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[suggestion] Ban Self-Advertising (Threads)


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can't say I'm overly familiar with these types of threads but wouldn't there be a conflict of interest if the site has paid advertisers and some members are using the forums as a form of free advertising?...or is this not applicable?...

 

I think since sites like this have existed there have always been people who care more about likes, views, subs, etc. than actually sharing accurate intel to help out the community...sounds like this has become profitable for some so it's not surprising that they would also try to exploit potential ad venues...seems like it would be tricky for site mods to determine if the knowledge shared is actually useful or only an attempt at self-promotion...I have no issues with people providing supplementary help to the community though I do recognize that some threads could be considered as spam if the only intention is to attract "customers"...a potential solution would be to lock such threads and ask the op to include further info...I don't like the idea of an all out instant removal policy since it's possible some people are just trying to help and simply don't have the best approach in doing so...

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20 hours ago, PSXtreme_ said:

I believe the point of contention are threads that are only created for the reason of promoting an outside guide. Example below:

 

I love that guy. Re-uploads official trailers, makes guides for Rata games that are years old. Quality content.

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I can see why it'd be annoying.

I do always try and engage with everyone on here that comments on my guides, especially the ones who find better tips/methods to do certain trophies it's nice when they give that feedback and I can try those methods as well. 

I always try and edit for convenience as well to make sure I waste as little time as possible since we have metals to hunt.
I have also been putting [Video] just so the expectations are set when someone even enters my post. 
 

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I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with posting a video of a guide you have just made. But I also get that this is a community that needs some form of meaningful user input to continue to thrive - and starting a thread which is just a title and an embed of the video doesn't really add to that community building aspect. So maybe there is a way for both to meet halfway as a compromise.

 

I still think there is a place for video guides on the site, but I echo what a few people have been saying along the lines of iterating PSNP to cater for those guides in their own section. I don't think this is about cutting off someone's ability to post or judging what kind of post is acceptable over another, I think it's more a question of changing the way video guides are placed on the site itself really. There is definitely an opportunity there from a site building perspective.

 

As for Twitch streamers promoting themselves, I'm not a fan of pushy self promotion at all. I had my stream info in my profile title for a really short while, but it looked and felt a little weird and a bit like i was forcing it on people and assuming that everyone was a Twitch viewer. Not to mention it felt a bit like i was distorting my purpose for being on the site - like I was here just to promote, rather than be an active member of the site. So I took it down and reverted to my original set-up - feels way better now. I think i have one reference to the channel now buried somewhere in the Profile info section and that feels way way better.

Edited by Crispy_Oglop
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On 31/07/2020 at 2:26 PM, AffectatiousDonk said:

I will agree with you though your site offers the best translated japanese visual novel guides. But translating is different from writing an original guide. There is a place for both surely.

Using sources would still actually still be classified as an original piece. However crtl + c, ctrl + v, isn't original no matter how you look at things.

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1 hour ago, Bushido_Cypher said:

I can see why it'd be annoying.

I do always try and engage with everyone on here that comments on my guides, especially the ones who find better tips/methods to do certain trophies it's nice when they give that feedback and I can try those methods as well. 

I always try and edit for convenience as well to make sure I waste as little time as possible since we have metals to hunt.
I have also been putting [Video] just so the expectations are set when someone even enters my post. 
 

Your video's are good bro and the guides are very well made. I've used the Sims 4 one when it got on ps+. And with for example the I am bread platinum walkthrough, I think people would appreciate it. 

 

I went on a thread and while there is definently 'self promotion intentions' (with the leave a like comment). You do engage with the discussions.

 

Which is miles ahead in comparison to the creators that people are 'annoyed' about. Those just post a video on a piss easy game (with free keys for 'promotion purposes' ) and then leave on to the next one. Those can get spammy.

 

I personally don't get annoyed (don't click on them. But the video tag is a fine idea. 

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58 minutes ago, Bumperklever said:

Your video's are good bro and the guides are very well made. I've used the Sims 4 one when it got on ps+. And with for example the I am bread platinum walkthrough, I think people would appreciate it. 

 

I went on a thread and while there is definently 'self promotion intentions' (with the leave a like comment). You do engage with the discussions.

 

Which is miles ahead in comparison to the creators that people are 'annoyed' about. Those just post a video on a piss easy game (with free keys for 'promotion purposes' ) and then leave on to the next one. Those can get spammy.

 

I personally don't get annoyed (don't click on them. But the video tag is a fine idea. 

