hardadz

My Feedback: (17)

As a vendor/dealer/distributor I personally would not come into the discussion to tout what I sell. There are plenty of furums, here and elsewhere, magazines and friends that can help one make a sound decision. The forum is for the "discussion" of products and should be as unbiased as possible, and that cannot happen with most vendors.

ChuckAuger

My Feedback: (12)

There are already Engine Mfg. Subforums, as well as kit vendor Subforums, and lots of others. These are for technical support and not for outright selling.


Flyfalcons wrote:

I don't think providing information about a product is the same as somebody trying to sell it to me.

Flyfalcons

Yes, but they're still getting deleted!

Justintoxicated

How about a "questions for venders" forum section.

best of both worlds then, let them post there and answer questions at will and keep the rest of the forums as is?

rctom

This is a real problem for the legitimate vendor.

I know that there are a lot of people out there acting as shills, promoting a vendor's product and pretending to be just another guy.

By excluding vendros' posts, you are limiting the presentation of new information to those who are willing to stoop to that kind of behavior.

I don't want to see the forums flooded either. But I'm a vendor and I have found that the best way to make announcements is to use a discussion forum. Frankly, nobody reads the forum that's dedicated to vendor announcements.

I would like to suggest that new threads started by vendors be allowed,
but limited to maybe 1 or 2 a month. This way if something important happens (like announcing a new product or a technical problem/solution) we can actually get the news out legitimately, without flooding the forums with propaganda. By limiting the number of posts, vendors will only use it for something that is truly significant.

I'd also like to see the shills stopped, that's just wrong to tout a product that way.

Tom Fawcett
Wild Hare R/C

Crash90

My Feedback: (17)

Personally I like it the way it is. I am tired of advertisements. I open my email and it's flooded with them. Then i go to a web page and 30 pop ups come jumping out at me. Thats the last thing I want to see in here. I like talking to people who can answer my questions thru their own experience. Most of the vendors and tech support I have dealt with don't know what their talking about anyway. Half of the time they havent even flown the plane so I really don't care what they have to say. If I ask "whats the best this or that" I want to hear only from the people who have been there done that. Thanks for listening.

I also understand that this forum doesn't run for free. Maybe we can give the vendors their own little forum. (For a small charge)

Rich-RCU

I voted no.

I read through the 30 posts and there are a some good ideas which might be considered and incorporated. But the rule as it stands now is fine with me.

Rich

Darryl Usher

I am a little vendor. Some one asked for a product, I had some and said so, my responce was pulled. So I no longer answer.
Darryl Usher

bigbri

My Feedback: (287)

Please don't..........Leave it the way it is.......please
B-

wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

Thank you Ryan.

Well said.

mvigod

Keep the comments coming...to adress the shill thing...there have been cases where we have exposed shills as we are aware this is going on. Through various tracking of posts, cookies and ip's we can hunt these down in due time. In addition once a shill is found out they will lose access and so will the vendor they are shilling for. The stakes are high so if a vendor really wants to promote or send shills to do the dirty work they are forewarned that a permanent sitewide ban from RCU will happen without warning once sufficient proof is gathered. It's been done already as I don't appreciate unethical practices which are merely efforts to circumvent the rules here.

The temptation is there for vendors always to promote here at RCU. Moderators constantly clean up these posts. Some vendors do try to sneak them in over and over figuring that they will at least be up for awhile before taken down. Repeat offenders who do this and have been warned will also lose access and if a current advertiser their ad campaigns terminated and a prorated refund given. If the members want a spam/ad free forum here, which I always thought personally (just my opinion) was the best way to go as it is the lesser of the evils, the we will continue to provide that. So far the early vote is well in favor of keeping the rule as is but we'll keep an eye on it of course and continue to listen to the feedback here.

Ultimately I'll give the users what they want since they are the ones using RCU.

foobar

I voted "no", but instead of a total ban, why not a new Top Level Topic area that's vendor-friendly? If a vendor needs to tout his wares, he can point someone to his thread in that area, but not add anything more than a link to it in the original "non-profit" thread. Lets them peddle to their heart's content, but everyone is free not to follow the link if they feel they're getting "spammed".

i.e. A vendor would be allowed to post:

"I'm a vendor, please see my vendor-area post: whatever in regard to your question."

...but not...

"I'm a vendor of the bestest thingamabob this side of Venus, our product beats up the competition and makes them cry, we're so great, and if you order now, i'll throw in a free yadda yadda for only $50 shipping, etc...)" -- *that* kind of post goes in the vendor's own area. (Where of course regular users can post replies as well and have sales or service oriented conversations with them.)

I think that would be perfectly fair, no?

(oops, didn't read the whole thread...i see someone else suggested this too)

TailDraggin

My Feedback: (5)

Glad you're on top of it Marc.
I can understand why vendors want to post in discussions. It repesents a very effective (and inexpensive - read free) way to promote your product.
But as a potential buyer, I have all kinds of other sources for advertising and promotion. I read sites linked from some of the banner ads here. I read the tech sections at Tower on individual products. I browse catalogs and read magazines. I look and ask questions at the LHS. What I'm after in a discussion forum is reading about what other users of that type product have experienced with it, not more advertising.
The honest opinions of people not motivated by sales are a very valuable asset that would be forfiet by changing this rule.

darenm

My Feedback: (2)

I have to say No Way!!!

If someone would like a sample of what a vendor will do to the general Forums take alook at Egroups & Radio Control Zones Forums. What a MESS! They allow GWS to post the same subject about 3 times a day. GWS doesn't offer no help, they just SPAM SPAM SPAM. It makes the forums real ugly. I know that GWS places adds in Model Airplane News Mag which also owns Radio Control Zone and we came up with the conclusion that they were afraid to stop GWS from their posting so GWS won't get mad and pull their Adds from the Magazine. It's pretty said but true!

