This is an easy one, it is against the terms of this site so they should be removed aggressively.

Originally posted by Axehilt

Letting players hype a game they like is fine.

Mostly what I'd like to see reduced are links with referral IDs in them.  But I'm not sure if it's even feasible for the site to enforce such a rule, and it'd be more realistic to err on the side of not doing anything about it unless things really get out of hand (but I'm sure if we see even 20% of threads being darkfall ad spam, they'll get closed down by mods.)

Players hyping their favorite game is fine and good.

An army of zombie advertisers spamming referral links is less good.

It's feasible to enforce the rule. After all, it's enforced practically daily to get rid of goldsellers.

Quite simply, if they do not enforce the rule for this, then they might as well let the goldsellers and private server posters do as they want as well. You can't pick and choose who you enforce rules on unless you want to kill your community really quick.

I suggest mmorpg.com makes a sticky thread in the Darkfall section informing users there that it will not be tolerated.

Originally posted by Dawnsinger

Exactly what it says on the tin. Should people who use the Darkfall advertising links get them removed / their topics about them get deleted?

For those that don't know: Aventurine is paying players $10 for each and every player they bring into the game ( via buying it ) and this sounds ridiculously like grass shoots marketing ( which is illegal ) and a bit of a pyramid scheme in it's own way ( which is also illegal ).

So, should those with it in their signatures have it removed / their posts on it deleted?

EDIT: To those that don't get it, read this: Darkfall Community Publishing Program Offers Money Making Opportunities

There is a product here. There is no product in a pyramid scheme.  Also, what country says grass roots marketing is illegal... and WHY???

If your problem with the sigs is that you feel the campaign is  illegal, you can rest at ease. It's a legitimate campaign. Most  MMO simply call it refer-a-friend.or a buddy program.

Originally posted by Axehilt

Letting players hype a game they like is fine.

Mostly what I'd like to see reduced are links with referral IDs in them.  But I'm not sure if it's even feasible for the site to enforce such a rule, and it'd be more realistic to err on the side of not doing anything about it unless things really get out of hand (but I'm sure if we see even 20% of threads being darkfall ad spam, they'll get closed down by mods.)

Players hyping their favorite game is fine and good.

An army of zombie advertisers spamming referral links is less good.

Now, if I had read the whole thread before replying I woudl have just quoted the above. I agree on all counts there.

After reading Tasos post on the official Darkfall forums, on the part which explains how to participate in this program, one of the bullet points was "Get your Community Publisher link, and/or select your banners and you’re ready to go!"

Now, how is this any different than any of these other referral links that are against this site's terms of service?

I've seen a few threads and personally removed them on the basis that they contained referral links, which isn't allowed and we are required to remove. As of now they are treated as any other referral link. This could be subject to change, I honestly couldn't tell you, but there hasn't been a word from any off the bossmen about it as of yet.

Well, I dont think this kind of "refer-a-friend-mutation" is illegal... however, reading the rules of conduct, it would seem that it is indeed against the rules of this site to use it in the forums.

The best would be if a moderator could post in this thread and clear this up for us.

Edit: there we go, its sorted then

Originally posted by Dawnsinger

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

What the hell are you folks complaining about?

Most games do this, WoW, EvE, LOTRO, EQ2, WAR, etc etc... the only difference is, AV gives you 10 bucks, the other games give you a free month of gameplay (15 bucks).

This isnt new, its not sinister, its not evil, and it sure as hell isnt illegal.

Its called word of mouth / affiliate marketing. Welcome to the internet folks.

As someone else mentioned, to get the benefits in other games, you usually have to play with the person, AND they get a trial. For Darkfall, you just post a referral link, big up the game and have those people drop $50 or whatever and you get a fifth of that. It's like the difference between INTRODUCING a friend to something and SELLING a person something.

To get ALL the benefits from wow yes, for the rest no.

WoW gives you a free month even if you never see that person or play with them, as do all the other games. WoW goes beyond that and hooks you up with a nice exp bonus as well.

The fact remains, that most folks dont use these to "Play" with friends, most use them to get free months of gametime. Hell, my eve account has been free from August to next Feb cause I have given people trials, and I think only one of them ever messaged my character, I answered his questions helped him out, and he went on his way, but he definitely isnt a close friend.

Fact of the matter is, 10 bucks or a free month of game time are both payments for a service. EvE actually has this SAME exact program but they pay 7 bucks cash per sale instead of 10 (games also only 20 bucks).

So this is not new, and again, its not bad. Yes you are being a paid salesman for that company... but again this is the basis for internet and affiliate marketing.

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

EvE actually has this SAME exact program but they pay 7 bucks cash per sale instead of 10 (games also only 20 bucks).

 

Really? I didnt know, but if EVE has it then DF should have it too, damn it!

Personally, I'd suggest that Darkfall as a whole is removed from this site until AV stop this bullshit, but that's probably just me. I mean, I see no difference between this and any of the Evony advertising.

Originally posted by Vaygus

I've seen a few threads and personally removed them on the basis that they contained referral links, which isn't allowed and we are required to remove. As of now they are treated as any other referral link. This could be subject to change, I honestly couldn't tell you, but there hasn't been a word from any off the bossmen about it as of yet.

Edited.

Good to know, I'll keep reporting them then whenever I see one.

