Poll & Discussion - What is your impression of the MDC Diapering board? - Page 2

[kasumi]

Originally posted by WickidaWitch
I did this just the other day. I didn't know it was called spamming. I posted the link cause I thought the item was cute and wanted to share.
Sorry.

I have done this too! If I see a lot of talk about needing cute seasonal dipes or something and I see the answer in an auction and post a link to it I had no idea it was considered 'spam'. Oh I wish I had friends who were diaper WAHMs, but alas I don't, so I guess I'll just not post anything specific anymore.. I'm sorry.

[Artisan]

I don't have a problem with people recommending products AT ALL! That's a huge part of this board. There are several products that I recommend to people ALL THE TIME, and I don't consider it spam. I legitimately use and love the products and have never been asked by a WAHM to help advertise her stuff. I don't think that's what this issue is about. My personal issue is with auction links, as you cannot judge someone's intent or relationship to the auction.

[pamelamama]

Originally posted by WickidaWitch
I did this just the other day. I didn't know it was called spamming. I posted the link cause I thought the item was cute and wanted to share.
Sorry.
I have also when brought up by someone else asking praised a wahm's stuff(even shared my pics). I thought I was just giving my opinion. I wasn't spamming for anyone.
I'll be more careful of what I have to say now....

Just a bit of clarification for you... It is NOT considered spam if you link to an auction or wahm that appeals to you. Our concern is for posts that point out a friend's auction -- not out of love for the product, but solely to boost a friend's hit count.

I think I speak for the majority when I say we love to see cute pix of new dipes your baby and learn from your experience! So keep those photos coming!

xoxo pam

[Lizzie3143]

ugh, do i need to go back and clarify my post from the other day? i am in no way shape or form affiliated with choochoobooties, i just love her dipes! i have a few of them now and when i seen that cute small lennon set i thought i'd share it with everyone so someone with a small baby could see it and snatch it up before *I* buy something that is too small for my dd. LOL

i like spam free boards. that is why i like mdc and parentsplace diapering boards. i have no problems when people post links to auctions or a sale at a store just as long as its not the wahm herself doing it. i love seeing everyone's favorite diapers and wahms. its neat to see how many different styles there are that fit different sized babies kwim? sometimes i would have never known about a wahm unless someone here posted link to an auction (especially ebay auctions, i never seem to find cool dipes on ebay too many yucky ones to wade through).

[DreamingMama]

OK

I love spam so a spam free board I personally find strange. But I do not like constant spamming, same person over and over spamming the same words over and over. Bluck! If any of my MDC friends were to ask me to tell everyone that they were open for orders etc etc, I would not refuse them. I do not think it is morally wrong and I feel it is good for the community for everyone to know whats what. People do not have to check out any links, they do not have to buy and so forth. But at least spam gives a mama a choice to check products out if nothing else. I personally do not find it bad if friends post for each other, I think it is good community spirit.

[MamaMonica]

I hope I have never unintentially done this. I have some dipes and covers/great places to buy from that I really love and get excited about/rave about - but I've never been affiliated with anyone. I like auction links- I don't browse auctions and so would have missed a beautiful cover I won this summer if someone hadn't posted a link.

What I really don't like is unsolicited PM spam affering special deals/disocunts. I have gotten this only rarely. I know some new to the board WAHMs might not know the rules, but it still feels invasive.

Overall, I think that for a board this active, the moderators and members keep the diapering board pretty clean!

[MaggiesMom]

This is a very grey area, IMO.

I posted something the other day that people might suspect to be spam. It wasn't. I love the diapers I got and wanted to lament over the beautiful diaper that (at auction) is now out of my price range. Could it have been perceived as spam? Yup, probably. I think that sometimes it is too hard to tell what truly is spam and what isn't.

That said, I rely on recommendations from here for my diapering decisions, and appreciate genuine opinions. I don't care if someone IS friends with the WAHM she recommends, as long the assessment of the quality/value seems to be true. I just try to use my own judgement, and when I am suspicious, I just do a search on the member and check out their other posts to see if they only post about how great product x is. If they do, I think twice before taking what they say as truth.

I guess my point is it is probably most often NOT spam, but we all need to use our own judgement if it is not blatant spam.

[detergentdiva]

I personally prefer the non-spam boards.

[WickidaWitch]

Originally posted by pamelamama
Just a bit of clarification for you... It is NOT considered spam if you link to an auction or wahm that appeals to you. Our concern is for posts that point out a friend's auction -- not out of love for the product, but solely to boost a friend's hit count.
xoxo pam

I totally get what you mean ~but~
I wouldn't want some one out there in the end to "suspect me" of being a wahm's friend trying to boost her buisness.
Not trying to be cranky here or anything.

[mamaBlue]

I think there is a very fine line between spam and just innocent information.

I agree. For the most part it doesn't bother me. This is a tough subject. Let me try to explain by hypothetical examples:

Example 1: 'Diaper WAHM' send out a email to her list that says she's having a percent off sale. One of her customers on the email list races over to MDC and excitedly posts a thread about the deal. Woo Hoo!