Cdallas2

Marc,

Keep it the way it is. SPAM SUCKS!!

I think if someone asks about the vendors specific product they should be allowed to respond. If it's a question of ____ vs. ____ they should leave it alone. Look at Mark Novak in the Pattern section, he will post replies only about their own products but never says anything about anyone elses.

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Well, as a mod who spends an inordinate amount of my time dealing with commercial posts, I have to say that if more commercial posts were to be allowed my life would become a lot easier - I would no longer have to cringe every time I nuke a commercial post, wondering what kind of abuse I'm gonna get this time. So, I'd be perfectly happy if everyone wanted the free ads to be allowed everywhere, without limit.

Clearly that isn't going to happen though, as most people so far have indicated that they want the ads kept out of the forums.

Perhaps there is still some room for a "middle ground" approach though ? i.e find a way of opening the current rules up a bit without opening the floodgates.

Given how many complaints I get about commercials being nuked, it's amazing how few of those people have posted pro-ad comments here. C'mon guys - now's not the time to suddenly become shy ! This is your chance to convince people about your cause. Put your thinking hats on and suggest something better !! With the number of users that RCU has, someone has got to have some good ideas on how we can be a bit more vendor-friendly without allowing the forums to become ad-central.

Gordon

Nuker

When people buy MAN or RCM or whatever magazine, we look at the pics, new products etc etc. Certainly very few believe the product hype but most can glean what they need to know about the product so we pick up the mags to see what is out there.

I believe a vendor specific "new stuff " area is not a bad idea; segregated with basic topics (planes, electronics, helis, radios, etc etc). Ideally get a separate sponsorship deal going (affordable to the smaller companies, not the same model as a banner, but still make some $$ for RCU) and let them post but within a locked thread. Kinda like a limited online catalogue. Limit the posting to 10/vendor at a time (arbritary number) so most can be visible; They can edit their own 10 posts with different product information whenever they way. One of the rules/agreements is one product / topic or else it is removed as not meeting the sponsorship agreement . Search can be used to look for product specific information, browsing is available for those who just want to browse.

I certainly disagree that no one will visit it but if no one is looking then the forum can be removed without the vendor being charged (at least for the pilot period). Our incentive for reading the product info is that we can help RCU gets some $$ and we get some info.

The reason for locking is so we could read "Wizbang 7 flies at 374mph, is covered with wangercote and needs a Saito 3.768 to takeoff" without having to dig through member comments. We already have forums for that so should remain separate.

Just some thoughts.

Bob aka Nuker

mvigod

Gordon,

I belive the ones who were the most vocal to you about the removal of ads were the commercial vendors They have the vested interest in promoting in the user discussion forums so when removed I'd expect them to be the most vocal overall.

RCU does have a way for vendors to reach out. We have a wide variety of advertising options which range from small budgets up to large ones. If a vendor has news or wants to promote his wares (which they do for a profit mind you) I don't understand why a select few refuse to advertise and use the system properly?

As anybody can see by our growing advertiser list many vendors are "getting it" but it still amazes me that some vendors who have ad campaigns they are paying for will post an ad or news item in the forums rather than creating a new ad. We always allow vendors to replace ads and encourage them to do it frequently to keep things fresh and interesting around here. Just amazing...

percy-RCU

Dudes, if you allow them to advertise in the "discussion" forum then who will pay for your banner advertisements !!

paul_c

My Feedback: (6)

How about a separate "Vendors Forum" where we can ask brand-specific questions, and they can duke it out. It will be like the OS forum, etc, except it can be for all RC manufactureres. Could be fun (could also be a bad idea). What do you guys think?

mvigod

My view just so it is known (remember I'm only 1 user here) is that vendor posts, retailer posts, posts by those sponsored by a company which promote or advertise in the user discussion forum are not good. Aside from the fact pointed above that the need for banner ads would diminish I think most users want unbiased views of products that we have available to us. How can a vendor possibly be unbiased about a product that if he sells more it puts coin in his pocket? It just is not possible IMHO.

A vendor can comment on products which are not related to theirs or their direct competitors. In other words if a propeller company wanted to comment on battery chargers it would be fine but they shouldn't be making statements for or against their competitors (other prop mfg companies).

We have a Product & Announcement forum here at RCU where vendors can post offers, news and announce new products. Some use it and some don't. Those who don't are foolish as one only need to go into it and look at the views on some of those threads. For those who think "nobody" looks at it that isn't exactly true based on the views for many of those posts.

I am working on some innovative ideas which will solve some of the problems the really small guys have who cannot afford even a small banner campaign here. I do want their products to be found along with those of the medium and bigger tier players but I feel it must be done in some organized and practical way.

BTW...I flew my Modeltech Magic today...maiden flight and 3 more flights. It flat spins awesome! Lots of fun with it in the wind this afternoon. Sorry...I had to put that out there. Not to worry I'm not a rep, distributor, sponsor or anything for Modeltech I just liked the plane!

torch1221

My Feedback: (3)

i agree with Chuckr53. ............. but if there were not allowed to pitch there product and were made to identify themselves as venders or reps for some company that would be ok. i still voted no.

Spaceclam

i think that there should be a forum for advertisements. that way, if you are looking for, ohh let's say retracts, you get to look at all the companies that have advertised that make retracts. that would be essencially a recource room, and would probably bring them sales as well. it is win win that way, and like chuck said, they wouldn't be able to try to "buck you off with their flavor of the day" when you say that your plane has nasty habbits, or has a defect.

sideshow

My Feedback: (11)

That is correct...so where are they now? Why haven't they posted their opinions here?

I voted to keep it as is.......

Bob

Hacker

You have a really,really good thing in RCU the way it is now....please keep it that way,
thanks