It's really easy to tell who's just posting to get their sig seen..

39 replies
It's blatantly obvious when someone ONLY reads the title of the post, and then comments on the title alone, completely ignoring the text within.

Yes, you are getting your signature links seen, but it seems to me that looking incompetent isn't the best marketing strategy when you're trying to sell yourself.

I click people's signature links when they have provided unique and insightful contributions to the discussion, because that makes them seem intelligent.

This annoyed me at first until I realize what a disservice they're doing for themselves. (At least, what I perceive to be a disservice, I'm hoping others will chime in as well.)

My point is, a useless comment that's clearly just meant to get your sig seen is doing more harm than good, at least in my own eyes. I can't speak for other people, hence the purpose of this topic.. It's not all about clicks, right? Credibility and reputation must play a part in this business..

Agree? Disagree?
#easy #posting #sig
  • Profile picture of the author Eleanor
    Totally agree! Reputation is a big part of this business - but I guess it depends on the product you are promoting in your sig. I never post unless I have something worth saying - what's the point otherwise?

    This forum should be about helping people first - and then they'll help you by checking out your products... BUT ONLY if you're helpful first.

    A huge part of IM is helping each other out and it's so important to realise this from the beginning... pushing your offer in someones face without offering them value first is not going to get you very far.


    Eleanor
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    • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
      Originally Posted by bubbins1987 View Post

      This forum should be about helping people first -
      If you refer specifically to this "main discussion forum"... I suggest you go here:
      The Warrior Forum
      and read carefully the sub-title of this forum
      Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author Eleanor
        Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

        If you refer specifically to this "main discussion forum"... I suggest you go here:
        The Warrior Forum
        and read carefully the sub-title of this forum
        huh?.... All it says is "where we talk about making money".... doesn't that entail helping/encouraging and learning?

        Have I missed something here?


        Eleanor
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  • Profile picture of the author Cool Hand Luke
    Considering you joined within the last 11 days, I don't think you're in a position to judge who are true contributors to this board.

    While we're on the topic of useless posts, I see a lot of threads by brand new members who start topics with assertions everyone agrees with just to up their post and "thanks" count...this seems like one of those threads.
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    • Profile picture of the author Eleanor
      Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke View Post

      Considering you joined within the last 11 days, I don't think you're in a position to judge who are true contributors to this board.

      While we're on the topic of useless posts, I see a lot of threads by brand new members who start topics with assertions everyone agrees with just to up their post and "thanks" count...this seems like one of those threads.
      Just because they only joined 11 days a go doesn't mean they don't have a point!!
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      • Profile picture of the author carp104
        I am more annoyed with some of the people posting claiming they just had their first $XXX day, etc etc, and then there is a plug in the sig to buy their product. I am not saying they are not all legit but common.
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        • Profile picture of the author Aussie_Al
          Originally Posted by carp104 View Post

          I am more annoyed with some of the people posting claiming they just had their first day, etc etc, and then there is a plug in the sig to buy their product. I am not saying they are not all legit but common.
          No the best ones are the "how do I get traffic to my brand new site?" threads where the original guy asking has a signature like "Increase traffic to your site - just ask me how!'

          or something similar
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        • Profile picture of the author Riggs
          Originally Posted by carp104 View Post

          I am more annoyed with some of the people posting claiming they just had their first day, etc etc, and then there is a plug in the sig to buy their product. I am not saying they are not all legit but common.
          You say it like this community is just a place where self-proclaimed "professional" IM's attempt to sell each other highly saturated and generic marketing methods boasting far-fetched profits at illogical low prices.

          Pffft...
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    • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke View Post

      Considering you joined within the last 11 days, I don't think you're in a position to judge who are true contributors to this board.

      While we're on the topic of useless posts, I see a lot of threads by brand new members who start topics with assertions everyone agrees with just to up their post and "thanks" count...this seems like one of those threads.
      I think he made a better point than many with a lot more time here. I also think the thread is useful, as the habit of making inconsequential posts to threads is quite prevalent by a lot of people and they are doing themselves a great deal more harm than good, probably without knowing that.

