# Difference between informing and promoting? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 22, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027 "2013-01-22T18:38:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/1 "2013-01-22T18:38:18Z")
In [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15925582&postcount=2), **twickster** removes the kickstarter link and kills the thread. I know I’ve found out about kickstarters I’m interested in through The Game Room, and have gone on to help fund them. At what point does a post move from informing people of a kickstarter campaign, to actively promoting that campaign? And if this is against the rules, I guess the threads in The Game Room where we alert interested users to sales should also be forbidden. Quite frankly, if that is true, it makes the board just that much less useful. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/2 "2013-01-23T00:17:52Z")
We often allow mention of such things as this – however, people have to request iin advance and clear it with us. Which did not happen in this case. That’s why it got removed. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/3 "2013-01-23T00:32:24Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > We often allow mention of such things as this – however, people have to request iin advance and clear it with us. Which did not happen in this case. That’s why it got removed. That’s silly. It’s not self promotion. Are we not allowed to discuss upcoming movies either? How about the PBS fundraiser? Pre-orders for games? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/4 "2013-01-23T00:39:02Z")
You raise a good point. Let the mods discuss this and we’ll get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/5 "2013-01-23T00:55:07Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > That’s silly. It’s not self promotion. Are we not allowed to discuss upcoming movies either? How about the PBS fundraiser? Pre-orders for games? Kickstarter is a direct solicitation for money. The annoying thing about this is that if ultrafilter had asked us we would most likely have said Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/6 "2013-01-23T01:14:00Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > The annoying thing about this is that if ultrafilter had asked us we would most likely have said Yes. So is a movie trailer. > [@TubaDiva](#): > > Kickstarter is a direct solicitation for money. > > The annoying thing about this is that if ultrafilter had asked us we would most likely have said Yes. The annoying thing about it is that he needs to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/7 "2013-01-23T01:52:38Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > That’s silly. It’s not self promotion. The letter of the law that **twickster** quoted in the post the OP linked to doesn’t make any distinction between promoting something that you, yourself are involved in vs. something that you have no personal stake in—but it seems to me that the _intention_ of the rule is primarily, if not solely, to prevent promotion of one’s _own_ causes. So I don’t see why something like what **ultrafilter** did should be forbidden. And yet… if I were to start a thread about every Kickstarter project that I’ve contributed to or considered worthwhile, and if many other Dopers did the same thing, I could imagine it cluttering up the boards and getting annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/8 "2013-01-23T02:28:30Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And yet… if I were to start a thread about every Kickstarter project that I’ve contributed to or considered worthwhile, and if many other Dopers did the same thing, I could imagine it cluttering up the boards and getting annoying. Hasn’t happened yet, and I doubt it was the “rule” that was a deterrent. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/9 "2013-01-23T02:49:35Z")
If you want to solicit participation in something from the Teeming Millions, especially something that requires a financial investment, you should ask management first. We approve most requests, it’s not a strenuous process. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/10 "2013-01-23T03:06:33Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > If you want to solicit participation in something from the Teeming Millions, especially something that requires a financial investment, you should ask management first. No financial investment is _required_. > [@TubaDiva](#): > > We approve most requests, it’s not a strenuous process. I don’t understand this. As you said yourself, this likely would have been approved. Provided that’s the case, why does anyone need to submit similar approvals for Kickstarters? It’s all the same; why does each thread need to be approved separately? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/11 "2013-01-23T07:26:19Z")
