Fishing Forum

Ok, now that this issue has come up before and it now again has raised its ugly head by Chrome Junky totally deleting my post on the hunting side of BFT, it makes me wonder how all of you get by posting links to other websites, blogs, etc. and not have CJ delete your posts, and it also makes me wonder just what the other moderators are doing on here. Are you not even looking at what is being posted or what. I was told back in January that I couldn’t post a link on the fishing site related to outfitting and guiding for water fowl and turkey, that it had to be on the hunting thread, so I did that. Now CJ totally deletes my thread because he says it violates BFT rules for posting a link to another site on that discussion. He is what he said,

"hey buddy im contacting you in regards to your link you posted in the hunting forum. it leads directly to another forum. Unfortunately this violates bigfishtackle.com's rules. i am going to have to enforce the rule on this one and erase the post. if you have a direct link to the article on a media sources website feel free to post it. again sorry.

sincerely chrome_junky aka Buddy Shaw.

So now, here is what the rules say,
1. “Don't spam the forums. Spam can be interpreted as commercial advertising, posting links to other fishing forums, or posting the same message multiple times.
1. No users with less then 15 posts in this forum will be permitted to post any link of any kind.
2. Users who are identified with repeated posts of the same url for promotional purposes will have thier user account prohibited from posting in the forums. They will be able to actively view the forums and other areas but will not be allowed to post in any boards.
3. All links deemed promotional in nature will be moved immediately to the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/General_Discussion_C1/Advertisers_%26_Fishing_Related_Spam_F75/"]Advertisers & Fishing Related Spam[/url] boards with no pointer from the original posted forum. If you are asked "where my post went" by a user in the next week, you can safely assume that's were it is.
4. All fishing related spam will be moved to the above board (for the initial violation accounts with more then 3 violations will be disabled from posting), any non related fishing spam, users posting privileges on all areas of the site will be suspended and all posts deleted.
5. Any link to a personal FISHING site not containing a link back to BFT will be moved to the previously mentioned board.
6. Any link to any fishing site that contains a fishing forum will be moved to previously mentioned board.
7. Charter and Guides (not in violation of previously mentioned policies) can post a link to their listing in the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/guides/"]charter and guides directory[/url] (free charter and guides listing available to members by [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/guides/page.cgi?p=addpage"]clicking here[/url]) only in a signature file with no call to action or pricing (i.e. no book a trip today) and only if they have a track record of providing quality reports (determined by staff and moderators. For moderators wanting to add a link to their listing please contact the webmaster at webmaster@bigfishtackle.com with subject (link my charter or guide service) or ask a moderator in the forums.
8. Links deemed "educational" in nature will be permitted.

Now, if you see in there where I can’t post a link in the hunting section, please let me know. I think CJ is becoming very one sided on who he enforces the rules on and has taken it a step past what the rules say. NO WHERE does it say you can post a link on the hunting thread side of things, it talks about the fishing side.

So now all of you who post links in your discussions, what do you think now that the Link Natzi has raised his head again. Everyone needs to play by the same rules and CJ has become way over board on this one.
I’d be interested in hearing from the other moderators also on this. Seems like CJ has over stepped his authority on this one and my right to free speech on the hunting thread, a violation I take serious and won’t let it die here, and I dont think any poster on here should.
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This is pretty much my opinion as this is really a gray area, but for what it is worth here is what I think.

BFT was first and is formost a fishing site. The rules were written using references to fishing. I think the hunting sections were set up as a convenience and courtesy for the states who's moderators asked for them. By inference the same rules should apply there even if it is about a commercial "hunting" issue. I think the moderator was right in applying the same rules there.

If the owners of BFT want to expand into hunting advertising etc their rights are being protected. We as readers are also being protected from constant spam about other commerical enterprises. If the rules didn't apply to other areas than fishing, then it would be ok to "advertise" all kinds of junk.

