According to Jan and Ian Somers:
The role of this forum is to provide a way that property investors can learn about property investment from fellow investors. To this end the forum is a place for investors to:
And, they go onto say:
In fact, the forum is not meant to be a place for classified advertisements. However, there may not always be a clear line between sharing information on investment opportunities and using the forum as a place to simply market products and services. If you think that your post might be interpreted as spam, don’t post it. Furthermore, self-promotion should be by way of deeds not ads. We recommend forum members make their own assessment of what industry professionals have to offer based on the utility of their contributions to the forum. [emphasis original]
Doesn't that sound like good clean fun?
It is, but it begs the question, how the bloody hell did we get to where we are today?
What I am referring to is what I consider to be a disturbing trend in the content of this forum.
Unfortunately this trend is not a new one - but that doesn't make it ok.
As far as I can tell, this trend started even before I first arrived here in mid-2003.
I believe that a certain member (who no longer posts here) was given far too much freedom in promoting their services. And this went on for a while until people started to question his modus operandi (a lot less than some others have been questioned, might I add). Eventually it culminated in this particular member ceasing to post on this anymore, asking for several of his posts to be deleted*, and then establishing a rival forum.
Gradually, bit by bit, post by post, other goods and services began to be promoted - after all "if he can do it, why not me?".
And, you know, that is a fair and reasonable question. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander (as they say).
Well, no.
Not if the goose ought to have been turned into roast dinner and feather down.
At this point we need to remind ourselves people - this forum exists only for the continued financial support of Jan and Ian Somers, and the considerable time donation of a small group of administrators and moderators.
But make no mistake - it is not a democracy.
This is a dictatorship and Ian is the head honcho. He gets to call the shots because he signs the cheques.
There are rules as to what can be posted.
My personal opinion is that there are a small group individuals who are consistently making posts that either breach the rules or are most certainly against the spirit of the rules.
Call me old fashioed, call me protective, call me whatever you want - but I, for one, have been prepared to take a line in the sand on this one and call a spade a bloody shovel. Perhaps my posts too have been contrary to the spirit of the rules - but at least I am mature enough to admit that.
I think this forum was a better place with less, not more, informercials. There's enough paid (and unpaid) advertising in this world already and there are certainly forums where it is welcomed - so do we really need anymore?
Can't this place be what Jan and Ian set it up to be - a place to share property investment information?
Can it please not be a point of sale!
This is all my opinion of course (but the rules are a matter of fact).
Mark
* This was, apparently, permitted under the forum's terms of use at the time (which have now been altered to make it non-allowable).
The role of this forum is to provide a way that property investors can learn about property investment from fellow investors. To this end the forum is a place for investors to:
- Discuss property investment issues in general
- Share reviews and recommendations on a wide variety of investment resources and services (everything from events, books, software, websites, sources of finance, property-accountants, etc).
- Help each other evaluate property investment opportunities
- Keep abreast of important education events (courses, seminars, workshops, etc)
- Keep up to date on the latest innovative investment techniques
- Make friends, keep in touch, motivate, support and mentor each other
And, they go onto say:
In fact, the forum is not meant to be a place for classified advertisements. However, there may not always be a clear line between sharing information on investment opportunities and using the forum as a place to simply market products and services. If you think that your post might be interpreted as spam, don’t post it. Furthermore, self-promotion should be by way of deeds not ads. We recommend forum members make their own assessment of what industry professionals have to offer based on the utility of their contributions to the forum. [emphasis original]
Doesn't that sound like good clean fun?
It is, but it begs the question, how the bloody hell did we get to where we are today?
What I am referring to is what I consider to be a disturbing trend in the content of this forum.
Unfortunately this trend is not a new one - but that doesn't make it ok.
As far as I can tell, this trend started even before I first arrived here in mid-2003.
I believe that a certain member (who no longer posts here) was given far too much freedom in promoting their services. And this went on for a while until people started to question his modus operandi (a lot less than some others have been questioned, might I add). Eventually it culminated in this particular member ceasing to post on this anymore, asking for several of his posts to be deleted*, and then establishing a rival forum.
Gradually, bit by bit, post by post, other goods and services began to be promoted - after all "if he can do it, why not me?".
And, you know, that is a fair and reasonable question. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander (as they say).
Well, no.
Not if the goose ought to have been turned into roast dinner and feather down.
At this point we need to remind ourselves people - this forum exists only for the continued financial support of Jan and Ian Somers, and the considerable time donation of a small group of administrators and moderators.
But make no mistake - it is not a democracy.
This is a dictatorship and Ian is the head honcho. He gets to call the shots because he signs the cheques.
There are rules as to what can be posted.
My personal opinion is that there are a small group individuals who are consistently making posts that either breach the rules or are most certainly against the spirit of the rules.
Call me old fashioed, call me protective, call me whatever you want - but I, for one, have been prepared to take a line in the sand on this one and call a spade a bloody shovel. Perhaps my posts too have been contrary to the spirit of the rules - but at least I am mature enough to admit that.
I think this forum was a better place with less, not more, informercials. There's enough paid (and unpaid) advertising in this world already and there are certainly forums where it is welcomed - so do we really need anymore?
Can't this place be what Jan and Ian set it up to be - a place to share property investment information?
Can it please not be a point of sale!
This is all my opinion of course (but the rules are a matter of fact).
Mark
* This was, apparently, permitted under the forum's terms of use at the time (which have now been altered to make it non-allowable).