09-27-2011, 12:46 PM | #106 | |
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Something downright weird is going on with this thread/rule. Dissention among the moderators (on this issue) is my guess. It makes a kind of sense that they wouldn't want to air their dirty laundry in front of everyone. Last edited by DiapDealer; 09-27-2011 at 12:50 PM. |
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09-27-2011, 12:46 PM | #107 |
Chasing Butterflies
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THERE'S ONE! GRAB HIM!
Why must PilotBob be so spherical? |
09-27-2011, 12:48 PM | #108 |
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The worst part about a lack of comments from the moderators, that I hope they realize, is that the longer they are silent, the more people will speculate, exaggerate, guess, and assume the very worst possible explanations for why this was done. In fact, it's already started.
All it would take is a simple: "We had good reason to do this. For legal reason we're not allowed to talk about them, but we promise this was the best option available to us," or something similar. An empty gesture of good will. Anyone who has ever had a customer service job (or volunteered time as a forum moderator) should know how important those empty gestures are. That's what I meant with a lack of respect. Surely we deserve at least a token empty gesture of some kind? |
09-27-2011, 12:49 PM | #109 | |
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Ok, trying really hard not to sass a moderator, please take this with buckets of respect because I DO respect you all very very much. But. Out of respect for the community, can someone please be a little less cryptic? I think "not being cryptic" is a sign of respect to posters. We're big boys and girls. If there's a Hoover Dam Good Reason for THIS particular policy and no other will do, can we hear it? You don't need to name names, but it would be nice to know why none of the alternatives mentioned in this thread are acceptable. Are they acceptable? Please, PilotBob, would it be acceptable to try the old method with in-post disclosure? EDIT TO ADD: (And if someone's opinion on this issue is worth more than anyone else's in this thread... well, I kind of think we deserve to know. I mean, not the name, just "yes, there is a member whose opinion on this case is worth more than ya'lls." And then, well. Then we'll at least know.) Last edited by anamardoll; 09-27-2011 at 12:54 PM. |
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09-27-2011, 12:52 PM | #110 |
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09-27-2011, 12:52 PM | #111 |
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i think this is a good policy. i had an idea that the serial posters in the bargain thread made money. i think the fact that the cookies make it so for 24 hours the referrer could earn money from an unrelated purchase was well worth knowing, and i also think the proposed solution is a fair one.
i don't see how it would be less easy to find bargains if the serial posters have individual threads. |
09-27-2011, 12:58 PM | #112 | |
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But I would like to say that whenever I have had a question/problem that I have posted about that I have been treated with nothing but respect and consideration and have always had my question/problem answered quickly and clearly and for that yes, I would pay a subscription. There's not that many places you can get free reliable and helpful advice and I believe this is one of those places. |
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09-27-2011, 12:59 PM | #113 |
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might as well get rid of the deals forum if it's only going to have two threads in it now...
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09-27-2011, 01:01 PM | #114 |
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I really don't want to post something unilaterally here. I can say the moderators discuss pretty much every action we take and we agree on a course of action.
I will say this, and perhaps it is too much. In general we don't allow commercial advertising on Mobile Read. We don't allow it in the flee market and we don't allow authors to hock their books in the deals/freebees section either. If you want to post about a great deal or find you made and claim it is "for the community" then why are you attaching affiliate codes to them? Affiliate links are "hidden" commercial advertising. BOb |
09-27-2011, 01:08 PM | #115 | |
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If this is up for discussion, I would say this is a paradigm difference. As many people have said in this thread, we see the "free money from Amazon" in the affiliate program to be a way to "tip the finder", as well as a way to pay for their time and diligence in providing a service. As a psychologist-once-in-training, I see it as an issue of Social Debt. Arcadata has saved me a LOT of money -- I want to give something back to him/her. So I do wonder: Would we be allowed to try a "Clear Disclosure" method where the poster had TWO links in a single post? An affiliate one and a non-aff, clearly marked? Thank you again for answering. |
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09-27-2011, 01:08 PM | #116 |
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That's all well and good Bob, but that doesn't explain why affiliate links are OK as long as we do it this new and frustrating way. Your explanation would sound perfect if affiliate links were being banned... but they're not... they're just being isolated.
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09-27-2011, 01:09 PM | #117 |
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Then whose ear should we try to grab?
I have not seen a single comment in this discussion indicating whole-hearted support for the new "affiliate threads" policy. (Disclaimer: I did skim though the first few pages pretty fast, since I had been traveling and needed to catch up, so I might have missed one or two somewhere in the middle...) And I have seen tons and tons of comments asking for "the old way with a disclaimer/notification of financial interest at the top of the post". The sense of the users really seems overwhelming, but I understand that sometimes what the users want just can't be. It would be really nice, though, just to get a post from a moderator saying at least "we heard you, but it just can't be that way". And if we could even know why it can't be that way, it would be even more helpful, or at least, as someone else said, the moderator could tell us they can't tell us. I think almost all of us have enough respect (and thanks) for the moderators that we'd accept that, even if we were hugely disappointed...as we are now. JMTCW... |
09-27-2011, 01:10 PM | #118 |
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I also want to stress that I do not want to say that anyone using Affiliate Codes was "hiding" anything from me. I assumed everyone knew about codes; clearly I was mistaken. I posted a link myself, when "Lies My Teacher Told Me" went on sale. I hope no one felt I was hiding anything from them. I just like the book, wanted to share, and didn't see why NOT to post an aff-link.
I do apologize dearly to anyone who clicked my link not knowing they were giving me 4% of the sale. |
09-27-2011, 01:10 PM | #119 | |
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Just to clarify, and I speak for myself only, I will not presume to speak for others: My complaint is not in any way that posters are now required to disclose that they are posting affiliate links. I don't care either way, but honesty is always better. My big gripe/complaint is that forcing the links into one single thread the way they are now makes it a LOT harder for me to find what I'm looking for. I don't come to this forum skimming and grabbing what looks good. I come here looking for specific things and digging through multiple threads looking for the bargain I'm waiting for takes a lot longer than skimming or Ctrl-F'ing a list of thread titles. It's harder to use this forum now. That is my complaint. |
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09-27-2011, 01:11 PM | #120 | |
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