So, terms of service?

May 15, 2007 17:39

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Comments 21

pocketnaomi May 15 2007, 22:47:32 UTC
I don't know if it would violate terms of service, but it sure would make me stop reading the journal it was in.

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quietann May 16 2007, 01:03:49 UTC
ditto. Regardless of the LJ terms of service, there's a community norm to not use LJ for advertising.

My one exception is for people soliciting funds for legitimate charities, as long as they don't do it all the time.

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tamidon May 16 2007, 01:33:57 UTC
ditto,trolling on lj would definitely make me block permanently

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jslove May 16 2007, 20:11:53 UTC
I was under the impression that trolling on LJ would be dropping into a community or popular thread and trying to upset people (by posting or commenting), to then enjoy the furor.

I assume that by this word you refer to the practice of asking for money, as in trawling for fish?

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dda May 16 2007, 00:03:34 UTC
I see something like this on occasion where someone says, "I need to do X but I don't have the money, how about donating some to me?" Depending on the X in question, I may or may not donate but the more of these a see, the less likely I am to donate, regardless.

I'm guessing that the LJ terms of service wording is to prevent spam but, as with most things LJ, someone would have to actually report advertising and then it would have to work its way up whatever chain there is. And the ad-supported journals kind of muddy the waters, too.

As for other fund-raising things, depending on the amount, people do everything from car washes to yard sales, all of which can be completed in three weeks or less. Not knowing the thing to which you refer, it is hard to suggest specific tie-ins or ideas, of course.

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jslove May 16 2007, 20:25:22 UTC
I'm not sure that the more of those I see makes me less likely to donate, exactly, but if I hit a succession of beggars, I am more likely to donate to the first one I see than the tenth ( ... )

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siderea May 16 2007, 01:03:16 UTC
As it happens, I just had a (different) LJ ToS question in need of resolution, which I posted to Support, and got a very satisfactory (if not issue-resolving) answer from someone on the abuse team, to whom it had apparently been directly escalated. I indicated in the subject I was requesting a policy clarification. I'll link to it when I get back to a real computer.

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cellio May 16 2007, 03:44:11 UTC
There's a spectrum from daily (or hourly or...) posts all over creation, and a single post in one's journal along the lines of "I'd really like to do X; can't afford; if you're inclined to help that'd be cool". I've seen the latter a few times, though more frequently I've seen appeals from people on behalf of other people, and usually in response to some unforseen setback.

I have no idea what a strict reading of the LJ TOS would yield. Is it worth asking them?

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teddywolf May 16 2007, 04:01:44 UTC
Mentioning the situation to friends on-journal and asking for help with the situation has never been an issue with the ToS that I know of.

Posting ads for other services in journal in exchange for money is another story entirely.

I think if you had some sort of fundraising auction with both online and offline components then you might be able to raise a notable portion of the funds; but it means that items or services you'd normally sell for householf income would be devoted to this instead.

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jslove May 16 2007, 20:47:06 UTC
Thinking about this reply makes my head hurt.

Asking readers to consider being a sponsor would be your first case. Many would not find such a request compelling, but maybe only a few would go so far as to unfriend the journal in question.

Trying to sell ads to help pay for something, which means asking readers to advertise in a publication, to wit, the program book of a competition (not affiliated with LJ), might be considered a commercial activity, which is what got me started on this thread. I don't see a specific ban on commercial activity in the ToS, but some services have such bans.

However, it's not a matter of showing ads for another service, which is what a narrow reading of your second case describes. It's trying to figure out where this falls on the spectrum between the cases that's making me wish for an analgesic.

I have to say that when aiglet asked in her journal for sponsorship in a walk for a charity, I not only didn't unfriend her journal but made a donation, via PayPal. I think a solicitation that isn't for a third- ( ... )

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