Advertising on the forum

[oliver90owner]

There are currently (when I just looked a couple miutes ago) 2,635 items listed on epay for 'beekeeping'.

If commercial sellers are simply allowed to adverise their epay wares on the forum, just think how long it will take for a lot of those on epay to realise this is a free area to draw attention to their 2,365 items.

Not long, I would think, for enough of them to be over here posting away to clog up the works.

Question is: Does the forum really want that happening? The rot is already here, and, IMO, it needs cutting out now. What does everyone think of it in the contex above? Acceptable or not?

RAB

 

[johnandyrob]

In that context I dont think any of us would want that

 

[Storm™]

I saw the post you are talking about RAB, and it will happen just as you say just quicker than you say, because when "someone" puts on their epay advert "look here for further info or to talk to me in person in chatroom most evenings blah blah blah" I as a seller would see that and say - wow thats a good idea where is that ..... end of really.

 

[dpearce4]

RAB

Maybe you could figure out a way that people who use fleabay and then advertise on here use the forum auction and make the money that they would on fleabay.

i would love to use the forum site if i knew i would be making a fair price for my goods and then i would know it was going to people that could make best use of it.

do you not think that would be a good idea?

 

[the naked beekeeper]

There are currently (when I just looked a couple miutes ago) 2,635 items listed on epay for 'beekeeping'.

If commercial sellers are simply allowed to adverise their epay wares on the forum, just think how long it will take for a lot of those on epay to realise this is a free area to draw attention to their 2,365 items.

Not long, I would think, for enough of them to be over here posting away to clog up the works.

Question is: Does the forum really want that happening? The rot is already here, and, IMO, it needs cutting out now. What does everyone think of it in the contex above? Acceptable or not?

RAB

Rab I know you are keen on detail and intricacies.

So which is it, 2,635 items or 2,365 items?!

 

[dpearce4]

i will quickly add i dont have a Fleabay account and i do not do commercial beekeeping of any sort.

lol

 

[Chris B]

RAB, maybe you have a point.
But take a look down some of the "For Sales" in any of the subsections. There are plenty of ads clearly commercial in nature. Your epay nightmare scenario has been creeping up on us for some time.

 

[user 6228]

There are currently (when I just looked a couple miutes ago) 2,635 items listed on epay for 'beekeeping'.

If commercial sellers are simply allowed to adverise their epay wares on the forum, just think how long it will take for a lot of those on epay to realise this is a free area to draw attention to their 2,365 items.

Not long, I would think, for enough of them to be over here posting away to clog up the works.

Question is: Does the forum really want that happening? The rot is already here, and, IMO, it needs cutting out now. What does everyone think of it in the contex above? Acceptable or not?

RAB

RAB lets call this what it is - You and your attack dog/s have decided that yet another subscriber to this forum is going to be your victim. You have done this before on numerous occasions. Some body makes a mistake and you lick your lips and go in for the kill. If they survive one attack you you try again, as shown in this thread.


The unacceptable behaviour is yours.


on the specifics -the equipment is vouched as used and personally used by the seller, You are either calling her a liar or saying she is iredeemably tainted by making her living from bees. Either way you are the one who is self indicted.

 

[The Cumbrian]

As a comparative newcomer to the forum my view is.....

Over the last couple of weeks there have been signs of the forum deteriorating rapidly towards commercial advertising.

When an individual starts 6 threads in 5 months and 5 of those are adverts and another feels it is acceptable to make their first post an advert, things are breaking down.

When people have posts removed by admin and asked to read the forum rules and then later post commercial adverts they are clearly taking no notice of what the forum wants and are merely looking after themselves.

Personally I like the forum as it was when I joined not as it is now. I prefer a situation where requests for help are answered by either suggestions as to where to try or PMs. This system has helped me greatly and hasn't caused (as far as I can see) any problems.

To me it is when the commercial element begins to take over ( as in the two cases I mention above ) the problems start to occur

 

[beeatshellards]

I agree that blatant advertising that this forum does not allow, should be stopped. I do not like it when people join the forum just to peddle their wares knowing a captive audience may be looking, this should not be confused with someone saying I need help I need ...so and so, where someone on the forum can suggest where to look, a different matter entirely . The poster who advertised wares should be made to remove it imho

 

[The Cumbrian]

I agree that blatant advertising that this forum does not allow, should be stopped. I do not like it when people join the forum just to peddle their wares knowing a captive audience may be looking, this should not be confused with someone saying I need help I need ...so and so, where someone on the forum can suggest where to look, a different matter entirely . The poster who advertised wares should be made to remove it imho

 

[itma]

I appreciate the non-business ethos of the forum.

Its about bees.
Not about making money (or making a living) out of beekeepers.

I think advertising of for-profit 'buying opportunities' has no part in the forum as it exists currently.

Because I'd like to see who is who plainly (rather than pick it up by osmosis over the months and maybe years), I'm not worried about business names as usernames - JUST SO LONG AS those business names are only allowed on the strict understanding that they must be on their guard against any suspicion of 'advertising', with losing that privilege of using their business name here as the implicitly threatened penalty for trying to be 'clever'.

