MB_FanAddict

Our regularly scheduled programming, but this does pertain to the forum.

Alright, who thinks that members operating as a business entity should be restricted from spam posting multiple advertisements in the various subforums and be relegated to posting them in the vendor marketplace or a subforum dedicated to their primary business, instead of interfering with other members threads and posts?

I’ve contacted several mods (samaritrey, Wolfman), but so far…..silence. Well, if no one wants to moderate and appropriately handle the situation, I’m going to say my piece here!

Forum members should not be receiving infractions and having their threads or posts deleted in response to other members feeling like their business is somehow threatened because someone other than them offered information or assistance.

This is not the way to conduct business or maintain a good reputation or rapport with other forum members (as if I should need to say this). Just because someone is a sponsor does not mean they should get to dictate what others post. To have this kind of conduct allowed and encouraged by a lack of appropriate action on the forum is unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

Feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions and hopefully, a resolution from a moderator will be forthcoming with guidelines for reporting posts and allowable post content (as to what exactly constitutes an advertisement) so this does not occur again!

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Can you provide an example? If there is a vendor sponsor posting about an accessory, etc., I just ignore it if I'm not interested. But you seem to be talking about something different.

Can you provide an example of where a sponsor has had a posting deleted because they didn't like it? Is that what you are talking about?

DFWdude

Sponsors pay handsomely to post not only in the marketplace, but also in in the sub forums. Annoyed by it, then don't read.

kajtek1

No option for add-free forum with membership payment?
I think living with adds is today's reality. I don't think this forum is bad, as other forum has internal agendas, where moderators are obligated to delete posts, who interfere.
My friend become moderator, only to resign a week later after he learned what moderation is really about.
But he was the only who did it in long years I post.

MB_FanAddict

I think anyone who spends any time on the forum knows exactly which sponsor I'm talking about.

The thread "My USA W212’s Custom European Coding and Retrofits!" I started (which was over a year old and had at least a dozen replies) was simply deleted overnight because said sponsor reported it.

MB_FanAddict

Honestly, I was fine with their ads until they pulled this stunt with me! I'm not going to just shrug my shoulders and say....."Oh, well"!

No, I'm not having it.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Were you offering a service or just commenting on change you made? Since it was deleted, how are we to know?

For someone who has posted less than 10 posts per year for the last 16 years, how much time have you spent and what are your contributions?

Still, just give us an example of your complaint. I'm not sure how to give an opinion if I don't know what I am opining on.

MB_FanAddict

Right, because now it’s gone! The thread started and the discussion centered around the things I have done to my car. As I have received numerous requests….I decided to put together a list of things that were possible to code on the W212 without any hardware changes that (after many hours of research and learning over the past decade I might add) I could help with if they had their own diagnostic system.

For a sponsor to report a single post because they want to have a monopoly on coding assistance on the forum and to have a moderator simply delete the thread (without any discussion or forthought) is unacceptable. I’m not running a business here. There are things I cannot do and I’m upfront about this and refer people elsewhere….I don’t have a website or club for you to join, I don’t build, rent or maintain diagnostic systems for people, I don’t do diagnostic or troubleshooting work or deal with aftermarket equipment. Do you want to code something on the list…I’ll be happy to help. If I was spamming the board with posts offering my services to people or constantly bumping the thread....I could understand management or other members having an issue.

I’m sorry I don’t have an impressive 4 figure post count, but I don’t spend my day posting nonsense or leading people up a path under the guise of helping them just to increase my post count. If others want to do that fine, that’s the nature of things, I get it. If someone has an issue that I have some experience with or I have some relevant information or suggestions regarding their issue I may respond, otherwise, I just enjoy browsing the forums.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

We’re you offering your services free or did you charge to help?

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

WRT the number of posts, 150 in 16 years is not immaterial. It indicates your activity and participation in the forums. I have over 20 times as many posts as you in half the time, and if 90% of my posts are nonsense, the 10% is still twice your postings.

You asked for comments and I’m giving you mine.

MB2timer

I agree with the OP about advertising on the forum.
In a perfect world, the forum would be an oasis where owners could have an information and advice clearinghouse.
No one knows their car better than a long time owner of a car.
The information and detail a long time owner has is priceless.
If owners want to share information to prevent fellow owners the trouble and heartache they had to go through, all the better.
I am not totally opposed to advertising, but it should augment the owner co op experience.
I don’t mind seeing advertisements on the forum, but I do mind if it gets away from the owner co op vibe, or if it’s lines and repetitive lines along with page after repetitive page.
The lion’s share of forum bandwidth should go to the member to member interface.

