I don't know, is this the right way?

[MADN3SS]

That's crap! Who needs 'em?! Most of us are part of other online communities involving our passions. I would be grateful to be invited here. Like you said, it's not like you are trying to sell them anything. You don't have any vendors that you are making money off of by them being here or clicking links. I don't mind getting emails about products for my Vette, what I don't like, are the spam for home refinancing, Viagra and all that other crap that clutters my inbox.

[3318C5]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Well when I get some time, maybe I'll just email a few people and invite them here. Hopefully I won't get too many people thinking I am one of those spammers sending junk mail we all get all too often.

Hey, I do not see anything wrong. That's how you got me to come over. Besides I will not posting or sharing at the vette forum; but now I have TWO places to hang at!!

[Rich427]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

But thank you for registering here to only give me your opinion on this matter. Very kind of you.

Wow Rich, I am impressed with your ability to not just tell him that he can put his opinion where the sun does not shine! ...And that would be any place that is not Florida!

So, can I assume that since you are in such a nice and giving mood to the "Guest", that you will send him a sample of the actual commercial products that you do make a living from? ...Yea, that sounds like a good idea to me!

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by Rich427

Wow Rich, I am impressed with your ability to not just tell him that he can put his opinion where the sun does not shine! ...And that would be any place that is not Florida!

So, can I assume that since you are in such a nice and giving mood to the "Guest", that you will send him a sample of the actual commercial products that you do make a living from? ...Yea, that sounds like a good idea to me!

No, but thanks for the thought. I figure it was probably just one of the people from DigitalCorvettes coming over here to vent. Maybe it was one of the mods or admins over there who lives in Florida that I sent an invitation and he/she got upset over it. I think I found something like 10 members over there with Florida locations. That sure will make a big dent in their traffic patterns I am sure.

Actually I have a rather large well traveled site myself in the animal trade (mostly reptiles) and I have had to address this issue myself. Personally the only thing I don't allow is for someone to blatantly post in the discussion forums something like "Hey! Come on over to my new forum!". But I have a section set aside for them to do just that and if they want to harvest members with the particular interest in their own passion, more power to them. I even accept advertising over there from sites that would be considered as direct competitors to mine. It's all good. Competition is what makes you stay on top of things and try to improve on what you are offering. The internet is a HUGE place and certainly room for everyone. Those sites that want to have traffic as a one way street (inward, with no access outwards to other sites) will have that bite them in the butt sooner or later. Why? Because it is a very rare site that has something to offer that someone can't get anywhere else. And people will come to resent that close minded view of things. Yeah, I am banned from DigitalCorvettes. But so what? What do they offer that I can't get elsewhere? Nothing that I am aware of, so no skin off of my butt. They lost a statistic that could help make their site more attractive to their advertisers. I really lost nothing at all that I could see.

Truth be told, even if all 10 of those members over there I contacted decided to abandon that site for this one, do you really think it would make any difference? Take a look at any member list on any longterm message board system and look at the number of members who haven't been back there in YEARS. That's the way things work with this kind of stuff. Interests will change, and people will come and go. That's just the way this stuff works.

[Shadow]

Rich,

Thanks for the invitation. Iwas away for the weekend and got it as soon as I got home. It was on a PM from the DC site. Personally, I was elated to find a site that was "specific" to Florida Corvette owners

The invitation did not upset or bother me in the least and it's anything but "spam."

I thought I'd come over and look around. If I like it, I'll stay, If not, I'll leave...simple enough. A simple invitation is not going to drive me from another site; however, BS like banning a person for inviting a person to look at another hobbiest site, might.

C/F is the one I figured you'd get dinged for with thier sometimes stuffy attitude about certain things.

I like and respect the admin at DC for thier laid back, easy going attitude. Thats why I'm there. To ban you for your e-mail is not only childish, but dissapointing to me.

This kind of action will run more members off than the e-mail/pm ever would.

If someone complained, then they should have simply contacted you and asked you to cease.

So what now? We can't belong to various forums?

[Rich Z]

It's all about "turf", I guess. Some people are jealous of similar sites and try to hoard their members, I suppose. I've seen it many times. I mean, come on! The entire internet is just a couple of clicks, at most, of the mouse button away for everyone. Why try to put blinders on your members?

Anyway, welcome to the site.

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

It's all about "turf", I guess. Some people are jealous of similar sites and try to hoard their members, I suppose. I've seen it many times. I mean, come on! The entire internet is just a couple of clicks, at most, of the mouse button away for everyone. Why try to put blinders on your members?

Anyway, welcome to the site.

Unfortunately, it looks like your right. Thats just childish!

I belong to several sites and enjoy each one for different reasons.

Sorry it went down that way Rich.

[pewter99]

I know they get a little uptight sometimes about it.....just put it in your sig

[pewter99]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

To date I have not had one person complain about receiving one of my invitations to this site. To the contrary, most people have thanked me for setting this up and letting them know about it.

.

maybe not directly but someone probably complained.....I am an RC over there so I can tell you that in all probability someone got email and forwarded it up....no biggie...

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by pewter99

maybe not directly but someone probably complained.....I am an RC over there so I can tell you that in all probability someone got email and forwarded it up....no biggie...

Roberts probably right; however, if I have a problem with an e-mail, I go to the initiator of that e-mail personally, not whining like a baby to a moderator or admin

Besides, it's been my unfortunate experience that over there, writing to an admin with a problem or posting in the section set aside for it, seldom gets results. It's kinda like pizzing in a dark suit. It feels warm and comfortable and no one see's it I've had I think, 1 response from an admin there. And it took forever.

Either way, as Robert said, no biggie