Example 2: 'Diaper WAHM' send out a email to her list that says she's having a percent off sale. A friend (often a friend met in chat or a fellow WAHM) posts a MDC thread about the deal to help spread the word.

Exapmle 1 doesn't bother me. Example 2 does. The problem is that there is no way to know which is which. Technically, neither is allowed, but Example 2 seems sneaky.

Here's another example:

Example 3: 'Diaper WAHM' is stocking! Go now!

Really, this is spam. It is also most MDC mamas favorite threads(including me). I love seeing those threads. Then everyone comes back and talks about what goodies she bought/liked. If these kinds of posts weren't premitted on MDC, the board would get pretty boring.

*I guess my point is that things are best left the way they are, with the exception of outright ovboius spam being deleted (which i thinkit often is)*

[Mom2Sailor]

Do I take this thread to mean that the MDC Mods are actually considering increasing the spam policing?

As a new member who recently had her post removed due to a violation of the spam rules, I really think this place is on high alert already. My post made no mention of a product name or a business name, and contained no links.

And I too, have "found" WAHM websites through discussion here that I really appreciate knowing!

~Kira

[engineer_mama]

As has been mentioned by several people, I think any increase in the spam policy will lead us into a gray and unhappy area. We already have several members on this thread apologizing for posting links to auctions that they noticed. I don't believe any apologies are necessary, and I, like many others, really like to see these threads and often go to take a gander at whatever auction is being mentioned. That's part of the fun of this board. While it may be that there is some covert spam going on, I don't think it's possible to stamp it out without simultaneously stamping out much of the enthusiasm and excitement we see on this board. I think we should err on the side of having a little covert spam rather than making posters afraid to post raves or auction links.

In other words, I think we should keep things just as they are.

[*solsticemama*]

I'm happy to see someone posting when a wahm's company is newly stocked or is taking custom orders. I would probably have missed out on a few nice diapers otherwise. A couple of times I've had a question about a posted link, it just seemed a bit off, kwim? That said, I think in the long run we're still better off supporting a wahm than supporting the larger conglomerates. If it weren't for the diapering board here at MDC I'm not sure I'd be cding (or with such zeal :LOL)

[Lizzie3143]

i just thought of something. i don't mind seeing people post links to cute auctions (obviously since i do it whenever i see something too cute and want to share it with everyone) but its when people post to auctions or stores but they don't sign their name...ever, on any of their posts. THAT makes me nervous. makes me wonder who they are...is it the wahm herself? ya know what i mean?

don't mind me...my mind is racing, i just had 2 candy bars and a diet coke. LOL i'm all hyped up on caffeine and sugar. LOL

[SpiralWoman]

nak~
i would hate to think that i am being told such'n'such diaper is great when it actually isnt

on the other hand...

i would hate to not know about a great diaper bcz no one is allowed to tell me about it

so here's an idea:

full disclosure: if a poster is a WAHM, then that should be in their signature, that way everyone knows. whether there is slant or bias is up to the reader to decipher, but disclosure is just standard business ethics, yes?

[Lizzie3143]

Originally posted by SpiralWoman
so here's an idea:

full disclosure: if a poster is a WAHM, then that should be in their signature, that way everyone knows. whether there is slant or bias is up to the reader to decipher, but disclosure is just standard business ethics, yes?

can i put something in my sig like " liz wahmama to my 3 kiddos" or to mention i am a wahm do i need to buy sig priviledges? anyhoo, when i come to mdc it is because i am a consumer not because i am a wahm so i guess i've never really thought of it before. i just like to come here and find out what everyone's buying and live vicariously through the fuz hyenas. LOL

[MissSugarKane]

Well if everyone was like me and had no friends there wouldn't be a problem. :LOL

[DreamingMama]

LOL!

Originally posted by MissSugarKane
Well if everyone was like me and had no friends there wouldn't be a problem. :LOL

:LOL :LOL :LOL You crack me up!!

[mommytomy4kids]

roflol

Originally posted by MissSugarKane
Well if everyone was like me and had no friends there wouldn't be a problem. :LOL

yup that describes me too....

[penny31]

(sorry - broken arm)...
i wouldn't like unasked for spam (like full on ads - "announcing my wonderful new amazing self cleaning diaper, yours for just $29.99" or whatever), but i do like to be able to say - i am looking for a cute wetbag - or whatever and have some wahms spam me, as well as their customers who have raves or disses. i love all the auction links, even if they are spam - i don't have time to cruise all of ebay, all of wahmall, etc., so i love it when someone does the legwork for me. i am a big girl and can make up my own mind about what to buy even if i am spammed (ok i do need you all to tell me it is a good idea, lol). this board is quite rigid with it's rules about spam and about T posting. i still love it and all, but it is a little intimidating. i still blush about my first T post that got moved - and no i didn't read the rules, my bad... lol

xoxo