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AllanGardyne
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Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:37 pm
Post subject: We're thinking of dumping the Free Ads section
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We've had a frustrating increase in new forum members abusing this message board's Free Ads section in various ways, such as...
1. Signing up for multiple memberships to promote one affiliate product several times, under different usernames.
2. Posting ads which are more than 20 lines long.
3. Posting MLM ads in the non-MLM section.
4. Posting chain letters and similar junk.
We started the Free Ads section in an attempt to lure free advertising away from the main section of the message. To some extent, this has occurred.
My feeling is that the Free Ads section doesn't add much useful value, the MLM ads are out of place on an affiliate forum and in general the section is more trouble than it's worth.
This would be a major change to the message board, so I'm keen to get people's opinion on this.
How would you feel if we dumped the Free Ads section?
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Allan Gardyne
AssociatePrograms.com - You're here. Explore it! |
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John Lenaghan
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:32 am
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It wouldn't bother me a bit. I don't think I've ever looked at that particular forum.
It would also mean less junk to filter through on the RSS feed because even if the inappropriate messages get deleted, they usually make it to the feed first. |
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AllanGardyne
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:22 am
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Thanks, John. I appreciate the feedback.
Unfortunately, the junk you're seeing on the RSS feed is coming from OTHER sections of the message board.
The Free Ads section posts don't go into the RSS feed.
So dumping the Free Ads wouldn't result in your seeing fewer spams. You could actually see more if the spammers move to the main part of the forum.
Ghastly thought, but that could happen.
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Allan Gardyne
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Charlie
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:10 am
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| AllanGardyne wrote: | | Unfortunately, the junk you're seeing on the RSS feed is coming from OTHER sections of the message board. |
By that Allan means before Wally pounces on it! Thankfully most of it doesn't last long.
| Quote: | So dumping the Free Ads wouldn't result in your seeing fewer spams. You could actually see more if the spammers move to the main part of the forum.
Ghastly thought, but that could happen. |
Indeed it could.
I think there are two aspects to this...
1) The junk and spam...
a) Would it be possible to stipulate a minimum of ten (say) useful posts before being allowed to post there? Automate it?
b) Another option would be to charge a fee. This would only be returned after the post had been approved. (Yes more work. Even I doubt this is viable.)
Both of these could be covered by a no edit block on that section.
2) How about people who don't want to have a certain promotion in all their sigs. That section is handy for being picked up by the engines, but without a great a gaggle of instant incoming links from the same domain.
Personally, I wouldn't miss the section at all, but I'm not sure what the result of scrapping it will be.
Cheers,
Charlie.
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AllanGardyne
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:48 am
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Thanks for the comments.
Is there anyone who posts Free Ads who would like to commnent?
Does anyone ever sell anything through those free ads?
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Allan Gardyne
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CoolCommissions
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Santa Monica, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:44 pm
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I wouldn't mind if you dropped it.
But I actually have the feeling that those people might start spamming the other sections instead...
Robert
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CoolCommissions.com
Run Your Own Affiliate Marketing System! |
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AllanGardyne
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 2:00 am
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It's interesting that not one advertiser has contributed to this discussion.
Perhaps, in general, the members who post free ads aren't valuable members of the forum, aren't interested in helping others or learning from other forum members.
Perhaps they just zip around the Net posting free ads everywhere. If so, it sounds too much like a job to me. 
The irony is that the people who are fiddling about posting free ads on forums are most likely the very people who need the useful information that can be found on this message board.
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Allan Gardyne
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Charlie
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:21 am
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| AllanGardyne wrote: | | It's interesting that not one advertiser has contributed to this discussion. |
Are you really surprised? Perhaps you posted it in the wrong place, but even then I wouldn't hold out much hope...
| Quote: | | Perhaps, in general, the members who post free ads aren't valuable members of the forum, aren't interested in helping others or learning from other forum members. |
Most of them certainly aren't. But this isn't really about them, is it?
If you were confident there wouldn't be any knock on effect for the main sections, I bet you'd have axed it already...
What about some sort of qualifier to join the forum? Maybe even just asking people what they want from the forum and what they think they can offer when they try and register. Can you come up with a way that will deter the spammers but not frighten off the newbies?
Free market research, too, if you believe them.
Just a thought,
Charlie.
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John Lenaghan
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 3:32 pm
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| AllanGardyne wrote: | | It's interesting that not one advertiser has contributed to this discussion. |
I just took a quick look at the free ads section (for the first time ever ) and the vast majority of the posts I scanned were posted by people with 1 post ever.
I doubt they'll ever be back to answer this question anyway. I'm sure this is just one stop of many in their "advertising plan".
I think it's a valid concern that they would start spamming the regular sections instead. I suppose it's a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. Would you rather mostly be deleting the posts from the free ad section with a few elsewhere or dealing with more posts on all the sections?
I guess the answer comes down to the old marketing standby - testing. Try it out and see if the volume of spam in other sections goes up. If so, put the free ad section back. |
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administrator
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:50 pm
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Robert,
They already are spamming the other sections paying no heed to the criteria. Free Advertising, Employment Discussion and How to Earn More attract illiterate bees to the honey pot who don't/won't read.
