New Members

[HayZee518]

We'd like to remind our new and newest members that advertising for a company or your own gains is NOT permitted on Home Repair Forum. We are here to try to help people with their everyday repair problems. There are several professionals here who are more than willing to help you with your problems with NO payback whatsoever. Unlike "fixya" which puts a price on your repair and also offers online chat for a price, we don't condone this. It's all FREE to anyone. Advertising will get you BANNED or discharged.

[HayZee518]

If you are presenting a "fix" to a problem and have a link to a site which may be helpful to a poster, then inserting THAT url is permitted. However if you yourself are in a business for profit, then posting YOUR business is not permitted. Call it a technical glitch or a "catch-22" it is not permitted.

[nelsonjohn]

hi

hi dear i'am new in this forum.,

[DonnaJim23]

I'm also a newbie here and hoping to get some great advice and contribute in return.

[helenk579]

Hi !
I've just visited this forum. Happy to get acquainted with you. Thanks.

[murryc]

Hi! I'm new here. Looking forward to talking with other DIY peeps.

[Miley Tipton]

Hi,
I am new to this forum. I like to explore new things related to furnitures, floorings ete, and i think best way to learn about new trends is to get connected with new people.

Thanks and Regards

[Speedbump]

However if you yourself are in a business for profit,

I can't think of any other reason to be in business.

I often wondered what made people assemble Forums that have advertising all over them, not allowing the contributors to the Forum get a plug now and then. I wouldn't expect contributors to my Forum to keep the silence while helping make my Forum a success.

[pushkins]

not allowing the contributors to the Forum get a plug now and then. I wouldn't expect contributors to my Forum to keep the silence while helping make my Forum a success.

The problem is who do you allow and who do you not.......there have been dozens of Chinese companies advertising their wares here as well as American companies that sell only to contractors, so the average user here who is the good DIYer gains nothing from the adverts.
Once you start putting conditions on who can and who can't , that leads to how, when, where and what they are allowed to say/advertise/sell.
This is a DIY help site, a place where people trying to do something for themselves (be it for cost saving or shear thrill of it) come and ask the "how do I do it" If they want a contractor then that's what the Yellow Pages are for, or the BBB or Angies list etc...etc..
I have no idea how much it costs to run and maintain this site but I know it's not free and probably not cheap, if having the advertising banners keeps it free for all to come and ask questions then I see nothing wrong with the banners.

Just my opinion.

[NightBird]

I can see where having folks essentially but into a thread to sell could be and is already a problem.

I thank the moderators for doing a good job of handling that. But, I can also see where a privlege that would sweeten the pot for pros that post here would be helpful too. Perhaps something short and sweet like a link could be allowed in the signature line for those who have shown commitment to the site with a certain number of posts. Such as the ability to post generic links is currently handled.

Sincerely, NightBird

[Redwood]

I would say that the outright ban on signature links is a factor which could inhibit many knowledgeable in the trades from bothering to post answers here.
I'd call it a one hand washes the other relationship so to speak...

In fact I originally found this site through a member who was banned for a signature link in a thread where some really bad advice was being given out...
I came here to attempt to clear up that bad advice...

I can see a one post wonder from China or, India with a signature link being a problem as clearly they are link spammers.

But I'd say when it comes down to regular posting members that are here almost all the time, answering posts related to their trade, maybe there should be a little give back from the forum for their service.

I mean face it! This forum isn't exactly the top home repair forum on the web, and our quality answers are needed to make it grow. Duct tape, bubble gum and bailing wire repair recommendations sure aren't going to make this place grow. You don't get those answers from the pro's, so what is the problem with letting them link their business in a signature?

I have a plumbing website I own not at all related to my plumbing work that has a large number of informational articles related to plumbing that also has traffic slightly higher than this site...
So I really don't care...
But I can see where a pro with a business would like to have a signature link to their business... I think they should be entitled to one as a payback for providing the answers they give here...

[HayZee518]

what you do with your web site is your business. have problems with this site and how its run, get a hold of troy and run it past him. I'll follow along in suit. (hayzee)

[Redwood]

what you do with your web site is your business. have problems with this site and how its run, get a hold of troy and run it past him. I'll follow along in suit. (hayzee)

Sorry I'm touching a nerve there HayZee...
You evidently have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind making 5,700+ posts on a forum 1/4 the size of a forum where signature links for regular contributors are permitted and encouraged.

Frankly I could see a lot of tradesmen who would be willing to post here and offer quality advice if they were rewarded with a signature link. That could only make the forum grow. Like I stated I could care less my site is highly successful and i have no site related directly towards the plumbing work I do. But I do see it as something that would be a boost to others.

I have been on many forums for years, and have stated up a few successful ones as well. I recently started and sold one in the last year that sold at a decent profit 3 months after the start up...

There the professional members have signature links and can even showcase their company in a thread listed by state.

The Chinese, Indian, and former Iron Curtain resident link spammers usually are banned before they get a post up while they are waiting for e-mail confirmation. We compare their information to the database at Stop Forum Spam and watch for signatures not related to the trade being put in on there user control panel.

I realize this may rock your world HayZee but I'm just throwing it out there on the table as something the Admin here may wish to consider to aid in growing the site. The amount of revenue that may be lost to a click on a members signature link would be insignificant if the traffic to this forum were to double because of quality replies to the posts and the trade relevant keywords the posters would be using in their posts. Search engines do pick up on those things and they do rank sites by it.

Certainly the number of people coming here to post their problem have a very low chance of connecting with a forum pro that services their area. Something about like a needle in a haystack. On a much larger forum I frequent there have been a handful of posters that contacted me about doing plumbing work for them but they all were far enough out of the area I service that I referred them to others.

I'm just saying the signature links are very unimportant and insignificant compared to the additional posters that it may bring in and throwing it on the table for the Admin to consider.

[Troy]

I've tried to configure the forum software to not allow signature links for members with less than some number of posts, can't remember what that is right now, something like 10 or 20. So it should handle itself if it is working properly.

And in general I think after someone posts 10 or 20 times to help people, they deserve to have the link in their sig. I hope it helps them and I hope it encourages them to help others.

People create an account and immediately try to add their link in the sig and can't, and that bothers some it seems. Be patient and helpful and then add your link afterwards.

Let's all remember the focus of this forum is to help other people. It makes me sad when I see bickering and arguing, we all have so much more to offer than that.

I genuinely appreciate everyone here that offers guidance and advice. You're a great group of people and affect more lives than you know. Please continue like you have and make sure to let me know of any problems or suggestions to make this place better!

[Speedbump]

Thanks Troy,

Since my posts are at 19, I'm doing this one so I can change my signature link to my Website where there is a large FAQ page about Pumps and Tanks. It saves a lot of typing when it's one of those questions that gets asked over and over again.

I know the BB code was turned off in my profile, so after this post, it should work.

I'll let you know how it goes.

bob...