Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Especially coming hours after a specific request NOT to post affiliate links. If you don't actually KNOW what is or is not an affiliate link, it's a bit silly to just copy a link from a deals site (where a little thought will tell you that EVERY link is going to be an affiliate link) and then make a specific statement that it isn't one.
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Did it ever occur to any of the moderators that precisely BECAUSE it was only a few hours after the new policy, it might have been inadvertent - that some folks (average users, not the experts) hadn't thought through all the sneaky ways affiliate links might creep in? That perhaps a private message with clarification might have been more appropriate than a very public and harsh "liar" comment?
I myself would probably have not thought of a third-party affiliate tag, although somewhere in the back of my brain I knew/know that deal aggregator sites make their money that way. But since all of the uproar and discussioin had been about people directly benefiting from their OWN affiliate tags, I probably wouldn't have made that connection. So, call me a newbie, or maybe just not affiliate-tag-savvy, but this could have been me. And I would have been very upset (and am upset on "apesmom's" behalf) to be so publicly dressed down for an inadverent mistake that didn't even benefit me.
I am really sad that what used to feel like a friendly community has become so judgmental. Now it feels much more harsh, and much less enjoyable. I've found myself looking at the forums less often, and suspect I'll probably slowly just drift away.