From the registration agreement: > [@](#): > > This message board is intended as a medium for public discussion. Do not post spam, including but not limited to advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, solicitations, offers to trade or barter, charitable appeals, or other messages primarily intended to promote a cause, venture, organization, event (except Straight Dope-related events), website, or other entity or activity, whether or not money is involved. Do not post spam in your signature or send it via the SDMB’s “private message” feature. **We allow exceptions for worthy causes (in our sole opinion) if you obtain prior permission from a moderator or administrator.** ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/12 "2013-01-23T07:42:55Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > From the registration agreement: Cool; that literally addresses nothing of what I said. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/13 "2013-01-23T08:15:50Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Cool; that literally addresses nothing of what I said. It answered the question exactly. Because they want to vet it before they put it up. It doesn’t matter that they usually say it’s okay anymore than it matters that I would probably be okay with you taking some post I made and posting it elsewhere. I still want to be asked, and so do they. And, yes, the entire point of publishing a kickstarter is to ask people to contribute financially to it. Stop being disingenuous. You don’t post a kickstarter as your OP because you want someone to just look at how well the website is designed. ---
**Author:** ![Krav\_Manga](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krav_manga/32/3153_2.png) [@Krav\_Manga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krav_Manga)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/14 "2013-01-23T09:16:12Z")
Do threads like [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=544389&highlight=Steam+sale) require permission ? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/15 "2013-01-23T14:06:26Z")
> [@Krav\_Manga](#): > > Do threads like [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=544389&highlight=Steam+sale) require permission ? I would think not. There’s a big difference between that and a solicitation thread that I can see. That thread is more like “Hey, everybody! Walmart’s got a 50% off sale next week only! If you normally buy stuff there, next week is a good time to get them!” It’s someone pointing to where they shop regularly, and other people on the board do, too, and telling everyone there’s a sale going on. The thread the OP posted may _also_ be a similar thing, hence the point of the OP of this thread. I agree the OP’s thread was more like the one you pointed to, than like a solicitation thread, so I’d vote (if it were up to a vote) that the OP’s thread shouldn’t have been closed. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/16 "2013-01-23T14:17:23Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > If you want to solicit participation in something from the Teeming Millions, especially something that requires a financial investment, you should ask management first. > [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > I would think not. There’s a big difference between that and a solicitation thread that I can see. That thread is more like “Hey, everybody! Walmart’s got a 50% off sale next week only! If you normally buy stuff there, next week is a good time to get them!” > > It’s someone pointing to where they shop regularly, and other people on the board do, too, and telling everyone there’s a sale going on. > > The thread the OP posted may _also_ be a similar thing, hence the point of the OP of this thread. I agree the OP’s thread was more like the one you pointed to, than like a solicitation thread, so I’d vote (if it were up to a vote) that the OP’s thread shouldn’t have been closed. I agree. I think **ultrafilter** thought of what he was doing as informing rather than soliciting. What’s really under discussion here is the question posed in the thread title: what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/17 "2013-01-23T15:24:25Z")
> [@Krav\_Manga](#): > > Do threads like [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=544389&highlight=Steam+sale) require permission ? This has been a little while but iirc he did ask us for permission in advance and we granted it. He should have stated so in his posting but he didn’t, we usually ask that too. Of course memory is a funny thing … but I think I vaguely recall this. You should always ask us if you’re unsure of something – “better to ask permission than beg forgiveness.” ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/18 "2013-01-23T15:25:17Z")
The problem is, on the other side, do you really want to see GD spammed with “So-and-so is running for office against evil career politician such-and-such. If you care about truth, justice and the American way, you can donate to keep the country free at [notadouchebag.com](http://notadouchebag.com)” What’s the difference between that and the kickstarter thread? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/19 "2013-01-23T15:28:11Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > You should always ask us if you’re unsure of something – “better to ask permission than beg forgiveness.” You got the phrase backwards. The quote is “Better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission.” It’s often seen in movies where someone (possibly with a chimp as his sidekick) is considering stealing a tank or something similar. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027/20 "2013-01-23T15:32:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Do not post spam, including but not limited to. . . other messages primarily intended to promote a . . . website. . . whether or not money is involved. I can’t think of a way to interpret this that doesn’t technically mean we must ask for permission to post a link to anything outside of the Dope, since I think it can be taken as read that a website’s existence is a de facto promotion of that website. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-informing-and-promoting/648027.md?page=2)