KeriJ Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Is there a specific policy on the boards about posting for the purpose of promoting your blog? I know there has to be something about it when it's obvious. But what about a post that sounds like a poster is sincerely responding to the topic, but then manages to sneak in a link to their blog post......every. single. time they post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I read a lot here and I can't recall a situation like you are describing. If it bothers you, you could report the post to the moderator and let them decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 It's not bothering me necessarily, I just noticed it and wondered if there was a policy about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Lots of people have links to their blogs in their signature. Is that what you mean? I never thought it was a problem. If they are linking to a specific blog post, I don't think that is against board rules either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I can't recall that here. A lot of blogs are linked in siggies, but if it bugs you you can also block the poster so you don't see their posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Is there a specific policy on the boards about posting for the purpose of promoting your blog? I know there has to be something about it when it's obvious. But what about a post that sounds like a poster is sincerely responding to the topic, but then manages to sneak in a link to their blog post......every. single. time they post? I know threads have been deleted before when it was basically a title that said *hey! This happened to me!* and when you opened the thread the only message was something like *check out my blog and get the whole story!* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I think it's great that we are allowed to do this. If I'm interested in the subject matter I appreciate reading a member's blog. If not, no one is forcing me to click on it. I really don't mind if members want to advertise their blogs, even if they are commercial in nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 I love blogs, and I don't mind blog links in siggies at all, but sometimes I just want to discuss things with real people on here. So when someone answers a post with "I wrote about that on my blog" rather than just discussing it here, it seems insincere to me. I get the impression that they are just scanning the boards looking for topics that they have blog posts about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I love blogs, and I don't mind blog links in siggies at all, but sometimes I just want to discuss things with real people on here. So when someone answers a post with "I wrote about that on my blog" rather than just discussing it here, it seems insincere to me. I get the impression that they are just scanning the boards looking for topics that they have blog posts about. :iagree: My opinion is that if bloggers are a part of the conversation, then a link to their blog for the rest of the story/more details/info is fine. But I also don't like "see this link" as the only answer- whether it;s a blog post, a book reccomendation, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Sometimes I'm guilty of this. I don't usually just link, but the thing is, I've already typed it all out on the blog post; I don't exactly want to re-type it all, paraphrasing myself, KWIM? I usually only click on thread titles that I'm looking for information on, or is a subject I can help with. And if it's a subject I can help with, I've probably written a blog post about it. I've written quite a bit about OPGTR, WWE, FLL, and those are asked about quite a bit. I try to be aware of it, and when I see myself promoting my blog "too much" I step back and stay away from the board. On the self promotion "rule," I have wondered myself. Impish used to be a fixture on the boards a while back. She started a blog and shared some links and people started reporting her every time she posted. I happened upon her guest post on ScarryMommy and shared it here because I was happy and excited for her (and I thought her list was really funny) and I thought other people here would be excited for her and it was deleted with no contact to me, no message, just deleted. So it seems the unwritten rule is it's okay as long as you don't have someone reporting you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I love blogs, and I don't mind blog links in siggies at all, but sometimes I just want to discuss things with real people on here. So when someone answers a post with "I wrote about that on my blog" rather than just discussing it here, it seems insincere to me. I get the impression that they are just scanning the boards looking for topics that they have blog posts about. I think it depends. Is that all they ever post? Spam. But I've done that when I've already written about the topic in-depth in the past on my blog, and simply don't feel like remaking the wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 In some conversations it doesn't bother me, like if someone gives a brief explanation of how they schedule a subject and link to a larger explanation on their blog, it doesn't bother me. If we are discussing something like the file system or workboxes and someone says, I use it and here's a link to how I set it up, it doesn't bother me. People posting to link to something only tangentially related......irks me a touch. Still, in the grand scheme of things it isn't even near the crazy-is-that-even-supposed-to-make-sense posts that link to spam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I don't recall anyone posting just to promote their blog... And if they do... I doubt they make any actual money off their blog. I'm more annoyed by someone posting affiliate links, though I haven't seen that as much lately. I remember one person who used to bump old posts just to add