Shrouded ulterior motives in posts - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Shrouded ulterior motives in posts

Mo

(website)

Veteran

How do you feel about it? They come and go, but today I saw 3 of them and I must admit I'm resistant to play along. I would be happier with upfront transparency. "Hey, look at my blog, and be sure and click on the links to generate income for me!" Or, "I have this neat website to sell bridesmaid dresses. Check it out if you're in the market." But no, instead there are thinly veiled questions to engage the all too kind members here. I'm more cynical by nature I think, but it bugs me that the kind and giving ladies seem to get manipulated.
Is it just me? Am I being a bah humbug?

EDIT: and I should add these are always new members and most often never stick around to become even active.

General

37 replies

Latest reply was from Deborah

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

I don't like it either! Usually you can tell because of the link or stilted English or whatever, but I agree, it seems like it's against the terms of use to be promoting a business. I would click Report Spam or Flag.

MsMary

Veteran

Not just you. Grrr...

unfrumped

Veteran

Mo, I don't like spammer posts, and if I can tell that's what it is I'll pass by, but obviously I'm getting sucked in sometimes, too. Not sure if there's a policy about it or post removal, but otherwise it's just caveat emptor. And after all, there are commercial links here too. Then there's that overlap between other style bloggers, and when is their participation "real" or just marketing/trolliing. I give up on that except to evaluate how useful it is.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Spam (selling merchandise on our forum) is different to people with an official blog that they post on regularly. Veterans can report spam posts 24/7, which are deleted as soon as Greg gets the report.

Fashion Bloggers are welcome to post links to their site on our forum because it's perfectly On Topic. The level of engagement on those threads will vary because you get out of this community what you put into it - it's that simple.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

so just to be clear these posts are okay although they are designed to lead us somewhere?
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ds-dresses

I did not report either as spam but I still get the manipulated feeling from both of them.

catgirl

Veteran

Genuine spam I just ignore, like what Natalie mentions.

As far as what Angie's talking about, I agree with her take. I don't generally engage deeply with members who post but never engage with anyone, but I have no problem with them posting fashion related links to a personal blog or whatever.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I never saw that post Mo, and I just reported it as spam.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I had a second link I goofed on listing http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....osition-17
this is posted by the self described 'co-founder' of the website. rubs me wrong, but if it's okay by you . . .

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Not just you. I have never reported them either but will from now on

K. Period.

Veteran

It bothers me too! The linking to a forum member's personal fashion blog rubbed me wrong the first few times, but I've gotten used to it and it makes sense. I'm glad to know that Angie is 100% okay with it, because that makes it feel very different to me. But engaging people on the forum with a faux question only to link them to a product? That drives me bonkers.

The other thing that has been driving me bonkers lately? People reviving dead forum topics. Not stale ones, but ones that have been dead for a year or more. The long dead undead! I'm not really irritated at the person who does it, because they are usually new to the forum and probably didn't think about it. I'm just irritated to be dragged into it (so general, directionless irritation) only to see that the question asker has long ago left the forum or is long past the need for an answer. I'm hoping Greg will be able to come up with a brilliant way to retire old posts so that they can be viewed, but not responded to!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

K, I tend to differentiate between the 'blog bombers' and those who actually engage in the forum, but also have a blog. Some only come here to plug their blog and leave, which is fine, but not something I warm to, so I never jump in on those.

catgirl

Veteran

I actually don't mind old posts being revived, for a couple of reasons. One, sometimes the topic is current again. Two, it can be interesting to see if my response today is what it was before. Three, if I were new here I would be reading and having questions on everything. For instance, following a veteran's posts could lead to questions about how that person's style journey evolved from older outfits and processing along the way. Even if the OP is long gone, some of the older discussions are enlightening, at least for me with my slow learning curve!

Diana

Veteran

With the spammy posts, depending on how crabby I am feeling at the time I either get all trigger happy with the "report spam" button or I just ignore.

I don't really mind links to personal blogs so long as the poster has something interesting and substantial to say here and it's not just a link to their blog with no other text or pictures.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Exactly, Diana! And even links to one's blog is better taken (to me) when clearly stated, rather than a question posed that the blogger doesn't care for you to answer, just as a means to get you to their blog. Drives me batty.

K. Period.

Veteran

@Una, interesting. I'd never thought of it from that perspective. I was thinking of the functionality of it for the original poster, and not as a way to check in on how I might have developed. A whole new perspective!

@Mo, you are much more perceptive than I am! I'd never thought of the difference between those two. Like you, I've never been irritated by someone having a blog when they engage a lot in the forum. I know lots of members have a blog, but are also regular participants in the forum. I'm even less and less irritated by those members who drop in and post to promote their blog, then go with limited (if any) participation in the forum or help to any other member. I'm more and more reconciled to them too. And why? I've been taking your approach without even thinking about it! How funny!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

K. Period, I don't think rejuvenating all threads - a year or two old that is - is problematic for the astute reasons that Una mentions.

I do not want fashion bloggers to feel unwelcome to post here when what they are posting about is 100% topical. You are welcome to skip those threads - or block out those posters - if their threads do not interest you.

