DT doesn't like forum threads about subscriptions. Why not?

[stockastic]

If a microstock, or any business, is providing a "forum" purely as a promotional tool - and intends to censor any negative posts -   they should make that crystal clear right up front.    

The dictionaries I just checked all defined "forum" as "A public meeting place for open discussion".   If a critical or complaining post earns you a threatening reply via a non-public back-channel, you're not on a "forum".

It's ironic that on the internet - which was supposed to be the path to a new era of free and open expression - the term "forum" has lost its  meaning.  So has the term "moderator".  But George Orwell wouldn't be surprised.

[stockastic]

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[Adeptris]

Hi Stockastic,
As you rightly say forums have been about in one form or another for many years, are they really about free speech or a place for gathering information or to debate, they have often had an organisation behind them as a reason for their existence and been policed with severe consequences, for the earliest ‘public’ forums this could even mean death when someone spoke out.

Offending content is usually deleted. Sometimes if the topic is considered the source of the problem, it is locked; often a poster may request a topic expected to draw problems to be locked as well, although the moderators decide whether to grant it. In a locked thread, members cannot post anymore. In cases where the topic is considered a breach of rules it – with all of its posts – may be deleted.

There are very few unregulated internet forums and going against the written or un-written rules or objectives of the forum owners can lead to different types of censure.  

Forums owned by website are for the benefit of the website owners and not the contributors, if you created a bit of software you might have a forum for building your user base or community, announcements of new versions and fixes, general discussions and reporting bugs, but any negative feedback could be costly to your business so how would you deal with it as a company other than moderation including deleting topics that harm you business.

Forums are part of building an online business but cannot be allowed to broadcast any negative comments that might hurt trade, even if they are true.

David  

[stockastic]

That's exactly what I mean. The original meaning of "forum" has been lost, and it now means something quite different, at least on the internet.  Basically it's now slang for what used to be called a message board.

But if you were a city official, and you announced a "forum", and people showed up, and when they complained they were quietly taken aside and told that if they didn't shut up they'd lose city services - people would say this wasn't a forum at all, just a self-serving PR event.   That's because outside of the web, "forum" still means a place for free and open expression - including negative and dissenting points of view.  

[Achilles]

I fully agree that negative comments should be allowed. My remark was in regards to repetitive posts on the same issue over and over.

Just do a search after subscriptions and see how many times this was discussed.

http://www.dreamstime.com/board_views.php?forumid=&srh_forum=subscriptions&x=0&y=0

[WarrenPrice]

damned if you do, damned if you don't.  I've been trying to stay away from the DT forum.  I don't have the proper "cheerleader" attitude.  But, according to a discussion ... that has been posted many, many times ... being active in the forum increases your placement in the search engine. 

Sounds like your placement depends on how much time you spend * up" on the forum ... being a cheerleader.

Guess I will join the group the is not allowed to "clutter" the forum ... better to say nothing at all and reduce your search engine placement than to be the fly in the ointment and get completely ignored by the search engine.   

[gostwyck]

damned if you do, damned if you don't.  I've been trying to stay away from the DT forum.  I don't have the proper "cheerleader" attitude.  But, according to a discussion ... that has been posted many, many times ... being active in the forum increases your placement in the search engine. 

Sounds like your placement depends on how much time you spend  up" on the forum ... being a cheerleader.

Guess I will join the group the is not allowed to "clutter" the forum ... better to say nothing at all and reduce your search engine placement than to be the fly in the ointment and get completely ignored by the search engine.   

I doubt that forum participation has anything to do with sort-order placement. If you look at the 'Top Contributors' listing then between them they have a staggering amount of sales but almost none of them post forum messages __ ever. They're probably too busy producing quality images. The 'cheerleaders' as you call them often have relatively few sales.

[lisafx]

I doubt that forum participation has anything to do with sort-order placement. If you look at the 'Top Contributors' listing then between them they have a staggering amount of sales but almost none of them post forum messages __ ever. They're probably too busy producing quality images. The 'cheerleaders' as you call them often have relatively few sales.

I tend to agree.  Don't see any evidence that forum participation helps in search placement.

I have heard forum participants (not admins) speculate that forum participation may result in more sales as a result of getting your name in front of buyers, but I don't see evidence of that either.  Buyers mostly don't come to the forums on any of the sites unless they have some sort of complaint. 

[michaeldb]

Re the subject of subscriptions on DT.
-DT has a RPD (Revenue per Download) stat on its stats page, including their average RPD. This helps people can see how subscriptions may be affecting their sales.
-DT has stated, as I recall, that they will watch to see whether or not subscriptions are hurting the revenues of contributors and make adjustments if this happens.
How many other sites have done this?

Why would DT have more reason to lock threads about subscriptions than other sites have?

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