It is the owner who would need to make an exception for hunting on this. You need to contact them and see if it is ok to spam about other things than fishing. The moderators are just following the intent of the rules.

The moderators aren't perfect, but they are doing a great job.
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You amaze me. This isn't public property so you don't have any 'right' to 'free speech.' Think of a privately owned web site as being in someone's home other than your own. Out of the kindness of their heart's or what ever, we are welcomed into their home as long as we respect their rules. It seems like a small price to pay to have such a wonderful place to meet and greet our friends and fellow sports enthusiasts.

Freedom of speech is not impeded by this or any other site as you still have the right to leave this house and say what ever you want by starting your own web site. If they prevented you from doing that, you could wave the constitution.

On my fishing site and many others we would simply delete your grumbling.
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Well said Don... BFT is owned by Firstlight Net. which is a subsidiary of Predatory Advertisement there main goal is to sell advertisement..
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Rules were followed to a T. It was and is how he handles it. and even though it is private website, there still is a free speech issue when it is open to the public at no charge and when the site in reference was a non-for profit 501C site. That falls under the BFT rules for posting. Just looking for moderators to enforce it consistently across the board. No advertising for profit was done in the post and it was under the hunting thread anyhow which falls under a different protocol. And I did follow the rules to which CJ sent me back in January so if those rules arent what are expected, then bring it on to CJ as I followed what he sent to me in a PM.
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your did not follow the rules to a T. you posted links on three separate occasions that lead directly to other forums. i dont care if it was hunting related the same rules apply to the hunting forum as the regular fishing forums. i very nicely tried to talk to you about it through pm's. you were the one who lashed out at me with name calling and threatening to have me removed as a moderator. actually i believe your words were you were going to ruin me on this website or something close to that. anyways im not trying to complain in front of everybody but since you made it a public thread and let everybody know what was going on i figured i would set the record straight. I have talked to multiple other moderators and admin about this very problem you and i have had duksnfish (because im not the type of guy to be bias and discriminant like you say i am.) I have done nothing wrong and the only thing i have to say to you is GROW UP.
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CJ will you be my friend? [cool]
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do you have cookies? if you have cookies then yes i will be your friend.
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I have fishing lures.... is that the same thing?
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Me too! Lures and Cookies!
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lures will be great!!!! yes mmdon i want cookies. we can be friends.
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I have nothing to offer but sarcasm. Can I be your friend?
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where i come from sarcasm is the currant currency. so yes you can be my friend.
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Personally, I think the restrictions on posting links to other sites with forums is moronic. Most of the fishing related forums I'm on have no problem with linking to sites with forums or posts on other forums. It's like BFT thinks other forums are going to steal their readers. Instead of improving and promoting their own site to attract more readers, they want to hide the fact there are other forums out there when anyone with half a brain and access to Google could figure it out themselves in about 30 seconds.

If someone asks a question you know has been answered on a forum at another site, what do you do? Take credit for the other person's experience, or send the asker a PM saying "Here's a link where you can find the answer, but I can't post it in your thread because BFT's rules are stupid."? Some fishing product manufacturers have forums on their sites. Hobie Cat and KVD, for example. If someone asks about these manufacturers or products, can we not link to their sites either? The restriction serves no purpose other than to annoy current readers over what they can and can't post.

This is one of the reasons most of the state boards here are dead. There are active forums on other sites with less restrictive rules and more user-friendly forum software. If there were an active Idaho fishing forum on another site, I'd go there instead and BFT could go piss up a rope.
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StacyR you are entitled to your opinion. i even will suggest sending an email to the owners of the website and tell them how you feel. you will probably get a good response as to why they dont want links to other forums or unpaid advertisements.
the fact is is that it is a rule that you are suppose to read and abide by when you sign up and become a member of BFT and plane and simple I agreed to enforce it. there is leeway with somethings and I almost always seek the administrations or another moderators opinion about it before i take any action on deleting or editing posts.

BFT does have the strongest Idaho fishing board out there. maybe there is a reason it is.
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