Forum rules re: thread spamming

[OceanBlue]

First of all, there is a difference between one member making a few or several posts in the same thread over the course of say a week (especially if there isn't much traffic in that sub-forum), compared to making several consecutive posts in a row over the course of say ten minutes to half an hour.

You also get members (long-time and 'new' (the latter I suspect are previously, permanently banned members) replying to more than one person in the same thread without using the Multi-Quote button.

I decided to double-check the forum's rules, and unless it's staring me in the face I can't see anything about thread spamming. How many posts are allowed before someone takes notice and action is taken? When you have 'new' members joining the website and forum and instead of introducing themselves first, they go immediately into a discussion for one of the boutique labels as if they have been on this forum before (eg: a previously, permanently banned member), making a lot of posts to the point where they are going up the forum rankings within the space of a month, something doesn't smell right.

Update: Have read a more detailed list of the forum's rules. Thread spamming is there, but it happens on here on a regular basis (threads getting derailed for example).

I have noticed advertising in some forum signatures (website and blog website addresses).