One of my favorite things about going off and on the TalkBoard over time is that I get to see what people say about me behind closed doors.
Well, caca boy is back and at the suggestion of Tom911, I (still) propose that we address the fact that the Commercial Posting TOS does not address the creeping commercialism brought on by bloggers and seminar sponsors.
Here is that TOS:
a. Commercial posts. Posts containing promotional messages for commercial products or services - including but not limited to Internet sites, business advertisements and solicitations to donate miles or points – are prohibited and will be removed. FlyerTalk is not a marketplace and nothing is to be offered for sale or conditioned on an exchange of money or barter. Nothing in this rule is intended to prohibit exchange of travel coupons as allowed by the rules of Coupon Connection. If you spot a commercial post, please report it.
This rule is imprecise.
But I absolutely disagree that it does not require correction. As written the rule is enforced only sporadically. The general practice seems to be: If you offer a commercial service and we know or like you then you are ok posting promotional messages for your commercial service. If we don't know or like you personally, you will get dinged for posts containing promotional messages. That's sloppy and ridiculous.
I see three options:
1) Leave the TOS as it is and clarify that commercial means
all commercial ventures.
2) Create a much-talked-about commercial forum where the commercial ventures of FlyerTalkers, from seminars and blogs to travel arrangements to stamp sellers to dry cleaners can hawk their commercial ventures exempt from the commercial post TOS.
3) Amend the TOS to prohibit posts promoting all commercial ventures except:
a) points and miles seminars and blogs
b) points and miles commercial ventures owned and operated by FlyerTalkers
c) some exception I haven't thought of.
I look forward to some
constructive discussion!
