Help!

Louise_McGregor

Thanks, Tine - hugely appreciated!!! I'm thinking 'BG' is maybe 'Board Guardian'...? And you're right, I don't envy you having to keep a copy of the rules on your desk...!! (But I will read them...promise!)

xxxxxxx

Louise_McGregor

Blimey - yet another simultaneous message...thank God that's not against the rules or we'd both be outta here...!!!!! xxxxx

The_Good_Fairy

Shush you two :P

Just kidding x

MrsTinks

:rotfl: yeah we're good at that simultanious posting aren't we?

MrsTinks

hey get out of our private conversation Fairy! :rotfl: go take some pics of your candles and beads so I can drool will ya!

(love you really - don't hate me! *trying to look cute*)

Louise_McGregor

It certainly seems to be some kind of skill...!!

Off for a look round the other boards - seen loads of good tips so far!!

Thanks for all your help! xxxxx

The_Good_Fairy

tine you are soooo cute you make me want to squeal

density

Can someone please tell me the difference between spamming and promoting your own business, by showing photographs of candles and beads. I'm not being funny, I seriously don't know, and have been wondering for some time how one member can continuously self promote whilst others are told off about it.

MrsTinks

It's one thing to post pictures on a thread on the board - links to your own business are not allowed.
If you are referring to Good Fairy's thread then you might have read that it wasn't infact her who started the thread but she found MSE after loads of people talked about her site here and she tracked the traffic on her site to a thread on here.
As far as I recall she hasn't posted any links to her page although lots of other people have.
This is a link to the Wikipedia explanation for Forum Spam - might help explain what exactly spam is.
As for what is and isn't allowed I have copied the relevant section from the T&Cs for you:

ADVERTISING

This site is free from advertising. Posts on any board considered to be advertising goods, services and/or companies will be removed.

Examples of this can include anything from a specific sales post or a link to your own website in which you attempt to sell something to someone offering their holiday home to forum members. Unfortunately we cannot allow any advertising of any description no matter how honourable the intention.

This includes the Referrals Board (see below).

If you think you have a genuinely good deal please contact a Board Guide for the board you’d like to post it on. If they agree with you they’ll contact the MSE Team and it will be considered. Any final decision will be that of the MSE Team. Please do not question the response with the Board Guide.

So spamming is often done by machines rather than people although some people will do it manually on boards as it's difficult to write scripts that can be used to spam boards. They sometimes post one or two seemingly genuine posts (or an account might be hijacked) - the various scenarios are plentiful and some small time spammers might write a different post for each time to avoid security picking up on 15 rapidly posted identical posts.
I don't know if that is more confusing than helpful - if it doesn't clarify then please contact abuse who should be able to provide you with the offical MSE view - which as always I hasten to point out I am NOT the official view of MSE - these are MY interpretations