her affiliate link, and she had affiliate links for every product known to homeschoolers. THAT was annoying. Blogs? They really don't make money in most cases, so I'm not worried about it, especially if the person is sincerely joining in the conversation. I don't expect people to reinvent the wheel when a blog post has already been written. When someone asks about the schedules in the WTM book, we usually post a link to SWB's blog post that explains the schedule thing. We're not doing so to get her money (though I'm sure we'd all be happy for her to get money), but we're doing so because she already wrote a good article about it that answers the OP's concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I can't imagine why it would really matter. It would bother me if someone were pushing a certain curriculum without disclosing that they had a personal stake in selling it, but otherwise it's okay with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I can't imagine why it would really matter. It would bother me if someone were pushing a certain curriculum without disclosing that they had a personal stake in selling it, but otherwise it's okay with me. I can recall a few instances where people have started threads for the sole purpose of driving traffic to their blogs. That is blatant self-promotion/advertising and I believe it is against forum rules. I have a feeling that most of us wouldn't mind an occasional post like that, but if a person rarely posts except when he or she is promoting a blog, it's annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I hope I'm not the one in question, as I've done this a few times. I've been here forever (and the old WTM... remember getting to be the first to post on the "new" blue list?!? LOL!!). As a mom of now older kids, I see the same questions here over and over and over. Anyone use BJU online sciecne? Which algebra? How do I teach middle school mat? What phonics to use? What books to read after early readers? Anyone like VP self paced? What's your day like? Anyone have a bible curriculum they like? I could go on... I don't try to shamelessly push my blog, but I do blog to encorage other moms, especially moms of kids younger than mine. So, I spend a lot of time answering the "usual" questions on my blog. I spend a ton of time thinking about my post, writing, editing, researching, linking, taking photos, etc. Then, when the same question comes up, I have a reply that includes a lot more than "yeah, we use Saxon"... or "liking" someone else's reply. I do try to include more than a link, but honestly, sometimes I'm in a rush or on my phone, so I link. I'm not trying to be rude or push my blog - but to provide useful, thorough answers. Hopefully I post here with other stuff enough it's not just "come look at my blog" but there is often other motivation to those who blog and link than just traffic numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Ummm... I've done this before. I have a travel blog from our "big trip". Whenever someone says, "What can we do in Big City?" I usually respond by saying we were there last year, and here's what we did, info on this blog post. I don't get any advantage to pointing people to my blog. I just like to feel like I'm helping. I think that is totally different from what the OP is thinking about. You were responding to a question and providing help, but a few people have started threads with what sounds like an exciting story and then said something along the lines of, "and if you want to know what happened, visit my blog." Totally different thing, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Yep, I've been deleted before. As pp said, if I've already written about it, rewriting it for here makes 0 sense. And when others are allowed to link to stuff they've done, and that's ok, but I get deleted? Starts to feel like a targeted issue. I checked the rules at the time, and there was *nothing* about it mentioned. What kills me is that when someone posts about a contest they're involved in, need votes, *that's* allowed, even though they actually stand to directly benefit if they win. Makes 0 sense to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 To be clear, I didn't mean the occasional post with a link to a blog. What I mean is someone who almost always includes a blog link in their posts. In fact, if you go to their profile page and click through their content, 9 posts out of 10 contain a blog link. The responses sound very conversational, and it's not obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 To be clear, I didn't mean the occasional post with a link to a blog. What I mean is someone who almost always includes a blog link in their posts. In fact, if you go to their profile page and click through their content, 9 posts out of 10 contain a blog link. The responses sound very conversational, and it's not obvious. They likely get by with it because the responses are conversational, and it's not obvious! You may very well be the first person to notice. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Oh, God, there is a woman on a Alzheimer's Caregiver Support board that I frequent . . . and the ONLY things she posts are self-promoting of her stupid blog and a practically illiterate and self-aggrandizing self-published e-book she wrote. (Really, you think people who are actually walking the walk day in and day out want to read your self-pity and self-congratulations about how much you love and care for your ailing mother who lives 100s of miles away, without any nearby family, and that you only visit briefly a couple times a year? Get a life, and use your time to do some good in the world instead of wrenching your shoulder patting yourself on the back . . .) Anyway, I hadn't noticed those posts here, but I tell you what, they rub me SO WRONG. Ugh. I'd imagine those sorts of posts should violate the no-commercial-purposes rule, so I'd report them if I saw