I've noticed that whenever someone disagrees with a provider's post on these boards, and that provider just happens to include a link to her reviews, she is inevitably accused of "shameless self-promotion". This always seems like a very low blow to me, since many providers regularly add links to their posts and no one ever complains about them. In the case of Mara's thread below, it's obvious that she was simply telling a joke, not trying to promote herself. Yet when her joke was misunderstood, she was immediately accused of trying to promote her website.
I personally think such links serve a useful purpose. After all, the primary reason for TERs existence is to allow hobbyists and providers to get to know each other, and links are one way of accomplishing this. If I'm reading the board and want to know who a provider is, a link saves me the trouble of going to the review page and doing a search. I initially found out about Mara by clicking on the link in one of her posts. As far as self-promotion is concerned, links are a very unobtrusive form of advertising. If you don't like the link you can easily ignore it. It's not as though a window pops up with the provider's photo on it. I especially can't see any problem with a provider giving a link to their TER reviews, as Mara does. These reviews are the observations and opinions of her clients. Since she has no direct control over this information how can it be considered self-promotion?
I'd be interested in hearing other peoples opinions about this.
I agree, a cyclical thing, at least it appears to me.... people get sensitive about "self promotion" and then not sensitive. I am a chameleon and try to go according to the flow. (Although many times in the last year when I posted I didnt include my link because the board seemed fairly hostile in regards to that.)
Still, I'm not a self promoter by nature. Recently, as the boards here changed, GND encouraged the ladies to post a link. Why? My opinion... I feel TER has grown tremendously, and as well, we have partially absorbed some of the TBD boards, and people seem to need to get reacquainted. All seems to make sense.
Now we had a poster here before, Heather Barron, and although she didn't post her link, she was accused of self promotion.
I posted a nearly identical reply in the midddle of the earlier thread about Mara's joke, but posted it late enough it wasn't really seen.
This switch you speak of in your first paragraph is a very common technique, usually called vilification in a philosophy, journalism, or political science class. It is used every day in the press, in politics, on discussion boards, etc., but it is a flawed argument structure that serves no purpose in legitimate discourse. The argument structure is:
-I want to criticize someone about issue "A", demoting their credibility, and by proxy promoting my credibility within the group.
-They're either not really guilty of "A" (as in Mara's case) or being guilty of "A" is so trivial that my accusation will carry no weight, and reflect poorly on me.
-So I'll attach my emotionally divisive issue "B" on to the back of my argument, not unlike the way unrelated riders are ammended onto a bill in congress
-This gives me the moral high ground. No matter how illegitimate my accusation "A" is, I'm using emotionally charged issue "B" as a barrier to cross-examination. If you criticize me on the weakness of accusation "A", you will become perceived as being heartless and insensitive to all those who have emotional ties to issue "B".
This method of using a legitimate problem, usually heartwrenching human suffering, as a way to promote another unrelated agenda serves no purpose if the original agenda stands on its own merits. When you see it used, you are assured that there are other intentions that are not being revealed.
It is a comment on the human condition that as a society, we allow legitimate issues of human suffering to be hijacked by those with less than honorable intentions, yet rarely do we stand up and say it won't be tolerated.
It's a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation. The ladies, IMHO, are overly scrutinized. There are ladies that post everyday, but is viewed as compromising the board for the sheer fact that she is posting everyday with a link. Her motivation is advertising and not having anything of value to contribute to the board, thus violating the integrity of the board.
I include my link in advertising posts only. When in general discussion, I do not post a link, but have been requested to do so many times. When I do, the accussations tend to fly about my motivations. It's enough to put one in a straight jacket. (and gents complain about women PMSing-LOL!)
You can't please everyone. IMHO, I think a link does help make the board a little more personable, for at least one has a sense of who they are talking to, but hey, you know what they say about opinions, but for this posts sake....I am linking away!
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