MB_FanAddict

And you are more than welcome to! My comments were not directed at or rather in judgment of you specifically, but I see it in a lot of threads I do happen to read.

10 posts or 100,000, I did not join the forum yesterday and up until this week I have not had any issues with anyone. What my post count has to do with the conduct of another forum member or moderator I don't know. My issue doesn't matter? Is that what you are inferring?

I did not have a menu board with prices. I have always been happy to share information with people free of charge and have spent many hours doing so.

rapidoxidation

Bandwidth isn't free, and it takes money to keep a forum available FOR FREE to us, the members. Supporters (vendors, advertisers, etc.) pay our way for us. But you already know that.
I've challenged He Who Must Not Be Named regarding services a time or two, offering up my experience in getting my nav software upgraded. My experience didn't align with his offerings, and we disagreed. I'm sure you can still find my responses to his comments on threads probably on this sub-forum. Never had an issue, reprimand, or delete from anyone be it a mod or admin.
So I guess my experience is different from yours. You're right, it's a shame (sham...) that censorship exists, but do keep in mind that this is a private forum. No 1st amendment rights apply here, and here we go but by the grace of the site owner.
There's plenty of other things in the world to get bowed up about. Words on a forum are pretty low on my list.

I'm super curious about what you've found that can be manipulated with the proper scanner. So far, I've found on my own how to disable the stupid seat belt chime, stop the front seats from locking forward when the back seats are lowered, how to keep the fog lights on when the high beams are on, and a few other easter eggs. All are documented in my history for anyone to see. What have you found?

MB_FanAddict

I appreciate you sharing your experience. Understandably, such action is warranted in certain cases….but I woke up to a private message, thread deletion notice and infraction warning all within minutes of each other. My post did not justify that. I was not given a chance to respond or explain my intentions (or even modify my post if necessary). I doubt you would have been pleased either especially if was a post you spent a lot of time and effort on!

Mistakes happen (people have other things going on and the forum is not their full-time job I understand and I’d be willing to give Wolfman the benefit of the doubt that he never reviewed the entire thread), but don’t ignore me and hope I’ll go away.

When this issue is settled, I intend to repost the list of the retrofits and coding I have done on my car whether “Forum Sponsor aka Who Must Not Be Named” likes it or not. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further!

cdk4219

That’s just the game of information these days. From the internet to the news, yiu don’t get the truth or the whole story, just the parts that pertain to the objective of the people in charge. Nothing different here, just follow the money.

BenzV12

Unless thread starter tries to sell something that those vendors sell such threads should be tolerated . Thread starters should sell their know-how rather than their items left over or new .We have also section for classified items as well . I know it's a shame OP's thread deleted and I see his frustrations as well. .

ChrisHimself

I wasn't even aware you had that kind of pull as a sponsor tbh. Most of my business I do here just comes from people liking me helping out with normal day to day MB stuff and they come support me.

MB_FanAddict

The problem is we don’t want to play nice with others and have an attitude like we run the joint because it’s gone unchecked for so long (the assigned moderator for this subforum is MIA). The sponsor could have just as easily posted in my thread and offered their services (I can help with XXXX) or posted something positive instead of reporting it and continuing to harass me.

If they are so concerned about losing business, maybe they should start treating people better! There are issues I’ve been able to help other members with that they have not and vice versa. Who am I not going to recommend now??? Maybe you can buy advertising space, but you can’t buy a reputation.

I have no desire (or even the capability) to take over their business or all the services they offer. They need to remember the diagnostic systems they configure or build for other people they do not own and the owners are free to use it themselves (or have others use it) if they like.

DFWdude

It's been my experience for many years that sponsoring vendors develop some services based (first) on what they read here. Members discuss items they would like to change/improve on their cars, and even discover ways that they then share here. Over time, the vendors learn there might be a niche where a significant number of members could benefit from a new service that addresses the topic being discussed. I'd like to think this grass-roots cooperation and sharing is the genesis of any good forum. If it leads to a commercial service, then that's fine. But member creativity comes first, in many cases.

