much work. And you're kidding yourselves if you think that wasn't discussed in PMs as well, and to be quite honest, why does it even matter what is discussed privately between members?

Also Shame on whoever "reported" it in the first place.

I honestly don't see an issue with either in my eyes but it has to be brought up if Jay is going to get perma'd over something as silly as that.

Jay should be given another chance when you take this all this into consideration, but sadly I don't see that happening.