Rules for linking IR and advertising

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hallsofvallhalla
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Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:29 pm

Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by hallsofvallhalla »

I get asked these questions quiet often. Can i link my site to inde-resource, or tie my site to these forums, can I advertise my forums, tutorial site, ect.. on IR forums and a ton more.

Let me answer them as best as possible.

First off yes you can place a link to IR anywhere on your site as long as you do not assume affiliation. For instance, lets say you have a site on tutorials for Java and you want to direct the questions here so there are more people to answer. That is fine. But you cannot say, here is a link to my forums at indie-resource or you cannot say these tutorials are brought to you by indie-resource unless permission by I, Jack, or Chris. I have no issue with any member using these forums as an extension for their own site and I recommend it. Let me tell a story why that I think everyone should read.

Running forums is not what it is all cracked up to be. It truly is a self sacrifice that bleeds your time and your patience. It is not a "I am God" situation like so many forums are run like. Take a look at the best forums out there. Nearly everyone if not everyone are run where everyone is equal. There are a few who help control things much like a board of directors but for the most part they are members just the same and must post as much as everyone else. Now think of the worst forums out there. They are all run by a dictator or a few dictators that all have God complexes. You step out of line with what they want and they ban you to show off their power. Those forums do not last long or last only because they have a product to sell that people need the forums for the services. Like Eclipse forums.
The first and lasting option is a ton of work. Hosting, maintaining, paying for a good fast host, keeping bots out, keeping the peace, making sure people do not get jealous of one another, promoting the right people to help out, constantly checking and answering posts, answering tons and tons of PMs, and list goes on.
Now I am not saying I do not enjoy the forums, I DO! but I would be here regardless if I was admin or not, regardless of how many members we have. There is no glory, no power. It is just like me owning a one picnic table at a food court. Everyone is welcome to sit here. I may own the table but it does not give me the right to boss people around. There are other tables around, this just happens to be one with great conversation :)
I can honestly admit I feel I have let the community down by going through such a dry spell on tutorials and not making this site bigger with more features. The tutorial thing I am fixing. I got some on the way. The latter however I am scared to go into. I am worried that with change I may disrupt what we have. I am worried too big will turn into too much and ruin all this. I am not in this to sell, make money, ect.. I was offered a nice sum for this site so people could advertise and I turned it down. This is and will always be a free site for free discussion.
SO with all that said I hope you understand my point. I am not asking you to point your website to these forums for money, power, ect.. only that these little picnic tables are hard to find and I am cleaning off the seats for your customers to gather with other customers in a place of common ground to give a great experience. If your site brings in enough traffic to warrant a section then so be it you will have that. I am really not asking you to point anything here, I am just saying if you want that is fine.

Okay on to advertising. Yes you can advertise your site. I do not care if it is exactly like IR and better and will steal everyone. Remember I am not here for anything more than to sit eat my lunch and enjoy conversation. Do I want you to come here and say "Hey my site is better than IR's so come to my site"? No way but will I stop you? Honestly I won't need to. There is enough pride here with the members that they would run you off :) IR has become more than forums. It has become a staple to many of us, a piece of us that not many of us would let others tread on.

I will leave this topic open for questions but I hope I answered all of them.

Thanks everyone.
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Xaos
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:01 am

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by Xaos »

Great post :P
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vitinho444
Posts: 2825
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:54 pm

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by vitinho444 »

Wow dat story :D
Loved the story, loved the explanation and understood 100%.

I personally see IR as a family (full of NERDS!!! jk, im one too :P) and i can't resist coming here checking out the newest posts every 10 minutes... I kinda feel bad for not helping a lot with questions and stuff, but if i knew it i would help ok?
I'm thinking creating fast a Open-Source Imageboard website, like 4chan or 9gag you know. And i'll be doing tutorials from it :) I will link to indie resource.

LOVE THIS SITE XD
My Company Website: http://www.oryzhon.com

Skype: vpegas1234
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Jackolantern
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:00 pm

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by Jackolantern »

Very well said, and I like the picnic table analogy :)
The indelible lord of tl;dr
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Ark
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Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:25 pm

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by Ark »

Maybe the IR logo should be a picnic table :O

Image
Orgullo Catracho
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vitinho444
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Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:54 pm

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by vitinho444 »

Ark wrote:Maybe the IR logo should be a picnic table :O

Image
Lol agree :)
My Company Website: http://www.oryzhon.com

Skype: vpegas1234
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hallsofvallhalla
Site Admin
Posts: 12031
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:29 pm

Re: Rules for linking IR and advertising

Post by hallsofvallhalla »

haha i love it! I try to throw something together.
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