They multiple post never having read the site rules. I am already deleting at least one in two ads and that's not the deliberate scammers who post several!
Since the devotees of one program all gravitated here, we have identical posts from people who may have multiple logins as well.
Many of the posters are just a login and email for a profile, the very minimum to participate. Perhaps there is a way to screen them but who knows. Perhaps we could do away with the sections and see what happens.
Whatever we do, the spammers will still post. But I won't have to send nice little PM's explaining their actions - just delete!!
Cheers,
Wally Morgan - Moderator
Last edited by administrator on Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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administrator
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:57 pm
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John,
"a few ... elsewhere" is apparently not an option as the ads come thick and fast. Despite the several apparently ad-friendly sections, some post anywhere. Others have way over 20 lines.
It really is a cut-and-paste society where no-one has time to read the rules!
Charlie,
I wonder what questions we could allow in the frame of things - the membership is "tricky" enough already for some.
Cheers,
Wally Morgan - Moderator |
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John Lenaghan
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Langley, BC, Canada
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:30 pm
Post subject:
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| administrator wrote: | "a few ... elsewhere" is apparently not an option as the ads come thick and fast. Despite the several apparently ad-friendly sections, some post anywhere. Others have way over 20 lines.
It really is a cut-and-paste society where no-one has time to read the rules!
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I don't know that much about phpBB but does it let you require moderator approval for all new accounts? I don't know if it would be more work for you having to delete the spam or having to approve new accounts, but by the time the spammer's account gets approved they might never return.
I suppose it would deter new legitimate users to a certain degree too, so I don't know if that would be a suitable answer either. |
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Charlie
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Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:14 am
Post subject:
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| administrator wrote: | | It really is a cut-and-paste society where no-one has time to read the rules! |
| John Lenaghan wrote: | | I don't know that much about phpBB but does it let you require moderator approval for all new accounts? I don't know if it would be more work for you having to delete the spam or having to approve new accounts, but by the time the spammer's account gets approved they might never return. |
I bet there's a phpBB hack that allows registration approvals. I'd like to think this could work, but make sure you state the fact VERY clearly on the sign up page. Let the spammers know that they will be working for nothing if they don't comply.
Ideally, why not adopt a "confirmed opt in" approach. Send an auto reply to their reg email address and ask them to reply saying what they hope to add to the forum. Failing to reply leads to automatically tearing up the application.
This adds in "perceived value" to the free forum, too.
How about making people visit the TOS and click a box to say they understand? Then anyone who posts in flagrant breach can be legitimately chopped with one click.
I realise that some honest people will be deterred, but were they really interested? I say that people who have only questions will see it as a price worth paying, and the rest will have to want to help or they'll just move on.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't care if only the top 50 posters were left in the system, though I realise Allan's objectives are different from mine.
Yet more food for thought,
Charlie.
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AllanGardyne
Site Admin
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Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:22 pm
Post subject:
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Thanks for your feedback, everyone. Much appreciated.
We've dumped the two most troublesome Free Ads sections. Nearly all the "contributors" weren't contributing anything useful.
We've retained the "Employment" and "Sell Your Site" free ads sections.
It's very frustrating having to do this. The aim of the Free Ads section was to provide a place where forum members could place free ads. I thought it would be a useful service, especially for any newcomers trying to earn money without spending any.
Unfortunately, we attracted mainly amateurish, selfish idiots who weren't prepared to take the time to read and follow a few simple guidelines.
I suppose some of those selfish idiots will now migrate to the main sections of our forum. If they do, they shouldn't be surprised if Wally the moderator deletes their free ads without wasting his time - and my money - explaining why.
Again, thanks for your feedback. Sorry about the moaning.
Perhaps the whole free ads thing was a stupid idea anyway. It was encouraging people to try to genrate affiliate commissions in a silly, time-consuming, manual way when they should have been building a business.
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Allan Gardyne
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Charlie
Joined:
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Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:52 am
Post subject:
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| AllanGardyne wrote: | | We've dumped the two most troublesome Free Ads sections. Nearly all the "contributors" weren't contributing anything useful. |
A nice clean kill, I reckon. (I was complicating it, but I'm happy with the "simple" solution.)
| Quote: | | We've retained the "Employment" and "Sell Your Site" free ads sections. |
How about changing the section title from "Free Advertising" to "Member Services" or something better of your choice. Don't give any excuse for misinterpretation.
Also, similarly with "Promote your Blog"?
| Quote: | | I suppose some of those selfish idiots will now migrate to the main sections of our forum. If they do, they shouldn't be surprised if Wally the moderator deletes their free ads without wasting his time - and my money - explaining why. |
I love the tightening of the self promotion rules, too. This is going to make a bigger change for most of us "users". Wack 'em Wally, mate. Why not delete their account, if it's a first post.
| Quote: | | Perhaps the whole free ads thing was a stupid idea anyway. It was encouraging people to try to genrate affiliate commissions in a silly, time-consuming, manual way when they should have been building a business. |
You're right (in a way). No one serious used it much, anyway. Hopefully more people realise how poorly this tactic worked.
Nice job.
Cheers,
Charlie.
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