That Cool Jet character go me thinking. Would most normal people consider that spam? I would think putting the link to a commercial site selling auto related goods might be looked at as a way to drum up business, but the sites below are unrelated to cars. I see links to commercial corvette/auto related sites all the time in peoples sigs.
Cool Jet seems to have an ax to grind with realtors so it's hard to take him seriously. No one's complained so far but if having a sig with a link is going to affect the answers I get to qestions I sincerely need to know, I'll be happy to remove it or incude one more appropriate.
Bottom line. Is this Cool Jet guy out of line? Is this guy normal or the village troll or some militant self appointed spam cop? Are some "normal" people not helping me just because I have a URL in my sig or mention my day job? Is it better to post anonymously like Cool Jet does?
I look at it like a radio program you do not like. Change stations. A TV program that you consider offensive. Change stations Ads on web pages. Do Not Click unless you want to go there. Links associated with signatures. Do Not Click unless you want to go there
My newsreader automatically notifies me if I try to create a sig over 4 lines stating it may be considered spam or excessive. I never thought a one line sig would raise eyebrows. That's why I would like to know if this guy is just an internet commando or has a legitimate gripe.
Steve, for what it's worth, I actually appreciate that you are considering that maybe there is some merit to what I am saying. The whole purpose of my posts to you was 'to get you thinking'. While I find it a bit ironic that the guy I accuse of SPAMMING the group is calling me a troll, I have to consider that I have no doubt contributed to the escalating tension between us and we are now both resorting to insults.
Steve, I've been on the internet since it was available to the general public and what you are doing has always been considered SPAMMING. Providing links to pertinent websites is considered acceptable and is generally encouraged by usenet groups. For example, posting links to Corvette sites and/or information is welcomed by most users. Posting links to just about any automotive related site is generally welcomed. Posting links to non-automotive sites is considered SPAM.
To clarify one further issue, I have no "axe to grind with realtors". Two of my very best friends are realtors. I had coffee with one of them this morning. The reason I chose to speak disparagingly of realtors was a simple one - you are SPAMMING us with 2 Realtor links that are not welcome in any automotive group. I am sure that like the rest of us, you are well aware that many realtors are considered to be far less than ethical when it comes to closing a deal to get a commission, so that made your realtor links easy targets. And your SPAMMING makes you appear to be a stereotypical realtor.
Steve, from my perspective, the war of words is over. My only advice to you is "Let your conscience be your guide".
I can only answer you because someone else did and your question is still in his post. I seldom see signatures with Corvette related sites as you suggest and now that you're block I won't see yours.
Not an attorney, I'm not qualified to interpret the law >
Historically, the registered Usenet newsgroups have prohibited any commercial activity and such abuse can be reason to drop a registered newsgroup. In moderated Usenet groups, the moderator kills most posts with any commercial content. By local custom, the anti-commercial posture has extended to many 'alt' newsgroups like this one.
What you are doing is placing your business card before everyone in a captive audience, assembled for a purpose other than that of your business. It looks like 'intrusive broadcast advertising' and rightfully or not, irks some folk. I don't think of you as part of the 'junk fax' league but more like a 'near-relative.' I prefer to err on the side of caution in a case like this--no need to piss-off folks.
Example: I attend monthly service club meetings. Every couple of years, before a meeting, I place two of my business cards beside each plate at the luncheon table. This is verbotton in that group. During the meeting, the president makes mention of "PJ's self-serving spam" and I'm fined for my action. While this is a good-humored way of donating to an excellent cause it serves to remind everyone that the objectives of a service club (or Usenet newsgroup) should remain focused on the group's objectives and not be self-serving of its members.
Some Usenet sig-line suggestions: Were you a certified mechanic (ASC) that fact (and your specialty) might be appropriate in your sig line. Were you a race driver, mention of your formula qualification might be appropriate. If you ran a commercial racing team, you might be criticized should the company name appear in your sig line. If you worked for GM and posted from a GM email address, a sig-line disclaimer of GM's endorsement of your posts would be appropriate. (However, it might be a violation of your contract of employment to even post here from a GM email server.)
could you please post proof of your statement ? because I have been on the same internet for about the same length of time and have never heard of that.
Here is one quote on etiquette from Borland it says that Vsign is an attachment and therefore a nuisance. The second quote from small business says it OK and you should use "four to six" lines for the signature
# Do not advocate or engage in unlawful activities.
# Do not post copyrighted material without permission of the author.
# Do not post anything that is libelous, abusive, hateful, an invasion of anyone's privacy, harmful to other users, or harmful to the business interests of Borland. We would like our newsgroups to be a place where people of all ages and cultures may participate so we ask you to please refrain from using coarse language in your posts as it could be considered grounds for cancellation. Click here to review Borland's Legal Notices
# Do not crosspost or multipost your message. Post your message to the single most appropriate group. Place all of the information relevant to your post in the message body. Do not assume that everyone can see or will read the subject line.
# Do not attach data or files to your message. We do not recommend the use of vCards as they are considered an attachment and a nuisance to most newsgroup participants. If you need to post data or files, post them to borland.public.attachments
To turn off vCards in Netscape select Edit | Preferences and under Mail & Newsgroups select the Identity section. Within that page, turn off the checkbox at the bottom of the page that says Attach my personal card to messages (as a vCard).
# Do not post HTML messages. Post plain text messages.
# Do not post product announcements or advertisements to inappropriate groups. There are several newsgroups specifically for third party tools where you may post relevant product announcements. Recruitment notices should be posted to the *.jobs groups only.
