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should we abolish the product/retailer forum?

retailers products

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#1 caliban

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Posted 07 September 2014 - 09:37 PM


(respectively the requirement that retailers & products are only discussed in that section) ? 

 

discuss 

 

-----

 

UPDATE: this thread has been moved for general discussion. 

 

LongeCity is -of course- an attractive platform for people with a commercial agenda.  For years, we have tried to keep the forum relatively 'pure' by restricting product-and retailer specific discussions to a single sub-forum.

This policy is proving difficult to uphold. The moderators don't normally enforce it. (bearing in mind that every Immortality Institute member has some moderator powers) - in fact most users seem to value product and supplier specific discussions intermingled with 'pure' scientific exchanges. Does this mean we have a community mature enough to differentiate the 'wheat from the chaff' - or do we need to do more to enforce the policy? Maybe there are still other alternatives....? 

 

When discussing the matter below, please resist painting a picture of the 'ideal world' - stay in the 'real world' instead as reflected in the current forum culture and if you propose that we do things differently, only suggest schemes that are realistic and that you, yourself, would participate in.        

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#2 YOLF

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Posted 08 September 2014 - 07:21 AM

We seem to make money from it periodically. I don't see why it's a bad idea unless we want to change it to something else. If anything, I'd say add a section to the right side of the screen to feature posts in rotation from the P/R forum and drive more viewers there to add value.



#3 Mind

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Posted 21 September 2014 - 09:54 PM

It seems to be working as planned.



#4 caliban

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Posted 21 September 2014 - 10:03 PM

It 'works' only insofar as there is a tough pre-posting questionaire in some forums that redirects topics there.

 

Our moderators don't enforce the policy at all.  

 

The retailer forum is no longer hidden from google so the point for creating it has gone.

 

Currently, it just leads to an artificial divide and a clutter of topics.    

 

I suggest to keep create a 'pure' retailer forum where we have sponsored threads only, archive the old forum and abandon the policy.       



#5 YOLF

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 12:45 AM

What will provide the retailer with traffic?


I suppose they would have an incentive to write informational content about their products to attract people to their topic using our SEO position.


Edited by PerC, 22 September 2014 - 12:45 AM.


#6 YOLF

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 02:00 AM

Were you talking about this post of Veritas Incorruptus? I let it go because I didn't think that with the conversation that followed that it would be beneficial to TeamTLR and the conversation that followed discussed the reputation of TeamTLR which is important for our users to know. I'll handle it differently if you like.

 

I just went through and removed the links to prevent the links from improving his SEO.


Edited by PerC, 22 September 2014 - 02:05 AM.


#7 caliban

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 04:27 AM

When I started the thread it was prompted by a few examples but violations happen daily - even if the moderators cared it would be an ugly struggle. All links are nofollow which may curb seo spam.
Guess this topic is suited for a wider conversation with members and users regarding the general 'feel at LC

#8 Mind

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 08:51 PM

The nofollow function for links will help us with the technical problems of SEO spam, but not with the forum quality problem. SEO optimizers are still (or will still) place spam and links in the forum, which breaks the flow of conversation and degrades the focus on "real" life extension and immortality.

 

I still always move retail/commercial discussions to the appropriate forum, but I only see a tiny portion of what is posted. If no other moderators are doing this, or if it is too big of a job, well then of course we should go a different route....and see what members think.



#9 niner

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 09:13 PM

I always remove real spam when I find it, but removing every mention of a specific product or retailer is essentially impossible, and would degrade the content of discussions.  Sometimes it's important for people to know exactly what a person is using, or where it can be obtained.  It's very easy to tell the difference between that sort of information coming from long-time members of our community versus spam coming from strangers.   I think it's a good idea to have a place for producers or vendors to have a sponsored thread  I'd be in favor of dropping the requirement that products or vendors only be mentioned in the P/R forum, but keeping a place for sponsored threads.



#10 Mind

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Posted 23 September 2014 - 06:07 PM

I should have said "I always move discussions explicitly about a product/commercial entity", NOT every mention where ever they might occur.

 

Anyway, I wouldn't be against changes.



#11 FW900

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Posted 24 September 2014 - 08:04 PM

Just make it a retailer discussion. The forum will stay more focused and more concentrated. I say allow/integrate product discussion into existing areas such as Supplements or Brain Health. By product discussion, I'm referring to unique offerings (e.g, Super Rhodiola by Ceretropic) and threads about them. Purity or product quality concerns should stay attached to retailer discussion.



#12 Area-1255

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Posted 30 September 2014 - 12:01 AM

We seem to make money from it periodically. I don't see why it's a bad idea unless we want to change it to something else. If anything, I'd say add a section to the right side of the screen to feature posts in rotation from the P/R forum and drive more viewers there to add value.

Agreed, it seems to have it's purpose - I find it to be a well organized separation, otherwise supplements forum would be overloaded.



#13 Vastmandana

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Posted 27 October 2014 - 01:19 AM

Agree with both PerC and Area-1255.   I like the forum







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