- Joined
- Nov 10, 2005
- Messages
- 231
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I can't find anything in the rules here. Is it OK to post links to other websites, someone PM'd me and said they got an infraction for it. Again sorry if I am a retard.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Rules on posting links to other sites.
- Thread starter Vinnie the Nose
- Start date
Morrow
Don't make this weird
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 27,773
From my observations, as long as you aren't deal spotting, linking to an active auction or cross-forum posting you're fine.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
- Messages
- 20,776
I could be wrong, so don't take my knowledge as fact. It also depends heavily on which forum you're in, so it's best to read that forum's rules and/or get clarification from that forum's moderator before posting.
Starting a thread to post a link to an online store is considered deal spotting, as you're basically spamming an unrequested link. Posting a link in response to a relevant question is fine.
Posting links to ongoing auctions is a no-no, though if the auction has ended and you're just wanting to discuss the knife, it's fine.
Linking to other forums is fine if you're linking to a thread relevant to the discussion. Just throwing up a random link to the forum to spam it is not (There are of course exceptions to this, if that forum is relevant to the topic of a particular subforum). Posting links to other forums to troll, complain, start drama, add to current drama, or ask technical questions about that board (Why is _____ down?, Why won't ____ let me login?) is not okay.
Again this is only what I think, not what I know.
Starting a thread to post a link to an online store is considered deal spotting, as you're basically spamming an unrequested link. Posting a link in response to a relevant question is fine.
Posting links to ongoing auctions is a no-no, though if the auction has ended and you're just wanting to discuss the knife, it's fine.
Linking to other forums is fine if you're linking to a thread relevant to the discussion. Just throwing up a random link to the forum to spam it is not (There are of course exceptions to this, if that forum is relevant to the topic of a particular subforum). Posting links to other forums to troll, complain, start drama, add to current drama, or ask technical questions about that board (Why is _____ down?, Why won't ____ let me login?) is not okay.
Again this is only what I think, not what I know.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 90,915
Stick with these guidelines and you'll be OK.
The worst thing you could post would be an argument in or with another forum.
Gollnick
Musical Director
- Joined
- Mar 22, 1999
- Messages
- 29,258
In the balisong forum, posting a link to a sale by an individual, to an online store, or to an auction -- even an ongoing auction -- is fine as long as:
A) It's not cross-forum
B) You are not the seller or shilling for the seller
C) Your purpose for posting the link is to discuss the knife or the sale of it.
"Ow, ow. Look, look. There's a knife on eBay! I just thought everyone would like to know." That's called "auction spotting" and it is NOT allowed. If you may think you're doing everyone a favor by pointing out this knife, but there are hundreds and thousands of knives on eBay at any time and if they all got announced here, we'd be buried in auction spotting posts. If anyone is looking to buy a knife at auction, they can use the search and "favorites" features on all of the major auctions sites to find them for themselves.
But, "This knife on eBay right now looks counterfeit to me and even if it is real, I can't believe the price. Am I missing something here? Is the knife legitimate and why is it going so high?" That's discussion and so as long as you are not the seller or shilling for the seller, that's ok.
The same thing is true of online stores. Just posting "xyz.com is having a sale on the BrandX 123," is called "deal spotting" and is NOT allowed. Again, there are plenty of search engines out there and anyone looking for a good deal on a BrandX 123 can use them to find the deal for themselves. But, "I'm looking for a good knife to issue to the deck hands on my Yacht, the USMV Overboard. Do you think the BrandX 123, which is on sale at xyz.com, would work well for them? The partially-serrated blade would be good for cutting rope and I like the idea of every crew member having a corkscrew handy. How will BrandX's SuperDupperSteel hold up in salt water?" That's discussion. As long as you're not the seller or shilling for the seller, that's ok.
As for trying to promote your store or your auction by posting on forums, it's a bad idea because you can not control how the discussion will go. The very next poster may say, "There's a better price at this other place," or "I had a BrandX knife once and it fell apart on me," and suddenly your promotion goes out the window. Notice that when businesses buy time on TV, for example, for an ad, they don't follow it with time for unscreened comments from the audience. But that's what happens on a forum and you can't control it. So, don't risk it.
A) It's not cross-forum
B) You are not the seller or shilling for the seller
C) Your purpose for posting the link is to discuss the knife or the sale of it.
"Ow, ow. Look, look. There's a knife on eBay! I just thought everyone would like to know." That's called "auction spotting" and it is NOT allowed. If you may think you're doing everyone a favor by pointing out this knife, but there are hundreds and thousands of knives on eBay at any time and if they all got announced here, we'd be buried in auction spotting posts. If anyone is looking to buy a knife at auction, they can use the search and "favorites" features on all of the major auctions sites to find them for themselves.
But, "This knife on eBay right now looks counterfeit to me and even if it is real, I can't believe the price. Am I missing something here? Is the knife legitimate and why is it going so high?" That's discussion and so as long as you are not the seller or shilling for the seller, that's ok.
The same thing is true of online stores. Just posting "xyz.com is having a sale on the BrandX 123," is called "deal spotting" and is NOT allowed. Again, there are plenty of search engines out there and anyone looking for a good deal on a BrandX 123 can use them to find the deal for themselves. But, "I'm looking for a good knife to issue to the deck hands on my Yacht, the USMV Overboard. Do you think the BrandX 123, which is on sale at xyz.com, would work well for them? The partially-serrated blade would be good for cutting rope and I like the idea of every crew member having a corkscrew handy. How will BrandX's SuperDupperSteel hold up in salt water?" That's discussion. As long as you're not the seller or shilling for the seller, that's ok.
As for trying to promote your store or your auction by posting on forums, it's a bad idea because you can not control how the discussion will go. The very next poster may say, "There's a better price at this other place," or "I had a BrandX knife once and it fell apart on me," and suddenly your promotion goes out the window. Notice that when businesses buy time on TV, for example, for an ad, they don't follow it with time for unscreened comments from the audience. But that's what happens on a forum and you can't control it. So, don't risk it.
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2005
- Messages
- 5,527
Gollnick -
Is that just on the Balisong Forum, or across *all* Bladeforums.com???
We have been experiencing a *lot* of counterfeit eBay auctions of Buck knives, and have been trying to confirm/alert Buck forum members of them without actually linking to the auction...
If it is indeed allowed throughout Bladeforums.com, I'll bookmark this thread for future reference should I get a warning/points for posting to an active auction...
Thanks for your help!