Am I missing something?

[Das Capitolin]

A few months back I signed up over at overclockersonline.com to participate in a new contest. All was well and fine for over a month, mainly because I hate their forum software and couldn't manage to post much. Then, as I got used to the clunky software, I made a few posts. Well, on Monday I posted ten new topics, all in the breaking news section. Tuesday rolls around, and my account has been deleted without notice.

So I work with the admins to re-establish an account, and he explains that they post news on their web site, so don't put more then one post in the Breaking News section each day. I say fine.

When I return, I start by posting the seven contests that are running right now that are not listed in their Contests section. This morning I get a PM from another member warning me that my account may get deleted... again.

Am I the only one who see's this kind of reaction as a shocking surprise? As far as I can tell, I haven't broken any rules. I just seem to have posted seven different contests in the designated area for contests, all inside of one day.

[ToXic_WaSTe]

A few months back I signed up over at overclockersonline.com to participate in a new contest. All was well and fine for over a month, mainly because I hate their forum software and couldn't manage to post much. Then, as I got used to the clunky software, I made a few posts. Well, on Monday I posted ten new topics, all in the breaking news section. Tuesday rolls around, and my account has been deleted without notice.

So I work with the admins to re-establish an account, and he explains that they post news on their web site, so don't put more then one post in the Breaking News section each day. I say fine.

When I return, I start by posting the seven contests that are running right now that are not listed in their Contests section. This morning I get a PM from another member warning me that my account may get deleted... again.

Am I the only one who see's this kind of reaction as a shocking surprise? As far as I can tell, I haven't broken any rules. I just seem to have posted seven different contests in the designated area for contests, all inside of one day.

Well I can understand the news thing, cause there are hundreds of news sites and there is really no reason to post news... I feel the same way with news on bjorn3d

But the contest thing is stupid, there is no reason not to let you share contests, especially since you are sharing this with other members so they can enter to win...

[Miles]

I have seen similar behavior at some of the other "large sites", not to mention the way they treat anyone new to the site no matter what level of knowledge they may possess. I no longer belong to any of those sites and never will again...

Since I began writing here a BJ3D I've found a home! Funny, because shortly after I began publishing here many of those same sites asked me about writing for them...you see my answer, I'm still here and have no inclination to go elsewhere, namely because ot the flexibility I've found here coupled with the great people that both own and are on staff here. They are both honest and straight forward and that's two very rare commodities (especially where money is concerned) in this day and time as you are well aware!

I also have a similar background to you, law enforcement first, then I got smart and went back to school and vastly incresed my income as well as being much happier!

[tomato]

Wow, that sucks Das... I've never had any problems with OCO... but I don't frequent their forums very much either... perhaps they don't like the potential competition of yourself posting rival website links on their website? That would be a stupid reason, but reason seems to have flown the coup here...

[SwedBear]

Actually next week we will start banning and deleting accounts for posting to much news ....


NOT :). Just kidding.

however - I'm looking into breaking out the member news posts from the "latest Forum threads" list on the frontpage and isntead making a "Members News" list there. That should promote the news you guys dig up as well as make the "normal" forum posts more visible on the frontpage.

/B

[Das Capitolin]

I have seen similar behavior at some of the other "large sites", not to mention the way they treat anyone new to the site no matter what level of knowledge they may possess. I no longer belong to any of those sites and never will again...

I am still in disbelief over the level of carelessness they manage their member accounts. I brought only the most relevant news, contests, and tech support help to their forum, and without warning they deleted my account. When I discussed the issue with one of the admins via email, he was polite enough, but not at all sorry for deleting all of my posts and my account.

This morning I did get word from a moderator that says he warns against posting too many new topics at once, even if they are contests. I thought that was such a crazy statement, but after searching for a decent topic to discuss I quickly learned why their forums are so bare and lack new content: they delete it!

I suppose that whomever needs tech support help in that forum should just look elsewhere; because we are all over here!

Mind the avatar. ;-)

[Scott]

I think all of you should just go to other fourms on other sites and tell everyone how cool Bjorn3D forums are. And they can win prizes also.

Sounds good to me 8-)

[werty316]

I have been a member of that forum for a while I know that in some situations like its better to just email them news to their "news email" address and not post them in their forums that what I usually do to spread the Bjorn3d contest.

Think about this; since you are entering their contest and you just joined and since posting gets you more entrys I guess staff thought you were spamming their forums with contest links just to get extra entrys.

