Advertising on the Forums

[Sharky]

Please let us know whether you think any forms of advertising should be allowed on the forums?

Please note multiple choice IS allowed on this poll.

Add further comments below, particularly if you don't feel the options in the poll sufficiently enable you to express your view on the subject.

 

[neil]

Give and Take

I notice several web sites have advertisers who seemingly contribute articles.

However, upon reading them they are nothing but trailers for courses etc ( for a fee), and are of no practical use for aspiring traders.

Perhaps our advertisers should only be allowed to do so if they contribute something of practical use to our community, whether advice or a simple trading method for the tyro.

just a thought.

:idea:

 

[barjon]

Paul

I'm happy for moderators to decide on advertising
content, but I wouldn't want the site littered with advertising.

Could I suggest an Advertising Forum where advertisers
could post info with associated link to the appropriate site.
This would keep the rest of the site clear.

jon

 

[FTSE Beater]

Hi Paul

I agree with everything Barjon has said

 

[orchard]

I think Barjon idea is the most sensible. It gives us a choice.
Perhaps small charge to advertisers?

 

[Trader333]

This is a difficult question to answer because at what point do you decide it is spam. We have seen posts that talked a lot with no value and was just an advert at the end.

We have also seen members advertise by trying to fool us by saying something like "does anyone know of XYZ company etc............" when they are connected with it already.

Then you get those pretending to offer real a genuine answer in a thread then at the end recommend something they want to sell.

This needs to be carefully thought out because if you say yes we will allow members to advertise you will get all advertisers responding to every thread and that would lower to standards of the boards. I am not sure what the answer is and it is a tricky one to solve.


Paul

 

[ChartMan]

The current level of advertising, by both members and compaines seems to be at an acceptable level. There does however have to be a certain level of commercial advertising in order to maintain this BB as a financially viable concern and that level can only be decided by it's owners.

 

[mma]

seems t2w is no longer for traders , by traders , of traders .

looks like they're gonna sell the old mailing list .

could it be time for a new BB ??

har har har .

 

[Bigbusiness]

As a matter of principle I feel that if someone attracts members from this website to attend their courses, they should pay an advertising fee. In newspapers if an article is used for advertising purposes, it is clearly marked and the author pays a fee. So if anyone mentions a course that they are providing, I think it only fair that it is classified as an advert and should be paid for. I have nothing against advertising or people providing courses but some people seem to have made thousands from subtle advertising on this website. Some of them are told in no uncertain terms that this is not tolerated while others are allowed to do it. Sometimes it is hard to tell if someone is genuine or they are just trying to extract money from us. That is my only problem with the current situation.

Having a board for advertisers seems like a good idea. That would keep the rest of the website clear and would make it easier to administer.

 

[ChartMan]

MMA, the mailing list of members on this BB is NOT for sale to anyone. Notice, that when you receive a "member offer" from an advertiser, it is T2W that mails the offer, NOT the advertiser. This way our database remains 100% private. I'm sure that's the way members would want it.
I have to say , though, that if someone wanted to, they could go through the " find members" and manually extract all those that have allowed their email address to be used. I wouldn't find that very attractive as an advertiser......

 

[FTSE Beater]

Then you get those pretending to offer real a genuine answer in a thread then at the end recommend something they want to sell.

Hi T333

In this case it is normally the course to remove the last section of advertising and leave the rest of the post alone

<hr>

seems t2w is no longer for traders , by traders , of traders .

Hi MMA

T2W will always remain for the traders by traders. I think what Sharky is trying to find out is what level of advertising is acceptable for members.

 

[Rognvald]

BB
Agree with your first para - an ad is an ad, a recommendation is something different but the board should not wear 2 hats at once. It should charge for adverts but itis in a difficult position regarding recommendations which may or may not be what they seem to be

 

[fudgestain]

As Bigbusiness says, "Some of them are told in no uncertain terms that this is not tolerated while others are allowed to do it." When members use the bb's either outright to try and advertise something or wiggle their way in to eventually try and flog whatever it is they want to advertise, there is inconsistency. The answer should be "No" for all.

I think advertising (ie panelled adverts) should be permitted from bone fide firms (such as you already have), examples being stockbrokers who are FSA regulated.

Of course if a member wants to recommend an adviser or service (when he/she is not connected to that party and is acting independently) thats fine because the typical situation for this is when newbies ask (as they keep doing) for advice on various services and relevant products they need (ie computer purchases, software or whatever).

But the usual threat is the individual or crumby firm coming along to flog some package which allegedly provides/assists trading success. T2W should stay away from all of this stuff as from a plague.

 

[Oldun]

In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong with permitting, indeed encouraging, commercial advertising from those willing to pay. Revenue from such activity presumably ensures the future of this site, a very valuable resource.

However, if advertising is to be permitted from those selling software, systems, courses, seminars and the like I do not think it should be taken unless the moderators have been satisfied by hard evidence that the advertiser has indeed achieved that which he/she claims either in posts on the site, in advertising blurb or otherwise.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[cephy1]

I would agree with advertising of courses if, BEFORE the advert appears, a senior and experienced member is given/attends a free course and agrees it is of value to members. Course no value - no advert!

If a course advertiser is confident of their claims they should be happy with this.

As for other advertisers, say SB companies, only allow them if they guarantee to openly respond to questions about their service on this board. If they are proud of their service, then they should have no problem with this.

 

[Grey1]

I think a fee has to be paid to T2W for using their customer base.. No fee No advertisment No free lunch as simple as that..

 

[options]

When the site first began there were no advertisers. (I believe).
To keep a 'free' site like this up and running costs money. Sharky took a poll back then if memory serves, and the outcome was to allow the type of adverts we now see at the top of the screen.
This serves two purposes. To allow the site to continue via paid sponsorship and to bring to our attention some of what is currently being offered. All from reputable firms. I don't think the likes of DW or VS would be allowed to advertise no matter what they offered.

This site stands out above the crowds for what it doesn't do.
It doesn't allow all and sundry on here.
It does a good job of keeping the boards pure, not only of advertising but from the idiots we get from time to time.

The brokers etc are offering a service.
The software sellers as I have said before should agree to have their goods put through their paces by at least 3 traders/members who are proficient in that area. Then a report from the testers should be displayed alongside any offerings, uncensored of course. This might go someway to keeping the fair stuff in and dumping the rubbish.

You can bet your bottom dollar that not many will take up on that offer, but the question of economics will probably override that in any case. Though I sincerely hope this will not be the case.

 

[boy]

Adverts are one thing but 'pop-ups' are a definate nono.

 

[ChartMan]

There have already been a number of "vendor rated" offerings to this BB. Needless to say, you never get to see the ones that we reject. The ones that we feel MAY be of genuine benefit to some members, are published, usually in the form of a member offer email. This of course, is paid for by the advertiser. It's not something that we do out of the goodness of our hearts. As for courses that are run by "regular" members, I think that by and large, they are well received and well reported. I'm sure that if ( in theory) we had a new VS or DW that we didn't see through, we'd get a barrage of complaints in an instant. There has to be a balance between commercial necessity and the "impossible "advert free" site.