# Joshua Boyle and Caitlin Coleman are not heroes **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 16, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053 "2017-10-16T14:25:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [November 6, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053/63 "2017-11-06T02:14:41Z")
Why wouldn’t advertising your own blog post be spam? If you want to discuss the issue, discuss it. As written, it’s even spam if they didn’t say it they wrote it. It’s entirely a plug, with no discussion of what is mentioned in the link or even of the subject at hand. It still reads like an ad. Not an ad: I wrote this blog piece about his Wikipedia habits. The guy does this and this and this. This shows those things you said above, but also this other thing. But you are wrong about this other thing. You know, discussion. Not just a link and hoping we’ll like it. Especially with the “I think he doth protest too much” nature of including a non-spam disclaimer. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053/64 "2017-11-06T23:49:53Z")
I acknowledge that for all those technical reasons, it qualifies as spam. But I found it fascinating and I would never have seen it if not for the drive-by. Sounds like others feel the same. Doesn’t that count for anything? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053/65 "2017-11-06T23:58:19Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I acknowledge that for all those technical reasons, it qualifies as spam. But I found it fascinating and I would never have seen it if not for the drive-by. Sounds like others feel the same. Doesn’t that count for anything? Since the mods haven’t removed it, it seems they agree it’s worthwhile. But they have said in the past that they want participation, not drive-bys. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053/66 "2017-11-07T00:08:35Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I acknowledge that for all those technical reasons, it qualifies as spam. But I found it fascinating and I would never have seen it if not for the drive-by. Sounds like others feel the same. Doesn’t that count for anything? Not to me. Yes, it might’ve been interesting. But you shouldn’t spam, and if I engage with the spam, then I am encouraging spam. This is just a poster who wrote something, then Googled to find places where he could pimp his stuff. You want advertising, pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053/67 "2017-11-07T00:19:12Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Not to me. Yes, it might’ve been interesting. But you shouldn’t spam, and if I engage with the spam, then I am encouraging spam. If it’s spam that is germane to a topic I’ve already shown interest in, and provides new and interesting information about that topic, then I \*do \*encourage spam under those conditions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joshua-boyle-and-caitlin-coleman-are-not-heroes/799053.md?page=3)