them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 To be clear, I didn't mean the occasional post with a link to a blog. What I mean is someone who almost always includes a blog link in their posts. In fact, if you go to their profile page and click through their content, 9 posts out of 10 contain a blog link. The responses sound very conversational, and it's not obvious. If the responses are conversational then they are part of the conversation and I'm not sure I'd consider the link as much different than having put it in your signature (which is explicitly allowed). Except they have made the effort to find a specific post on their blog to post to. Which is more work than a generic link put in a signature and not thought about again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 To be clear, I didn't mean the occasional post with a link to a blog. What I mean is someone who almost always includes a blog link in their posts. In fact, if you go to their profile page and click through their content, 9 posts out of 10 contain a blog link. The responses sound very conversational, and it's not obvious. If they are part of the conversation and the link adds to that conversation what is the problem? They are linking to the subject in question to help others expand on it. Now if they just add some random blog post to a conversation that has nothing to do with it I can see that as self promoting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I'm worried you're talking about me. I share a lot of blog links, but it's because I feel they have some benefit to the conversation...often it's something I don't want to re-type, or pictures that are in the blog post that I don't want to deal with uploading or whatever here. I make zero dollars off my blog, so I'm certainly not sharing it for financial reasons! Now I'm embarrassed...maybe I'll stop sharing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 To be clear, I didn't mean the occasional post with a link to a blog. What I mean is someone who almost always includes a blog link in their posts. In fact, if you go to their profile page and click through their content, 9 posts out of 10 contain a blog link. The responses sound very conversational, and it's not obvious. I'm not sure why you are asking. Are you wanting to do it and want to know if it is ok? Your answer is that it is borderline esp. if your blog advertises any products. Are you wanting to know if it bothers other people? Sure. It bothers some people. Some don't notice. Are you wanting to know if you should report it? I personally wouldn't unless it was one of those spammers who come on here. Sometimes they do have a conversational response but it isn't their own - a spam bot has lifted a sentence from a previous post and then added the spam in a link. Those I report. As far as regular posters who do it, I figure it is just part of their quirkiness, if you will. I don't always have the time to want to click on the link esp. if it is someone I don't know well and am not quite sure what I'm clicking on. So those posts might be just unread by me. I personally don't post links to my blog - I just cut and paste from it to here so that I don't have to type things twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 I'm not sure why you are asking. Are you wanting to do it and want to know if it is ok? Your answer is that it is borderline esp. if your blog advertises any products. Are you wanting to know if it bothers other people? Sure. It bothers some people. Some don't notice. Are you wanting to know if you should report it? I personally wouldn't unless it was one of those spammers who come on here. Sometimes they do have a conversational response but it isn't their own - a spam bot has lifted a sentence from a previous post and then added the spam in a link. Those I report. As far as regular posters who do it, I figure it is just part of their quirkiness, if you will. I don't always have the time to want to click on the link esp. if it is someone I don't know well and am not quite sure what I'm clicking on. So those posts might be just unread by me. I personally don't post links to my blog - I just cut and paste from it to here so that I don't have to type things twice. I only asked out of pure curiosity because I noticed someone doing it and wondered if that was against board rules. And their blog advertises quite a few of their own products. I wasn't wanting to report though. I truly was just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I have noticed this too. I think this one is *really* pushing the line. I would not report because I don't report anything except spam. However, I imagine that somebody will at some point. I think she is trying to be helpful and make a dime at the same time. I don't blame her, but a little balance (more help and less dimes ;) ) would make me more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Are you wanting to know if you should report it? I can't think of a poster who does this, but maybe it's on another board. The Chat board is where I spend most of my time and haven't seen it. Maybe I just read different posts. Anyway, there are sometimes posters, not spammers, who try to get blog traffic, and yes it's bad form. If it happened so often that it bugged me, I'd probably just put that person on ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Is there a specific policy on the boards about posting for the purpose of promoting your blog? I know there has to be something about it when it's obvious. But what about a post that sounds like a poster is sincerely responding to the topic, but then manages to sneak in a link to their blog post......every. single. time they post? I'm an admin on two other homeschooling forums. I tend to consider those to be spam and delete them. I *might* send a PM as a heads-up that it isn't ok, depending on my mood. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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