Off-site Links - Please Read

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TulsaJeff

Smoke Whisperer
Original poster
Staff member
Administrator
OTBS Member
Jun 28, 2005
5,435
931
Tulsa, OK
To all members:

We have always had a policy against the posting of off-site links. However, we have not always been as strict as we should have in enforcing this.

This has changed in the last few months and I wanted to make sure that everyone knew where this was coming from and that this decision comes straight from me and is not negotiable.

Please do NOT give the staff a hard time if they enforce this rule on one of your posts. Be classy and just realize they are doing as I have instructed them.

I have updated the TOS today to add the following text:

[h3]Offsite Links[/h3]
Off-site links are not only discouraged but they are generally not allowed at SMF. If you post a link to another website, your own website or your best friend's website, it will probably be deleted.

We have sponsors who pay to post their links and promote their products and it is just not fair to them if others are allowed to use the SMF as a way to promote their own websites. 

The link you post to another site may be something you are doing to be helpful but it is still highly discouraged and unless it is the only way to help someone with their problem or question, it will probably be deleted.

We have to be strict about this to prevent spam and if you can't deal with that, then perhaps this is not the right place for you to hang out.

One caveat to this is that premier members are allowed to post off-site links in their signature area. They are considered to be paying sponsors of the forum and pay for the right to do so.

I am also very touchy about members being disrespectful to the moderators and admins who volunteer their time and energy to help keep this forum clean and free of spam, smut, bad information and bad attitudes.

If we hear of this, it will be handled delicately. Enough said.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's attention to this and your understanding. If you have any questions or need something in this post clarified, please let me know.

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Thank you Jeff  for allowing us to share our smoking goods and bads on your sight........I enjoy your news letter and have learned a lot from it. I am always happy to play by the rules......your house your rules.......I would still like to play in your house.

Happy smoken

David
 
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Thank you Jeff for starting this thread and updating the Terms of Service Rules!

Kat
 
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bump.. to make sure everyone has a chance to see this.

Everyone have a great day!!
 
Regardless of my personal opinion on the matter, I have been the recipient of professional moderator/admin correction of a post that violated this rule and I accepted the correction with no push back. I agree with previous members: Jeff's house = Jeff's rules. No problem.

However, the rules don't seem to be applied evenly from post to post, member to member. This is just an observation that is intended to be constructive in nature and to encourage moderator/admin types to apply the same rule across the Forum(s).

Interestingly, I read Jeff's note then the very next post I read had an external link in it where a Super Moderator commented to the original post but did not edit out the link. I tapped on the link and away I went to a great recipe on another site. LOL. My opinion: Either enforce the rules consistently or not at all.
 
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Bama, There are only so many mods and admins on here and there are thousands of posts every week, we try to look at them all but it's almost impossible so some things get missed but we're trying to keep it fair.

What post did you just read that had a link in it?
 
Regardless of my personal opinion on the matter, I have been the recipient of professional moderator/admin correction of a post that violated this rule and I accepted the correction with no push back. I agree with previous members: Jeff's house = Jeff's rules. No problem.

However, the rules don't seem to be applied evenly from post to post, member to member. This is just an observation that is intended to be constructive in nature and to encourage moderator/admin types to apply the same rule across the Forum(s).

Interestingly, I read Jeff's note then the very next post I read had an external link in it where a Super Moderator commented to the original post but did not edit out the link. I tapped on the link and away I went to a great recipe on another site. LOL. My opinion: Either enforce the rules consistently or not at all.
I'm pretty sure you are referring to a thread that I posted in and honestly because it was not the typical www. format links, but was Adobo Marinated Brisket and I missed it but did post on the thread. I have now found those links and they have been removed. 

As Dave mentioned there are only so many of us, and we are human and miss things. Thanks for pointing it out and it is fixed but again, some will be missed. It is not a matter of being inconsistent or favoritism. 
 
I completely understand. Due to the great success of the site coupled with greater membership, you folks are busy. I did not intend to imply favoritism. No harm no foul SmokinHusker. We're all human. Now, get back to work!
 
I completely understand. Due to the great success of the site coupled with greater membership, you folks are busy. I did not intend to imply favoritism. No harm no foul SmokinHusker. We're all human. Now, get back to work!
Thanks Bama...and it would be work if I were getting paid 
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, so since I'm not...I'm going to go finish re painting the trim on my deck/house!!! LOL
 
If you want to censore people from helping members with links just remove the abilty to post all links. Does this also mean we can't post youtube videos of cooks or builds?
 
Actually....the embedding of the videos is sort of cool! I would rather watch them here....and have to cut/paste....open another browser window and wait for ever to find what I want.  Will be Sweet!

Kat
 
I have been guilty of posting a link to an offsite recipe and apologize. I would not want to do anything to damage this great forum and I would be horrified to think anything I did may offend the kind people who have helped me so much. 

Thank you to all of you for your efforts. I am very grateful and want to keep within the rules of the forum. 

Disco
 
Instead of the need to bump threads the administrators could set up the ability to  "pin" threads like this...just a thought. 
There are so many folks posting right now FWI.....and so many new folks joining every day....the Mods are doing what we can to keep this thread current and at the top of the list when people look at the threads.  Sorry if it's irritating to you and others...but that is all we know to do.  If it gets put in an article or somewhere else.....just like directions....it will get swept to the 3rd or 4th page...and no one will see it.  Sort or like directions that no one pays attention too....until there is an issue.

Kat
 
There are so many folks posting right now FWI.....and so many new folks joining every day....the Mods are doing what we can to keep this thread current and at the top of the list when people look at the threads.  Sorry if it's irritating to you and others...but that is all we know to do.  If it gets put in an article or somewhere else.....just like directions....it will get swept to the 3rd or 4th page...and no one will see it.  Sort or like directions that no one pays attention too....until there is an issue.

Kat
It is important information. It is not irritating to me.

Disco
 
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