What does 'discouraged' mean precisely?

[Coliwob]

I was looking into Automated welcome messages for new followers, and keep coming across this term ‘discouraged.’

But what exactly does this mean, and what are the consequences of ignoring this warning?

I mean, auto messaging new followers to say ‘hi, would you like to check out my stuff,’ is not exactly rare.

So, how should I react to this ominous but extremely vague instruction?

[yoyoel]

Hi! Thanks for posting.

Our guidance on the subject of automated messages is outlined explicitly in the Automation Rules. We’ve also provided additional guidance in a policy clarification here. Of particular importance with regards to your question is:

Only contact users who have clearly indicated a desire to be contacted by you. For example, if a user has directly mentioned your account or your brand name, that’s a good sign that they’re interested in receiving a response from you. Bulk or automated unsolicited mentions in response to generic or broad discussions of a topic or industry are prohibited. In the absence of other interactions, following your account does not constitute an intent to be automatically contacted by you.

In general, an automated welcome message like the one you describe would not be compliant with our rules.

Please note that any violation of the Developer Agreement and Policy, or the Automation Rules, may result in the suspension of the offending app and the account(s) performing the automated actions.

[andypiper]