      When I see people posting junk posts just to get a signature line in and making no real contribution to the thread, I just think ... what an idiot. If they have a bunch of one-liners, I report them and their meaningless posts disappear, and sometimes they do as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke View Post

      I see a lot of threads by brand new members who start topics with assertions everyone agrees with just to up their post and "thanks" count
      ...as recommended by Frank Kern.

      "So here's what you want to do to demonstrate higher value. Tell them something they already know, and that they are likely to agree with... but say it as if it's a gospel revelation."

      It is one thing to go...


      ...because as experienced marketers, hell yeah we can see it. But that doesn't make it a Bad Idea or anything. Smart marketing is smart.
      Signature
      "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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      • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post


        (bla bla something just to get people to see my sig link bla bla)
        Thanks for that post, CD. Now please don't do anything else before looking at my sig link.

        Signature

        Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Surely the solution is for everyone to start a membership site?






        Just kidding before you wowsers jump on me.
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        Internet Marketing: 20% Internet - 80% Marketing!
        You Won't See The Light Until You Open Your Eyes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    If they don't contribute (especially those one-liners, like "great post"; "thanks, this is cool" etc.) - just report them mercilessly

    Click the little red triangle on the left and report it as "sig pimping spam".
    Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author ardley216
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
      Originally Posted by ardley216 View Post

      I Agree here. Although my sig is for promoting, I do not fill the forum with spam. Hey, I've been here a week or so, and I have more thanks than people who have been here for years!
      And you haven't found even one single post that was worthy of your 'thanks'? (Thanks = Zero)

      That speaks even larger volumes if you get my drift...

      ~Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author moonzombie
    Luke,
    Anyone with common sense can detect the posts that I'm talking about here, regardless of when they joined the site.

    If you think this topic is useless, I apologize for wasting your time. I'm hoping that, if fellow Warriors agree with the sentiment, people may read it and realize there's no need for them to post spammy comments just to get their signatures seen. Surely more good can come from this than bad?
    Signature

    Find out why I get hired by other article writers to help them when they're busy. Premium content, reasonable prices. PM me if you're interested.

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  • Profile picture of the author Mary Wilhite
    Like what Istvan said, we have tools to keep sig pimps at bay.

    As for "this business is about reputations as well", definitely agree.
    Most people will buy from somebody because they perceive
    that it will help them. To get that idea, they must read something
    juicy or at least heard some recommendations.

    However, there are sellers who tries to go the easy route and
    so we have people who are sig pimps
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  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Ehinger
    I can agree with you here, but it is not always about the length of the post. Some of the questions that come across this forum have been answered over and over again and some of them only require a sentence to answer.

    I am a big believer in simplicity and many of the new people to this forum don't need a long and drawn out answer. They need something simple that answers their question.

    Benjamin Ehinger
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  • Profile picture of the author alexmobile
    It is funny there are certain people I see in EVERY thread Even in this one
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    • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Ehinger
      Originally Posted by alexmobile View Post

      It is funny there are certain people I see in EVERY thread Even in this one

      Of course you do. Some people do use this forum to market through their signature and it is even a strategy discussed in the forum. If you took 15 minutes a day and posted you could have your signature out there quite a bit as well. Some of us get a bit addicted or distracted by the forum, like me today, and post to nearly every thread we contribute to.

      Benjamin ehinger
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    • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
      Originally Posted by alexmobile View Post

      It is funny there are certain people I see in EVERY thread Even in this one
      It's a conspiracy. They aren't real people, just bots trying to get you to look at their sig files.

      Some people have a lot more time than others. I call out people that start threads by asking a philosophical question and then on to the next. I call out people with one line answers just to get their post count up or show their links. The point is that some people contribute a great deal and shouldn't be chastised for posting too often. Others not so much. Learn to see the difference and make fools out of the ones that deserve it.

      This post is sponsored by Twix candy bars and my sig file.
      Signature

      Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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  • Profile picture of the author alexmobile
    @Benjamin - I dont mind people doing that, I have my sig too. I just find it entertaining at times.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
    I admit that sometimes I do it (NOT posting to get my signature shown, posting without fully "reading" the thread) - But in my defense its not because I 'didn't read' the thread, I simply read it wrong.

    You cant tell how something is "supposed" to be said when talking in text. So things can easily be misunderstood. Especially when you throw in the language barrier.