[Bio-Hazard]

I've never had a problem at OCO in the 2 years that I've been a member. I pretty much post what I like when I like.............;)

[werty316]

I think one of the things about this is that we don't know you very well. We are always glad to have new forum members, but some people occasionally sign up and just post a bunch of random crap that has nothing to do with this forum. I think that may be why this was taken the way it was. If you stick around and give some good quality posts then I don't think we will have any mix ups.
Couldn't have said it any better.

[Das Capitolin]

Sadly, my account was two months old, and had about 20 posts in it before I posted those news topics and had it deleted without warning.

They may not know me, but I have quickly learned about them.

I think it's time to spruce up the Bjorn3D avatar I created with a few other items... and then use that avatar on the other forums.

[Kougar]

Actually next week we will start banning and deleting accounts for posting to much news ....


NOT :). Just kidding.

however - I'm looking into breaking out the member news posts from the "latest Forum threads" list on the frontpage and isntead making a "Members News" list there. That should promote the news you guys dig up as well as make the "normal" forum posts more visible on the frontpage.

/B

Well, I would agree that I usually don't prefer posting bunches of news stories when almost everyone knows where to go to read them all anyway! But such is the price to pay for post like a madman contests I guess... :mrgreen:

SwedBear, that is a very good idea! A few times I'd noticed the latest forum sidebar was mostly clogged with news reports... separating them would definitely help the overall image I think. :)


Sorry to hear about your unpleasant discovery with Overclockers Das Capitolin. :???: I would at least have expected a polite but curt warning or something before things went that far, especially since you were NOT using a just made account with no posting history...

So far I (Besides Bjorn3d, of course!) I mostly prefer Anandtech's forums as everyone's pretty nice there (Assuming traffic jams and threads lasting just 5 minutes on the first page are alright... ;) ), and also MadShrimps seems pretty good although I was shocked at how quiet their forums were, the complete antithesis of Anandtech's in that regard.

Anyway... using the Bjorn3d sig should definitely get a few raised eyebrows and extra visitors over this way, good idea. :wink:

[Das Capitolin]

Anyway... using the Bjorn3d sig should definitely get a few raised eyebrows and extra visitors over this way, good idea. :wink:

I suppose we will wait and see. I changed it for most of the forums that have become ghost towns, as well as a few that I give tech support help on.

[GIBSON]

That's just really lame Das, I'm sorry they did that to you. I guess the admins/moderators aren't what they should be over at OCO. I don't know if using your bjorn3d avatar is such a good idea, it might offend the staff from other sites I think, not sure though.

[Das Capitolin]

I don't know if using your bjorn3d avatar is such a good idea, it might offend the staff from other sites I think, not sure though.

I won't use it on all the forums I visit, only the ones which have become ghost towns. It will act as a billboard sign on those forums.

[Das Capitolin]

I don't know if using your bjorn3d avatar is such a good idea, it might offend the staff from other sites I think, not sure though.

You were right about that! Simon over at overclockers online deleted some of my posts again and then asked me to remove my avatar. Sad little bunch.

[werty316]

I think it is fair since you are advertising another site on their forums and most forums don't want advertisements. Its like the spam in here when a spammer makes a post about selling sell phones and ipods. Its like wearing an AMD t-shirt at an Intel conference.

[XJnine]

I think it's stupid to ask someone to change their avatar unless it's obscene or offensive. I don't think they should make you change just because it has a name and logo from another website.

[Das Capitolin]

I think it's stupid to ask someone to change their avatar unless it's obscene or offensive. I don't think they should make you change just because it has a name and logo from another website.

Well I certainly agree. It seems funny that he made me remove it because it "advertises". Doesn't and Intel or AMD avatar do the very same thing? Like I said before, they are a sad lot.

On another point, I think more of our members should be adopting the avatar I created, or maybe Scott could upload it and make it an option.

[werty316]

Intel and AMD woudn't be on the same issue. I think they see it as an insult since you are using an avatar from another site and not an OverclockersOnline avatar.

[XJnine]

www.intel.com (http://www.intel.com)

www.amd.com (http://www.amd.com)

Guess what, they have sites too.....

[werty316]

Since OverclockersOnline is not made by Intel or AMD using either as an avatar wouldn't matter but he used an avatar that is advertising another site and not OverclockersOnline. I don't know why you guys can't understand this.

