Guidelines regarding commercial links

[labdogs42]

Because I don't work for her, she doesn't post here and I have no vested interest in her or her endeavors.

But what if you did know Becky Higgins and what if she did decide to join the DIS? Then you couldn't say what a great blog she has? See, that's the problem.

Britt is a regular person who happens to design fabulous products and happened to join the DIS. I feel really awful because I'm the one who introduced her to the DIS. I know for a fact that she understood that she couldn't post about her own products (the for sale ones). We talked about that. Neither she nor I nor the other digi girls ever thought that her giving away freebies and prizes for the challenges was a violation of the DIS's advertising policy. Seriously. I know she wouldn't have done it if she thought she couldn't. The whole thing is just sad. We made a lot of good friends here on the DIS scrapbooking threads and I just feel like we're bring kicked out.

BTW, I do plan to stick around, so I'll try to answer the newbie digi scrapper questions and send them to forums where their questions can be safely answered without fear of violating any guidelines.

 

[janette]

Because I don't work for her, she doesn't post here and I have no vested interest in her or her endeavors.

- you may provide links to places that have freebies and no items for sale - if they have items for sale then the freebies are for advertising and links to them will not be allowed (this includes links to digital sites and ebay/etsy sites for traditional scrappers)

According to the new rules it doesn't matter, I'd read this to mean that we can't link to designers blogs. What's the difference

 

[mommyofthreeboys]

How do we know you don't own stock in a company? Even though you aren't the owner, you have a vested interest in the company.

 

[nicurn]

wow... if y'all are so happy on mousescrappers why are you still here complaining? it's done, over, etc. links can still be posted to the freebie websites, people can still give advice on digital programs and layouts can still be posted without hotlinks to people's stores. People will still be able to find britt-ish designs and all the other equally fabulous digi kits out there. The tos just say to give credit, doesn't say link to their store....

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

But what if you did know Becky Higgins and what if she did decide to join the DIS? Then you couldn't say what a great blog she has? See, that's the problem.

Britt is a regular person who happens to design fabulous products and happened to join the DIS. I feel really awful because I'm the one who introduced her to the DIS. I know for a fact that she understood that she couldn't post about her own products (the for sale ones). We talked about that. Neither she nor I nor the other digi girls ever thought that her giving away freebies and prizes for the challenges was a violation of the DIS's advertising policy. Seriously. I know she wouldn't have done it if she thought she couldn't. The whole thing is just sad. We made a lot of good friends here on the DIS scrapbooking threads and I just feel like we're bring kicked out.

BTW, I do plan to stick around, so I'll try to answer the newbie digi scrapper questions and send them to forums where their questions can be safely answered without fear of violating any guidelines.

Well then no I can't go on and on about how fabulous she is (and only in my wildest dreams would I be friends with the likes Becky Higgins, we don't exactly run around in the same circles ), but those are the rules as they are written right now and I need to follow them. Obviously there is nothing set in stone here. We can and are working on changing a few things to make things a little clearer. But there has to be a line drawn, this is a huge site with over 100,000 registered users. Would you want to muck through ad after ad after ad to get to the bones of the boards? They would lose their value as a Disney site. Pete has sponsors and this is his board and that's the way he wants it, who am I to tell him otherwise.

I do appreciate you sticking around, I enjoy your knowledge in scrapping and in the digital world. While I'm not a fan of digi scrapping my self (I'm kind of a paper freak) I do appreciate the talent it takes to design your layouts and how great they look. Let me know if you need anything to help facilitate the needs of digi scrappers.
Hopefully Rebecca will have the new index up and running before the weekend is out but she is going to Disney on Tuesday (I'm so jealous!). If there are any links or what not that would be of use in the FAQ or the links thread please feel free to PM me any time but tomorrow, I'm learning how to drive a right hand drive, stick shift car! Pray for me!!!

 

[janette]

The tos just say to give credit, doesn't say link to their store....

According to the new rules you can't do that.

- when posting a layout it should not be linked back to a gallery that is part of a store or have any stores/designers listed in the credits

 

[Photobee]

ok, I've been quiet...but I'm confused!

Are we not allowed to link to an online site at all? If we are allowed to link to different sites, why are some allowed while others are not?

Here is an example: Read the post by eranslow. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2280415&page=3 Her credits are linked to Digiscrapaddicts (No offense to you eranslow, you are just my example). She has not linked her layout, but her credits. However, anything linked to Scrapmatters (Gallery, store, etc) is not allowed.

In that same thread, scroll down to Designer Brittney's layout. She has posted the layout not linked, but linked her Credits...but they are edited.

Just trying to clarify why some linking is allowed and others are not.

