I realized that you were trying to promote your website. Though if that's the only reason you post here, it's sad because this site is for friends to be supportive of each other in the TMNT fandom. True not everyone replies to every topic... a lot of topics don't get replied though the view count shows that people are looking. And we even allow members to have signatures which makes each and everyone of our posts an ad for our sites. Though if the content of each and every message is just promoting your site it's not going to get as many people to jump at it. Because it's more like spamming. True, it's about the subject of the forum, but it's still just using the forum for a billboard when message boards are so much more than that.
I grew up with little to no friends through out my life. I was gang beaten in school, I relied on my family to be my support. I did not think anyone out there was like us, and was really lonely. The internet came into my life and I found hundreds of friends around the world. So talking online? Not a problem what so ever. Ok, so people are using short text for twitter and facebook. And some people talk like that in person, but even before the internet there's always been slang. This is slang for a new time, and if that's how people want to live that is their choice. There will always be places that promote proper English. If you look around here on TMNT-L, we don't use much short hand. I even double space all of my post just like I was taught in Creative writing in High School.
People enjoy the internet, people can find people like minded on the internet, people promote the stuff they enjoy on the internet. People can find the friends online that they would of never met in person. So yes, I believe with all of my heart that the internet is a great place. I've met over 100 of my online friends in the last 15 years, and I do not regret any of those meet ups. I have fond memories and people I can count on. Before the internet, I just had my family and about three friends. So this made a world of difference to me.
Now you go on about how other sites are mean to you, my question is do you see any other use to a message board than promoting your website? If the answer is no, than that is why you're having problems. People come to message boards to chat about different topics, to get to know other people with the same interest, to learn stuff from more than one output. A website is great, but it's still one person or a small handful putting it together. A message board is any free willed person willing to step forward and share their views. And that is what some people look for. And if they like your views on stuff and see your link in your signature they're more likely to check out your website.
I am and always have been the same person you met in Chicago. Though if you look through the years I'm a mod here first, if someone is breaking rules I ask people to stop. If they keep doing it, then they get warnings. Everyone is treated equally. You came into my topic about my web page which is right now my pet project that I spend more money and time working on, and went on promoting your website. How would you have felt if I did that to you?
There's no point in it, the same traffic that looks at topics I post on here, look at other topics posted on this forum. I'm not going to want to reply to you about your website in the topic that's about my website. So did that upset me? Yes. As it would of upset me if I saw you doing it to someone else's topic, which you started to with the topic asking about Mikey's forum.
Now ways of doing this to where it works for you in getting traffic and not really highjacking topics is this... if you go into a topic let's say Review: "
Turtle Tracks" and post saying "Hey everyone, I did a review on this on my website. If you'd like to see my thoughts on it, here's the direct link to that review." Post the link. You stayed on topic, left it open so people are still talking on topic that reply to you. It's not about your website, but leads people to your website. In other words, it's the billboard that doesn't break the rules.
It helps the forum in keeping the review topic here alive so people can reply with their thoughts. It helps your site get traffic and introduce more of your stuff to them. Keep the message short, do not talk about the other parts of your page. Just give the link to the topic that relates to the message and you're ok.
I will keep coming at people who break the rules, but that doesn't change me. It's my job here. And all the mods have agreed upon the rules that are in the rule section. If people take it personal that I'm enforcing the rules, than they're missing the point that it's a general rules for everyone. It's not a personal attack, and never was.
