Advertising on this forum

Last post 10-10-2011 9:30 AM by sue1002. 9 replies.

• 09/10/2011 08:40 AM

  Faraway Location: Berkshire Joined on: 15 Oct 2007 Posts: 162

  Reply | Contact Don't know how others feel, but I am of the opinion that organisations should not be allowed to blatantly advertise their courses/colleges etc on this forum. I feel it can be misleading to future students as they do not know whether the advertisers are over-selling. Other members who have direct experience of a college/course (have studied or attended) can provide a more balanced input from a students perspective. If an organisation wants to contact a forum member by private message or mail, then fine, but they mostly now even have a forum name which is the name of their organisation with their web addresses and punt their courses continually. Just my 2cents worth.

• 09/10/2011 06:44 PM

  In reply to

  The Hedge Folk Location: Somerset Joined on: 22 Jan 2010 Posts: 663

  Reply | Contact  Hi Faraway, If something is an advertisment or a solicitation, then it goes against this forum's Ts & Cs and you can report it. The definition for these isn't always clear or universally agreed upon - if a someone posts a link to a special offer they've seen, I wouldn't really call that an advert, but if a business did it to their own offer, it probably would be an advert. So, when a business (like ours ) is open about its identity, people can make more informed decisions based on what we say. The great thing about a forum (which means marketplace, after all) is that people can ask the community for references when they are unsure about a course, service or product and spread the word if something fishy* is going on. My penny's worth is that if a business wants to benefit from the exposure it gets on a forum, it has to give loads of value to it.   Ed *No offence to fish, some of my best friends are fish. Just ask chips; we hang out all the time. www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

• 09/10/2011 08:47 PM

  In reply to

  geoff51 Location: Totton, Hampshire Joined on: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 187

  Reply | Contact I have been fighting this back door advertising on the RHS forums since I joined. I find it tottally unacceptable that any company can use these forums for advertising and it destroys the gardener to gardener exchange of ideas and experience which these forums are based on. These companies are answering posts on a regular basis to keep their name in view, this is adverting by the back door. These companies know who they are and have already answered your post I think it again time for the admin to clamp down on this practice Geoff51 Pond life!?!

• 09/10/2011 09:04 PM

  In reply to

  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 500

  Reply | Contact To me, it's valuable to have horticultural professionals and academics giving their views and experience. It wouldn't help me if well-qualified people felt they should cover up their affiliations or interests, as how could I then properly value their contributions? And perhaps they would cease to contribute. I like the debate and the variety of views on this forum. Blatant advertising would be out of order, but I haven't been aware of anything of that nature. Personally, I hope the Hedge Folk and the various tutors and academics keep posting. Alex

• 09/10/2011 10:56 PM

  In reply to

  La Jardinera Feliz Location: Joined on: 22 Aug 2010 Posts: 48

  Reply | Contact I agree that these forums - including the education forum - should be a place for everyone to contribute, and there are many professionals and educationalists who very generously share their knowledge here. However, I get the feeling the original poster may be referring more to the type of debate where a prospective student asks current and past students for their advice and experiences on different learning providers. In this case, I don't really find it appropriate for company representatives to participate, when they are understandably going to be biassed by their own business concerns. Is this what you meant, Faraway?

• 09/10/2011 11:32 PM	In reply to
  geoff51 Location: Totton, Hampshire Joined on: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 187	Reply | Contact Anyone can contribute that goes without saying but nowhere on their post should their company name be visible as with Ashridge trees Geoff51 Pond life!?!

• 10/10/2011 04:08 AM	In reply to
  Faraway Location: Berkshire Joined on: 15 Oct 2007 Posts: 162	Reply | Contact La Jardinera Feliz - Spot on, thank you - that is exactly what I meant.

• 10/10/2011 08:46 AM	In reply to
  Julie Location: London Joined on: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 410	Reply | Contact I say thank goodness for as many participants as possible! This forum is actually pretty quiet without many contributors. It could do with more people taking part. Aside from Identification and Idle Chat not many posts.

• 10/10/2011 09:00 AM	In reply to
  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973	Reply | Contact Well said AlexS. I for one have recieved allot of help from horticultural professionals on the forums and I am grateful they take the time to read my questions and answer them. Keep on posting Hedge Folk and all you others too

• 10/10/2011 09:30 AM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,470

  Reply | Contact  I welcome the posts from the professionals too and it's nice to see they take the time and answer the questions that have been raised. I've copied these next two paragraphs from the 'Community Guidelines' thread  "Advertising - while it is helpful to pass on details of businesses when that information has been requested, posts containing obvious personal advertising will be removed.  Users with commercial interests - We appreciate that many of our forum users have a commercial interest in gardening, whether that be as a garden designer, nursery or landscaper. Many of these users are experts in their fields, and we welcome their contributions to the forums, but realise there is a fine line between advice and advertising. If you do have a commercial interest, we ask you to keep your posts strictly to advice only. You can use your website in your footer, but only as a plain text url (ie: not as a live link)." and my understanding of the above is that if the information has been specifically asked for, it is ok for the professionals to answer providing their website is not a live link in their signature.  If one of these professionals then start a new thread offering their services, this would be classed as advertising and the post can be 'reported' and could be removed. sue1002