Some types of contributions have no monetary value. Expert opinions, when
contributed to a forum gratis, helped to drive more visitors to the site.
Once there, the visitor sees click-through advertising or other banners.
Having a link to your own site in your signature is universally accepted
practice on Usenet and in 99.99% of the bulletin board discussion lists. In
fact I can't think of another BB I've visited, much less participated in,
that doesn't allow it nor the mention of a (non-paying advertiser's) URL
when it will benefit the poster's query. Everyone benefits in an open
arrangement. The owner of the bulletin board benefits because his search
engine ranking increases, thus he can charge more for his advertising rates,
and the increased viewership means more visitors to the advertisers. The
contributor benefits by having his or her opinion disseminated widely, thus
making his presence known around the WWW. The discussions themselves benefit
as the level of discourse rises. Sub-discussions spin off just like they do
here, sometimes into fascinating areas tangential to gardening.

Squashing a contributor or 'sending them to Disney' simply because they
leave their home address and a way to contact them creates a 'chilling
effect' that severely dampens the whole process. The level of discourse on
gardenweb has certainly hit rock bottom, in my opinion.

May the owner of that forum conduct it in any manner he wishes? Of course, I
don't deny that. I just think it's bad judgment.

David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com
email:


"Alice Gamewell" wrote in message
...
Try www.Gardenguides.com or www.seedswappers.org. Garden Web stinks. It
is owned
by one guy and even though you follow his rules, if you post something he
doesn't
like , he will never let you post again, by using the cookies on your
computer, he
sends you to a to a Disney site instead. I once posted a reply
recommending a
company I like. He banned me from using the site and e-mailed me how he
did not
like the company. Apparently only the businesses he likes can be posted
as replies
when someone asks for a recommendation. About a year later, after
changing my
email address, I posted an intresting article on GMO foods. Many other
people
posted intresting articles too. I was bannned again because he did not
like the
article.

I complained to sponsors. Many said they had no intention of using him
for
advertizing anymore because he even is nasty to them.

There have been frequent posts about Garden Web. Personally I think it is
Garden
Web trying to advertise on this site. But if you ever read the replys,
you will
see not many people are pleased with them.

The best moderated forum on the web is www.Gardenguides.com. A very nice
group.
Avoid GardenWeb

Purchgdss wrote:

What's the deal with this one? Interesting concept of swap of plants and
seeds.
Heck. Next year I could probably get some awesome stuff!

What are your experiences with it?

Just my 2 cents.........
Christine