As you may have seen, Flyertalk recently published an updated set of rules. These rules apply site wide and therefore include the Trip Reports forum. In line with the new rules we’d like to highlight the impact that these may have on those of you that like to blog or link to video trip reports.
The first rule which is particularly relevant is
Rule 7: Linking to content on other websites:
http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#externallinks
FlyerTalk is here for the purpose of sharing meaningful information. Don't simply post a link by itself to another source, such as an article or blog. (See also, Rule 9 — Posting Copyrighted Material.) Posts containing such links should contain enough information so as to be contributive to FlyerTalk itself.
If linking to your own blog, to a blog on behalf of someone, or to a blog of which you are a periodic or regular contributor, you must identify that fact in your post and you must include enough content for the FlyerTalk post to stand on its own without following the link. Do not post repeatedly in a manner that has the effect or purpose of driving traffic to a blog or website
In the context of linking to a trip report on an external blog, the requirement here is to ensure that the content of the post adds value to the Flyertalk community in a standalone capacity, without needing to visit the external blog. Simply providing a synopsis or a couple of photos with a link to the blog for more information is not acceptable.
It is important that you make it clear in your post that you own the blog, or that you act as a regular contributor to which you are linking to. This ensures that the Flyertalk community can make an informed decision about whether to click through to the blog or not.
For those of you that post video reviews, please ensure that there is sufficient text to describe the video and the trip that you undertook. Your post should have enough content to standalone without requiring the user to click through to view your video.
The second rule to consider is
Rule 10: Commercial Posts:
http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#commercial
Posts of a commercial nature on FlyerTalk are limited to the following:
All other posts of a commercial nature – whether in a post, signature or profile – are prohibited. In this rule, commercial posts include those containing promotional messages for commercial products or services, including but not limited to internet sites and business advertisements
In line with rule 7 regarding linking to content on other websites, it is important to point out that posting with the intention of promoting or advertising a highly commercial blog will be subject to moderator review. These types of posts may be considered commercial in nature and may be removed.
As a reader of a blog, if you feel that the site linked to is inappropriate or off topic then please use the 'Report Bad Post' feature and the moderators will evaluate and take any appropriate action.
Thank you for your understanding.
We will leave this thread open for a short period to give you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
matthandy & Moomba
Co-moderators: Trip Reports