Commercial Posts in the B-Bender Forum

[TDPRI]

Lately, we have a lot of commercial product manufacturers posting in the B-Bender Forum. We think that's a good thing -- a GREAT thing. The expertise is invaluable. But some posters are unable to share their expertise without also violating our Commercial Rules.

With 80,000 visitors a day the TDPRI provides a great marketing tool for those that make and sell products. We work to limit this in an effort to keep the TDPRI from turning into one huge ad for commercial products.

Likewise, running a website costs thousands of dollars a month. So, to keep the site running we sell advertising. Commercial manufacturers/dealers can reach our members through these paid ads -- not through their posts in the forum.

It's a fine line to walk. We want to encourage manufacturers to share their knowledge, but we also expect them to be grown-up enough to do this WITHOUT ANY PRODUCT PROMOTION of any kind.

At some point this policy may change, and if it is changed it will be announced. But for now the information below comprises the commercial rules of the TDPRI. If you violate these rules you will be contacted. These rules are posted at the top of every forum here, but I'm constantly told that people violated them because they didn't see them. So here they are:

To help folks have a better understanding of the Commercial Posting rules I thought I'd post them for ALL to see. These are not NEW rules and have been in place since the beginning of the TDPRI. At the top of each page it says:

NO Commercial Posts: Do not use the TDPRI to buy or sell anything.

And this is the policy. Simple as that. But the reality is not that simple so here is a further definition of that simply rule:

No Commercial Posts
No one selling a product may post product news, descriptions, information or discussion about their products. This is self-promotion and it applies to everyone that sells a product.

NOTE: People that sell Music CDs and DVDs of their OWN music are exempt from this rule.

If you make or sell a product you may respond when someone asks you a direct question about your product, but you may only answer the question. You may not use the TDPRI as a forum to promote or sell your products.

As an example: "Does your product come in blue?" you may reply "Yes it does" But not, "Yes, and you can order it for $349 at www.mywebsite.com." (I have to put this example because I'm constantly told that they gave the pricing and the website only because people asked them for it.)

Who is a Commercial Member
Anyone that buys or builds an item for the purpose of selling or reselling the item is a Commercial Member. It doesn't matter if the commercial member is:

1. Selling in their spare time
2. Works a separate full or part time job
3. Sells as a "hobby"
4. Doesn't make a profit
5. Sells only one or two of an item -- or even doesn't ever achieve one sale

EXAMPLES:

If you buy bodies and necks from a supplier and build those into a complete guitar for sale then YOU are a commercial member.

If you buy leather, fabric or other material, construct a guitar strap, amp cover or anything else for sale then YOU are a commercial member.

If you build a guitar for yourself. Enjoy it and play it and then one day decide to sell it then you are NOT a commercial member.

Are Commercial Members Welcomed on the TDPRI?
Commercial Members are welcomed on the TDPRI as regular members... NOT as commercial entities. We are delighted when they participate in discussions and see themselves and the others here as friends and part of a community.

As a commercial entity you should not see your participation here as the perfect way to get the "word out" about your products as this is not in keeping with our non-commercial rules and is prohibited. Doing "market research" about your product is likewise prohibited. You may not offer free samples of your products or work. You may not solicit photos, reviews or comments for your website or company materials. The same applies with discussing pricing, distribution or delivery of your products. In short, any discussion or mention of your company or commercial product is completely and totally prohibited.

Posting links to your commercial website is prohibited EXCEPT for one "home page" link in your User Profile. When you use this part of your profile all members will be able to click on your username and find a link to your website.

Links, logos, and company names are NEVER permitted in your posts or your TDPRI signatures. Commercial company names or commercial website addresses or email addresses are not permitted to be used as usernames as well.

Any individual TDPer may post photos, praise, complaints, information and otherwise discuss any and all aspects of any commercial entity -- whether that entity is also a member here or not. There is no and never has been any prohibition on this kind of valued discussion on the TDPRI.

Obviously, any TDPer paid or asked to comment on the product is automatically "affiliated" with the commercial entity is in violation of the rules here if they post about a commercial entity.

Who This Policy Applies to
This policy applies to all members of the TDPRI -- long time members as well as new members.

What Happens If You Violate This Policy
If you violate this policy you will have any and all posts that violate the policy removed and you will receive an email informing you of the policy and that your posts have been removed. Your account will most likely be suspended until you respond to the notification and remain inactive until you acknowledge the rules and agree to follow the rules from then on.

If you continue to violate the policy then you will be given a much longer suspension or depending upon the situation you will be banned from the page.

The exception to this rule is for FLAGRANT policy violations -- i.e. SPAMMERS. Those members will be banned immediately.

Why Do We Have This Policy?
The TDPRI has 30,000 plus members. As a "market" our membership is ideal for promoting a great number of guitar and music related products. Small and large commercial operations view the TDPRI as a great potential marketing tool. However, we view the TDPRI as a great community of like minded Telecaster players and owners. If commercial entities were permitted to use the TDPRI for marketing purposes the website would be ruined by the nonstop posting of commercial messages, sales pitches and ads.

Because of this, we must apply these rules to the new member that joins today solely for the purpose of selling their new widget or to the long term member that decides to go into business selling T-style bodies to build guitars. It can't apply to one group and not the other.

I hope that this clears up any misunderstanding about what is and isn't a commercial member and what they may and may not do on the TDPRI.

Paul Green
Webmaster
PS. Because this is bound to come up, I feel I must include: as the operator of the TDPRI I reserve all rights to use the TDPRI to sell "products" to support the continued operation of the website. For without this ability the website would have to close tomorrow.