There wasn't a better way to handle this?

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1

Link

Really? Someone couldn’t have popped into the thread and admonished AFG for her misdeed? And MAYBE, just MAYBE explained to her a way to open the thread properly? Really?

I understand that there have been posters in the past that have snuck their online wares into threads, but is this an ongoing issue with AFG that has flown under my radar? Is there a history I am unaware of?

Again, there wasn’t a better way? She was getting a lot of helpful responses and I couldn’t see where she was hawking the products to anyone. I fully understand the TOS and while she was technically in violation, someone couldn’t have been a tad nicer about it instead of just disappearing the thread with no explanation? Really?

I am all for promoting a kinder, gentler SDMB, but it kinda has to work in both directions. Really.

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I did get a PM from Lynn Bodoni saying it had been closed. I would have been a little disappointed, but not really minded, if she had just said, “Well, we can’t have links for legal reasons, etc.” but she basically gave me a “we’ve had people do this before, post links to try to get sales for their sites,”, and “If you really wanted to get opinions, you would have gotten a photobucket account and posted pictures that way. But what you were doing was advertising.” and made it sound like I was underhanded and sneaky, and how dare I! I tried to explain that posting over 40 photos would exceed my bandwidth limit for a photosharing site, and I wanted to get opinions on the layout of the shop too, not just products. I explained also that I only posted the links because this was the most efficient way I could think of to show what needed to be shown so I could actually get feedback. Response I got from that? Nothing.

Kind of like a kick in the face, especially since I’ve done a shit ton of free drawings for people on these boards over the ~5 years that I’ve been here, with no links to my site or even real name. All of a sudden I’m a sneak trying to get sales over the SDMB. Yeah right.

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I can understand if you did get a PM and she did explain how to go about having your website critiqued.

This does make more sense. I am satisfied with this explanation. I was under the impression that the post just up and vanished.

AFG, I am sure someone here can help you post your pic’s without taking too much bw if you ask.

I know how to shrink the pic’s using Serif Photoplus editor (free btw) but I’ve never had to upload them.

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I’ll throw myself under the bus here:

I’ve posted two threads recently, both with links to my website which exists for the sole purpose of selling life and health insurance to Georgians. One was in a thread about helping me with code on the website, and the other was in a thread about search engine optimization. In both instances, I posted 100% commercial links to a site whose profits go entirely into my checking account. I wonder, why were my threads treated differently? Surely, Amazon is a more respected member of the board than myself.
Links to my (offending?) threads:

(And to be clear - my intent therein was not to advertise, but to get help. Much like I think Amazon was doing.)

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… but my Alzheimer’s blog makes 2 cents whenever someone clicks on one of the ads. I haven’t actually been paid anything yet, and whenever I do, I have pledged half to The Alzheimer’s Association and half to my local Humane Society. Yeah, it’s for charity, but I too have posted about it, and y’all have gone there and clicked, so I too will step forward.

Rather not do the bus thing, though, if it’s okay?:wink:

I hope there can be some resolution for this, because I feel that Doper people are wonderful folks who always step up to the plate when help is needed without ever blinking an eye, and that’s something we can all be proud of.

Quasi

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I became aware of the thread because another mod had received at least one report about it. The person reporting the thread stated that s/he too had some stuff for sale online, would be glad to get feedback on how to make it more attractive, and would also be happy to have his/her wares out for the Straight Dope readers to view. Editing the thread to remove the links would have rendered it almost information free.

As I said, in the past we’ve had problems with people linking to their online stores, ostensibly by asking a question about the items involved. I didn’t think that Amazon Floozy Goddess necessarily meant to ask the question just to get her products out on the message board, but I certainly can’t rule it out. Maybe I could in her case, but I don’t know her well at all. And how do I decide the next post with a link to an online store? And the next? From the beginning, we’ve had people who wanted to link to their stores/eBay auctions/whatever. The only fair way to moderate is to not allow ANY of it. I also can’t think of a way for anyone to link to an online store without it being advertising. We have always removed the posts and Warned the posters. Please note that AFG didn’t get a Warning. I didn’t tell her that we can’t have links for legal reasons because that’s not true. The reason we can’t have links is because everyone with a retail website would want to link to it.

Where do we draw the line? If we allow one question about online stores, then we have to (or at least we should) allow EVERYONE to ask a question on how to improve their store. With links. There are just way too many posters who have such stores to allow such a thing, unless we make a dedicated forum for those questions. Etsy already has such a forum, by the way, where people ask questions just like AFG’s.

Generally, we allow links that don’t DIRECTLY lead to a sales page. A page of informational articles, with an offer of a quote, is not a direct link. We also allow artistic types ONE thread, with ONE bump, when they publish a book or something, but they have to ask permission first.

Not every thread with a direct sales link comes to our attention. As I said, I wouldn’t have noticed the one in question if someone hadn’t reported it, and the mod who got the report circulated the email in the mod loop. If you see a thread that you think might be advertising, by all means, report it.

I am open to suggestions about how we can allow one question like this without allowing a thousand questions with links. I’m sure there’s more than a thousand TMs with online stores. I can’t guarantee that it will change our policies, but if I see some good suggestions, I’ll bring it up in mod discussion.

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First of all, so what? What is the benefit of disallowing questions with links to online stores? If you just dislike any form of advertising, that boat sailed long ago with the introduction of Google ads. If you’re worried about an influx of spammers, I think there’s a pretty wide gulf between a specific question on some aspect of a sales website posted by an OP who remains engaged in the thread and “Cheep Medz Now” drivebys. If you think innocent Dopers will somehow be tricked into visiting online stores by an underhanded OP, then I think I can assure you that most people are net-savvy enough to figure out that an online store is supposed to sell stuff.

If you actually literally think that a change in policy will lead to “thousands” of people “ask[ing] a question on how to improve their store” requiring “a dedicated forum for those questions” then that’s simply absurd. You’re either wildly overestimating the number of people who would have a string of legitimate questions about their online stores or wildly underestimating the majority’s intelligence and manners.

If you are considering altering this policy, then I would suggest that questions about online stores be allowed, if:

  1. The number of threads on the topic by one poster is minimal,
  2. The poster remains engaged in the topic,
  3. The poster makes clear in the OP that any link is to his/her for-profit website,
  4. The thread is a question, even if it’s “do you think this site would effectively sell stuff?” That’s qualitatively different than linking one’s latest eBay auction in one’s thread.
  5. Spam is still spam.
    There are clearly going to be
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Heh. Stopped in mid-thought.

There are clearly going to be borderline cases, but any delineation of a rule, including whatever it is right now, by definition creates a line that can be bordered. Splitting hairs on whether or not Poster A is legitimately asking a question is no more onerous than splitting hairs on whether or not Poster A’s linked page is or is not a “sales page”.

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Lynn, please, please don’t take this the wrong way-but I’ve noticed that in the past year or so you tend to be a wee touchy. Are you starting to get burned out? Please don’t think I’m saying this in a negative way.

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If I had to hazard a guess, perhaps that’s at the heart of it. The Google ads pay, y’see…

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Just out of curiousity, how about a new forum called The Flea Market or something. Allow folks to post the links in there.

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Something like that is currently under consideration. We’ll let you know of further developments.