I issued the ban. People who incentivize posting in a thread in exchange for altcoins usually get suspended for 30 days. Since this is your 2nd time being banned (3rd time if we were to count the ban that was ended early; I don't but just adding in this info for completion's sake), the duration is doubled (as with most consecutive bans being issued). Posting the giveaway outside the altcoin sections doesn't indemnify you nor should it (IMO) reduce the punishment since you've simply violated yet another rule. From
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/unofficial-list-of-official-bitcointalkorg-rules-guidelines-faq-703657:
I have/had no idea that something like I posted was against the rules, even less so in my own thread (I didn`t post it in giveaways section for that very reason, being USDT and no Bitcoin) - so what should have been done?!
While in certain cases leniency can be applied, you:
1) Have been on Bitcointalk for over 2 years.
2) Conducted a substantial amount of business deals on Bitcointalk (based on your Trust feedback).
3) Extensively represent a business / commercial entity.
4) Violated several rules while representing said entity.
4.1) Posted a giveaway that's outside Games and Rounds (Bitcoin giveaways are restricted to Games and Rounds)
4.2) The giveaway is giving away altcoins in exchange for posting in your thread (violating one of the few zero-tolerance rules on the forum)
4.3) Posted altcoin content outside the altcoin sections
5) Have already been banned in the past for violating the forum's rules (not counting the ban that was ended early).
6) Have also been banned (though IIRC the ban was ended early) for
participating in an on-forum altcoin giveaway (=4.2) that was posted in the main boards (=4.3) (meaning you should be aware of the rule's existence or at least gotten curious as to what the rule is).
Which leads me to a simple conclusion - there is no valid excuse for you to not know the forum's rules or where and how certain type of content should be posted
before posting it.
So if I wrote "send me an email" instead - which I usually do - that would be fine? I am getting the point but seriously, some sort of reviewing the individual case instead of generic action would make sense, no? Oh, there was not a single response to this post btw... lol
If you accepted entries to your giveaway (that doesn't have a requirement to post in one or more threads) via PM or via off-forum means (Google Forms, email, other external websites), yes, that'd be fine.