Suggestion

[brownsfan019 17]

James - I would suggest that any time a new vendor is posting on TL - whether by request of you or not - you introduce them to the forum. In this thread - http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/f37/afraid-of-failure-1993.html - I can see where the concern would come from when there's a new thread by a vendor, in this case Joe Ross. The immediate concern by many traders is what is the motive of this person posting here. It's a fine line obviously, but as TL grows, many more vendors will want in on the action. Not too mention, from your biz perspective, you should be monitoring all activities by such vendors on your forum. This site is not free to run, so if someone wants to 'advertise' here (directly or not) you should be compensated.

 

I would suggest some sort of intro from you regarding the vendor to the forum to help avoid threads becoming a discussion of what motive(s) this vendor may have, even if those motives are commercial. Let's just put the cards on the table and not create a smoke and mirrors environment.

[TinGull 10]

I completely agree, however the post in question was never made to be a commercial type post from my perspective. I'd never heard of Joe Ross, so I figured it was just another trader giving some information that many of us have heard many times over.

 

If someone was to begin posting their website or other services, then by all means, the motive is known and if he's (or she) is not paying for advertising on the site then either get them to pay or have them be gone. I have since closed that thread, btw.

[brownsfan019 17]

tin - we won't always know every vendor on the site, but I think the concern was what the real motive behind posting. If Joe and/or James provided a brief disclaimer that while Joe is a vendor he is here to contribute, or he is here to market, that makes things easier. Of course it's easy for a vendor to say they are just here to participate when in reality they are here to market. I would guess that most reservations us 'regular' guys have with vendors on a board is that all of us have seen few (if any) that actually just want to be a 'regular' guy on a board. Of course, if that's what they wanted, they could just make an anonymous screen name....

[TinGull 10]

Brown, I completely agree and understand your point. What I personally didn't know is that this guy had a "motive" behind his posting. For someone to read that post, not knowing this guy from your average "joe", there would be no inference of anything commercial in it. I guess that's where Im coming from with regards to it. If there was any hint of anything commercial in that post, then for sure....do away with it if he's not gonna pay for the advertising. I just think it could have easily been you or torero or jperl or anyone whos name couldve been atop that post and we wouldn't be having this discussion.

 

Hope that helps to clarify my points.

[Guest cooter]

Question is...

 

Do you know whether it is really that vendor or not?

 

Could be someone using his or her name to hawk the vendor's services via a referral link to their webpage, BTW.

 

I say this only because the writing style seems hauntingly similar to another vendor on the site.

 

Just my two ticks' worth...

[ant 10]

Joe Ross signed up as a "Registered Trader" and provided an appropriate biography in his profile stating that he is an educator, etc. Isn't that an appropriate introduction? I believe he did the right thing by providing the disclaimer. He should be held to the same rules as everyone else. If he starts pushing his products and services without having the appropriate vendor status on TL, then the moderators should handle his posts accordingly.

 

My suggestion is to ask people if they are a vendor during the registration process, and if so, require them to include an appropriate biography/disclaimer like Joe Ross did. "Registered Traders" who are also vendors can then have their handle set a different color, or something like that, to make others aware of them. If a vendor lies during registration and (s)he is busted, then (s)he should be called out and put to shame.

[Guest cooter]

Joe Ross signed up as a "Registered Trader" and provided an appropriate biography in his profile stating that he is an educator, etc. Isn't that an appropriate introduction? I believe he did the right thing by providing the disclaimer. He should be held to the same rules as everyone else. If he starts pushing his products and services without having the appropriate vendor status on TL, then the moderators should handle his posts accordingly.

 

My suggestion is to ask people if they are a vendor during the registration process, and if so, require them to include an appropriate biography/disclaimer like Joe Ross did. "Registered Traders" who are also vendors can then have their handle set a different color, or something like that, to make others aware of them. If a vendor lies during registration and (s)he is busted, then (s)he should be called out and put to shame.

 

 

I or anyone else could sign up as "Joe Schmoe", famous trader, with all the relevant info given. And I could use an affiliate link to a vendor website as my homepage.

 

Vendors should be vetted by the appropriate moderator or site admin prior to posting to ensure that it is they who are speaking in their own voice, and not just some affiliate impostor posing on their behalf.

[walterw 10]

I or anyone else could sign up as "Joe Schmoe", famous trader, with all the relevant info given. And I could use an affiliate link to a vendor website as my homepage.

 

Vendors should be vetted by the appropriate moderator or site admin prior to posting to ensure that it is they who are speaking in their own voice, and not just some affiliate impostor posing on their behalf.

 

 

Thats true cooter... it wil be very conveniant to validate his identity... anyway he deserves respect from our part.

[brownsfan019 17]

Good points guys. No easy solution I suppose.

 

You don't want to turn away a potential contributing member to the board and we also don't want to turn this into a trading sales forum either.

[torero 10]

I guess this is a repetition from another thread but you have to give people the benefit of the doubt. He may sell something but until he commits that act, we shouldn't judge him. Indeed, if impersonate as someone else by another nickname, posting the same content, no one would say anything. We all judge too hastily. Wait for him to commit the act, then book him.

[Soultrader 12]

Well I personally have paid over $150 for Joe Ross' books. However, I am more than pleased to have him on board with us. This place is about knowledge, improvement, and education. Any content and information that fall into this category is valued from my perspective.

 

Regarding vendors and educators, the tip on having to include this in the registration process is an excellent idea. Also please feel free to post any thoughts or recommendations regarding this topic. I will absorb these ideas and try to create an atmosphere accordingly.

[brownsfan019 17]

James - along the lines of identifying vendors in the registration, it would be helpful if then there was some sort of unique identifier in their screenname that would tell everyone real quick this is a vendor. That could eliminate threads turning into a debate. If everyone easily knows (w/o having to click their profile and read thru it), that could help minimize concerns. It doesn't need to be gaudy, just a small icon or something that would symbolize this person is some sort of trading vendor.

[Soultrader 12]

James - along the lines of identifying vendors in the registration, it would be helpful if then there was some sort of unique identifier in their screenname that would tell everyone real quick this is a vendor. That could eliminate threads turning into a debate. If everyone easily knows (w/o having to click their profile and read thru it), that could help minimize concerns. It doesn't need to be gaudy, just a small icon or something that would symbolize this person is some sort of trading vendor.

 

Great idea. Perhaps when a member points out that he/she is a vendor or educator they can be placed in a seperate usergroup for clarification purposes. Hence under their username a different label will appear. I will add this on my to-do-list.