Ad limits?

[~JJ]

I don't know how others might feel about this, so, running it up the flag pole to see if anybody salutes! Not "naming any names", but wondering if others get aggravated by a select few who fill practically the whole front page of For Sale with their ads.

With the Pinned top message, there's space for 20 ads. I'd been shopping the morning traffic & had to leave for breakfast, & when I get back all the ads have been 'shoved down' off the 1st page - and of the 20 available slots, his ads fill 16 of them!

And not the 1st time, by far! It apears some take advantage of their membership to sell as if it's their own storefront. I think thats unfair, both to other sellers & buyers as well. There's a simple solution, taking from an old forum (now gone international, so something's working! LOL), tho I don't know if it's possible to get Owner/Admin to enact it, or if possibly we could 'self-police', but my proposal would be to place a limit of #(4, 5, 6, &c) ads posted at any given time that would show on the first page. (To also limit frequency of Bumps to bring ad back to top; if the action would place (eg) 6+ of your ads on the first page, verboten!)

I'll stop there - I think you get the picture.
Thoughts?

[Ron Z]

I take it that your morning was no longer so sunny and you found all the listings to be a little unreal?

[TSherbs]

FWIW, I am indifferent on this issue.

[dneal]

FWIW, I am indifferent on this issue.

Whew. We can all rest easy now.

[mizgeorge]

I don't really mind when it's people who genuinely take part in the forum, but I do find the weekly list/bump cycle from those who are here purely for commercial purposes a little wearing. They could at least have the grace to just do a few at a time.

[~JJ]

FWIW, I am indifferent on this issue.

Actually, I think that counts, too. Thanks for your input!

[Farmboy]

I think someone should invent a place that isn’t part of a forum board to sell pens.

With all the internet smarts out there it must be doable to create a dedicated site for people sell things outright or through an auction.

[Chrissy]

While there is nothing you can do about who posts how many ads on the front page of the For Sale forum you can prevent yourself from seeing them by blocking that user.

That's about as good as you're going to get without any moderation or administration. You won't be able to self police a limit but you might be able to appeal to that user's better judgement by having posted your thread.

If he starts to think that by posting so many ads at a time might get him blocked by some users, that will mean fewer customers, maybe he might change to just posting a few every couple of days or so.

[~JJ]

"...you can prevent yourself from seeing them by blocking that user.

Didn't think of that, but sounds like a good way to handle it, Chrissy.

If he starts to think that by posting so many ads at a time might get him blocked by some users, that will mean fewer customers, maybe he might change to just posting a few every couple of days or so.

Good thinking. Enough so that I'll (for my preferences, anyway) hold off a bit & watch what happens, before resorting to blocking. Truth be told, the thought behind that one was kinda what I had in mind to hope for, ie they could 'take the hint" without ruffling of feathers.

[LizEF]

... but wondering if others get aggravated by a select few who fill practically the whole front page of For Sale with their ads.

From day one of my time on this site, since I couldn't make a custom-filtered "unread content" page, my routine has been:

1. Load the home page (which remembers that I have everything except the 'Classifieds" section collapsed).

2. Load each sub-forum of the classifieds that has new posts and mark the sub-forum read.

3. Load the "What's New?" page.

It never occurred to me to block users, though if there are users posting ads who never participate, that would certainly be appealing for those users. But I assume some of the regular participants occasionally post ads, and my sequence above takes care of those ads too, while leaving their other posts visible....

I would really, really like the ability to filter the "What's New?" page.

[~JJ]

Then on the other hand....
Pondering the issue(s), another thought. If this subject matter isn't posted IN the For Sale section, what're the odds the culprits would ever see it, way over here? Wouldn't it be more effective (or have a better chance of being so) if a new protocol were posted in Classifieds?

[Jon Szanto]

Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that while the owner of this site/domain pays for the hosting and registration, he has long ago - I mean LONG AGO - stopped any day to day administration or making of changes to the site. One can contact him repeatedly and never receive a response. What we have is what we have, and there is no indication, based on years of this exact behavior, that it will ever change.

Find the coping strategy that works for you. That is all that will ever happen.

[FredRydr]

...Find the coping strategy that works for you....

That's FPG in a nutshell.

[christof]

I have to admit that I love looking at ads. The pictures, the descriptions.... sometimes the ads are like mini-reviews.

...On the other hand, it's boring to read the same mini-reviews every week. I'm not old enough yet to not notice that …

[Ron Z]

I have no objection to ads. I've bought very nice pens here because of the ads. But it is a bit excessive when you have a dozen individual ads for pens that you want to sell. It is possible to combine them into one post.

[Chrissy]

I have no objection to ads. I've bought very nice pens here because of the ads. But it is a bit excessive when you have a dozen individual ads for pens that you want to sell. It is possible to combine them into one post.

The short answer is yes and some sellers do exactly that. I believe there is a limit to the number of images you may add to one post but I'm not sure what it is.

[~JJ]

Not to change direction, but more to facilitate addressal of perceived issues::
Lets say a concerted effort has reached the board Owner and he(?) agrees to pass ownership to someone, who among us could & would take the reins?

[LizEF]

Not to change direction, but more to facilitate addressal of perceived issues::
Lets say a concerted effort has reached the board Owner and he(?) agrees to pass ownership to someone, who among us could & would take the reins?

It would be not likely be cheap for the person who decides to take it on. Domain name registry (and initial transfer), maintaining an SSL cert, hosting, software licensing...

How hard it would be to migrate is another question - really depends on where / how the site is hosted...

Once upon a time I might have done it, but I can't afford it anymore.

[Carpio]

Hello,

I think someone should invent a place that isn’t part of a forum board to sell pens.

With all the internet smarts out there it must be doable to create a dedicated site for people sell things outright or through an auction.

I am lead to believe that there is a website set up to do exactly as you ask. I believe said site is called, 'ebay'.

Carpio

[Carpio]

Hello,

Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that while the owner of this site/domain pays for the hosting and registration, he has long ago - I mean LONG AGO - stopped any day to day administration or making of changes to the site. One can contact him repeatedly and never receive a response. What we have is what we have, and there is no indication, based on years of this exact behavior, that it will ever change.

Find the coping strategy that works for you. That is all that will ever happen.

Has anybody spoken to the owner either by email, telephone or IRL?
What I mean to say - he/she could be dead and unless the monthly/annual subscription has been cancelled - the host and vBulletin will continue to take subscriptions.

Carpio