T.O.S. Clarification - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

SLSTech · 03-16-2009, 09:09 AM

It has been a while since I read them - so I reviewed them again after a few items I have seen recently.

Quote:

Participants may not solicit users for any project or purpose external to the forum; public, private, or commercial

Advertising another forum for membership is not allowed - easily understood --- Now does this apply to providing a link to another relevant post whether it be on JLC, BT, or any of the numerous forums?

I do understand that one board is completely off limits for any type of post / link, and that any link to that board will also be wiped from PM's between members - does this apply to all forums or just the 1 in question?

A few other quick side notes:

FYI - http://www.contractortalk.com/info/tos.php doesn't work - Page not found

Quote:

Usage of this site is restricted to persons at least 13 years old

I thought this site was for contractors & for lack of a better term - supporting cast (suppliers, consultants, etc...) & the occasional trade school student? Do you think you might want to at least change the age requirement, to at least 16 if not 18 when they can actually work in the trades / go to trade school?

Thanks guys & great site

Mike(VA) · 03-16-2009, 10:10 AM

I, too, would be interested in a clarification about posting links to individual threads or posts on other sites. Many of our 'resources' here participate in other forums and many of us do also. Is copying a quote from someone on another site against the rules? Only from construction related sites? I have seen it happen, but unless I missed it, there doesn't seem to be a clear answer in the T.O.S.

KCCT · 03-16-2009, 12:14 PM

What board is off limits?

**Ed the Roofer** · 03-16-2009, 12:27 PM

Here is my "Unofficial" response, but it probably would be a good guide to follow.

If there is some relevant information from another forum that a link to the thread or post would be required, and it provides meaningful content to this site, then that would be acceptable.

If though, on the other hand, a poster were to come here and ONLY posted links to that other forum, it would seem suspiciously like trying to recruit members away from this forum and to go to the other one. That would eventually get either edited or additional actions may be considered.

Links to other forums, whose main intent was to break off from and disparage this forum or any of the members or staff would clearly not be tolerated in any shape or form.

It is hard to please 42,000 members all the time, or even the most active ones and if they do not like some rules, there are many other forums on the net, but in my opinion, none that has the broad sharing that this one does.

Many things get allowed here that most other sites would not tolerate or provide.

Look at one of the main benefits you get, besides the shared wisdom of all other contractors? These CT backlinks from the signatures to your sites URL are golden. Many forums will not allow you to have them, such as JLC.

Other members have broken off to start a competing forum with the idea that it will be a non-edited or very minorly moderated site, but quickly found out that moderation and editing and other actions are a necessity to keep the place going. A free for all may sound like fun for a short while, but after a short time, it becomes very unproductive and hurts the entire site and many non-participating members in the shenanigans.

Does that make reasonable sense?

Ed

Mike(VA) · 03-16-2009, 01:48 PM

Ok, boss.

**Nathan** · 03-16-2009, 03:53 PM

Yea, Ed pretty much nailed it. I'm not picky about people linking to relevant and useful posts on another forum. The only thing we guard against is self promotion.