How do you pick your sponsors?

[virgohippy]

A lot of programs offer all kinds of deals/promotions/services/etc. all the time. I can't imagine how any site owner would get any work done if they treated their private messaging system as an open forum for each and every rep who wanted to contact them about some spectacular new program.

[Simon IA Cash]

I don't ignore anyone, generally, in my life, whether it's a homeless person, a random person on ICQ, or a telemarketer (although, admittedly, I fuck with telemarketers a bit on occasion). No matter who they are, people are people, and whether it's on ICQ or not, saying nothing tells them they are nothing to you, not even worthy of an acknowledgement/reply. Fact is, you never know who you the person you ignored might turn out to be, and you could be hurting a future relationship. Whether you care or not is another story, I guess.

I see your point about an unsolicited message being a bit intrusive, but again, this is potential mutual-gain business. I think it's worth it to hear a little of what a person has to say, if they feel they have something special to offer me. If you don't want to do that, fine. All I'm saying is that it's not so outlandish to tell someone "no thanks, no more messages please", and I think it would be quite possible for webmasters to get their work done all the same. Not all salespeople are so terrible, and given how often messages don't go through or get received over ICQ (for whatever reason), I think a decent and hardworking salesperson could be given the courtesy of a 5-second "no thanks not interested" so they don't have to wonder why there was no reply.