clarifying the self-promotion clause in the TOS?
 

I must confess that I've never actually read the FT TOS, but since I've been around since the dark ages, I have a pretty good idea about their contents.

I'm starting this thread because it's recently occurred to me that 90% of the posts on FT focus on plugging (or "unplugging") specific companies in the travel industry.

My points:
1) People seem to love it when employees of the companies they care about join in discussions
2) It's seemingly okay for me to plug a company that I don't have ties to, but for the owners to do so themselves is taboo
-this is a grey area because you have no way of knowing whether or not I have a financial interest in the said company
3) FT has tacitly established that it's fine with contributing members plugging their own ventures
-e.g. KVS, Autoslash, awardfinder, betterbidding
-...as long as they do so in a civil manner
-I'm totally cool with this because I feel that since user based content is the core of FT, permitting the most loyal users to reap a fruit or two is only fair

While I really don't mind the status quo, since there's always a chance that the random lurker who lives in fear of us has created the next Google of the travel space, I would like to give these guys a chance. By stifling people in this category, we are doing a disservice to the community.

My suggestion:
1) redefine the clause in the TOS regarding self promotion to permit a bit more leeway
2) meaningful (subject to the mods' judgement) post count threshold
3) whenever self promoting threads pop up, unless they are simply awesome, kill them immediately, and send the OP a standard PM stating demands that we require if they would like to continue to play ball
-full disclosure
-what they are offering, and why we should care
-pledge to promise fantastic service
-guarantee to actively participate in the community (or else we kill all of their posts)

The reason I'm posting this today is because --this morning-- we bounced a guy who shamelessly plugged his tour company. While his tactics alone warranted the ban (which I supported, and will continue to support... never try to fool us!), I must admit that one of his three "build up" posts demonstrated that he really does have a pretty good feel wrt China logistics.

In closing, by no means, do I want to see FT morph into a free advertising platform for morons. But, I think it would be a good thing if we were to develop a system that permitted the good apples to shine in the absence of fear. (Between the mods and group opinion, screening out the morons is not an especially hard task.)

You might want to touch base w/ the Community Director. She's got a team working on updating the TOS.

Cheers.

As any regular in this forum knows, I have long had concerns with creeping commercialism around the current TOS.

I brought this issue up (again) in the private TalkBoard forum last week:

As SkiAdcock says, I was informed that the CD and some mods are 'working on' this matter.

As I said in the private forum: "If it is stuck somewhere tell me which direction to aim the windmill lance and I'll get it unstuck!"

:)

What are the "problems" with the current TOS that are to be "solved"?

I surely hope they will take a much closer look at referral links in signatures this time:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...on-needed.html

I agree!

Redux!