Echo

Veteran

I agree that these posts have bothered me, too. I have no objection to an older thread being bumped, but when it is bumped by a spammer or someone only out to generate traffic on another site, then I find it annoying. Because the post wasn't legitimately bumped due to interest, kwim?

And I am privately annoyed by posters who ONLY post to link to their blog, but that's my own issue. If Angie is okay with it, then it is okay. I just think it takes advantage to use this forum only to generate traffic on another forum; it's cheating to me. And unfortunately the poster I have in mind sometimes gets more posts than I'd like, so apparently others don't see the pattern I do, or they aren't bothered by it.

anne

Veteran

If in doubt, I just report it and let Greg decide!

I don't mind the rejevenation of threads if they acknowledge that they are doing it. I always notice how long ago a thread was written anyway.

minimalist

Veteran

Mo for a minute there I thought you were on to my subliminal peddling of Herbamwayvon!

I got trigger happy with the report button until inadvertantly hitting it for someone who was.just trying to share a makeup tip citing a specific product. Oops. Now I'm leaving well enough alone. This week.

Old threads: I'm trying to get better about searching past threads before opening a new topic. As a reader, it's more convenient to find posts in one place, even if the beginning was from 2009 and then there's a jump to 2011. I'm so far behind the learning curve it's not funny.

elpgal

Veteran

My experience, Mo, is that these sort of folk tend to go away when the forum does not engage with them. But I am with you in finding them irritating.

Gaylene

Veteran

Well, it's Angie's site so she gets to set the ground rules and I'm fine with that. Personally, I come to this site for the discussions and the help forum members so generously provide to each other--the recent Zap/Tanya episode being a sterling example

As for the "drive-by" crowd, I just ignore those threads (and thank-you Angie for reminding me that I can easily block those forum members). The same goes for those thinly veiled pleas to "please visit my blog".

But, I have to admit that I've often wished that we had the right to close threads after a year or so. It seems very strange to see a comment left for a forum member who hasn't been around for a couple of years. I think it's fair to leave the threads available for new members to read but, if someone decides to leave the forum, there ought to be some way of closing the thread.

Laurinda

Veteran

Spammers -- I have no tolerance for, especially the latest incarnation of "Gee does anyone know where I can find a great "Doojit"?" followed quickly by the "I just found the greatest Doojit site!!!" Fashion blog promotion is ok by me as long as they follow the rules.

I find the old threads useful too. Maybe there could be a color/shading or marking of some type to let those posting know it is older than 6 or 12 months or so.

K. Period.

Veteran

I love the idea of some kind of identifier to let us know at a glance that a post is older! I've been thinking about it and it struck me that the reason I'm frustrated with the revived old posts is that I often don't notice it until I'm deep into a response. I don't have as much time as I'd like to engage with all the fab posters on the forum lately, so I feel very frustrated when I spend 15 minutes typing out a thoughtful reply only to discover the original poster has long since moved on.

ETA: @Una: IK.P LOL! I love the variety that's come out with this name.

catgirl

Veteran

IK.P, that makes complete sense. It's happened to me too!

Gigi

Veteran

I too have a hard time with the revived posts--there's a bit of an emotional wrenching when you have to suddenly change gears after realizing that the post is old. But sometimes there are good reasons to go back to them. Maybe they could be locked so that no more replies could be made, but if a forum member wants to revive the thread, she could just create a new thread and link to the old one. Then her up-to-date comment will be at the beginning of the thread, which is where it needs to be, not hidden at the end of all the old responses.

I don't mind the links to fashion blogs. In the case of people who regularly participate here, I just view it as an alternate type of thread. If they have written something informative on their own blog, there is no need for them to repost it here as a thread if they can just link to it. I think there is a difference between those types of people and spammers. As people have noted, there are those who don't continue to engage in the forum. But the problem is, sometimes you can't tell until some time is passed, because you don't always know from the first post.

Anonymous

Well, I am sure I am guilty of both gaffes (sucked in by spam & replying on old thread that was referenced in an answer to a post); being new to participating. I will try to be more cognizant in the future.

Claudia

Veteran

I generally enjoy when old posts resurface, for all the reasons AG wrote, and as a long time YLF member it nice to recall and sort of revisit some old forum members that spent time adding to the YLF community but for one reason or another, as is very common in an online forum, have moved on or are just not as active at the current time.

There is dating on the bottom of the original post that opens a thread, so I don't see why there should be too much confusion. I wouldn't want to see older threads locked, or worse yet retired. I can think of quite a few years old threads with valuable content that is still useful and instructive.

Liz

Veteran

I am always amazed at how generous and open Angie is. I admit I am put off by individuals using the space she and Greg have created, merely to drive traffic to their own blogs.

Jules

Veteran

I like old threads too! I don't see this as an "asked and answered" type forum. I think those do exist on the internet (discussions are closed, answers are voted on for their helpfulness to the original query, etc), but this is a discussion forum and most of us seem to like discussions - the initial query is but a starting point and the discussion can be picked up again at any point.

12