If you are a Knifemaker....then be a Knifemaker

Spark said:
Whoever told you that was wrong, and the buck stops with me, period.
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Spark,

Thank you for taking the time to post your opinions and ideas.

I asked for a definition of advertising and was directed to the following quote by you:

BladeForums.com is supported by members who have paid subscriptions. These different subscription levels offer various perks and benefits. As such, only certain membership levels may advertise items and services for sale on this site. Below are some general guidelines as to what priviledges each membership has within this area. Put it another way, without the appropriate level of paid subscription, you may not advertise or sell on this site. Period. No excuses.

Some problems would be resolved if you clarified your definition of advertising. For example, at the Basic Member level, are the following advertising?

• Entering Knifemaker in the user Occupation field
• Posting any photos of knives made including WIP's
• Posting any photos of tools made including WIP's
• First & Last Name
• Links to website
• E-mail address

In my opinion, some of the examples above are advertising. However, your opinion is the only opinion that matters.

Chuck
 
You know that quote from the supreme court where the justice says "I know it when I see it" in reference to a topic? Let's apply that here.

Rather than come up with each and every possible iteration of whether or not something is advertising, let's use some common sense. Are you posting something you currently have for sale, or taking orders for similar goods? Might be a good idea to have a Knifemaker's membership. If we open a WIP forum, it'll be restricted to paid knifemakers (and industry recognized subject matter experts should I create a group for them), so that won't be an issue.

Link to your website? Yes. If you are paying for a website, and then saying that you shouldn't have to pay to advertise on here I'm not going to be enthused by your excuses. Especially if your website says "Come visit us at Blade / NYCKS / [Whatever] Invitational / etc" Similarly if you have a table at BLADE or other shows and are taking orders and mentioning your business here, it's going to be seen as such.

Otherwise, it's pretty simple, right?
 
Spark said:
I have no problem setting up a separate user group for subject matter experts so that they are recognized as such.
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Having followed this thread since it started I feel this is one of the best ideas to come out of it. Perhaps if you could implement smaller changes like this one and also adding another active moderator to assist Stacy in his duties we could see some immediate positive changes to the knifemaker section. Then after a short trial period the idea of expanding or compressing the existing sub forums could be addressed.
 
hey. Spark how the he!! are yah.. still beating the pavement I see lol.. :) to stay on topic, I want to sell something.. :) . after reading a little I commiserate with you :(
 
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I think spark and the moderators have been pretty easy on the makers who post but do not pay for a knifemakers membership. Any WIP thread is a commercial for the maker, if not for money to feed their dog, then for attention to feed their ego.

You all should suffer the little inconveniences, because in most professions, you pay a lot more for some type of professional membership, but do not get even close to the career assistance you knife makers get on bladeforums. I paid $300 in my line of work and do not even get a useful forum. Plus in many fields competetion would make what the knifemakers have here impossible. As a cello teacher used to joke he wouldn't teach his kids everything he knew or they'd take his job in the symphony and steal his students.
 
A lot of guys make wip's solely to be of service. To assume that the motivation is for advertising or ego stoking is nonsense.

Many great threads have been started due to this thread.

My membership was paid for after two or three sheaths. The dozens that followed were clear evidence that the membership works for me.

Just the facts. ;)
 
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