If Intel had a forum on their website then using an AMD avatar on Intel's forum would be the same.

Its like wearing the away teams jersey at a home game in a sports venue.

[XJnine]

Since OverclockersOnline is not made by Intel or AMD using either as an avatar wouldn't matter

OverclockersOnline is not made by Bjorn3D either...

Your avatar is advertising AMD. Another website and another company. How is that different?

Are you saying it's not appropriate to use an avatar advertising a competitor? If so, say that. I think a site owner has to be pretty insecure to be worried about an avatar that might make someone go look at a competitors website.

[werty316]

Are you saying it's not appropriate to use an avatar advertising a competitor?
Yeah thats is what I am trying to say. You guys were just thinking too deep. Frankly I don't see the problem but I guess the Overclocker sOnline admin, Simon, doesn't like advertisments from other competitors displayed on his website.

[Das Capitolin]

Since OverclockersOnline is not made by Intel or AMD using either as an avatar wouldn't matter but he used an avatar that is advertising another site and not OverclockersOnline. I don't know why you guys can't understand this.

If Intel had a forum on their website then using an AMD avatar on Intel's forum would be the same.

Its like wearing the away teams jersey at a home game in a sports venue.

Werty, as you well know, AMD and Intel along with XFX and eVGA all have sites and forums. Should eVGA tell me to change my avatar too?

I see that this is still an issue of Simon being petty about things. Maybe you and he see eye to eye on this issue, but that still doens't make it right.

[werty316]

No because your bjorn3d avatar is not a video card competitor.

[Das Capitolin]

No because that avatar is not a video card competitor.

But Bjorn3D and XFX are busom buddies. Bjorn3D is practically the only forum for XFX.

Regardless, the issue is very petty. I hope OCO blows into the dust... their crappy admins and clunky forum too.

[werty316]

Ahhhh you guys are thinking too broad so I'll leave it at that.

Not all forums will be the same.

[Kougar]

Well, I'm going to have to say for a change I can see Werty's point here... It really sounds like Simon took the avatar rather personally... But I also agree that isn't by itself justification enough to delete posts and then order it removed.

I guess I won't bother looking at making a forum account over at their place for any contests, that's for darn sure...

[tomato]

I can see OCO's POV, in that, by using Bjorn3D's as an avatar, whether you like it or not, you are in a sense "advertising" a potential competitor whether another user recognizes it or not. Simon runs OCO, and he recognized and made the decision to ask you to change/remove said avatar. It's his board, and his rules...

I'm not saying he's right, but it's his perogative.

[Das Capitolin]

I can see OCO's POV, in that, by using Bjorn3D's as an avatar, whether you like it or not, you are in a sense "advertising" a potential competitor whether another user recognizes it or not. Simon runs OCO, and he recognized and made the decision to ask you to change/remove said avatar. It's his board, and his rules...

I'm not saying he's right, but it's his perogative.

I agree, it is his boat so he is welcome to sink it if he pleases. It just seems deperate to make someone remove their avatar because you fear competition.

[XJnine]

I don't think any of us here were saying Simon couldn't make him change his avatar, we just think he's a pansy ass for making someone do it.

We were also trying to figure out the logic for making someone change it because to me it seems too incredibly childish to make someone change an avatar unless it shows something truly obscene or offensive, not just because you want to have totalitarian censorship control over your message board.

[GIBSON]

Why is this all so hard for you guys to get this? I'm with werty on this one, it's advertising for the direct competition. I'm not trying to say that what that Simon guy did is good, but I can see his frustrations. (Even more if he would have read your post over here saying you'd only use the avatar in forums that are like ghosttowns :mrgreen:) It's indeed childish though to ask a person to remove the avatar and while you're at it remove some posts (what was the reason for that actually, were you promoting bjorn3d in a thread or something?)

[SwedBear]

Well, I kind of see OCO's point since they could see it as advertising. I never would go in to another website and say "Hey guys, come to Bjorn3d.com instead of this site" because it would be rude.

On the other hand, I don't think we would ask someone to change avatar if it has another website adress in it since I wouldn't really be worried that people would leave because of that.

There's another reason though why I don't necessary like to much people using our logo for avatars. Indirect Bjorn3d.com kind of get linked to what the person using the avatar does in the forum. So if a person using the avatar acts rude, flames people and pisses people off people might get a negative opinion about Bjorn3d.com. So fqar I'm not worried but those of you busing it, remember you kind of represent us out there when you use the avatar.

