geekhack
Site Announcements and Feedback => Announcements/Feedback/Suggestions => Topic started by: samwisekoi on Wed, 15 May 2013, 12:49:29
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Over the past six months the Admin group and iMav have been discussing the need to clarify what role vendors should play on geekhack.org. We are not a business, but having vendors here adds value to the community. But some conditions should apply, and it is best for everyone if they are publicly stated.
So next week, the Admin group, with the specific approval of iMav, will be rolling out Vendor Terms of Service (VTOS) that add to the general TOS for all members. The VTOS is neither long nor tedious, but it does make some thing clearer than they have been. It will also provide a way for everyone in the geekhack community to measure how commercial and semi-pro entities are doing here.
It also provides clarification about what we consider to be conflicts of interest in this context.
This thread is to provide a place for thought and concerns to be posted in advance of the actual release of the VTOS document.
FYI to all,
- Ron | samwisekoi
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Reserved.
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I have received multiple requests to pre-announce the VTOS, and I have to say its existence may be over-hyped. However, I have prepared the following short-hand version for your consideration:
TL;DR: "If you make money on keyboards or keyboard-related stuff, you get a special badge and you have to be polite on the forum"
The rest is longer to avoid ambiguity. But that is the core message.
- Ron | samwisekoi
(http://www.samwisekoi.com/pixelart/M.png)
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CURSES!!!
I mean, hooray shiny badge, but CURSES!
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CURSES!!!
I mean, hooray shiny badge, but CURSES!
Thats a bit cutting there sir, I believe you're more at the "Flipping Heck" level now. Although good rules! ;D
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I have received multiple requests to pre-announce the VTOS, and I have to say its existence may be over-hyped. However, I have prepared the following short-hand version for your consideration:
TL;DR: "If you make money on keyboards or keyboard-related stuff, you get a special badge and you have to be polite on the forum"
The rest is longer to avoid ambiguity. But that is the core message.
- Ron | samwisekoi
(http://www.samwisekoi.com/pixelart/M.png) (http://www.samwisekoi.com/pixelart/M.png)
But I thought there was a no badge rule..... ???
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TL;DR: "If you make money offer keyboards or keyboard-related stuff for sale, you get a special badge and you have to be polite on the forum"
So, like, the Scarlett Letter? :)
I kid. Transparency is a good thing. What makes someone a 'vendor' -- if I sell an old keyboard, does that make me a vendor, or just a seller? Or would I have to own a website of some kind? What's the threshold for being considered a vendor?
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TL;DR: "If you make money offer keyboards or keyboard-related stuff for sale, you get a special badge and you have to be polite on the forum"
So, like, the Scarlett Letter? :)
I kid. Transparency is a good thing. What makes someone a 'vendor' -- if I sell an old keyboard, does that make me a vendor, or just a seller? Or would I have to own a website of some kind? What's the threshold for being considered a vendor?
The scarlet letter is an unavoidable comparison I suppose. Please note that I have "Administrator" on every post. (It even starts with an A.)
Think of it as full disclosure. Like the text above "special advertising section" in magazines. Same deal. Not painful, but since I have a badge, why shouldn't King Klaxon?
And no, if you sell a keyboard, you are not a vendor. If you sell 500 keyboards and have a website and a staff, you are a vendor.
- Ron | samwisekoi | Administrator
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By staff, do you mean :
(http://www.wetanz.com/assets/Uploads/hobbitgandalfstaffblrg2.jpg)
OR
(http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/about-isgs/staff-dir/staff-pic.jpg)
Because I have neither so that means I am no vendor!
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CURSES!!!
I mean, hooray shiny badge, but CURSES!
Happy, Happy Klaxons. :p
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The new Vendor Terms of Service have been posted:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=43873.0
Leave feedback here, please.