Ya I think the video tag helps from people wasting their time so I'll continue to do so.

I don't really beg for likes/subs in the end if the guide helps that's good enough for me, I try to aim for engaging, fun & concise. Guides are either too drawn out now a days or they're not really a fun experience to watch. I always try to better my editing and take on any and all feedback but end of the day just happy to help out the community.

I work full time and have a 7 month old and in the free time I do have I genuinely like editing/recording. Main reason why I did The Witcher III Platinum video as well.

I appreciate that mate! Congrats on the Sims plat! The performance was horrible on that.

I don't want to derail this guys post so I'll stop but I think a video tag is necessary. I do like when I have comments to come back to and I do appreciate the ones that engage or share their experience/methods they find. 

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  • 1 month later...
32 minutes ago, SelectiveGamer said:

There is literally no rule about this. So why are disparaging comments being allowed and not being removed?

It looks like they removed the comments in question. I only saw the first two, not sure if there were more. 

 

Which is a step in the wrong direction imo. But no one asked me. :dunno: I wonder if my comments about people forgetting the video tag in their titles will be removed next.

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I declare myself guilty of adding a few of those threads on the site, but I can say that at least the noun phrase "video guide" appears in the titles. I have also written and published one forum guide here, so I am going to give you my view on the matter, considering both things.

 

Personally, I get no profit for any kind of content I create (I suppose it is because I only created a few things for fun during my last winter holidays :P). I'm not planning on going viral, and I created that content specifically thinking of PSNProfiles (I didn't post that content on any other similar sites). This is the only site I am a member of, and the only forum I take part in. As far as I know, there is no option to upload a video here directly, so that is why I used YT for that.

 

I only created video guides for games that didn't have a written guide here, so that I could somehow contribute with something to the community. I would have contributed with nothing if I had had to write those guides instead of posting their videos.

 

Writing a guide is a lot more time consuming (at least if you want to make a good one) and I don't really feel like every game out there is worth one.

 

Published guides here get no forum threads at all, so if you see the word "guide" in a topic title, you know it is not going to forward you to our forum guides section. Therefore, you can simply not click on those :) I would like to be able to keep on posting video guides inside a game's subforum here if I ever decide to record another one, and I promise the word "video" will be there right in the topic title so that people who don't like that kind of thread can simply keep on scrolling down.

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10 hours ago, Kittet3 said:

It looks like they removed the comments in question. I only saw the first two, not sure if there were more. 

 

Which is a step in the wrong direction imo. But no one asked me. :dunno: I wonder if my comments about people forgetting the video tag in their titles will be removed next.


There was only one meme post removed from this thread, I’m not sure what other comments you think have been removed. Unless someone edited their own comment that you’re referring to.

 

Has the situation this thread was created for improved in your opinion since the thread was created?

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No solid decision has been made one way or the other. Either make a rule about this or don't allow disparaging comments in the threads containing it. I make it pretty obvious what it is and yet disparaging comments still how up because the rulebreakers choose to ignore the obvious warning I give and do so anyway.

 

As far as I'm concerned... you can't allow both. In other words you can't allow it but also allow disparaging comments in them.

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7 hours ago, DaivRules said:


There was only one meme post removed from this thread, I’m not sure what other comments you think have been removed. Unless someone edited their own comment that you’re referring to.

 

Has the situation this thread was created for improved in your opinion since the thread was created?

I remember two comments - one stating something similar to gamers are all sellouts and another one from Helyx (I believe) that said PSNPromotions.com (which I thought was funny and liked). Both comments are now gone :dunno: 

 

I love the addition of the [video] tag that you added to the rules (if it wasn't obvious, lol). I think that's a step in the right direction but I also think there should be some kind of limit to these threads - there's still so many of them and it's just going to get worse as people make a thread for every video and article they make.

 

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17 hours ago, Gray-Fox-44 said:

I declare myself guilty of adding a few of those threads on the site, but [...] I created that content specifically thinking of PSNProfiles.

 

I only created video guides for games that didn't have a written guide here, so that I could somehow contribute with something to the community

 

A selfless act, good on ya.

 

1 hour ago, SelectiveGamer said:

Either make a rule about this or don't allow disparaging comments in the threads containing it.

 

If it was ruled that the Guide Team wanted actual official guides instead these types of threads, it wouldn't stop people from posting (videos or "disparaging comments"). Just look at the boosting thread situation.

 

If you've got the courage to put your work out into the public, you have to be mature enough to accept some people just wont like it. Some may even crack jokes. You're gonna need to toughen up if you wanna be out in the world like a big boy.

