# Oops: Rules on Recommending / Advertising?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [June 11, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080 "2016-06-11T02:52:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/1 "2016-06-11T02:52:47Z")
In a Cafe Society thread, I linked to an Amazon page for a particular book that I was recommending. My intent was, “Hey, lookit this, it’s so cool, and you can get it here.”
I’m not in any way associated with the product, so I’m not “advertising” for any personal benefit. But…
Have I boobed up? Is this against the rules? Is it frowned upon? Is it “bad form, old chap?” Can we point to places where things are on sale, or should we limit ourselves to giving the name and author of a really nifty work we’d like to recommend to others, and anyone who’s interested can do their own search?
Apologies if I screwed the pooch.
---
### Author:  [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/2 "2016-06-11T14:45:09Z")
The cultural appropriation of the use of the phrase “bad form, old chap” by an American is certainly frowned on by me.
😃
---
### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/3 "2016-06-11T15:06:53Z")
> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> In a Cafe Society thread, I linked to an Amazon page for a particular book that I was recommending.
This happens all the time, and I’ve never seen anyone complain.
---
### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/4 "2016-06-11T15:27:57Z")
In general we don’t object to your posting links to products or services you find interesting, assuming you have no financial interest. That said, if we got the idea you were shilling for someone, or if you stood to gain personally, we would likely object if you did this outside the Marketplace forum. There’s a gray area that falls under the heading of “promoting your personal agenda,” where you have an interest but it’s not financial. We judge such things on a case by case basis. I can’t say the issue comes up real often.
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/5 "2016-06-11T17:51:37Z")
> [@mascaroni](#):
>
> The cultural appropriation of the use of the phrase “bad form, old chap” by an American is certainly frowned on by me.
>
> 😃
We’re Americans and take what we want. We learned it from the Brits. 😉
---
### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/6 "2016-06-12T00:09:00Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#):
>
> In general we don’t object to your posting links to products or services you find interesting, assuming you have no financial interest. That said, if we got the idea you were shilling for someone, or if you stood to gain personally, we would likely object if you did this outside the Marketplace forum. There’s a gray area that falls under the heading of “promoting your personal agenda,” where you have an interest but it’s not financial. We judge such things on a case by case basis. I can’t say the issue comes up real often.
I’ll try not to do it too often.
> [@mascaroni](#):
>
> The cultural appropriation of the use of the phrase “bad form, old chap” by an American is certainly frowned on by me.
>
> 😃
Ah, but “cultural appropriation” is an Americanism, and thus a non-American should not use it. (Americans shouldn’t use it either… I like cultural borrowing! Pass the Pizza and Nachos!)
---
### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/7 "2016-06-12T02:53:17Z")
Is getting boobed up some kind of inappropriate appropriation too?
---
### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-rules-on-recommending-advertising/757080/8 "2016-06-12T02:56:31Z")
I’m not sure where that came from. Might be independently original with me.
Googling the phrase mostly gets references to breast size.