Discussion about Posts Promoting Martin's New Show

melancholly

Edna_Bucket wrote: »

Funny - there do seem to be rather a few people on MSE these days who want to tell others what sections and threads they should or shouldn't be visiting or reading.

I find that a slightly depressing development in terms of people being free to express their views within the bounds of etiquette wherever they choose on the Forum.

i'm not saying where anyone should or shouldn't go, but if i went to the old style board and complained that they talked about home cooking all the time, or to the ISA board and said why do you all go on about ISAs all the time, it would be bizarre! fair enough say something on another board, but complaining about info on IPTW on the IPTW board just seems a bit daft to me! only my opinion, mind, and said in the politest way i could think of

Edna_Bucket_2

Fair enough melancholly and thank you for your further post. I think the original problem was that when I saw a spamming post from the OP and then checked her other posts they were spamming all over the Forums! I found that (and still do) rather OTT, but obviously I couldn't comment on all 20+

Maybe next time it might be better if I simply reported it to Abuse!
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

weegie.geek

Beate wrote: »

So you don't think the team of Martin's show should be allowed to ask for participants on his own website then?

Of course they should, but within reason, and without doing things that would get others slapped on the wrist. Crossposting is spam.

harryhound

Edna_Bucket wrote: »

Mmmmn, I do worry about a grown man needing to have lots of people fawning over him in person as well as online. Did I ought to get together some press clippings on the history of David Icke so that we can make sure the poor man doesn't go off the rails in the future?

Am I the only person to recognise where Edna is coming from?

My word of the week is "hubris".

History, especially the history of "the media", is full of examples of talented people, who have been foolish enough to believe in the "luvvy" adulation they get in our "celebrity" culture. The curse of "Hullo" magazine: appear in the magazine, flaunting your success and wealth and life style, then almost as night follows day, you can be heading for divorce, alienated children, financial problems but worst of all, you are no longer invited along as a "celebrity". Nothing worse than being a sad old has-been.

I think Martin is still a long way from this, BUT the danger is always there, especially in the transient world of TV.
Martin is still a man with a mission, what he has achieved so far is amazing, and the TV show is an ideal vehicle for further publicity for the cause and spreading the word. Of course he is trying to give it as much publicity as he can.

If I was channel surfing and stumbled upon a low budget show on a fairly obscure channel, would I become a convert? Would I stay long enough to realise that what is being promoted is something more life changing, than the normal attention grabbing for a shopping channel pushing more junk?

Surely what is needed is less of the "sooooper" luvvy stuff and more positive criticism to improve the show (for example suggestions about "the drainpipe" have resulted in stressing the positive, rather than the negative.)

This week there is no clash between "It Pays to Watch" and "Watchdog"; so how about someone recording both and then posting a criticism of what each program did right and wrong and why.

A week by week chart of the viewing figures for both programs, would make interesting viewing.

Harry.

melancholly

as far as i'm aware, martin has always made money as a journalist who specialises in money-saving. i don't mind that he does this - i don't expect him to work for free and live off nothing. the fact that there is a danger of anyone in the public eye falling victim to the celebrity culture is a completely separate issue - and that's martin's choice to make anyway, surely? a tv show which advertises how to save money is great - especially now with the international markets trouble this week. can't we all just be glad that more people are going to be enlightened about getting out of debt rather than worrying about martin's potential ego problems before there is any evidence of them happening anyway?

i understand edna's point, but it's martin's website. it's a bit rich (get the pun?!) to start telling him that he can't advertise his own tv show on it...... i don't see the harm in it, but even if you do, i'd see it as fighting a losing battle on here anyway! from my point of view, the stories of people on this forum have been inspring to me, so the more of them out there for other people to hear, the better! examples of real life stories hit home better than potential gains and why on earth would the IPTW team look outside of MSE to find people when there is such a good supply of them here?

jo_b_2

I've split these posts from a different thread as this has eveolved into a different discussion to that covered by the original thread.

Sooler

Edna_Bucket wrote: »

Err, is this site gradually turning into promotional spam for a TV show?

Are you referring to

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

or

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/

?

MrsTinks

Point number one: Martin owns this site and its forums. What goes on here is his choice and he's always been very open about how the site and the people working behind it are funded.
Point number two: Looking for real life studies to appear on the show helps bring across the message. None of those starred get anything for doing it we do it because we want to help others save money and maybe one day be debt free.
Point number three: Would you work 60+ hours a week for free? Everyone involved with the program give up a lot of their social life to produce the show although you can argue they get paid to do so then I don't know that you could pay me to get up before 6 on a saturday regularly to go and film and then carry on till early evening before driving a LOT of miles to get home.
But if you want to ask about these things why not go along to one of the shows and submit your question to Martin?

And is Martin being fawned over? Well not by me personally! He IS using his image to try and bring information to people who might never know about how to get bank charges back, reclaiming PPI etc. He started small and now he runs one of the biggest sites aimed at getting the consumers the best deal and teaching us how NOT to be ripped off but how to get the best and a fair deal. So what if he is becoming a celebrity? I honestly don't see him as wanting to have lots of media chasing him round all the time! Would you?

Anyway that's just my views ofcourse

Sooler

I've not seen any mention of the TV show in the forums myself - Martin only mentions it on his site or blog or weekly email.

None of which are SPAM because you have to chose to come and visit the site or opt in to receive the weekly email.

MSE_Martin

Dear Edna

Thank you for raising this; I have looked at the way the IPTW are posting on the site, and on the back of it codified the rules for them of the best way to do it.

Therefore if you spot any more posts you can rest assured they are within that codified guidance. If you have problems with it - please report it to [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

The people who write those are members of my team and it is inappropriate to have them berated for doing something that is part of their work. As an employer, with human resource responsibility, I cannot permit this on the forums.

Please repect this.

Martin