B-town a sell out? Some people just don't get it.

[MagickalMemories]

Interesting.

As you all know, we on Bartertown offer paid advertising. This is to keep the (not free to run) site free for you, the average user.
Our advertisers mean a lot to us. We sing their praises whenever we can (if it's appropriate), and we do our best to protect their interests. I mean, after all, it's their cash and/or investments that pay the high salaries we staff members have come to expect... err... I mean... make the site free... Yeah...

So, today, I saw an ad in one of the forums from a "new" user. He had zero feedback, and this was his "first" post.
The user is BuFFoTheArtClown (memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=41120).
After removing his ad, i sent him a rather textbook PM. This PM is pretty general and typical of what we send out when we encounter a situation like this:

Good afternoon.

The original text of your ad is below, for your convenience. [Eric Note: Ad text removed for the purposes of this thread]
Welcome to Bartertown. I hope you enjoy it here.
I wanted to take a moment and ask you to read up & familiarize yourself with the rules of the site:
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=45470

Specifically, please note Rule # 15, regarding advertising.

By Bartertown definitions, you qualify as a business. As such, you would need to be a paying advertising to list your items here.
Here is a link to the details on advertising here:
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=74080

If you have any questions regarding advertising, or anything else for that matter, please feel free to shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to do what I can to take care of you.

Thanks for your time.

Eric

Rude?
Inappropriate?
Doesn't strike me as such.

Apparently, Mr. Buffo disagrees:

Wow, you guys sure sold out. You weren't like this years ago. I guess money changes places like this. Now I have to find a new 'bartertown' because this 'old' bartertown is the new eBay.

Best of luck with the bills!

Grrr! Rage Against The Admin!
Followed one minute (literally) later by this:

If you can delete my account from this place, that would be great. Thanks.

Wow. Don't I feel "served!"

So, I'm interested in your input, users. What do you think?
Are we a sellout, since we want to change people to advertise here? Is it a good idea to advertise, as it kees the site free for you to use? Is Buffo just a whiny little girl?

Bartertown definitely has zero plans of going to a "pay to use" format. We're dedicated to keeping the site free for anyone who wants to use it (certain "banned" individuals excepted). Will we ever offer a paid membership? Who can say? I can tell you that there's no plan for it at the moment.

For those interested, I do plan on honoring his wish, after a fashion. I won't be deleting the account (we don't do that), but I will be banning it 3 ways to Sunday.

Eric

[Forsaken Poptart]

I'm mostly just curious as to what qualified him as a business.

Do I mind the ads? Not one bit. I don't think I've ever used any of the services/products offered by the advertisers, but that's just me- I think that they probably get a fair bit of business from advertising here, and it seems only fair that they pay for the opportunity to do so. Plus, that keeps the site free for regular nerds like myself.

I'd be curious to see what the 'paid membership' would entail, and I think it'd be a good option to offer, but I prefer the average person continue to be able to sign up for a free account.

Long live free Bartertown!

[porkuslime]

Mr Buffo had an ad stating he would make commission terrain by customer request, and provided examples of stuff he could replicate easily.

Essentially what BITZJUNKIE (Konflict Terrain) does.

We think our Advertising Rates are very reasonable.. and publically viewable too!

[Forsaken Poptart]

Mr Buffo had an ad stating he would make commission terrain by customer request, and provided examples of stuff he could replicate easily.

Essentially what BITZJUNKIE (Konflict Terrain) does.

We think our Advertising Rates are very reasonable.. and publically viewable too!

Fair enough! It'd be totally inappropriate for him to be doing the same thing without paying the same price!

*Edit* Are the Bartertown operators taking suggestions on what members would like to see for a paid site? I've got a couple of thoughts rattling around in my head.

[themailedfist]

I think it's completely reasonable for Bartertown to ask for businesses to pay for their advertising. I don't imagine the fees are outrageous, given that people DO pay them. And so to keep the playing field level for those who are already contributing to Bartertown - fair is fair.

Plus I think that advertisers getting their own section is a Very Good Thing - I'm constantly tempted by the services offered by both Konflict Terrain and several of the painting services here.

--Robert

[Gaijin18]

I have used a couple of the advertisers here and think they fill a void the bigger gaming companies leave wide open. Especially Trooperpx,,,

As to the rage quick,,,,I think we should have a forum for those just for laughs,,,,,rules? I have to follow the rules? you are are horrible good bye,,,,whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[MagickalMemories]

*Edit* Are the Bartertown operators taking suggestions on what members would like to see for a paid site? I've got a couple of thoughts rattling around in my head.

Nope.
Not at all.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that we wouldn't be interested. It's that a paid membership isn't even on our radar right now.
Should we ever decide to look into and/or implement such a thing, we'd definitely inquire with the member base to see what they're interested in.

I'm constantly tempted by the services offered by both Konflict Terrain and several of the painting services here.

--Robert

I'll always give my business to a Bartertown advertiser FIRST, before looking elsewhere.
In that vein, I can tell you that I've done business with Konflikt (great Customer Service & great terrain), as well as some of our retailers and painters.
I've never been dissatisfied with what I received from them. I cannot recommend them enough.

Eric

[aurak_merc]

I think things are fine as they are here. I try to use the advertisers as often as I can, which has not been all that often lately, but I still appreciate the fact that they advertise here and I try to support them.

As for his "new" bartertown idea, good luck to him. I have traded all over the place over the past 10 years and this is by far the most secure and easy to use. I have never used the dakkadakka swap shop, so I cannot speak for that one, but since I am established here I would rather just stay where I feel the most at ease.

[Ironhide]

As to the rage quick,,,,I think we should have a forum for those just for laughs,,,,,rules? I have to follow the rules? you are are horrible good bye,,,,whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If there was such a forum, you can bet my post count would skyrocket. I love embarrassing the rulebreakers. I think it really gets the point across to them, rather than a board warning or suspension. But that is just my opinion.

[Forsaken Poptart]

As to the rage quick,,,,I think we should have a forum for those just for laughs,,,,,rules? I have to follow the rules? you are are horrible good bye,,,,whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If there was such a forum, you can bet my post count would skyrocket. I love embarrassing the rulebreakers. I think it really gets the point across to them, rather than a board warning or suspension. But that is just my opinion.

There's no harsher, or better, teacher than public humiliation! It could go under the Bad Trader and Backout forums as it's own subforum!

[blackspade]

Boo Hoo!

Looks like someone got their feelings hurt!
As far as B-town selling out, I think this guy is clueless.
B-town has only improved over the years!

PS Is rage quitting a fad now?

[montaa]

I like the ads actually. For the most part they are selling products that are related to my hobby and once in a while I go buy something that I need. Its nice that the ads aren't for mortgages and penile enlargement pills.

Keep the ads, keep the costs down for Lin and company.

[Shane]

I've been using Bartertown for many years and even shop the advertisers. I don't really see much difference in what you were years ago and today

[kturock]

Umm did I miss something?

He implied that he had an account years ago. So that means he opened a new [second] account.

Isn't that a violation also?

[MagickalMemories]

Nope. You're right. He did seem to hint at that.
In the email I sent, I pointed that out (reminded him that he'd broken yet another rule) and offered to take care of that one for him, as well.
No response.

Then again, he might still be fuming, since I called him a hypocrite for complaining about US advertising when he has a Google banner running random crap across the top of his commission web site.

Eric