    But when I notice that I may have misread something I always go back and fix it or try to explain.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    Re: It's really easy to tell who's just posting to get their sig seen..

    Originally Posted by moonzombie View Post

    It's blatantly obvious when someone ONLY reads the title of the post, and then comments on the title alone, completely ignoring the text within.
    I really can't agree with that. I don't even smoke and if I did how could you "See" my sig anyway? Have you hacked my webcam? Speaking of which Discussions about tobacco and hacking are medical topics and should be in the OT forum.

    George Wright
    Signature
    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    on a different matter...

    Who really cares?

    Seriously, people will make up their own minds about a poster.

    If you see a blatant abuse of the forum, report it. If not, just ignore it.

    It's a fact of life that there will always be people with a scarcity mindset who will seek to rort the system.

    I have a ton of time in the morning, so I am happy to chew the cyber-fat. No one else's business as to how often I post.

    We all play by different rules.
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    Internet Marketing: 20% Internet - 80% Marketing!
    You Won't See The Light Until You Open Your Eyes.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      To the OP:

      Your point is valid. Your assumption that you can tell when somebody is posting
      just to see their sig seen because it appears they only read the title is not.

      Some people read whole posts and even whole threads and don't grok what
      is being said. They are simply too dense to comprehend.

      That doesn't mean they didn't read and it certainly doesn't mean they're
      posting just to get their sigs seen.

      I myself, at times, have totally misinterpreted a post simply because of one
      sentence that I missed when reading the OP. With long posts, this is very
      easy to do.

      Yes, there are people here who post just to get a sig seen.

      But to believe that you can tell who these people are just by the content
      of their post 100% of time (sometimes or even many times, yes) is an
      invalid conclusion.

      What you need to do is look for a pattern of behavior. If you constantly see
      people posting one line comments that add little or no value to the thread
      then it's a good bet (still not certain) that they're posting to see their sig
      seen.

      And for the record, I, with my PDF length replies, have been accused of
      posting just to get my sig seen.

      Why?

      Well, take a look at how many posts I have since being here.

      Who in their right mind would make that many posts unless they either had
      an agenda or were stark raving mad and had nothing better to do with their
      life than BS on forums?

      Think about it. Maybe those who have accused me are correct.

      Point is, you really don't know a person's motivations behind posting on a
      forum.

      Nobody does.

      That's why you have to take everything that goes down here with a grain
      of salt. Some people who appear to be as useless as burnt toast may
      actually be very successful marketers while others who appear to be
      helpful and knowledgeable may be nothing more than opportunistic leeches.

      You really don't know what's in a person's mind.

      Think about that the next time you think it's easy to tell who's doing what
      and for what reason.

      Sig removed for obvious reasons.
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      • Profile picture of the author Melanie Crouse
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        Who in their right mind would make that many posts unless they either had
        an agenda or were stark raving mad and had nothing better to do with their
        life than BS on forums?

        Think about it. Maybe those who have accused me are correct.
        Nah we all know you're stark raving mad, Steven! Just kidding!

        Back to the OP though... I agree with the others who've said report 'em or ignore 'em. I skim through here and read quite a lot, even though I don't post much. I see a lot of one-liners and useless posts but I barely even notice them any more, as I bet many others here do either.

        I do agree with the OP that the useless post people are really wasting their time as I really doubt they get any clickthrough on their sigs if they are not contributing anything intelligent or useful.
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        • I "grew up" reading USENET. (Raise your hand if you know what that is. Now put your hand down, you look weird.)

          USENET heavily discourages meta-discussion, which is conversation about whether or not posts are appropriate or about other mechanics of discussion.

          I have to say WF not only doesn't discourage meta-discussion, it takes it to a whole new level of insanity. :p

          fLufF
          --
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  • Profile picture of the author pacelattin
    Sorry, not sure what you are talking about - didn't have time to read the post, just commenting on the topic.

    Look at my sig!
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
    @Steven that was an awesome post. I wish we had more members like you on our gaming site's forums. Instead its all kids and immature teens.. but again, it IS a gaming site.