One way to promote Bjorn3d.com on other forums without pissing the admins off is to use a signature which lists a few sites you visit including Bjorn3d.com. That seems to be ok on most sites I visit.

/B

[XJnine]

Why is this all so hard for you guys to get this?

Uhh, what are we not getting? Werty had a hard time getting his point across in the beginning because of his choice of words used in his post.

We finally got that figured out and I think we all agree that on most of the major points. The avatar could potentially be seen as advertising a competitor which Simon didn't like. He freaked and acted childish by making Das remove the avatar but he has every right to do it.

To me your avatar should be something that you like or in some way describes you or your personality. If Das happens to really like Bjorn3D or somehow thinks it fits his personality to have the paw as his avatar, cool! The only people who should have anything to say about it should be Scott and Bjorn since that is their logo and anyone using it could be confused with a person with an official capacity at Bjorn3D.

[GIBSON]

Uhh, what are we not getting? Werty had a hard time getting his point across in the beginning because of his choice of words used in his post.

We finally got that figured out and I think we all agree that on most of the major points.
That's what I meant. When reading werty's first post about this topic I directly got what he meant. That's why I was kind of puzzled that it took like 10 posts until everyone figured it out. That's all, I didn't mean to offend you or so ;)

[XJnine]

In reality, I knew what he meant too. I just wanted him to say it... ;-)

Sometimes debate can be fun!

[Das Capitolin]

The only people who should have anything to say about it should be Scott and Bjorn since that is their logo and anyone using it could be confused with a person with an official capacity at Bjorn3D.

I guess this is the concensus, so I will take it down and remove it.

[werty316]

Choice of words or that fact you guys think on a broader scope and don't think logically.

[Das Capitolin]

Choice of words or that fact you guys think on a broader scope and don't think logically.

What? So just because you say it's so and we disagree then we must not be thinking logically? Man, you're a piece of work. Have I got a suprise for you. :twisted:

[werty316]

Who the hell said it has to be my way and if you guys disagreed it not logical? I'm am piece of work? this coming from the guy who called me out on 3 forums and also execpting me to give you hints for two contests. You guys trying to put me down and I say whats on my mind and I don't back down because I am not a puss.

[Das Capitolin]

I'm am piece of work? this coming from the guy who called me out on 3 forums and also execpting me to give you hints for two contests. You guys trying to put me down and I say whats on my mind and I don't back down because I am not a puss.
Any more things you want to say about us? Maybe we are just not smart enough to understand what you were saying? That's what you really wanted to say.

And as far as asking you if you wanted to work together on some of the other scavenger hunts, you can consider that a kind offer that will not be available to you anymore.

You might not want to think I am always "calling you out" either. If I wanted to do that it wouldn't be like this.

[werty316]

I say whats on my mind and if I think you guys weren't smart enough to comprehend my idea I would have said it which I didn't so stop putting words in my mouth.

As for a contest I never asked you if you wanted to work together so why would I work together if you asked me twice? Its a competition and you don't ask your opponents if they want to work something out during sparing match do you?

Because of the other forums when you called me out its seems I am on your hit lits whenever I am in a heated discussion. It doesn't take much to boil your blood so I guess studying all those martial arts encouraged you to me more aggressive.

[Das Capitolin]

I am on your hit lits whenever I am in a heated discussion.

Or it could be the things you say and do against me. One example is complaining that I have an unfair advantage over others in a F@H contest; so much complaining that Scott had to change the rules.

I think we should change the rules for this months contest; since it is clear that you have and unfair advantage.

[XJnine]

I think this thread should be locked and any more arguing can be done via PM's....

[werty316]

Or it could be the things you say and do against me.
Only because you started it on other two forums.

I think we should change the rules for this months contest; since it is clear that you have and unfair advantage.

Its not my fault you don't want me to win either.

This isn't going anywhere so I'll leave it at that.

[Das Capitolin]

Only because you started it on other two forums.



Its not my fault you don't want me to win either.

This isn't going anywhere so I'll leave it at that.

We want to discuss logic? I already have a 7900GT on it's way to me, so why should I care if you win (another) one? I don't care.

I do take offense to you starting a movement against me, unprovoked, and think that your points against me also become points against what you are doing this month as well.