Have to get this off my chest....

I'll probably be flamed for this but here goes anyway. I just read a post where a person got blasted for suggesting a product and giving a website address to purchase it at. This person claimed that it's against the rules to post any website address other then OH's. I want to know why it is ok for some people to post their websites and not others and why is it such a big deal????? Does it really offend people???? It doesn't offend me. If I'm interested in the product, I'll check it out. If not, I don't. That's all there is too it. I see people posting websites often for a variety of things but this poor woman gets blasted for it and threatened that she will be reported!! Come on give us a break!! Sorry if I have offened anyone, not my intention but I don't think it's fair to blast anyone for posting possible useful information. Just my opinion.

I ride both sides of that line in my feelings. The policy is there so they can ban members who's main purpose of being here is to spam the boards with advertising. People can come on and claim a lot of things about themselves in order to sell a product. Not that this is happening right now, but that is why they have the rule - for the past and potential abusers. I could be just a person trying to make money off people with no care to how they will be able to use the product, all the while claiming I am a patient and that my whatchmawhoozits got better because of this product. Then because I'm a fairly regular or known "member" who sounds legit, people buy from me. So that is one reason why they don't allow advertising on the boards. But my feeling changes on this when someone is posting something they really have found helpful here. I WANT to known all about the stuff they found to help them. But because of people like I wrote about above, we are all banned from posting links like that. But I have to say, I do post links myself on occasion. I know sometimes it's hard to find the right item, and a link will only do. When I was on an AOL Atkins board years ago, they made an exception for product links that we found helpful because the spam is pretty easy to see and can be removed without affecting the links we put up ourselves for reference. Dina

HI I think that I was the one who got yelled at for posting my website. I know it can probably get annoying to people who have no use for the product but when people ASK what to do about hairloss or what vitamins are good I am going to tell them about these products. I am completely SOLD on the wonderfulness and my Dr actually suggested their vitamins as the best choice since they are so easily absorbed by WLS patients. That is why I ever started selling them in the first place. I don't come to OH just to sell these products, I come because I LOVE this site and it has been my second home for about 8 months. I spent hours here before I started selling and do still now..althoug not quite as much time as I did pre-op. Anyway the rules specifically say you can't post a link to a website. I don't post a link I simpally just tell people about the product and let them decide to check it out or not. YES I have had many here purchase from my site and I say thank you but they have also emailed me their thank you's for telling them about the great products. They also sell skincare, baby care, makeup, ETC and you don't see me writing about that stuff because it doesn;t go with the questions people are asking or have anything to do with WLS. Are they good products still? Yes, and I use them all but I don't just try to push this on others. Anyway the girl emailed me and said this was my one and only chance and then she would report me. Let me tell you I am so scared (scarasm). I emailed her back and said she should report herself for threatening and harrassing a member on this board. I will let you know if she replies to me. OH by the way check out these great vitamins from Arbonne (LOL) beautyhealthandyou.myarbonne.com

I will be sure and tell everyone I know and on the multiple websites on which I post that your precious "Arbonne" products are snake oil remedies. It's so obvious that you're only here because you've found a place rife with people who have certain problems for which you think you have the cure (at a substantial price, of course.) No doubt you work on commission, which is why it is doubly wrong for you to use this site as free advertising for your business. This is the kind of thing that you should be contacting people about directly through e-mail. Stop cluttering up the boards with your advertisements. Please let everyone know that I did reply to you. In fact, it sounds like you are the one who is threatening me. No worries, your posts have already been red-flagged and are being watched carefully for further signs of commercial selling and advertising. The loophole you think you've found is useless. P.S. "Scarasm" and "simpally" aren't words. No wonder you've been reduced to selling baldness tonics for a living.

Someone posted the OH website rules yesterday - and if I recall correctly you can post info about a website as long as you leave off the www part so you it isn't a link that you can click on. Otherwise it's okay - except of course if you're trying to personally sell something or soliciting for something. I think some people misread the rules yesterday. So, nobody should get flamed if they're doing it correctly.