"Questionable web practices"

General Questions
#1

Questions about “earning” money by subscription to MLM, Ponzi or pyramid schemes or other questionable web practices do not belong on the SDMB. Please do not post links to such sites.
Nickrz

This question is not directed at Nickrz.
Ok, I get it about “earning” money, etc, but how does one recognize a “questionable web practice”. I re-visited the Beenz site and perused it a little more closely. I didn’t find anything particularly odd about it. Nothimg of interest to me, but just something I’d consider to be the electronic version of trading stamps.
Is any reference to a commercial site prohibited?
Peace,
mangeorge

Work like you don’t need the money…
Love like you’ve never been hurt…
Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased)

#2

I think I can help answer your question…

I have learned that you should not post a link to a website that could help you to directly earn money.

You could however post a link to a commercial site like the Ford Corp website during a discussion about pickup trucks. Even if you were an employee of Ford or a stockholder you don’t stand to make money directly from the hit or any resulting action on the part of the SDMB member that surfed there via the link you provided.

I’m not as clear concerning the “questionable web sites”, but I trust that the mods will know one if they see one and their judgement will be in the best interest of the board.

As far as “questionable web practices”, I wouldn’t have a good idea of the criteria. In the past, references about “paid-to-surf” programs by the mods have been negative and hint at illegality. I accept their wish and decisions about not naming them but in the spirit of discussion and eliminating ignorance, the straight dope is that they are perfectly legal and they are cost-free to the participant. Nonetheless, my guess is that they would fall under the SDMB definition of “questionable web practices”.