Re: [cobalt-users] Cobalts for sale - OT

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DotCom Production wrote:

> Jeff Lassman wrote:
> >I mention a book as a resource to help answer a question.  I don't
> >necessarily sell the book, but it IS a way to help answer the question.

You spelled my name wrong.

> IMHO there still seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on. IE it's "OK"
> for YOU to promote the sale of a commercial retail product as long as
> you have determined that it is "a way to help" - where as if someone
> else decides that offering a RaQ for sale may also be helpful to members
> of the list it is NOT "OK".

I'm not selling or promoting the book.  I'm letting everyone who reads
the post know that the book has the answer.  Sometimes I'm even giving
the page number.  Sometimes I'm quoting the paragraph that gives the
answer (and if I do that, under U.S. Copyright Fair Use doctrine, I'm
required to name the book).  That's being helpful.  That's giving out
helpful information.

If I say "I wrote a book, and it has the answer, and you can buy it for
$49.95" that's unsolicited commercial advertising.

Note that I've been encouraged on this list several times to write a
book on DNS on the RaQ, but if I do, to advertise it here would still be
unsolicted commercial advertising.

Maybe you really can't tell the difference.  Shall I pray for you
<smile>?

> And apparently there are other "special rules" - like it's not ok to
> start a topic that promotes the sale of a retail product... So I guess
> posting "I found a great book or software application.. Check out
> blahblahblah" would be inappropriate,

Extremely inappropriate.  You're beginning to understand <smile>.

> but responding to a topic of
> "Anyone know of any great books or software" is ok?

Absolutely.  It's helping a questioner with a need for information, by
giving out the information needed.

Of course it's not okay if the person asking the question is a shill. 
In fact, in places where this can cause financial loss (gambling tables,
carnival midways) a shill and the person he's working with are guilty of
several crimes, at least in the U.S.

> I guess the bottom line is this... If I ever want to sell one of my
> RaQ's I'll probably post to this list as it would seem that there might
> be a good chance that someone on the list would be interested in
> purchasing it.

Go for it.  And if I decide to sell a RaQ I'll go to a forum where
buyers and sellers congregate.  Which one of us is being the responsible
community member, then?

Does it matter at all if the person who posts the RaQ for sale gives to
the community as well?  I've just checked; you've made a grand total of
two recent posts to this list, both on this subject, and both arguing in
favor of spam.

> So I'll apologize in advance for ruffling the feathers of
> any List Cops out there that might find such an post unacceptable.

I don't know about you, but if someone comes up to me and says I
apologize in advance, and then commits a crime against my person, he's
still going to jail.

> Ya know... The thing is that =I= think it's fine if the list users feel
> the need to voice their opinions positive OR negative about the validity
> of a post - it's a discussion forum right? What I have a problem with is
> when a person takes it upon themselves to go outside the list and notify
> someone's ISP that they are "spamming" the list. I would have to say
> that I find that act of playing "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" on behalf
> of the list to be way more offensive than ANYTHING I have ever read on
> the list.

Hmmmmm...

> What's next? We start forming lynch mobs and showing up at list members
> houses?

Note that YOU said this.  I sure didn't.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205