General Newsgroup Etiquette #
# vCards - Small HTML files used as virtual business cards in place of a standard text signature. Many news readers are not able to read HTML, and so cannot read vCards. Email Etiquette In order to effeciently communicate on the Internet it is critical to understand the unwritten rules of email communication. Please use these tips as a guideline to online email communication.
Here is another quote from
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1.) Unless you are using encryption, Internet E-mail is not secure.
2.) Do not use all capitals in email exchanges, it is considered SHOUTING and is considered rude.
3.) Keep in mind that the Internet is international, words and humor can be perceived differently by different cultures.
4.) When replying to messages be aware of "cc:" field. Recipients listed in the "cc:" field will receive a copy of the post. (The "bcc:" field sends messages blind, meaning recipients don't know that someone else has received a copy of the email or been carbon copied)
5.) Use emoticons :-) or to indicate expression.
6.) When forwarding email be sure not to create a loop in the system. In addition, be sure not to setup auto-responders to reply to every email, or endless loops will be created.
7.) There can be costs associated with Internet connectivity and downloading emails. Do not send attachments that take a long time to download, without the recipients consent.
8.) Include in the "subject" line a heading that relates to the message body.
9.) Use 4-6 lines for your signature line, this is an opportunity to highlight your business or company information, but don't be ostentatious..
Sorry to disagree with you here, but I do moderate some newsgroups and a link in a sigtag is not considered spam. If Steve chose to include a written advertisement in his sigtag with a link, then it would be considered spam. Personally, I don't like sigtag links or long sigtags for that matter in alt.newsgroups at all. They just add extra bs we have to deal with.
You went further than accusing me of spamming. You were attacking and putting down my profession as a whole. If you said that about Jews for example it would start a flame war for sure. You also stated that I may not even be a corvette owner. I would like to please everyone but on USENET there's always at least on in the crowd that can't stay on topic. In this case it's just a link, and the links don't even come with a pitch line. What if I put a link to my personal site that has those links and more. Would
formatting link
in my sig. bother you? Would it help if I didn't say I was a Realtor or Hypnotherapist? My e-mail address isn't a hotmail throwaway account and I sign with my real name and real address. Do you? You can even find my home phone number at my website. Isn't that more honest and up front than what you're doing? Do actually think spammers do that?
Didn't mean it as an insult. The fact is you can hit one key to delete a post and have to type dozens of keys to be a vigilante. Think about that. What's YOUR motive for pullng my legitimate questions off topic. Why not email me personally? Mine's a real address. Is yours?
"Steve Horrillo" wrote in message news:tUjvf.6729$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
what you wrote above has nothing to do with the subject. "Is a sig considered spamming" also, there is nothing wrong about spoofing ones address on Usenet. its done by many folks, including myself, to combat the real spam.
Steve, if you were being honest with yourself, you would know that the real estate profession long ago did itself irrepairable harm because of widespread breaches of ethics and the absence of an industry-wide Code of Ethics/Conduct. Now that the industry has established such codes, the healing process has begun, but it's a long arduous road of recovery. I don't have to put down your profession Steve. Your profession itself has handled that, to its discredit.
Steve, I cannot believe that you were foolish enough to even think, let alone post, such a foolish and inflammatory comment. You really should be ashamed of the comparison you drew! I am having second thoughts about my second thoughts. I thought that I had perhaps misjudged you. Now I'm thinking that perhaps my first impression was accurate.
Steve, I held out the olive branch to you and you have apparently chosen to continue wallowing in the mud, rather than make peace. If that is your choice, I will be pleased to reciprocate. Given the feedback from other group members, I would have thought that you might have come to the realization that "having a sig with a link is" affecting the answers you get to questions. After all, you stated as you opened this thread: " if having a sig with a link is going to affect the answers I get to qestions I sincerely need to know, I'll be happy to remove it or incude one more appropriate." IMHO Steve, the thing to do is remove it and not pester us with another inappropriate sig line. But then, that would mean keeping your word, wouldn't it Steve?
That's not true Steve. You would not like to please everyone. Otherwise you would drop those links to your real estate sites. I can assure you that it would offend no-one if you did!
Steve, you are an unbelievably dumb individual, if you don't realize that the links are the pitch line! But I think you do. Come on Steve - BrokerAgentTraining! Is that in itself not a pitch line? But why am I asking you? You will of course deny, deny, deny! The pattern is becoming glaringly apparent!
Steve, why do you feel the need to post a website link at all? This newsgroup isn't here to cater to your advertising efforts! Do you not understand that Steve? This isn't alt.advertising.Steve! It's alt.autos.corvette.
You have just pointed out to me the biggest difference between SPAMMERS and shameless self-promotors. Henceforth I shall refer to you as a shameless self-promotor, if that helps you sleep better. The reason that you advertise (please take note of that word - A-D-V-E-R-T-I-S-E) your real name, real address and real phone number is because you want people to click on your link and contact you. You are A-D-V-E-R-T-I-S-I-N-G Steve! The rest of us aren't!
Hey Key "It's deja vu all over again!" Didn't we already have this conversation? I'm afraid that I just can't resist responding to Steve when he refuses my peace offering and tries to take another shot . I'll try harder Key. ;-)
Disclaimer: The writer is in no way speaking for the group in general or Key in particular. All opinions expressed are those of the writer.
Because using one's real address and name and phone number forces the poster to be acountable for thier actions/posts. This Steve guy hasd morphed several times.
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