To this extent, I agree that members who develop changes and share with the membership should not be a reason why such sharing is deleted when a sponsor complains. I do not recall your thread that you refer to, MBfan, or the sponsor you are complaining about. So I really shouldn't have an opinion, except to suggest that if a post is made that insults a vendor, then that could "cross a line" that results in posts being modified.

Deleting an entire thread is a bit much, IMO, because a member has made considerable effort to create a topic that others did not think of themselves, but benefit from. And such creative thinking and sharing should be praised, not sanctioned.

S-Prihadi

I remember OP thread/post, because I asked him some questions like 1+ years ago and he replied to me, aka he assisted me thank you.
It was about HVAC variant coding actual result. I can do the coding too with my Xentry or Autel, but I do not know each and every coding actual result or effect.

streborx

When I begin seeing pop-up windows telling me to disable my ad blocker while I'm reading/replying to forum posts, I'll throw in the towel on future interactions with mbworld (as I have done and do with all other websites).

Regarding any restrictions on discussions and information that conflicts with the commercial interests of paying forum sponsors, I've never noticed. But maybe this explains why the many times I've proposed a forum section on OBDII scanners and techniques, there has never been any action.

Rock

I'm late to this discussion but posting DIY information for fellow members is generally allowable and not against forum rules. My guess is that Wolfman interpreted your postings as non-sponsored advertising. This is the short version of what you consent to when becoming a member of MBworld:

Forums Acceptable Use Policy

You agree, through your use of the Discussion Forums, that you will not post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law.

You agree, through your use of the Discussion Forums, not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or MBWorld.org.

You agree, through your use of the Discussion Forums, that the posting of private communications (including, but not limited to e-mail, private messages, letters, faxes) without the consent of all parties to said communication is strictly prohibited.

You agree, through your use of the Discussion Forums, that advertising on MBWorld.org will only be permitted by officially recognized site sponsors and advertisers. Advertising includes, but is not limited to, direct and indirect solicitation of business in posts, business contact information, use of corporate logos, or use of any language or image that can be construed as an advertisement. Posting is defined by posts in forums, signature files, personal messages and e-mails sent from MBWorld.org. Examples of what is not allowed as per this policy:

• signatures with member's corporate information, including but not limited to name, number, description of work offered and corporate logos or graphic images.
• non personal party 'for sale' posts.
• repetitive posting of graphic images with corporate logos inserted.

The owners and administrators of MBWorld.org Forums have the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for any reason.

Here is the long version: https://www.internetbrands.com/ibterms/

MB_FanAddict

I think it would be great if there was a diagnostic scanner/coding subforum. Someone could take out a banner/sticky post to advertise their services/business if they wanted. They’d have to leave other members threads/posts alone though.

Even if people share things they have enabled on their car via coding and/or provide instructions it does not mean that there is no longer a market for some form of assistance (whether building/configuring a system or remote diagnostics/coding). Peter aka BenzNinja just wants to be the only one to provide it on this forum!

MB_FanAddict

Rock, thank you for posting the Acceptable Use Policy. Unfortunately, this still does not address anything.

I’ve yet to hear from Wolfman, but I’m not going to have him and/or Peter aka BenzNinja hiding behind the rulebook! A single post offering to remotely help other members with their vehicles coding (without mention of price) should not be construed as a business advertisement.

Peter aka BenzNinja simply does not want anyone else on the forum to provide coding information or remote assistance. This was the only reason he reported the post.

He thinks it’s unacceptable and hopes this never happens again? Well tough, because I intend to repost my offer of assistance! And he can keep reporting it if he likes. If I’ve said it three times, I’ll say it again....I’m not going to be bullied or harassed by anyone site sponsor or not! His attitude is outrageous. If he thinks he is going to get away with treating former clients (who as of yet have not mentioned anything negative about them publicly) in such a manner, he is mistaken. If an admin wants to discuss this further via PM, my inbox is open!

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Wow, some people don't understand that they are members at the pleasure of the forum owners and administrators. This is not a public square where everyone enjoys the rights of free speech, this is a private forum, operated and maintained at a cost. If an administrator or a sponsor that pays the bills wants to shut anyone down for adversarial postings, then they should have at it.

I have been an admin on a private discussion forum in the past. I'm a fair person, but I've had to bounce members that chose to be confrontational when it came to my decisions as an admin.