advertising guidelines

[mascamps.com]

We appear to be getting a growing number of threads kicked off by people looking for a B&B for themselves over the summer period, hence the origin of this thread.

As most reading this will know, "advertising" is not permitted on the LF forums but that being the case, what do us owners do about such threads? My understanding is that the "no advert" rule is basically there because LF the mag don't want to lose advertising revenue which is fair enough. More than fair in fact as they're forking out cash to support a very useful forum for us owners.

On 'thother hand, in these specific cases, it's hardly likely that the posters will take out an ad along the lines "B&B wanted in Britanny or Normandy" as per the most recent of these threads. So, I wonder, is it possible to get some kind of exemption for such threads? Or perhaps that's rather a big can of worms to be opening up? I'm sitting firmly on the fence with this one at the moment as I've seen the mess that poor Paolo ended up in when someone asked about rental listing sites a while back and every man and his dog who had a listings site jumped on the bandwagon within a day or two.

I also wonder about the website address below just about everyone's name. OK, this was a concession won for us some time ago but it's a limited one. Just the one website for instance so I wonder about the people who own a B&B and some gites who potentially would have two different websites? Also, there's no advertising tagline allowed but these days it's pretty cheap to register a domain, so what will happen when someone weighs in with something like www.mascamps-the-very-best-auberge-in-france.com ? (Funnily enough, I'm usually not one to register something like that but perhaps for forums and the like it is more worthwhile).

In general, my wonderings are centered around the B&B/gite owners forums as pretty much everyone on them is, of course, advertising themselves. It strikes me that those two forums are a bit different in nature to the other ones because of that.

Now, we obviously don't want to turn the forum into an advertising medium where people post things like "Stay at Mas Camps" or similar as it would be totally useless to us then. So, what can be done about the "is there a B&B in Normandy" type postings?

Also, what about those ones where people are clearly asking for recommendations about places? If I start a thread called "I'm looking for a decent electrician near Perpignan" (and I really am, so if you know of any...), can anyone reply to it if they are an electrician? OK, recommendations are better of course, but taking my area as an example, there ain't a whole lot of brits here so chances are that one of them would a) read this forum and b) know a decent electrician are pretty much nil (yes, I know, same arguement re the electricians themselves).

The most common of that type lately have been the "what can I do about a website?" variety. The moderators have generally come down on those like a ton of bricks. Is that right? I don't know, but it was clear that in some cases the people were looking for a website designer and presumably some amongst "the lurkers" are in the same boat and the website designers sending a PM/mail doesn't help them. Now, that's the kind of "advertising" where there could/should be an ad placed in LF mag (assuming that the posters subscribe, of course). Can/should there be a charge applied to commercial places replying like that? Would it screw up the forum if they were allowed to do that (subject to a possible charge)?

And, just for me, if someone posts "B&B needed near Ceret in August!" as per the recent post, is it OK for me to say "Why not look at www.ourinns.org ?". As Coco says, that's not me advertising me, but rather me recommending other people although, of course, in that particular example I'm also in ourinns (with the very worst photo and text!).

 

Arnold

 

[Russethouse]

Arnold if you looked at this thread

http://forums.livingfrance.com/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=275&MessageID=207604

you will see the answer. People with a service to offer directly can use the PM or email system, third party recommendations are permissible, so for example I am free to say I have heard good reports of Miki's and Coco's establishments, because I have !

However, if mods suspect that posts are being 'set up' with the intent of getting around the rules they will be deleted.

I seem to have written the same things several time of late, I'm sorry but I really can't think of an easier way to put it.

Really if people want a web designer they have only to browse the relevant forum or ask for a recommendation in the same way, afaik LF really do not at present want to get into ads being paid for here with the exception of the banner ads at the top of the page.

[Coco]

I think the rules apply, as has happened in the B&B in Normandy or Brittany thread.  Russethouse (a Mod for goodness sake!) has said that she has personal knowledge of mine and Miki's B&Bs. That's a third party recommendation and therefore acceptable.  I have in fact responded to Paul and Carin, but by private email offering them my website address to take a look, or pass on to the person actually seeking a B&B.  This does not contravene the advertising rules, it is responding to a request for help by a member of the forum.  I don't actually include my website in my signature, as although it was always offered as an exemption, I still believe that in principle that it IS advertising and therefore contravening the code of conduct, even if Living France administrators don't think so themselves.

[mascamps.com]

Ah, but you are advertising Coco, even if you don't have your website quoted. OK, people can't directly click on your link but they see the little photo of your place and could either look you up or just PM/mail you for the details.

The thing is that the B&B/gite owners forums are a bit special because of that - in effect, no matter what we do, we are all advertising just by being here.

In my own mind that's OK when we stay within the owners' forums, but then we don't all the time and, of course, our signature and other details remain available when we reply to something in another forum. For instance, we've just received a booking which I suspect is a consequence of me replying to something in the car registration forum.

Basically, I'm wondering if there's something that could be done to recognise that in some way and perhaps smooth the operation of things like the "looking for a B&B in X" type posts. I don't, of course, know the stats but I sometimes wonder if sometimes people making a post like that receive a hundred PMs if they're looking in a popular area?

 

Arnold

 

[Russethouse]

>>Basically, I'm wondering if there's something that could be done to recognise that in some way and perhaps smooth the operation of things like the "looking for a B&B in X" type posts. I don't, of course, know the stats but I sometimes wonder if sometimes people making a post like that receive a hundred PMs if they're looking in a popular area?<<<

Frankly I think that is the sort of 'frill' that can be looked into when some of the shortcomings of this software are overcome.

I suspect that posters looking for accommodation are not inundated with answers as these requests seem to be mainly for fairly busy periods which is why the more 'normal' avenues have failed, or they are possibly wanting to meet other forum members.

[Pko]

Hi Arnold,

I started the thread about looking for a B&B in Normandy or Brittany and am sorry to have created a stir.

But I don't see anything wrong with the question posed on a forum for B&B owners and I was expecting and even hoping for other B&B owners to respond. In the end it helps me give better service to my guests in a simple and harmless way.

 

[mascamps.com]

Oh, don't be blaming yourself, I just used your thread as one of the more recent examples. The real stir was kicked off by Coco in another thread when she wanted to strangle the moderators I kicked off this one as suggested by said mods as there seemed to be a number of issues around the "advertising" on this forum.

Funnily enough, yours is actually the only legit "looking for a B&B in X" type thread that I've seen in that you're an actual owner whereas 'tothers were all posted by potential guests. That actually surprises me in a way as this seems a pretty much ideal forum for finding onward accommodation for our guests.

 

Arnold

 

[mascamps.com]

Oh dear, I shall have to put my money where my mouth is... I think I suggested that perhaps people wanting to "advertise" should be asked to take out a subscription in the "when to moderate" thread.

Soooo, just got a booking from replying to one of those "where to stay in X" therefore I am the very latest subscriber to Living France.

Incidently, if someone would like to ask the LF website person to make a small change, it would actually be possible to find out who clicks on the subscription bar from this forum; at the moment they appear to all be lumped in with "internet" subscriptions (the source code being "tweb").

 

Arnold