 

[Neverland Scraps]

ok, I've been quiet...but I'm confused!

Are we not allowed to link to an online site at all? If we are allowed to link to different sites, why are some allowed while others are not?

Here is an example: Read the post by eranslow. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2280415&page=3 Her credits are linked to Digiscrapaddicts (No offense to you eranslow, you are just my example). She has not linked her layout, but her credits. However, anything linked to Scrapmatters (Gallery, store, etc) is not allowed.

In that same thread, scroll down to Designer Brittney's layout. She has posted the layout not linked, but linked her Credits...but they are edited.

Just trying to clarify why some linking is allowed and others are not.

Yes I am really confused about the linking because I posted a post earlier tonight and was able to link to one designer's store but not the other. It didn't make any sense to me at all why I could do the one store but not the other--they were the same "themed" product, I dont get it

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

You are allowed to link to a site, as long as it's not your site where you either sell items or are part of a design team and it's also not done incessantly. In crediting you may type the credits below the image but the image itself can not be linked to a "for profit" site.
We have not had the opportunity to change everyone's credits to be typed instead of linked as of yet, this takes a lot of time.
Scrapmatters is currently blocked here, if you have any questions regarding that please contact Admin at Admin@wdwinfo.com

The mods are currently working on clarifying the rules and we are taking your wording, questions, and suggestions into account.

 

[RRBB]

You are allowed to link to a site, as long as it's not your site where you either sell items or are part of a design team and it's also not done incessantly.

So basically your saying if you're a designer or on a design team, you are not allowed to the site where the products came from if it's the site where you sell your products. But if you are not a designer or on a design team, you can link to the site where you got the products. All this with the caveat that if it's from ScrapMatters, no matter whether you have design ties there or not, you cannot link back to that site.

Is that what's meant?

And when you say design team, are you also lumping in creative team members into this? (Because there's a difference between design teams and creative teams.)

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Do the creative team and the design team both reap the same benefits like free product or any kind of reward for bringing in sales?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Oops forgot to answer part of your question, yes you can post a link to a site that got product from, like in the thread where Neverland Scraps posted about Star Wars, This was an informational thread and the image was used as reference. But say I had a place where I was selling digital kits (just an example because it's pretty darn safe to say I'll never do that LOL) and you were my bestest buddy in the whole wide world, even though you are not part of the team we don't want you posting tons and tons of links and images to my site because in a way that benefits me which is a no-no since I post here too.

Part of the problem with the digital links thread was that it became a show boat for the latest product, image after image of new stuff. The princess kits come to mind with that (because I thought they were sooo cool so I remember them). If you did a layout with say the Beast kit and someone was asking about princesses you could post your layout and a link to where you got the kit from, but if it's like here here and here are the new princess kits, essentially you(not the specific you, the general you) are turning the DIS into a second store for that person.

Clear as mud right?

 

[RRBB]

Do the creative team and the design team both reap the same benefits like free product or any kind of reward for bringing in sales?

Since I'm not part of either, I can't really say for sure what the benefits are. But my belief is that a design team is made up of designers/creators of products while creative team members create layouts and other items to show how the products can be used.

Beyond that, someone that's actually on one of these teams will have to respond. All I know is I've seen some great stuff from these talented ladies and I want to be them when I grow up.

 

[sahlink]

Do the creative team and the design team both reap the same benefits like free product or any kind of reward for bringing in sales?

Since I'm not part of either, I can't really say for sure what the benefits are. But my belief is that a design team is made up of designers/creators of products while creative team members create layouts and other items to show how the products can be used.

Beyond that, someone that's actually on one of these teams will have to respond. All I know is I've seen some great stuff from these talented ladies and I want to be them when I grow up.

Yes, RRBB you are absolutely correct with what designers do vs. what a person on a creative team does. Creative Teams receive no reward or anything for bringing in sales. They are regular people, just like you or I scrapping their families memories or vacations...thats it. They just give the rights for a designer to show what they've scrapped. BernardandMissBianca makes it seems like a dirty, type of sales job and it is just plain not true.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Wow, I'm just glad to see I'm not the only one that found this shocking. I check the board everyday, this is where I started digiscrapping and found all my Disney stuff. I was bummed that I was now "on my own". So I wanted to thank all of you for the information on the new place, I'm headed there now to check it out. I don't understand what happened here, I thought the whole point of the thing was to show others where to find the VERY hard to find Disney scrap stuff, I know, I was looking for two months for stuff till I did something and found you wonderful group of people! (hey, look how long it's taken me to find this thread after the other was closed!) I never cared who it came from, how else would some people know you had a new kit or started doing it if you didn't tell them But I also don't understand why certain info isn't allowed to be shared to save $$ (I won't mention it here or my thread will be deleted as I've learned with past posts). Kinda the point of forums in my life, how to save $$$.
Anyway, thank you all for all you've done for myself and so many other new digiscrappers, you're great, and I hope to find you all at mousescrappers.

