Summary: Earlier today Microsoft products were advertised in a Python users distribution list, but the message has since then been moderated, i.e. deleted

"Jimmy has an idea for The #DCPython Meetup," warned us a reader who titled this warning "ENTRYISM - Net - Mono". Watch the following message carefully:

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Meetup <info@meetup.com> Date: Tue, Aug 03 at 11:27 AM (GMT+4) Subject: Jimmy has an idea for The #DCPython Meetup

Jimmy's idea:

"Learn New Programming Languages" Ever thought of broadening your horizon and increase your value and sell-ability by also learning other programming languages? Well, here's your chance. There is an idea "Introduction Courses for Beginners" at the The Baltimore/Washington .NET Developers Meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/developers/ideas/

This course is designed to introduce anyone interested in .NET programming to courses like C#, ASP.NET, Silverlight, Windows Azure, etc. Join the group free and cast your vote so we can all take part in professional development and enrichment.

To vote for this idea, follow the link below: http://meetup.zpugdc.org/ideas/355902/

To stop receiving this email, click here: http://meetup.zpugdc.org/optout/?email=samEmail

-- Add info@meetup.com to your address book to receive all Meetup emails To manage your email settings for this group, go to: http://meetup.zpugdc.org/settings/ Meetup, PO Box 4668 #37895 New York, New York 10163-4668 Meetup HQ in NYC is hiring! http://www.meetup.com/jobs/

Our reader called it "sickening" and added that it "looks like .NET operatives are trying to infiltrate the DC python group" (it is not the first time).

What the reader called "good news" is the fact that "they're not buying it:

"On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 12:49 PM, Alex Clark wrote: > > Actually, I asked him to send an email vs. using the "ideas" page (because > this is clearly not an idea for our meetup)."

"Jimmy, You also posted this as an "idea" on the meetup. Please stop spamming. -kpd On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 12:44 PM, Jimmy wrote: > Ever thought of broadening your horizon and increase your value and > sell-ability by also"

The slanted fonts are quotes inside a quote, "but you gotta love the msft spammers trying to sell non-free to python user groups," concluded our reader who also sent the following message:

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Fred Drake <fdrake@acm.org> Date: Tue, Aug 03 at 02:25 PM (GMT+4) Subject: Re: [DCPython] Learn New Programming Languages To: DCPython-list@meetup.com

On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 12:49 PM, Alex Clark <aclark@aclark.net> wrote: > > Actually, I asked him to send an email vs. using the "ideas" page (because > > this is clearly not an idea for our meetup). Ours wasn't the only area meetup that received this "idea"; I received it from at least two meetups.

-Fred

-- Fred L. Drake, Jr. <fdrake at gmail.com> "A storm broke loose in my mind." --Albert Einstein

-- Please Note: If you hit "REPLY", your message will be sent to everyone on this mailing list (DCPython-list@meetup.com) http://meetup.zpugdc.org/ This message was sent by Fred Drake (fdrake@acm.org) from The #DCPython Meetup. To learn more about Fred Drake, visit his/her member profile: http://meetup.zpugdc.org/members/11004115/ To unsubscribe or to update your mailing list settings, click here: http://meetup.zpugdc.org/settings/ Meetup, PO Box 4668 #37895 New York, New York 10163-4668 | support@meetup.com

"I was going to link you to the idea (spam) itself," said our reader, but "they've moderated (removed) it now, but the link is in one of the previous fwd's anyway." We have already seen similar Microsoft advertisements in Free software-oriented mailing lists. ⬆