effigy

I posted about my site having a "hot deal". 3 contests were going on, you could win a DVD, or two different posters. Granted, it was MY site that was having the deal, but how is that wrong? Do you want me to get someone else to post about it? It was just faster for me to post it. I find it very ignorant and arrogant for DVD Talk to delete my post just because it advertised my site; like you're saying "no cheap hits from us".

Many people have posted contests before in the Hot Deals fourm without deletion. I'd like an explination as to why someone is on a little power-trip.

das Monkey

While I like the rhyme, how is it ignorant?

das

effigy

Deleting ones post for no appearent reason or warning is ignorant IMO.

I'm just ranting, I could care less what happens now.

AndyCapps

You're kidding, right? Take a look at the forum rules at http://www.dvdtalk.com/legal.html where it says that there will be ABSOLUTELY NO

• Spam or promotion of your personal site for advertising purposes

You find it ignorant that we enforce the rules? Have you never bothered to read them? Deleting the thread is mild compared to what usually happens to spammers.

effigy

It was a contest, I wasn't advertising my site for the hell of it. I posted it in the hot deals because it is. Like I said, I could've gotten someone else to post about it, but I didn't waste the time.

You don't get it do you? I WASN'T ADVERTISING MY SITE. I was posting about the contest, and I said it jokingly because it was actually my site. Using common sense is a cool thing, try it.

I wasn't spamming. I was posting about a hot deal that I thought many here would be interested in signing up for. I AM offering it, yes - but WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE of me posting it, or someone with no connection to the site posting it? NONE, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.

Try reading next time before you jump to conclusions.

Now, if I went into the other forum, or any fourm - and posted: "Check out my site! Yeaaaah!" Yes, that is spam - and is advertising my site for no reason. But instead, I was being nice - I posted about the giveaways we are having in the Hot deal fourms ONLY, thinking it would gain me points with some members here for giving away such items, but instead it gets deleted without even warning me.

I WAS advertising the HOT DEAL, not just the SITE, it wasn't for no reason, IT WASNT RANDOM, nor was it Spam. Good god.

Brutal rules. Ouch.

AndyCapps

You first.

effigy

Yeah, ok.

Lets brainstorm.


3 Contests.

Win 2 Posters and a DVD.

"DVDTalk has a hot deals fourm, I bet people there would like this deal"

+ Me visiting DVDtalk.

= Me posting a deal in the hot deal forums meaning no harm at all.

I know I did something wrong, I just don't see it. Interesting.

AndyCapps

This thread is a good example of why we ask that you email moderators/admins about issues such as this instead of creating a thread about it. In this case, this thread is causing you to dig yourself a hole. Posting spam related to a site you own is generally an automatic ban. But since the staffer who caught it thought it must be a one-time lapse of judgment, we were discussing giving you a warning this time. See, you don't always get immediate feedback on forum issues, because we take the time to discuss them.

How was it spam? You were using DVDTalk's resources(which unfortunately aren't free) to promote your own personal site for free. Did you have something to gain by creating the thread? Yes, you increased the exposure of your site by posting about a "giveaway". When you ask yourself the question, "Do I have something to gain by posting this?" and the answer is Yes, it is spam. Whether it is a referral link you get paid for someone clicking, or you gain an increase in views for your site, it is spam.

Now this might not be a big deal if this site was run on someone's home machine using the DSL line they'd be paying for anyway. But the costs of this site are much greater than that, and a tiny percentage of those costs are offset by paid advertising. If all it takes to get around that is to offer a contest, why would anyone bother to pay for advertising? If it's ok for you to do it, why shouldn't it be ok for DeepDiscountDVD to do it?

You either pay for advertising, or you don't advertise here. Plain and simple. When you have something to gain(even if it is increased traffic to a site that you own) by a post, it is advertising, and it is against the rules.

effigy

I understand all of that, but you got the intent wrong. Yes, it could increase traffic, but the intent was to speak of a giveaway RW is having. However you see its, it doesn't matter now.

You see, the funny thing is - If I got someone who was no way connected to the site to post direct links to the contest, what would've happened? Probally nothing, right? Because he wouldn't be advertising his site, because it wouldn't be his. But so be it.

And to think we was actually considering paying for advertising on DVDTalk too.

Well, sorry for causing such a mess out of nothing at all. If you feel to place such strick rules on your own visitors, then so be it. Your site. Thanks for the appearent warning instead of banning, I assume.

Larry.

X

Good. Then you won't have any problem with our removing THE BIG LINK TO YOUR SITE that was in your signature.

AndyCapps

You sure the intent wasn't to bring more people to your site who might possibly click on an Amazon banner containing a referral link? If you had good intentions, why did you mislead people into believing they could sign up for a free poster instead of a contest to possibly win a poster?

Thinking about paying for advertising doesn't excuse people from following the rules.

effigy

Uhm, I can't have a link in my sig? I've had that for awhile now and you just now decide to remove? Hmm, how interesting that is.

effigy

Huh? I didn't mislead anyone. Atleast, it was not my intention. Contest or just a giveaway, it's still a free LOTR poster that you have a chance to win, I did not intend to 'mislead' anything or anybody.

X

You never called attention to it before. But you sure did when you started this thread and stated you weren't trying to get traffic to your site.

Your signature with your site linked in big blue type said something entirely different. And no, you can't have your site in your signature when it links to a page with Amazon referral links.

Cheddarmuff

Not to get into the middle of this debate (who am I kidding, that is exactly what I am doing) but as an uninterested party here effigy I have to agree with the mods here....a one in god knows how many chance of winning a poster is not that great of a deal. There appears to be no mention of a free DVD The contest almost seems like a data mining experiment...enter your email and name...

The only advice I would give effigy is to let it lie...as Andy indicated you are only making more waves which will not help your case.

That's my $0.02.....feel the love...

Josh H

Commonsense would have been reading and obeying the rules, or better yet, just posting a link to a contest without letting it known that it was your site.


Yes this site has tough rules, and yes they are enforced very strictly. I applaud Geoff for this. It's the reason these boards aren't over ran with spam, flame wars and the other typical internet geek crap that ruins most boards.

Cheddarmuff

Quote:

Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
Yes this site has tough rules, and yes they are enforced very strictly. I applaud Geoff for this. It's the reason these boards aren't over ran with spam, flame wars and the other typical internet geek crap that ruins most boards.

Well said !

effigy

Uhm, so because I have amazon on my site, I can't put the link in my sig? Wow, now that .. is nuts.. Seriously. I am not linking them to amazon.com, I am linking them to my website.
The LOTR poster is on the main page and hollywood section. The DVD is in the wrestling section because its wrestling related, and the Cobain poster is in the music section respectively. I have quickly skimmed through the rules, but I bet you atleast 85% of the people here hasn't read the whole essay of rules. Plus, no where does it say "Don't post a hot deal if it's a hot deal on your site" ... You know?

Josh H

No promoting your own site covers not posting deals on your site. It's and case close type deal. Don't post links to your own site for any reason, especially when your site has affiliate ads that could take away revenue from this site.

das Monkey

Can we link this thread in the FAQ under the "Doesn't Know When To Quit" section? Perhaps next to a picture of a shovel and a hole?

das

Iron Chef

shovel?

this guy got out the backhoe

SunMonkey

His website is still linked next to the Profile and Email buttons in his posts if anyone cares to remove it there too.