They can find somewhere else to advertise. It is beyond annoying seeing those threads pop up claiming that DF is "amazing!" or what have you, followed by a refferal link, all in an attempt to put cash in there own pockets.

This site is not an appropriate avenue for such things.

Yes, this is disallowed on our forums under our Referral Links / Advertising rule.

EDIT: If you start seeing these in signatures as well, please report them.

Originally posted by Euphoryk

Originally posted by Vaygus

I've seen a few threads and personally removed them on the basis that they contained referral links, which isn't allowed and we are required to remove. As of now they are treated as any other referral link. This could be subject to change, I honestly couldn't tell you, but there hasn't been a word from any off the bossmen about it as of yet.

Edited.

 

Good to know, I'll keep reporting them then whenever I see one.

They can find somewhere else to advertise. It is beyond annoying seeing those threads pop up claiming that DF is "amazing!" or what have you, followed by a refferal link, all in an attempt to put cash in there own pockets.

This site is not an appropriate avenue for such things.

This I do agree with, I find no problems with the program itself, but people need to use their fan sites (like mine) and other avenues to promote, not simply make forum threads here.

Originally posted by MikeB

Yes, this is disallowed on our forums under our Referral Links / Advertising rule.

EDIT: If you start seeing these in signatures as well, please report them.

Might I suggest you write up a very visible sticky and place it in the Darkfall section so they can't say they weren't warned?

Originally posted by Einstein-DF

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

EvE actually has this SAME exact program but they pay 7 bucks cash per sale instead of 10 (games also only 20 bucks).

 

 

Really? I didnt know, but if EVE has it then DF should have it too, damn it!

Yeah I have been a member of eve's for a while on my eve blog, you can find the webpage here.

Its a lot harder to find than DF's

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by Einstein-DF

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

EvE actually has this SAME exact program but they pay 7 bucks cash per sale instead of 10 (games also only 20 bucks).

 

 

Really? I didnt know, but if EVE has it then DF should have it too, damn it!

 

Yeah I have been a member of eve's for a while on my eve blog, you can find the webpage here.

Its a lot harder to find than DF's

It's not the exact same program.  PAying a website owner to advertise is a legitimate business relationship and is no different than paying mmorpg.com to advertise.
 

What Adventurine is doing is using players as paid labor to advertise without the legitimate business relationship.

Edit:

The EVE Online affiliate program is intended for individuals and organizations that have ways to promote products on the Internet and want to profit at the same time. EVE Online is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) and our subscription base is expanding every day. This is a great opportunity to introduce a fresh and exciting product to new users. The target group is large as the group of MMORPG players is constantly growing.

We have affiliate partnerships with a wide variety of web sites, ranging from personal blogs to larger sites. These publishers earn additional revenue each month generating sales from both their existing and new visitors. The affiliate program can be a way to help cover the costs of hosting a website or a way to generate additional income.

Originally posted by Zorvan01

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by Einstein-DF

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

EvE actually has this SAME exact program but they pay 7 bucks cash per sale instead of 10 (games also only 20 bucks).

 

 

Really? I didnt know, but if EVE has it then DF should have it too, damn it!

 

Yeah I have been a member of eve's for a while on my eve blog, you can find the webpage here.

Its a lot harder to find than DF's

It's not the exact same program.  PAying a website owner to advertise is a legitimate business relationship and is no different than paying mmorpg.com to advertise.
 

What Adventurine is doing is using players as paid labor to advertise without the legitimate business relationship.

Oh the drama, Tasos using his fanbase as labor in his attempt to gain world domination.....

www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/259809/IMPORTANT-Community-Publishing-Program-Referrals-Disallowed.html 

problem solved.

Originally posted by Dawnsinger

Exactly what it says on the tin. Should people who use the Darkfall advertising links get them removed / their topics about them get deleted?

For those that don't know: Aventurine is paying players $10 for each and every player they bring into the game ( via buying it ) and this sounds ridiculously like grass shoots marketing ( which is illegal ) and a bit of a pyramid scheme in it's own way ( which is also illegal ).

So, should those with it in their signatures have it removed / their posts on it deleted?

EDIT: To those that don't get it, read this: Darkfall Community Publishing Program Offers Money Making Opportunities

I've never played Darkfall and have no desire, but I want to clarity a couple of things:

1) Grass Roots Marketing IS NOT illegal. In fact it is a developing business model that is growing  in popularity very rapidly. If grass roots marketing was illegal, then every President since Carter would be in jail, along with all of their supporters, (please don't start talking about whether or not they should have gone anyway), Google would not exists and neither would Apple for that matter. Most tech-savvy companies or those who especially appeal to the indie crowd love grass roots marketing. (Look at what Microsoft is trying to do with Win 7)

2) Offering people money to sell your product is not a pyramid scheme.; its commission (which is also not illegal) to quote wikipedia: "A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered." Again, this is not a pyramid scheme, its just good marketing.

Originally posted by Astralglide

 

2) Offering people money to sell your product is not a pyramid scheme.; its commission (which is also not illegal) to quote wikipedia: "A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered." Again, this is not a pyramid scheme, its just good marketing.

 

Exactly.

So, is Aventurine sending out time cards, tax forms, ect., to it's new commision paid employees? Are they ensuring that those working in the program are over 18 OR at least 16 with a valid work permit? At least to the ones here in the U.S.? Because otherwise, they're breaking the law. Amazing how much difference paying in real money rather than non-monetary incentives can affect things.