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Source of A Lot of Forum SPAM

by Shane N
12 replies
This is an issue that I have been thinking about for a little while and I am not exactly sure if it has been talked about here in the past or not...but something I came across just brought it back to my attention.

A lot of newbies come to this forum and promote their affiliate link as well as advertise other stuff here, because they think it's OK.

WHY do they think it's OK?

Because AFFILIATE programs and others, are TELLING them to do so!

This is taken from the 'Affiliate' Page of a TOP selling product in the 'money making' niche:

"Promote your affilate Url in your signature line in popular forums like Talkgold.com Moneymakergroup.com and Warriorforum.com. The key is to get your signature exposed as often as you can. Use signatures that are a little provocative. Nowadays you need to be inventive when doing ad Campaigns."

What?!

The above is taken from a TOP selling product on Clickbank.

Are they seriously telling their affiliates to come HERE and promote their affiliate link?

I think a lot of newbies that come here must be extremely confused when they get blasted for spamming the forum.

Of course, I do NOT condone spamming in any way and I'll ZAP anyone just as fast as Steven Wagenheim!

But my point is, these people shouldn't be allowed to just say, "go over to the warrior forum and spam the hell out of them!"

What should/could we do?

Am I a complete dork for even caring about this?
#forum #lot #source #spam
  • Profile picture of the author YiKeS
    G`day Shane,

    not a dork at all ... owner of the said CB product is though ... seriously,
    isn`t this blatantly promoting sp/\m because affiliate links aren`t allowed?
    You could contact CB and let them know which could shut him down, maybe
    we`ll see a drop in the "drive-by sp/\mmers"
    then ... lol :rolleyes:

    Christopher J.
    Signature
    AUSSIE MADE
    WSO --> HOMEPAGER <--- WSO
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    • Profile picture of the author Shane N
      Hey Christopher,

      Of course I am going to notify the owner of the site. If I don't get a response I will then notify Clickbank as well.

      But, I'd also like to see what some other members here think about this and how it should be handled..
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      • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
        New people either are not reading the rules or don't give a hoot about the rules.

        Allen did an excellent job of spelling it out about affiliate links...

        It doesn't get any clear than this: From the rules...


        "(5) No Affiliate Links Allowed - Promote Your Own Domain/s Only. It's either this or we have to cut out sig files altogether which we do not want to do.

        (6) Anyone Caught Promoting The Same Site/Offer Will Be Deleted. Program owners are telling their members to come here and make posts to promote their offer in their sig files. This has caused tons of useless messages to be posted and it is clogging up the forum. Anyone caught doing this will have to be removed. This is not an ad forum - it is a discussion forum.

        Edit: We have no problem with someone pointing to their WSO within their sig.

        Edit: Due to certain people trying to find a loophole I needed to add yet another edit. Please do not try to get around these rules by getting your own domain name and simply redirecting it to an affiliate program. You Will Be Removed From Here When Caught.

        If you want to promote an affiliate program do it on your own domain. Your own web site. Not a "pre-made" web site. Your own web site, a real one. Then put THAT web site in your sig file.

        A simple way to stay within this rule is this: Promote Your Own Real Web Site And Do Not Listen To Anyone Who Tells You To Come Here Just To Promote A Site They Created For You."

        Don
        Signature

        Studies prove happier people have massively more success. It has worked for me. Use this one trick too... Click Here

        Total Competition Stomper - Simply the most powerful tactic your IM or Offline business will ever use... See it here!
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        • Profile picture of the author Jelasco
          I've seen a lot of affiliate programs give advice like that.

          It's even tougher in non-IM forums. Some of those won't let you post any links at all, even in your sig, so I'm not sure how forum marketing would work there.
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  • Profile picture of the author sparrow
    I don't think there is much you can do directly other than the forum is self policing.

    You can look at it another way, the forum gets new members that in the long run be contributors.

    So is the glass half full or half empty.

    Ed
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    • Profile picture of the author Shane N
      I agree with what you all have said.

      However, If these people/product owners (who most likely KNOW the rules themselves), didn't tell people to come here and promote their affiliate links in their sig, we would have a lot LESS policing to do...right?

      Stopping something at the source is better than having to just ZAP hundreds of spammers all the time, IMO.
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    • Profile picture of the author Shane N
      Originally Posted by sparrow View Post

      I don't think there is much you can do directly other than the forum is self policing.