 

30 minutes ago, Kittet3 said:

I love the addition of the [video] tag that you added

 

I think a moderator added the tag in the title.

 

23 minutes ago, BIOHAZARD-R-US said:

Anytime I have a video I make or something that I want to share here, I do it as a Status Update. Maybe promote that feature more and see if there is a decrease in thread creations?

 

I like this idea. You could even put tags on status updates and a make them searchable...err...who am I kidding...nobody's gonna add features to this site.

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1 hour ago, TJ_Solo said:

Or business 101, finding an easy market.

Trusting isn't in our nature, I suppose. I'll add the [video] tag from now on so people can choose to skip without actually clicking first (all the same, my posts already clarify "video guide.")

 

12 minutes ago, Helyx said:

 

What's he selling exactly? I didn't see any price listed, so I just assumed it was free...

Thank you for your support :) Free for life ;)

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I'm sure for all the people who don't want to see it, there is an equal amount of people who do and will use those video guides. I couldn't care less about those competition things people do in the forums when there's already what feels like dozens of the same thing, but I'd also never expect them to stop it. Some people prefer watching a guide over reading it, I know I do. 

On the other hand, I can agree with there not being a point for multiple guides for the same thing. If it's a new way to get a specific trophy, then sure. But if there's multiple threads of an almost identical video that's just been recreated, then no, I don't think there's a point in that. That adds no extra help to anyone.

I've posted a few guides before, but I thoroughly check to see if someone has already shared and posted that guide. Or I'll look to see if there's a similar thread where my video can provide help for those people in that specific thread. Multiple guides of the exact same thing will always be annoying. 

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I think this would be a really bad idea to enforce as a rule. I have googled some games that would be horrible to write a guide for and no one wrote one for, but then found a thread on here where someone posted a video for one or two trophies that were a pain on that game. Then in turn i get that trophy. There's often a bunch of helpful tips in that topic where people say whats right or wrong or if there is an efficient method, but it increases discussion. This is a forum where we are supposed to discuss things. Have you tried discussing on an actual guide half the time the guide writer is gone or there is no response. So i can see a lot of negatives vs minor annoyances. If someone literally writes a video with no explanation and isn't even will to say why the guide is helpful then sure sure get rid of repeat offenders. But that one guy who puts a video up then a guide writer finds a vid they can later add to a guide or inspires them to write one that stuff is awesome.

 

If we are talking about shameless self promotion of twitch streams outside of status updates screw those guys this is about trophies and guides and a sense of community. Also offsite guides should be deleted. If there from legitimate sites then google can find them. I think youtube or video guides with threads here are fine though. Trying to find what you need on youtube can be a nightmare and then we can see if people think those were good or up to this sites standards.

Edited by Superbuu3
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It's fine. Since I keep getting BS about it I'll just post in in #media in the Discord server instead. So this issue is as good as dead to me.

 

If a mod wants to delete all of the threads I've created involving this have it. Good luck though. I've done if for a year+ now and there are a lot.

Edited by SelectiveGamer
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On 9/13/2020 at 3:48 PM, Superbuu3 said:

If we are talking about shameless self promotion of twitch streams outside of status updates screw those guys this is about trophies and guides and a sense of community. Also offsite guides should be deleted. If there from legitimate sites then google can find them. I think youtube or video guides with threads here are fine though. Trying to find what you need on youtube can be a nightmare and then we can see if people think those were good or up to this sites standards.

 

I don't think offsite guides should be deleted from here.  Just because I can find them via google, doesn't mean that the guide even works, is accurate and complete, or the best guide available.  Some games have outright inaccurate guides and google doesn't always give the best guide first or even a guide for the version you are playing.  Being able to link guides is especially helpful for non-English games where the best or only guides also aren't in English because those are harder to find via google.  But overall having a person specifically recommend a guide that worked for them is more helpful than a list of google results with no idea which guide is the best to use.

 

Plain and simple, posts that give information that may be helpful to people, especially in response to a specific request for help, should be permitted even if they are linking offsite content.  Stuff outside of this starts falling into being spam and should be deleted.

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On 9/13/2020 at 2:59 PM, Helyx said:

 

What's he selling exactly? I didn't see any price listed, so I just assumed it was free...

 

It's 2020. They sell their site/channel to advertisers based on traffic. 

Or they also include things like patreon memberships and merchandise.

The video is free but the next 2-3 min of advertising and self-promotion shows you plenty of annoying prices.

 

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