The TOU but not the spirit...
Pin it! 
Chet_Manly, jcomeaux, daemon and 5 others like this
User kellogsss and mynameisfoxtrot only use Gentlemint to drive traffic to their sites. The only links they post are for spendingitall.com and mynameisfoxtrot.com respectively. kellogsss has never liked any other post and mynameisfoxtrot has commented a total of twice even though both have posted over 150 times each.
While this behavior doesn't violate the terms of use of Gentlemint, I believe it certainly violates the spirit of the site. For this reason, I try to avoid their pins and I really try to make sure I don't click their links and help artificially drive up their click counts there. If you're a Gentlemint regular, would you join me in this?
Please be aware that I'm calling them out or trying to cast any aspersions on their characters. I'm only trying to point out some users who are not sticking to the spirit of the thing and calling on others to avoid them. Gentlemint is a great place for guys to share items on interest, converse over those items, and enjoy some online friendship. Let's try to keep that spirit alive.
Thank you for your consideration. Now, back to the mint!
9 comments
Login to comment →
jcomeaux 9 years, 2 months ago
Well said! In their defense, I honestly enjoy some of the content for which they post links. However, I totally get that their usage patterns may be a bit too much on the self-serving side, and that authentic users are what we'd like to see here.
Thanks for your efforts in trying to keep the marketing bullshit out of this site!
Reply
ahnyerkeester 9 years, 2 months ago
I absolutely agree. Some of the things they post look really cool. So I try to google them and find the original site. I wouldn't have a beef if they posted the original link instead of their repost.
Reply
daemon 9 years, 2 months ago
Well said. There are a few others who shamelessly post links to their business' sites in an attempt to solicit sales, but at least they post some content on the rare occasion. I would rather see them become a sponsor of this place if their intent is nickels and noses.
Reply
Razorback 9 years, 2 months ago
I agree about the sponsorship or paying for as space on the Mint. Most of these people don't care about selling product or providing visitors with anything of value, they care about driving traffic because it creates passive revenue for them. In some cases, they can earn a generous income from it.
Reply
Razorback 9 years, 2 months ago
*ad space*
Reply
Nickolas 9 years, 2 months ago
Agreed, for my part as you see I try to provide the original link and cut out the ad space sucking middle man out of the picture.
I have no problem with folks that occasionally post their own business efforts but also contribute to the site. Contribute by commenting reading other posts than their own.
Reply
ahnyerkeester 9 years, 2 months ago
Hey guys, I need your opinion. I'm going to their pins and commenting with the original link. Am I'm being a dirtbag or not?
Reply
Chet_Manly 9 years, 2 months ago
Not at all. I've used the links that you've provided. In my opinion, the dirt bag clogs up a site like this with self-serving posts and doesn't contribute with commentary or any other interaction except on their own self-serving posts.
Reply
glen 9 years, 2 months ago
Hey everyone, sorry I'm late to the party!
Great discussion. You're right... posting links to links doesn't violate our terms. And many of their posts have been well received. It's a definite quandary, and we've struggled with it since we've started the site.
I always like the party analogy when doing self-promotion. You wouldn't walk up to somebody and shout "HEY CHECK OUT MY XYZ!" You'd strike up a conversation, talk about interests, etc., and then when the opportunity arose mention your XYZ. Nobody's offended, and people generally want to know about it by that time.
The same thing goes with online communities like Gentlemint. Brian and I are talking about how we can make this better, and hope to have some documentation for new (and old) members who want to contribute. Clear up some misconceptions, etc. (I'll post it when it's live.)
Anyway, thanks for your concern about the integrity of the site. It's nice knowing that others care as strongly about it as we do. You guys are awesome.
Reply