Dr. Bob was a talented inventor, but he was not a fabulous marketer.

FORBES: Successful Companies Put The Right People In The Right Jobs

First, the e-mail marketer YesMail, owned by the Internet investor CMGI, sued after MAPS threatened to add them to the RBL. YesMail calls itself a "permission marketer, " meaning that its junk is not entirely unwanted.

FORBES: Spam Warfare

It is not, in the way that Apple or Wal-Mart is, a mass marketer.

FORBES: On the Run

Think about it: I cannot possibly make as much money telling you not to invest in a hedge fund, an investment product with exceptionally high fees for the manager or marketer, as they can make getting you to invest in a hedge fund.

FORBES: Pension Consultant Conflicts of Interests (April 1, 2002 )

The scene stuck not just with me, but with a friend I met during my first tour of duty as a Silicon Valley marketer.

FORBES: The Silicon Valley Men's Club