"Link to commercial site removed"

[distaff_beancounter]

Big Red 'L' seems to be editing recent postings & adding "link to commercial site removed"

I am fully aware of the PPRuNE "No advertising" rule, but some of the website links, only seem to have been put there by posters, to give information, in reply to specific questions.

So, BRL could you please let us know if the rules have changed, please? Is there now an absolute ban on ALL references to ALL commercial websites?

[2Donkeys]

He does seem to be a bit over-zealous on that point.

How about easing up a bit BRL? Posting links is not a problem in itself surely. It is the content in the posting that goes around the link that tells you whether its an ad or a legitimate pointer.

[dublinpilot]

Have to agree.

If the link is relevant and helpful to the question asked, and not just some blatent advertising, then perhaps that commerical rule could be overlooked?

The Try Scotland! thread is such blatent advertising!!! and it doesn't contain any link!

I think if the intention is not advertising....then leave the link (Please BRL??)

[Kuhtai]

I would agree.

Somebody had asked for details of how to find Wycombe. I posted a URL to their website which has photographs of local landmarks and instructions on how to find the airfield.

Apparently this was a 'commercial' link and had to be removed. It does seem a bit heavy handed.

[englishal]

What happened to 'mile high'? I was just opening it in the wee hours of this morning, and got a msg back saying the thread had gone? Must have been deleted same time as I decided to have a look.....Any good stuff in it :p

I don't think that there is anything wrong with posting genuinly helpful URLs, for example if I use an FTO in the US which I believe to offer a good service, then I think other people should know. Clearly blatant advertising is not acceptable, but where do you draw the line?

Cheers
EA:)

[sennadog]

At the risk of sounding like a complete and utter creep, BRL usually listens to sound reasoning if he thinks he's wrong.:)

[BRL]

Sorry chaps/ess. I am just off to work now and am already late. I will give a valid reason in the morning when i get back home. Dog night shift coming up, go easy on me until then.... :)

[AerBabe]

Woohoo - while the cat's away... ;) :D

[Canadian Luscombe]

I hate advertising that poses as a topic: e.g., something along the lines of the following message "hey guys, I just found super cheap block time on a 172. For more information, click on this link ...".

That said, surely there is some room for reasonable discretion here. Please reconsider your position BRL!

[ATCbabe]

Hey guys,

Ease up on BRL!!!!!:(

The rule in prune is no commercial links whatsoever. BRL is only doing what Danny wants on his website.


He tries his best to keep you guys in line and you repay him by trying to undermine him like this.:eek:

Believe me when I say I know how much work he puts into this site, and not many of you would want the job!!!!!

[Whirlybird]

ATCbabe,

The rules are simply guidelines, and what everyone is saying makes a lot of sense. AFAIK, there are no absolute rules on PPRuNe. Having said that, BRL has offered to explain when he can, so it seems reasonable to wait until then.

[BRL]

Ok, first off, i have just returned from a pretty awfull night shift so please forgive the spelling and grammar mistakes. :)

As far as the 'advertising' thing goes, there are no links to 'commercial' web-sites as we all should know. Commercial means a site that intends to make money by offering a service to you.
There have been quite a few of these links recently, in fact, the last week has seen me deleting loads of them compared to say one or two a month. The sudden increase in deletions is simply because there have been an increase in 'links' in threads, thats all there is too it really, and because of that it seems i am being 'heavy handed' as some say when really its all i have been doing all along but not as many as the last week in one go.

I also tend to leave the link in the thread for a day or two so the poster gets to see what he wants and then i delete it. A case of this is one where i deleted the link leading to 'X' flying school at a certain airfield. What i don't want is fred bloggs next door running ' Y ' flying school emailing me saying 'X' school has a free plug. Also, in the same vein as this is 'Z' flying school who legaly advertise on this site complaining that these sites are getting free advertising while they have to pay. It sounds a bit raw but its what really happens here. I can copy the emails here if you really want to see them.

Englishal, the 'Mile-High' thread was deleted because it could have easily been posted on the end of the one thats running now or even moved to Jet blast.

At the end of the day, a simple search would eradicate some questions that come up with the answer containing links and also an e-mail or a Private Message containg a 'link' would be just as effective too.

