"advertising" responses

[Alex777]

I have only my own paranoid (?) suspicions about this, and no actual evidence but ...

I think some Cayman dive ops are quietly encouraging their customers to post glowing reports on SB. You will see a new member post 3 or 4 times, praising the dive op in glowing terms, and then disappear from SB. It seems they joined just to praise that one dive op. To some extent, this is legitimate; I assume the poster really does hold a high opinion of the dive op. But, to me, it is only 1 step removed from the dive op touting itself.

 

[DandyDon]

I have only my own paranoid (?) suspicions about this, and no actual evidence but ...

I think some Cayman dive ops are quietly encouraging their customers to post glowing reports on SB. You will see a new member post 3 or 4 times, praising the dive op in glowing terms, and then disappear from SB. It seems they joined just to praise that one dive op. To some extent, this is legitimate; I assume the poster really does hold a high opinion of the dive op. But, to me, it is only 1 step removed from the dive op touting itself.

Haha, that's why I joined SB. I'd written a trip report and mailed to friends, sent a copy to the Op, and was asked if I'd post it here. I didn't know anything about computers - had been avoiding them, but I joined and retyped it. I'm sure it looked like that for my first post, too...

If someone asks me to post favorably about them here, I still do what I want to do.

 

[RJP]

Now, if SB were to adopt preferred providers, then I'd be board shopping...!! :11:

That's not the case currently?

 

[RJP]

Maybe it's just me, but I think that recommendations should come from anyone BUT the dive operator...

I dunno, I would think that if a business doesn't believe in itself to "recommend" itself when appropriate that would actually be a bit odd, no?

 

[fireflock]

I've noticed the problem the original poster is talking about. Is gets particularly obvious when 3 or 4 old threads all get dragged up from the archives with a message saying 'come check us out at www.divexxxxxxx.com, we have great diving' tagged onto the end.

Another obvious trend comes from tour operators who repeatedly post ads in the main regional section instead of in the trips and marketplace area for that region. It will eventually get moved by a mod, but I think sometimes they are repeat offenders on purpose since they know the post will get more views in the wrong area.

I can PM specific examples if anyone official is wondering what I'm talking about.

Rich

 

[HowardE]

The REPORT POST button works much better than PM's for reporting posts. All of the staff sees them when you do that. That way EVERYONE knows to look out for future offenses.

 

[knotical]

The REPORT POST button works much better than PM's for reporting posts.

Agreed. I’ve used the report button a few times and the mods’ reactions have been both speedy and appropriate. I think that’s why we see so few problems – because the blatant ones get quickly removed. Thank you, mods.

 

[D_B]

I think that operations, like Christi's, Tobin's, Larry's, Phill's, and I'm sure I'm leaving off bunches of others, are an asset to to this board, and to all of us. All are Class Acts .. they believe in what they do and go out of their way to help us .. you can tell this by their helpful and informative posts .. as has been said, SB Members can pretty much weed out the others ops that are not

 

[DandyDon]

That's not the case currently?

I haven't noticed that? Can you cite examples?

I dunno, I would think that if a business doesn't believe in itself to "recommend" itself when appropriate that would actually be a bit odd, no?

Some can be hesitant to do so, but I see no problem when they say they can deliver what's requested. Now if a member simply posts that they're headed to a location and an Op says "check us out" without responding to a specific need, like 100 cf tanks, then it can appear to be a bit much - and some members will call the on it. That's rare, tho - isn't it?

I've noticed the problem the original poster is talking about. Is gets particularly obvious when 3 or 4 old threads all get dragged up from the archives with a message saying 'come check us out at www.divexxxxxxx.com, we have great diving' tagged onto the end.

Another obvious trend comes from tour operators who repeatedly post ads in the main regional section instead of in the trips and marketplace area for that region. It will eventually get moved by a mod, but I think sometimes they are repeat offenders on purpose since they know the post will get more views in the wrong area.

I can PM specific examples if anyone official is wondering what I'm talking about.

Rich

Did you Report those?

 

[fireflock]

Did you Report those?

I do report ads in the wrong section. That's how I know that the same people do it over and over again. The tour operator should know better by now.

What's to report when someone provides a weird quasi ad-like response to an old thread. It's tacky, and not helpful, but I don't think it violates anything since usually someone did ask about that area, even if it was many months (or years) ago.

Rich