Adam
I'm with you here. You used the word community, so will I. For years here I thought I was a member of a community, I drew benefit from being here, both in knowledge and I also made some money. In return, I tried to give back and provide some level of service. That's the way responsible members of a community act.
Now I feel like that kid sitting in the back of the class, being told things that just don't seem to add up. That type of behavior from administrators disenfranchised me when I went to school, and it disenfranchises me now.
I really feel that if we, as a community, could discuss what the problems are as the mods see them, we all could work up a viable solution and then also maybe self-enforce and work together, like a community does.
As it is, the administrators have instead just decided to lay down the law, and as the posts show, it feels a little raw. Jerry opens this thread by claiming if you want to sell new product here you need to pony up and buy a banner ad, then today he explains that the change is necessary to prevent lawsuits. OK, I'm sure I'm just being dense (again), but how does buying a banner ad prevent litigation?
Thanks
Kevin
Apparently the mods have been getting hit with all sorts of "headache inducing input" from members with transactional disputes to threats of litigation with most of it stemming from the activity on the WFS section.
I know I have reported counterfeit and trademark violating items to Jerry previously. Barringer contacted the Attorney General in Arizona to report the raffles and he also threatened AZB with a defamation lawsuit.
I am only guessing that there has been some straw that broke the camel's back sort of moment recently that has triggered these impending changes.
I think that the prevailing thought is that by reducing the commerical listings that this will stop the majority of headaches.
I don't see how as many of the issues are between members who listed used cues and disagreed about the condition afterward. I don't know that you can stop the people who sell something and then don't ship.
Marty Herman also threatened to sue AZB and that had nothing to do with the WFS so being harassed legally doesn't have to be a result of the forum.
What I honestly don't understand is why Mike and Jerry don't see the value of the community here as a whole. Yes there are some folks here who derive some income from the sales they make but the real benefit is to the user base as a whole. AZB is the largest and most active pool forum worldwide in no small part to the marketplace that has developed here.
Many people have met here for the first time and become fast friends. Many people have been incredibly helpful to others through this forum section. Many new products get introduced and market tested here in a way that would be virtually impossible through other means.
To me this section is too vibrant to obliterate. So many longstanding members who have contributed greatly to the content are about to be wiped aside as if they are nothing for what? Because of a few numbnut people shaking their plastic sabers?
I would be willing to pay for a well-moderated marketplace. And when I say WELL moderated I MEAN moderated by people who actually USE this section. People who also pay to use it and have a vested interest in keeping it safe and clean.
A banner ad doesn't do anything for me. That's passive advertising. Active advertising is putting up cases for sale and seeing how they are reacted to, interacting with the readers, answering questions, taking suggestions, showing off the results of those suggestions.
That is the POWER of a forum for a vendor in my opinion. And it's the reason why a good and active forum can and should charge for vendors to sell their wares. This stuff about litigation is surely a pain in the ass but I doubt that it's truly that much of a problem which requires such a drastic move. I am sure that a reasonably competent researcher can draft a letter to combat just about any threat that comes az's way as a result of activity on this section.