Saying that, i am sure some of you disagree with what i have said but as someone else has said earlier, its a fine line and where do you draw it. I am off to bed now. I hope i don't have to wake up later to more stick as i feel i have explained the situation to you quite well. If you really, really do have a gripe about this even now, then please e-mail me and i will explain the situation at even greater lengh. I hope this has made sense... :)

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Aussie Andy]

Why does it matter if someone gets a free plug? PPRUNE is not the BBC, which is publicly funded by the license fee and therefore has to be even handed. If someone is good enough to get a personal recommendation by a punter (PPRUNer?) then so be it! I see no scope for the competitor who did not rate a mention to sue PPRUNE for being unfair, and anyway the remedy is simple: they can sign up and post there own URL. I just don't see the risks here.

[2Donkeys]

Seconded.

BRL, whilst I think that everybody on this thread is happy to believe that any deletions have been with the best intentions, the level of moderation is heavy compared to most if not all of the other forums.

Nobody is suggesting that the threads should be full of spam. Most can see room for some lightening up on the editing though ;) There is very little to be gained for example, in allowing somebody to mention the name of the flight school, and then removing its link, whilst leaving the name on the thread. :confused:

[distaff_beancounter]

Why does it matter if someone gets a free plug? In BRL's & PRuNe's defence, I think we should differentiate between a GENUINE recommendation of an FTO or RF from a satisfied customer, which IMHO should be allowed, and a deliberate attempt at free advertising, that should not.

Over the time that I have been on PPRuNe, I have noticed the latter, probably more on Wannabes, than on this forum. It usually goes as follows:-

All of a sudden there is a new thread, usually from a newly registered Ppruner, asking "does anyone know anything about xxx school". The reply comes from another newly registered Ppruner saying "xxx school is the best thing around in aviation" AND gives the website link. Further newly registered people join in, with more praise. Reading between the lines, this seems to have no connection with giving genuine impartial advice to fellow Ppruners. It looks as if several new PPRuNe registerations were set up purely to run a free puff for the school.

[Aussie Andy]

G'day distaff_beancounter, can you point to examples of that sort on this forum?

[distaff_beancounter]

Aussie Andy NO! Hence my original query to BRL, as he suddenly seemed to be removing lots of website links, that ONLY provided genuine info to this forum.

So, I was wondering whether Capt PPRuNe had ordered a complete ban on links, for all forums.

[Aussie Andy]

Gotcha

[englishal]

Hey BRL,

What about a new private flying forum for people selling shares in aircraft? Would that be acceptable or would it be classed as a Commercial link?.....I would like to get a share in an aircraft, or even buy one and sell shares, not for profit, but to subsidise my and fellow pilots flying...?

Cheers
EA:)

[Evo7]

al

www.thehangar.co.uk does that quite well already.... :)

bl**dy UBBcode.... :rolleyes: :)

[PPRuNe Radar]

There are absolute rules on PPRuNe, those that everyone signed up to when they registered their PPRuNe names.

However, the main thrust of the PPRuNe Towers policy is that blatant advertising is not acceptable. Be that an individual pushing their own company, a company they work for, or a company that they wish to push forward. Prime examples of this are where people provide information and then say ... by the way, look at my website in my profile. Or where people post adverts from jobs from agencies ... agencies who are in effect taking free advertising from PPRuNe.

For people who want to post information on companies which might be of use to people .... for example, if someone asked about ATC opportunities in the UK I could point them to the NATS website, then I think there is a grey area and common sense is what will normally prevail. So, as mentioned, if somebody said I want to fly at White Waltham, or Booker, or wherever, then a link to some of the field operators is probably OK because you are helping to answer their question .... as long as it is termed so that it is obvious that the person posting the link is doing so for info and not because they stand to profit from the exposure.

There will never be a clear cut answer to this problem, and at the end of the day the moderator(s) make a valued judgement at the time. We're all human though, we can (though not often) make mistakes :p . So accept that we don't always get it right (or wrong). We DO discuss marginal decisions on our Admin Forum and are more than happy to correct decisions which we later assess as perhaps not the best. However, the decision of the Admin Forum is usually final ... Danny the Despot has the final say.

PS ... Can I plug a great website whilst I'm here ?? PPRuNe :)