When Is A Spam Not A Spam

[Canary42]

I am thinking of the case where someone recommends a product - say a book for example - and gives a link which describes it which just happens to be a site which sells it.

Obviously other sites will also sell it.

Giving a seller link is essentially a spam for that seller, because anyone interested in the recommended item can obviously do a search on that item name.

This must be a dilemma occasionally faced by Mods and Eds.

[jno]

the Ed did say something about how mods should be wary of suspending or banning well-established ABers, and I suppose this is a case where that applies.

If some newbie asks for advice on the best trainers and another newbie instantly replies with an address in Hyderabad, there will always be a suspicion that they're joint spammers. If you or (hopefully) I recommend a book, there's probably a default understanding that we've been around long enough not to be scamming anyone.

[barry1010]

It is only spam when clicking the link generates money to the poster or the poster owns the business/item he is linking to.
In your example this doesn't happen and anyone interested in buying the item is likely to search elsewhere to find the best place to buy

[Canary42]

Yes jno, I guessed the "established poster" judgement would apply.

Your newbie example made me chuckle ;-)

[Canary42]

barry, I think you're probably right for the overwhelming majority of cases.

Thank you both for your answers.

[Canary42]

P.S. I've got one in the pipeline which is why I raised it.

[johnny.5]

canary
having one in the pipeline is unacceptable

one trainer is no good to anyone it specifically says a pair

Am I Right ?
I'm Not Wrong !

[Old_Geezer]

Unsolicited advertising counts as spam. No matter how subtle.

[William51]

We have to be careful of selling tactics like this, and spams are hard to notice, west read them twice.

[1ozzy]

As should the east William

[barry1010]

You haven't clarified the definition of 'advertising', OG. In my view it's only advertising if the poster gets a financial gain in some way.
Recommendations are not advertisements in themselves.

[emmie]

keto, gummies, advertising these are spam, and are got rid of.

[Old_Geezer]

You can not tell who gets what.

It's always going to be subjective opinion, but it's clearly still advertising to provide links when no one asked for them, therefore it counts as spam. If the poster wasn't trying to advertise they'd not put a link in the question.

As a general guideline anything involving common spam, such as gummies, probably should not be seen immediately, but put in an editor access only area automatically where the eds can consider them first. Seeing no benefit may stop a lot of spam posts; after all, why waste time posting spam for no benefit ?

[THECORBYLOON]

Spam posts are deleted, usually within minutes but it doesn't appear to affect the number of subsequent spam posts.

[THECORBYLOON]

"[spam posts should be]put in an editor access only area automatically where the eds can consider them first"

I doubt the EDs have the time or inclination to look at the hundreds of spam posts.

If the posts could be identified as spam, why not delete them automatically but allow a genuine poster to query a deletion where appropriate?

[Old_Geezer]

I may not be fully aware of how the benefit works but I'd suspect as soon as it is posted and on view then Google and others start pushing the seller up their list for surfers to find. However if the attempted spam post is never seen by the surfers, then that's all stopped, but if it's there for a short while then it won't be stopped. If eds just want to delete all in the area without checking, then fine. Their decision.

[barry1010]

OG, I provide links in some of my replies because it is easier to show exactly the sort of item I am trying to describe, particularly in tech questions. For example, a power bank can be a very small device that will charge your phone or laptop; it can also be a huge heavy thing for powering car batteries or power tools away from the mains.
It is helpful for others to see the item I am trying to describe.

[Old_Geezer]

Granted *replies* containing links are more ambiguous. If it's an established member one would presumably give them the benefit of any doubt, whereas I'd presume a new or generally inactive member may be either flagged to the ed, or refused the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to think most could identify spam when they see it.

[THECORBYLOON]

"If it's an established member one would presumably give them the benefit of any doubt"

Is there a "benefit of the doubt" to be given? If an established member has posted a link, I'd not give it a second's thought.

I'm sure there are enough obvious spam posts for the Mods to deal with without their wondering if a member has a financial interest in the links they post.