# Posting a Threadless design and soliciting votes **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 11, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613 "2013-11-11T01:52:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/1 "2013-11-11T01:52:50Z")
…is that sort of thing kosher in any of the forums? I entered a Threadless contest and there are just few more days of voting left. They say the entrants should mobilize all their social networks to help a design make a cut. I’d love to ask the Teeming Millions to help out, but not if that sort of thing isn’t cool. Does anyone know the rules on this? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/2 "2013-11-11T03:07:00Z")
Yes – it’s against the rules, sorry. It’s considered spam in the [registration agreement](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=650726): > [@](#): > > 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. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/3 "2013-11-11T03:23:33Z")
Good to know. I’m glad I asked. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/4 "2013-11-11T04:36:18Z")
Can’t one get permission for this kind of thing, though? People have peddled their products/services/etc here before (with permission). ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/5 "2013-11-11T04:41:23Z")
I am a charter member and it would be available for sale if it makes the cut. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/6 "2013-11-11T14:06:40Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Can’t one get permission for this kind of thing, though? People have peddled their products/services/etc here before (with permission). Yeah, why not let him plug it? Makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/7 "2013-11-11T14:15:19Z")
B. Serum - PM me the link and I’ll help you out. I hope others offer to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/8 "2013-11-11T15:22:19Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > B. Serum - PM me the link and I’ll help you out. I hope others offer to do the same. You’re a peach, Bob. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/9 "2013-11-11T15:41:55Z")
And for those that maybe don’t know, Threadless is a really cool t-shirt company based out of Chicago that solicits artists to submit designs which end up being used on their shirts. It’s a really really big deal to get your design used by Threadless, and I think the kind of thing the SDMB would take a lot of pride in achieving if we were able to get B. Serum’s design used. I think the mods should grant permission for this to be plugged as much as possible here. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/10 "2013-11-11T16:17:46Z")
Isn’t this the sort of thing that the Marketplace forum is made for? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/11 "2013-11-11T16:24:43Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > You’re a peach, Bob. 🙂 Can’t let Ducca be the only peach. Can I play? ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/12 "2013-11-11T16:27:05Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Isn’t this the sort of thing that the Marketplace forum is made for? I thought of that, but I’m not technically selling anything. Yet. If it makes the cut, then yes, the way I understand it, I would get a a (presumably) small fraction of the sale price. But at this point it’s just lobbying for votes. This is the last day for entries. I don’t know how much longer people can vote, though. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/13 "2013-11-11T16:30:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Can’t let Ducca be the only peach. Can I play? Of course! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/14 "2013-11-11T16:57:55Z")
B. Serum, wait for an official admin/mod approval I suppose, but I do think your post asking for votes and sharing a link in the marketplace will be allowed. Explaining that if you win, you will presumably be making a little bit of money will explain why it’s in market place, and you have the right to post there since you are a paying member. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/15 "2013-11-11T17:03:57Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > B. Serum, wait for an official admin/mod approval I suppose, but I do think your post asking for votes and sharing a link in the marketplace will be allowed. Explaining that if you win, you will presumably be making a little bit of money will explain why it’s in market place, and you have the right to post there since you are a paying member. I agree. I hope they weigh in soon, because voting is open for only 3 more days. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/16 "2013-11-11T17:07:50Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > I agree. I hope they weigh in soon, because voting is open for only 3 more days. I recommend just posting it in the Marketplace in absence of official approval as I don’t believe permission is needed to post there as long as you meet the membership criteria for doing so. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/17 "2013-11-11T17:29:26Z")
\ Since Twickster already said “No.” I can’t force myself to go ahead and do it without approval. I’m too much of a rule-follower, I guess. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/18 "2013-11-11T17:33:18Z")
I agree that since twickster already said no, it wouldn’t be wise to post it anyway. But I do think twickster is mistaken on this and hope another mod or admin will come by to give permission this one time for you as this seems to be the sort of thing they give one time permission for. It was definitely the right thing to ask though. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/19 "2013-11-11T19:33:48Z")
It seems to me that “vote for me” threads have been allowed in the past. I’m pretty sure there was one that was related to disabled or ill kids, for instance. (Note that I don’t have any opinion on the matter. In fact, I dislike this kind of request. Winning because you have more “friends” rather than because you’re the best will always seem like cheating to me, and detrimental to more deserving people, and I would feel bad if I voted for someone just because I “knew” him) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613/20 "2013-11-11T19:37:47Z")
I don’t moderate the Marketplace, so check with Gary Wombat Robson, who does, on whether it would be permitted there. And, no, we don’t generally allow “vote for my whatever” threads, regardless of how prestigous. I can only recall two exceptions in the four and a half years I’ve been a moderator: for **blondbear** ’s baby daughter, who has serious medical needs, and for a member whose name I don’t recall offhand, who was up for winning a truck for her organic chicken farm at a time when they were experiencing significant financial difficulties. So – it doesn’t _never_ happen, but we, in general, keep a pretty tight rein on it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-a-threadless-design-and-soliciting-votes/673613.md?page=2)