SANParks.org Forums

Split from here:

Hi everyone,

We appreciate you helping UKbadger with getting a better deal but no commercial links allowed.
Please send these by PM?

Thanx for understanding.

Is it the LINK that you object to, or the mention of any thing "commercial"? For those of us who visit from outside South Africa, the care hire is one of THE biggest issues. I have received loads of valuable information re. car rentals on the Forum and I have been very very grateful. Much of the good information that I have received has been from reading other people's postings. We do not have access to PMs.

Jen I have always posted with the LINK to AutoEurope in the past, no worries. This is NOT in competition with SANParks, merely helpful and I think it is really UNhelpful and totally stupid to now decide to not allow such links. Really, this forum is becoming more and more user UNfriendly IMO

Hear, Hear!!! That is the point of including a link for information that is NOT — at least IMO — in competition with SANParks. Requiring PMs means that FAR less helpful information will be included ON the forum and after all, at least in my opinion, the whole point of a forum is to share information. I understand why SANParks doesn't want us to post accommodation links — even while IMO those for accommodation en route to a park aren't "competition" — links for such things as supermarkets and car hire companies should IMO be allowed as information that in fact supports SANParks business by facilitating travel to the parks. Again, IMO this forum is becoming less and less a place of helpfulness

Sorry, I don’t get it! On the one hand its OK to post details of shops like Spar, Pick –A- Pay, Checkers, butcheries, etc on the way to Kruger to avoid those absurd prices in the camp shops, but on the other hand no links/names of vehicle rental companies are allowed! Why is that, I mean the Spar at Malelane or White River is in completion with SANParks, but the rental company not.

Come on mods, get real here! If someone needs some advice on rental companies to enable that person to visit Kruger where he/she is going to spend lots of $$$, why not allowing such advice!?

I should be careful of what I’m saying here seeing so many warnings were issued the past few days.

With all due respect people....
The rules state clearly that no commercial links are allowed. We understand that you are trying to help and we appreciate it but please send the links by PM?

We are not just trying to be difficult, allow me to sketch the following scenario: If someone new registers and posts a link to a car hire company (which is deemed a commercial link), the post gets reported by members of this forum and in most circumstances he'll get banned and deleted within a minute or two. Posts by legitimate members are also very often reported and the links are removed by the mods. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander as they saying goes.

Hope you understand.

UKBadger - Have PMd you.

Sorry, Jen, but sending a link by PM only helps ONE person. The point, at least in my opinion, of a FORUM is that posts are meant to help as many people as possible, so I really don't see the point here. Just another example of excessive political correctness that is making me less and less happy with and active on this forum. If I can't help as many as possible with what info I can share, then what's the point?!?

There is a HUGE difference between someone posting an obviously commercial link and someone like me recommending to all a car hire option that I have used and been happy with. Is it really SO hard to make the distinction and allow useful links ON the forum?!? As Thuens says, get real, mods!

Arks, you may according to the current rules post the name of the company but you may not link to their website. Spammers register here all day everyday and that is what they do, they bombard us with commercial links. If we allowed members to post these links too, how would we be able to distinguish between what is helpful and what is just pure spamming? I fully understand that you only mean to help but unfortunately if we allow it in one topic, we have to allow it all over.

It is easy enough just to Google and if it's un-Google-able, send by PM? I really don't think that is so unreasonable?

I'm truly sorry you feel this way but that is by no means a new rule.

For once I agree with a mod

Micetta.

That seems perfectly sensible to me.

If people have the technical ability to post on these forums, surely they will be able to Google a company name and not need a link to that website.
This means that we can pass on our useful info like shops or car hire etc without helping the spammers.

I must say I have also been smacked on the hand for a link post in the past, but I do definitely see both sides of the argument.

e.g I had a fantastic opportunity that I wanted to present to forum members when they couldn't get accommodation over easter weekend and I couldn't post it (asked a mod before I did) so that they could visit SANPARKS but was not allowes

but than again

if you post one helpful link one can than anyone can post links to other businesses and just deem it to be a helpful one.

All about drawing the line, like with most rules you always have to implement an extreme to avoid a few people taking advantage of something e.g Alcohol and day visitors

WOW!!

What happened?



It seems that even when they are being “naughty” the members of this forum are just trying to be helpful!!!

Guys and Girls, Mods and posters, you are all,

JUST THE BEST

Now to work through all these alternative ideas.

Thanks to all, I’ll let you all know how I get on and reply individualy as soon as I can.

UKB