Advertising software is against rules?
 

I read this thread and it was locked with this mod edit:

Mod edit: Advertising software is against the rules, mm'kay?

I was just wondering, what is the difference between a respectable (non-trolling) forum member advertising software, and someone (troll or non-troll) advertising for Firefox? I see people advertise for FF and it hasn't been removed.

Just wondering =)

Firefox is free :) Maybe The Bat is too, in that cause I don't know why it was locked.

Doesn't matter. The rule isn't you can only advertise for software that is free.

- Advertising or soliciting other members to buy, sell or peruse any products or services through this discussion forum is not permitted. Chain letters and junk mail are also strictly prohibited. Topics/posts that contain this will be both edited and locked.

I guess the only thing that wouldn't count under that is Winamp which is understandable.

theres a difference, between dedicating a whole post to advertizing, and between MENTIONING a certain product within a non-ad post... and putting a small and non eye catching ad....

first one is a no-no

Well, Opera have been discussed many times, never heard anyone complain about it being a software one can pay for. It got a free version (which have free use, and is not type of Shareware or Trial), it got a commerical at the top or top/right of the window (what's your preference), but it's still a profitable browser, and been so for quite some time.

FF was just an example. On many occasions people dedicate full threads to various software. Either to download and use or for help with the program.

Example

the forum rules are a guideline of what not to do....

if its considered spam then its spam... a small FF icon is no big deal.

i think letting the public know about neat utilities and tools are great on the provision they don't suck... well thats how its been in the past.

if people used common sense here we wouldn't have to have rules...

if we didn't need them they wouldn't be there.

I agree that a small FF icon is no big deal. But what Klumy posted was nothing different than what Kaboon posted about FF 1.04.

I wondered the same thing when I saw that thread locked. I guess only the mod who locked it could tell us why he/she did so.

Though what Rocker said made sense. I think you should be able to advertise software here but with a few things to it.

First, you don't just come here to strictly advertise. Second, you have a good reason for advertising the software (eg. good utility, neat free program etc.). Your not gaining anything by advertising. And your not advertising anything you shouldn't be (scams, illegal content, viruses/spyware, porn etc.).

It's best left up to a mod's discretion, they can usually tell the difference between a legit ad and someone using the forums just to spam. So I have no worries.

if you post a link to software because the threadstarter is asking what would be best to use, it's concidered an answer to the threadstarter.
If you however start a thread just to promote some software it's spam.

thin line between what goes and what doesn't

Klumy has been a member since 2000 so it isn't from a troll. I don't know if any profits will be gained but neither would the mod (as far as I know). And the program is a e-mail utiltiy which isn't illegal, virus/spwyare, portn etc.

I agree that if you post what software for X function would be good to use is fine. But if you go by starting a thread to promote it then the Thread I used as an examply should have been locked and links removed.

ADVERTS ROCK!


http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win..._68x56_ani.gif

You must be joking Jones, you simply can not be serious about this advertisment?? or can you???

non offensive adverts = legal?

omfg!!! teh bestest

btw bug in forum software....^^^ see last post. that happened to me aswell.

forum bug?

http://www.winamp.com/community/prom...rts/playme.gif

if Jones can advertise some crappy player , i can advertise a good piece of software:D

BESTEST!!!

http://images.sonique.lycos.com/site...load_now-1.gif



Have you , or anyone else, bothered to click on my advert?

you wish

????

Jones , may I be the first to tell you that you are now advertising some software that has been dead for over 5 years.

what's next ?? windows 3.1 advertisments?? or do we go straight back to dos?

and yes i clicked the links, but those images are so blah blah blah terrible.

have you bothered to check WHAT are you showcasing? its like i put a banana shake inside a milk carton....

Wow. This didn't take long to derail. Thanks Jones :P

Oh and download Firefox.

http://sfx-images.mozilla.org/affili...x600/trust.png

What's up with DOS, I use it all the time, using it right now as a matter of fact.

And honestly, somedays I think my sense of humor is way to subtle for these forums, perhaps I should start to accentuate everything with [JOKE TO FOLLOW] [/JOKE TO FOLLOW]

/sits back to wait for some half wit to come up with 'oh that's not real DOS but emulated DOS wah wah wah

English Humor isn't understood outside of the UK.
You should have known that.
( however I can understand the Humor Jasper Carrot is using in his one man shows)

Yeah I know. I'm pretty sure Klumy was just telling everyone about some good software, those reasons I listed above didn't apply to that thread, I was just saying what would define spam in my mind.

/me puts virtual "wah wah, its not a real dos, dos and XP are like widdy and a mouse....." act, but keeps it to the point

/edit: btw, keep ignoring me, i'm just on my way to be a forum king :p

Exactly. That is why Klumy's thread should be unlocked. It isn't spam, it isn't from a troll, it is no different than making a thread about 1.04 FF, latest version of Opera, downloading Thunderbird, downloading ICQ etc etc. Those don't get locked and links removed, this shouldn't.

Oh yeah and sonique really rocks the casbah :p

Yeah, I noticed that nobody did as well.

It's a link to download winamp people, winamp, not Media Player or Sonique.. :winamp:

And Jones.. please fix my CT. :)

There is a whole different thread that could be started here that deals with the UK culture and it's xenophobic tendancies towards the rest of the world, but it's 3pm and I'm off for a cup of tea :p

/Besides dork may very well murder me if I derail his thread any more than it already is :)

are we really de-railing this thread??

well have your cup of tea, i'm off also going to the transmitter to check some things ( local commercial station and we are running the am transmitter on low power without cooling, so it needs checking up once or twice every day)

d0rk, it's all yours again.

I can't understand why that thread was locked either. The Breaking News forum has been used forever for major software version announcements - what's wrong with one about "The Bat!"?

The Bat! is a commercial product which afaik costs $45 (to purchase legally).

Breaking News can be used to tell other members about updated versions of (essential?) free software
(eg. IrfanView, Spybot SD, Ad-Aware SE, SpywareBlaster, Firefox, Lame_Enc, CDex, EAC, etc),
but NOT for advertising commercial products.

That's the way I've always seen it anyway, heh.

ps. btw, it wasn't me who whacked the thread :/

That would make sense Egg. Thank you.

It looks like an image tag is messing up.

Eat more chicken.

you can! Don't believe u. 'ard enough getting past that brummie accent - dunno which is funnier - him or the accent

;)

edit: wtf is up with this thread? who keeps breaking the tables...

I love dos... I even have a copy of Dos 1.0...... But I have never tried it... Funy thing is I also Have a copy of Windows 1.0...

OMGWTFDUDE!

That's not DOS, it's emulated!

Get it right, bitch!

<3 Mr. Jones

Wow. Painful.