There are good reasons why a site SHOULD allow reasonable recommendation for non-sponsored products: credibility and confidence.
If a site limits recommendation, then it implies a lack of confidence in the products that ARE sponsored; can't they stand the competition? And that creates a credibility problem; a consumer has to ask, why isn't XXX ever mentioned? DC has this issue. Nice folks, but no reason to go there.
Limiting recommendation of products and vendors also subtly goes agains the Standard Knowledge that process and technique are more important than product; it imples a heirarchy that in truth doesn't exist. The truth is that almost all products work, but different products appeal to different users for different reasons (price, scent, ease of use, bottle shape, etc). Let's face it, the car either shines or it doesn't, and we've gotten cars to shine with everything from Ardex to Kit to Chemical Guys to Poorboy's to Mother's to Meguiar's to Zaino to Zymol Estate Glaze.
I think the balance Autopia has struck on this issue is pretty close to perfect; it allows free discussion of ANY product, and leaves it to the moderators to exercise discretion as to when a product is being over-pumped. This also helps control viral marketing through the forum without imposing draconian measures.
I've never been shy about challenging a rule if I believed that the rule hurt Autopia and by extension, DavidB. This one is a non-starter for me.
Tom
If a site limits recommendation, then it implies a lack of confidence in the products that ARE sponsored; can't they stand the competition? And that creates a credibility problem; a consumer has to ask, why isn't XXX ever mentioned? DC has this issue. Nice folks, but no reason to go there.
Limiting recommendation of products and vendors also subtly goes agains the Standard Knowledge that process and technique are more important than product; it imples a heirarchy that in truth doesn't exist. The truth is that almost all products work, but different products appeal to different users for different reasons (price, scent, ease of use, bottle shape, etc). Let's face it, the car either shines or it doesn't, and we've gotten cars to shine with everything from Ardex to Kit to Chemical Guys to Poorboy's to Mother's to Meguiar's to Zaino to Zymol Estate Glaze.
I think the balance Autopia has struck on this issue is pretty close to perfect; it allows free discussion of ANY product, and leaves it to the moderators to exercise discretion as to when a product is being over-pumped. This also helps control viral marketing through the forum without imposing draconian measures.
I've never been shy about challenging a rule if I believed that the rule hurt Autopia and by extension, DavidB. This one is a non-starter for me.
Tom
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