I think that not-for-profit enterprises (charity, bee club, etc) are inoffensive.

I haven't (yet) been offended by personal selling. If it becomes a big problem, perhaps then would be the time to deal with it. As of now, it ain't broke, so it doesn't need fixing.

But I'm puzzled as to why avowedly commercial announcements by a proudly commercial trader, should be tolerated for a single moment.
I thought that was exactly what the rules forbade.

The use of the tradename as a username is a secondary, and on its own an unimportant, concern.
But a trader/user openly advertising after previous warning and post deletion is taking the piss by asking "what's the problem?"

Don't feed the troll.
Enough is enough.

 

[Chris B]

Interesting.
I've just posted a test thread in equipment for sale. It's gone off for moderation rather than appear directly. Is that the case for anyone? If so how did anything "illegal" appear?

 

[BKF Admin]

Over the last couple of weeks there have been signs of the forum deteriorating rapidly towards commercial advertising.

To me it is when the commercial element begins to take over the problems start to occur

This is something I picked up on as soon as it started to apear.
I put it down to either the recession or my being slack on the moderation front.

Either way I plan to clean things up a little before things get spoilt for the majority.

By being to lenient we will make a rod for our own backs because it will soon become a free for all.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Interesting.
I've just posted a test thread in equipment for sale. It's gone off for moderation rather than appear directly. Is that the case for anyone? If so how did anything "illegal" appear?

And what is this test thread testing?

 

[beezwacks]

As a genuine newcomer to the forum, and a non beekeeper yet I would have to stand for both sides of this argument...
genuine hobbyists should be allowed to offer their wares, be it the odd nuc of bees, a queen or two and second hand equipment they have no further use for, after all the forum does have a for sale section, whats the point if every time something is "advertised" does someone get drawn through the coals for trying to get rid of excess goods for financial reimbursement.

COMMERCIAL TRADERS could be allowed to advertise within set criteria ie have as least 50 posts of genuine text in reply to a question submitted in threads / or a minimum member term of say 3 months before any advertising would be allowed also they would have to state in their signature that they are commercial traders, and having made profit through the forum should be in the position to help pay towards the running costs of the forum.

Rab, please define commercial advertising for me, as it has been said in several threads by members they see any " for sale" items as commercial, im not having a go but trying to see how this can be sorted out to the advantage of the forum and the members.

sorry HM, but your the only name I can think of at present, but to my limited knowledge I have NOT seen him try to ply his wares openly on the forum, but reading between the lines I believe him to be a commercial hive maker, in so wouldnt take a genius to think " i need some hives making and send a pm to HM stating the construction of half dozen hives he still makes a profit from said activity but does it still make it right because he hasnt "advertised"?

myself , mid june next year , I become fortunate enough to 2 nucs more than I need, and plaster on the forum " 2 nucs for sale £165.00 each, Im advertising but am in no way commercial, just trying to get rid of something I have more than my needs, does that make it right for me to advertise?
would said transaction be any sweeter if the buyer was told you send me 150.00 and donate 15.00 to the forum ? the forum gains something I get rid of what I no longer require , and the buyer gets what they were happy to purchase.

sorry for the rant, but this problem will always raise its ugly head simply due to the nature of the net and forums, the best way round this which I see as fair for both geniune members with a vested interest and hobbyists not having to bow to the big retailers who seem to fleece whenever possible is a mutual agreement with the Admins blessing that it IS allowed but under stricter terms then "i have for sale ????" on post number 1.

again , sorry if I have kicked anyone unintentionally in the teeth.

 

[user 6228]

This is something I picked up on as soon as it started to apear.
I put it down to either the recession or my being slack on the moderation front.

Either way I plan to clean things up a little before things get spoilt for the majority.

By being to lenient we will make a rod for our own backs because it will soon become a free for all.

you need to clear in this definition... because we are nearly all selling honey so we are nearly all "commercial".

So none of us can directly or indirectly make it known we have honey for sale?
But can we sell our 2nd hand beekeeping kit here?

Then the "commercial advertising rule" applies for only our own product or resale of new bought in items?

Thus hivemaker can advertise sell his used extractor but not his queens or hives.

bee4u could sell her used breeding box but not the bee farming course.

clear unambigous rules enable swifter justice

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thus hivemaker can advertise sell his used extractor but not his queens or hives.

But i could sell used hives with bees in them,or advertise sawmilling could i................not going to work these ideas are they.

There is nothing wrong with using the auction site for advertising for those that want to,it's free,it's there....just use it.

 

[itma]

...
clear unambigous rules enable swifter justice

But an unwritten constitution has given MORE justice!

Hard and fast rules are the lifeblood of Traffic Wardens.
I hope we can aspire to better standards.



/temptation to Godwin the thread strenuously resisted!

// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

 

[Travelator]

Frankly, it's getting to the point where I would rather put up with a pile of adverts than all these posts debating the merits of advertising!