One for the moderators

Shugster

What an excellent idea, I'm out golfing tonight after work, but I'll do that next time I get a spare hour at my pc. Good to see someone with some common sense.

isasmurf

I'm not sure any link to your site would be allowed under the forum rules. I'm not clear if you financially benefit from your site in any way. If you do then under the forum rules you are not allowed to link to it in your signature without express permission of MSE staff. Board Guides are not MSE staff and cannot give permission for anything on here.

1jim

so can you tell me why financial advisors and related sector workers can put a link in their sig which leads directly to their buisness site or page giving contact details. I can see why they need to put a disclaimer in the sig but cant understand why they are permitted to have a link that generates buisness for them when others cant, It should be everyone can or no one can!

Tony_H_3

1jim wrote:

so can you tell me why financial advisors and related sector workers can put a link in their sig which leads directly to their buisness site or page giving contact details. I can see why they need to put a disclaimer in the sig but cant understand why they are permitted to have a link that generates buisness for them when others cant, It should be everyone can or no one can!

The actual rule is:

4. Signature Referrals
A small, unobtrusive link to a site which explains your connection or field of expertise is permissible. !It should not be dominating. !Linking directly to be pure referral sites such as rpoints or greasy palm (unless you own them!) Is not acceptible. !If in doubt check with the moderators first.

Let me clarify this. These are the only 'links of personal benefit' that are allowed - this means referral links, rpoint or cashback links, links to the referrers boards are NOT permitted in signatures. Otherwise it encourages people to post just to 'print their signature everywhere'.

I am currently looking at your website (and very good it is too) and each page has a direct link to product / shopping cart. Which effectively means if you include any of your current website pages in your signature it could be construed that you were simply promoting your business.

From a personal point of view I would consider that you are an expert in childrens clothes, so what you would need to do is to create an "AboutUS" page for your website. This page would explain who you are and what you specialise in. You would include a link to MSE & also a link to you mainpage of your website. You would then be complying with the above signature rule in that you would be providing information about your "field of expertise"

If a member/guest of MSE clicked your signature they would have a choice to return to MSE or continue through to your shop, the sole purpose of the signature link would NOT be to direct people to your shop but for people to better understand what you do.

The same principle applies to everyone, shugster when are you going to update your signature!!

Tony_H_3

Time, Effort & Consideration are the key words here I feel.

If a member takes the trouble to create a "special page" on their website which complies with the rules of MSE then they will be rewarded with click through's from interested parties.

Going to this effort also makes it so much easier for the Moderators to remove the signatures that are clearly advert's in order to promote business.

Click Here and post a message if you require help in setting up a "special page" i'm sure we have enough willing members to help with coding etc. (This link will take you to the MSE techie board - Where we will be happy to help!!)

8383

To be honest I think you should have emailed a moderator instead of starting a thread, making a fuss over something so simple.

Secondy, its Martins' website/forum so if he doesn't want you to have a link to your own website in your signature, tuff.

daveboy

The answer to this, on this site at least, is to withdraw the ability to use signatures. Whilst I have one, I could sleep at night if the feature was disabled.

M.E.2-2

daveboy wrote:

The answer to this, on this site at least, is to withdraw the ability to use signatures. Whilst I have one, I could sleep at night if the feature was disabled.

You are probably right. Can't see why he even wants a link now as I should think many of us are aware of his site due to this thread.

8383

Yeah and it ain't that great a site! Lots of room for improvement!

aliasojo

I too think it would solve all issues if there were no sigs at all.

I do think it is confusing for many people with regard to what is allowed and what isn't. This kind of thing is just going to continue to crop up in the future and will continue to take up the time of those who are required to deal with it.

Would anyone really miss the sig facility that much if it were unavailable?

8383: Sorry, but I just have to add that although I agree with you that perhaps emailing about this matter instead of posting was maybe the way to go, your last comment about this person's site wasn't needed....even if you did add a smiley.