      You can look at it another way, the forum gets new members that in the long run be contributors.

      So is the glass half full or half empty.

      Ed
      The glass is half full for the product owner (in their own mind) and half empty for Admins on the forum that have to deal with the result of this crap...a bajillion little spammer chickens.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jelasco
        Shane, the real question is how many of those people got the idea from someone telling them vs. how many just did it on their own.

        Someone who doesn't read the rules may not have read the affiliate program's tips, either.
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        • Profile picture of the author Khemal
          Ah but think about the flip side. The more that come in here thinking to sell to us, the more we'll have to sell out WSOs lol

          I guess it's like a boy picking up a sword (aff link) for the first time and being told by some "warrior" ("guru") to go brandish it (in the sig) in town full of real Warriors (Warrior Forum). Sure the poor lad will come in here and try to show off his sword but in the end he'll be humbled and be on his way with a brand spanking new shield (WSO), boots (upsell), helmet (One Time Offer) and membership to the armory (monthly recuring bill) that he'll have to come back to every month to use. Hehehe Hahaha So I say "Let them come!"

          Khemal
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  • Profile picture of the author Black Hat Cat
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Shane Natan View Post

    Of course, I do NOT condone spamming in any way and I'll ZAP anyone just as fast as Steven Wagenheim!

    But my point is, these people shouldn't be allowed to just say, "go over to the warrior forum and spam the hell out of them!"
    Funny, because they aren't saying that, you are. By the way, it's not spam to post an affiliate link in a sig file just because WF doesn't allow it, it's just something that isn't allowed here. In some forums it is okay to post an affiliate link in a sig file. Never really understood all the hoopla over affiliate links in the sig anyway. A post made to promote a link is a post made to promote a link, whether that link is affiliate or non-affiliate. Much ado about nothing.

    The site is recommending a strategy. There is no way they can keep up with what is and isn't allowed in every marketing forum across the web.

    Am I a complete dork for even caring about this?
    Let's just say that anyone who has time to play sig file police has way too much time on their hands.

    seriously, isn`t this blatantly promoting sp/m because affiliate links aren`t allowed?
    No, it isn't. Just because WF doesn't allow it doesn't make it spam. A quality post doesn't become spam simply because there is an affiliate link in the sig.

    However, If these people/product owners (who most likely KNOW the rules themselves), didn't tell people to come here and promote their affiliate links in their sig, we would have a lot LESS policing to do...right?
    You can do a lot less policing now. No one forces you to be the sig police, you choose to do that on your own.

    You could contact CB and let them know which could shut him down
    Shut him down for what, telling people to post links in their sig file, lol, the very thing sig files are supposed to be used for? If that doesn't work, maybe you can report him for telling people to use ppc.

    Sheesh....
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    • Profile picture of the author Brian Tayler
      A captcha system for new user signups and new user posts... say the first 5-10 posts (plus an e-mail verification system) would solve most spam issues here.
      Signature
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      X81MBTp
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    • Profile picture of the author Shane N
      Blackhatcat,

      You totally missed the point.

      Affiliate links are NOT allowed on this forum.

      No, it isn't. Just because WF doesn't allow it doesn't make it spam. A quality post doesn't become spam simply because there is an affiliate link in the sig.
      YES, promoting your affiliate link here IS spam, what the hell are you talking about?!

      The product in question mentions the Warriorforum specifically, not 'forums in general.'

      How can you honestly and comfortably state the rules of OTHER forums and act as if they apply here? That's not logical at all.

      I don't personally think affiliate links would be that bad but it is NOT ALLOWED HERE.

      I don't want that site to be shut down by any means, LOL. I just think they should remove that one line that says "Go promote your affiliate links over at Warriorforum.com"

      The fact that it doesn't make YOU upset when you know the rules here, is pretty funny.
      Well, not really, considering your name is BLACKHATCAT of course you would be interested in posting affiliate links in your Sig file here!

      I don't spend a lot of time at all policing the forum OR sigs. It just PISSED me off when I saw that someone was telling people to break the rules here, whether they know the rules or not.

      No one forces me to police the forum, you are correct. But it's lazy, selfish pricks like you that sit back and let everyone police it for you. So you can enjoy a SPAM free forum....if you even like that idea.
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