    That is why I prefer these forums as opposed to forums over-run with teens. I like games and all, but its not what I want to do. I just take care of the online aspect of the marketing and I happen to be an admin to help out a friend. But I see it all over there.

    But anyway I completely agree with your post. & the last line was a great final touch haha
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  • Profile picture of the author Brad789
    Moon - Brad here. I agree with you. I think I see a change in the "field" in general. There are some new programs and posts cropping up on the internet about SEO in compliance with GOOGLE's rules.

    I am a strong advocate of working within the system. Every one of those "tricks" eventually gets a slap - and down the mountain they go. I don't want to be in that crowd.

    I think, based on what I am seeing that the internet is again maturing. We will shortly see more and more arguments for quality articles and the search engines will give the best a special boost.

    I just wrote a post last night suggesting that it won't be that long before the SEO will "read" on-line materials much like a human can. Standard rules and standards will quickly sort the best from the good and the worst.

    If people continue to do their posting in a lazy fashion - consider the rest of their effort. The key in my opinion is quality content - in everything.

    It is the quality that any search will be looking for and will reward with a high rating.

    Bottom line - I agree - and raise your comment to all statements and work on the internet. Reputation is also important and has to be nurtured.

    Does anyone else have an opinion on the direction of comments and posts on the internet as a whole.

    Cheers !

    Brad
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    • Profile picture of the author daroeder
      I agree. Good reliable content is going to be the ruler of the Internet. Individuals can tell when the content of the article is a series of random keywords or if the article actually does give forth some valid information. And, search engines have the same capability.

      As far as posting to forms I think everyone knows that the, behind the scene, purpose is to either promote the persons ego or to promote their business but they have to realize the the content has to be valid and meaningful. If it isn't people will wake up and ignore those posts.

      So, I believe you can tell when it's a valid informational post or just some gibberish to include the Sig. file.
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  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Ehinger
    Maybe the OP was just trying to get people to look at their sig with a very popular thread, oh wait, there is no signature for the OP....guess I will just get mine on here again....lol.

    Benjamin Ehinger
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I moderate in another forum and a big part of my role is to kill the spammers. There are lots of people who simply write meaningless posts to get their signature seen. I totally agree. However, I also believe that the more experienced members here can tell the spammers form the genuine people and will act accordingly.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author Arthur Barn
    Hey guys! Moonzombie is right! If your think you're not one of them take Moonzombie's post as an opinion. Let's face it, most of us here are promoting our sites, products or whatever. But one thing is for SURE is.. our sig is not spammers.

    @ Moonzomdie: A lot of threads here at Warrior are very useful and helpful. So i don't think they just read the title and not reading the thread of the post then put comment just to show their signature to get click/s.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rankomatic
    Yes, It is really easy to tell who's just posting to get their sig seen isnt it lol
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  • Profile picture of the author dagaul101
    Well said salient points, too many folks are abusing forums with one word comment as an excuse to have their sig, some of the forums do have strict rules to prevent these, including removing posts
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  • Profile picture of the author dee4d
    This is so important, and we seem to forget very fast. There has been posts about how to get backlinks, and definitely warrior is not a direct way to do it. If we come here @ WF without knowing how this forum will benefit us, then how will we have the patience to look for articles elsewhere, read carefully and leave good comments that will be beneficial in IM?
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    People that post for the sole purpose of having their sigs seen MAY do what the OP is talking about, but it isn't the only trick in their bag.

    To be honest, I think people reading a thread title and commenting on it says more about the people writing thread titles than anything else. There are a lot of people who will use purposefully deceptive or misleading thread titles so THEY can get THEIR sig seen.

    People will then comment on it, based on what they believe the thread is about. BUT if the author of the thread is being misleading to drum up controversy or get their sig seen, then who's really to blame? (There seems to have been a few threads on 'blame' lately, too)

    Now, here's the thing...

    IF any thread or post leads to a good discussion, then who cares if it was started for the purpose of sig exposure? Really. On the other hand, if it's something inconsequential and doesn't go anywhere, and doesn't contribute any value...then guess what happens?

    The sig doesn't get exposure and it doesn't get clicked.

    In effect, it's self-correcting, and not as big of a problem as you think.

    All the best,
    Michael
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    "Ich bin en fuego!"
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