Discussions

Shameless Self Promotion Question

Posted by TonyB • 7/21/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: shameless self promotion

Appears like shameless self promotion threads are popping up left and right and the result is the Discussion are taking on a feel of one big view my blog commercial.

Since these are Discussions, should it be a guideline that if you are going to post something to shameless self promotion that it should also be done in a way that encourages a discussion?

User Comments

7/21/08

crkian

its the view mine and I view yours that are a pest

[reply]
7/21/08

ThriftShopRomantic

I thought that was a guideline, Tony.

Or am I just really confused?

[reply]
7/21/08

DrowseyMonkey

I thought that was the guideline too, altho lots don't follow it. Not really sure what's so shameless about promoting your blog if you really can't promote it tho. It's a bit of a confusing guideline for most, I think.

[reply]
7/21/08

timethief

@TonyB
I thought this was already encompassed the guidelines found in the sticky post at the head of the forum. In fact I have recently sent bloggers to you and to thegoodknife for clarification.

Posts with Links and nothing else.
If all your post says is "Click this link to learn about something" whatever that something is, your post will be removed since it isn't designed to initiate a conversation.

[reply]
7/21/08

MadameX

Yeah, I thought that was already the guideline, too. In fact, there was a discussion about this in another thread a couple of days ago, wherein Timethief pointed out that guideline...or that guideline we all thought we had...

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  timethief
  
  Tiffany is correct. This is the thread she is referring to www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/shameless-blog-promotion-what-is-allowed#...
  
  Here's the link to the last Shameless Blog Promotion thread that I posted www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blogging-under-a-pseudonym#comment_475886
  
  IMO each and every Shameless Blog Promotion post ought to include either:
  (1) a talking point to initiate discussion
  (2) or a question for discussion
  
  If it does not contain either a talking point or a question for discussion then, IMO it amounts to nothing more that a link drop post. And, IMO all link drop posts no matter what guise they operate under ought to be banned.
7/21/08

Jeunelle

Well my Psychic readings are doing ok.
Seems there is some discussion going...Cau'll mi now.

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  timethief
  
  @Jeunelle
  Your psychic reading post is in General Discussion and it contains no links other than username links. FWIW that's not what's being discussed here.
2. 7/21/08
  
  Jeunelle
  
  @TT.. My bad.
  What's FWIW?
7/21/08

CrotchetyOldMan

I dunno. Maybe by enforcing the rule obviously already in place, it may be helpful to promoting the many groups that are seemingly dead and dying.

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  MadameX
  
  How do you think enforcing a rule about promoting your blog will help (or have any effect on) the groups?
2. 7/21/08
  
  CrotchetyOldMan
  
  If it can't be promoted here, then, members will have to go to the groups section. Hopefully, that will make that very underutilized resource more responsive and active.
3. 7/21/08
  
  timethief
  
  Re: groups
  BC groups are made up of individuals with blogs. There is nothing preventing the individual bloggers in any group from promoting their own blog within the group.
  
  When utilizing the Shameless Blog Promotion category individual bloggers can, if they so choose, post the link(s) to related groups that they belong to. That would help create a traffic flow from the main board into the groups.
  
  As many BC members don't seem to be aware of the existence of groups and as they are likewise unaware that they can easily form a new one I made a Blogging Help post on this subject. The only difficulty is that I'm now in the unenviable position of having to bump it myself so that newcomers can see it on the front page of the forum. www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/bc-groups-find-one-start-one
7/21/08

thoughtsofg

Does this mean the discussion I just made is against the rules? I'm confused...

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  crkian
  
  Pretty much as it doesnt promote discussion, its just a link fest really. You will find a lot just drop links without coming back to the thread.
2. 7/21/08
  
  thoughtsofg
  
  I see... I know this kind of thing is limited to groups, but many of them are sadly inactive. You got a point though.
7/21/08

voodooKobra

I always thought that was the rule.

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  timethief
  
  Me too voodoo.
7/21/08

TonyB

Ok Ok I thought it was a guideline too. wanted to reiterate it here as it seems like many Shameless Self Promotion posts don't follow the guideline.

[reply]
7/21/08

AmyOops

well hey in that case.. check out my blog

[reply]
7/21/08

pointlessbanter

Yeah I thought it was a rule... But a lot of those threads don't get reported or don't get taken down when reported. Like that one blonde girl that writes about dating and has the ugly looking site. Every single thread she starts is just a link to her blog.

[reply]
7/21/08

timethief

@TonyB
I'd like to also bring up another related issue. Currently we have a rash of signature link droppers, who append the urls for their blogs to the end of every post they make. Some comments made have so little substance that it seems like the only reason they posted at all was to link drop ie. spam the rest of us.

I would like to see the Read Before Posting Guidelines specifically include a guideline that prohibits signature link dropping. www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/read-before-posting-1#comment_329962

[reply]
7/21/08

ChicaX

I agree with you Tony. I've seen several discussions that shouldn't be labeled discussions. These boards have gotten a bit out of control in my opinion. handy as they are people sure would get a lot more use out of being a close knit group rather then a site wide thing.

*scurries off to find and join groups*

[reply]
7/21/08

PetLvr

Unfortunately .. this place is called BLOGcatalog and not just politicalcatalog or religiouscatalog or deepengagingconversationalcatalog.

My response to your questions would be:

Geesh .. "SHAME ON YOU ALL" for even considering a ban on anything that relates to "just" blogging and people showing off their blogs and their latest posts!

Personally - I really hate people who try to engage conversation here, but giving a point for or against some interesting topic, then give a link to their latest blog post. The thread is everything you wanted for engaging conversation, may be thought provoking and the like - then, I actually go to the person's blog and see the post and everything that was said in the BC thread is identical to the post. That sucks.

[reply]
1. 7/21/08
  
  ChicaX
  
  Hahaha I do that Hart! Although I do try to cut the post and sometimes not even leave a link to the post.
2. 7/21/08
  
  PetLvr
  
  Well .. you're one of the bloggers here, that you can talk about toilet poop pictures and I would click on your link anyway.
  
  And, that's the basic overriding fact people forget. If some just post their blog entries and people don't like it, or feel like they were spammed - they won't click the entries know more.
  
  Reading above - I think everyone would agree that the dropping links IN THE COMMENTS is the issue that should be considered the shameless blog promotion against TOS and community guidelines - not the shameless blog promotion threads started that include links.
3. 7/21/08
  
  ThriftShopRomantic
  
  I think it helps with those Shameless Blog Promos if the discussion thread summary is just that--a summary or teaser-- and not the entire post rehashed word for word. Which often, it is. That's always a little startling.
4. 7/21/08
  
  PetLvr
  
  ... like, a teaser or short summary like ... ??
  
  "Please visit my blog post about blah blah blah"
  URL.
7/21/08

TheBigRuski

Posting in BC is an art form!

(just trying to put a positive spin on it)

[reply]
6/05/09

richel8

comment removed by the community.

[reply]
1. 6/05/09
  
  Shiley
  
  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!