 

[notes4theheart]

Now, I love Mark and I'm SO greatful that he shares his photos...

but he shares his photos on SmugMug, a service, that if we were to buy his photo from that site, would charge a commission and that commission would be returned to him. Thus, it's a FOR PROFIT site.

Yet, a moderator is encouraging his thread here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1537784

and his threads here, here and here link to his smugmug gallery.

Again, his SmugMug gallery, if we were to purchase from him is FOR PROFIT.

He's being kind and offering them to be downloaded for FREE, but so was Britt with her Freebies...

How is this fair?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I want to be them when I grow up.

you and me both, I'm not that talented!

Yes, RRBB you are absolutely correct with what designers do vs. what a person on a creative team does. Creative Teams receive no reward or anything for bringing in sales. They are regular people, just like you or I scrapping their families memories or vacations...thats it. They just give the rights for a designer to show what they've scrapped. BernardandMissBianca makes it seems like a dirty, type of sales job and it is just plain not true.

I will mention this to the Webmasters, but as long as the creative team members don't receive promotional items then that's fine they can post the image with the accredited information below it. I'm not trying to make it sound dirty but when you own a store, especially an internet based store, you need to build a customer base and forums such as these are a good place to do that. However, the powers that be don't want it that way.

I'm sure you can become a DIS advertiser by contacting Corey@wdwinfo.com I am trying to get more details on this now, but since it's the weekend I don't know when I will have more info.

Now, I love Mark and I'm SO greatful that he shares his photos...

but he shares his photos on SmugMug, a service, that if we were to buy his photo from that site, would charge a commission and that commission would be returned to him. Thus, it's a FOR PROFIT site.

Yet, a moderator is encouraging his thread here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1537784

and his threads here, here and here link to his smugmug gallery.

Again, his SmugMug gallery, if we were to purchase from him is FOR PROFIT.

He's being kind and offering them to be downloaded for FREE, but so was Britt with her Freebies...

How is this fair?

I'm not sure about the Smug Mug site, I would have to defer to the WebMasters on that one.
And while I understand that Nancy is a Mod, but at the the time the thread with Mark's photo's was started she was not, so she is not exactly encouraging breaking the rules.
I will ask the WM for clarification on SmugMug and I will get back to you as soon as I hear something.

 

[labdogs42]

wow... if y'all are so happy on mousescrappers why are you still here complaining? it's done, over, etc. links can still be posted to the freebie websites, people can still give advice on digital programs and layouts can still be posted without hotlinks to people's stores. People will still be able to find britt-ish designs and all the other equally fabulous digi kits out there. The tos just say to give credit, doesn't say link to their store....

I for one, am not happy that I now have to go to MouseScrappers to hang out with the people I consider my DIS friends. I will do what I have to do, but I wish this whole thing hadn't blown up this way and that we could just go on the way we were. I think we're all just trying to make the best of a bad situation by going to a different site.

Perhaps the mods should consider having some more levels of advertising and offering them to people who seem to advertise "too much" instead of banning them right away. It seems like that could be win win instead of lose lose. This whole thing was just handled so poorly. I feel like I'm back at work with a crappy management team that makes snap decisions then tries to backpedal after the fact!

Miss Bianca, I know this is isn't your doing and you're just stuck bearing the message! I hope you don't think I'm complaining about you!

 

[Fran98765]

My primary issue with the new rules is that paper scrappers are throwing links around and it's fine but we are restricted and moderated excessively on digital links. You are not being fair towards digital scrapper's resources, but you toss around websites to buy paper and it's just fine. I know you will say that I'm making money off of it somehow, but guess what... I'm not. Not one lousy dime. Since I posted all those "princess" kits that were referred to, I posted them because I thought they would be of interest to the scrappers here, since good Disney-esque kits are hard to find. Not to boost sales for anyone. It's called sharing information. Period.

And if I came and posted when those princess kits were on sale, well seriously think about it... how the heck is that different from you posting sales at Joanne's or Mouse Memories? Honestly. I thought I was doing a service to the members of the DIS, in our hard economy.

Scrap Matters played a large role in some of the layouts posted here because of lot of us frequent that site, not because Britt was here advertising. It is a very good scrapbook site, so we toss that around like you toss Mouse Memories around, to which you just did in a new post I read a few minutes ago.

I don't think Walmart, Michael's, Target, Joanne's or Hobby Lobby advertises on the DIS, I request that no sales or clearances to those stores ever be posted about again. All threads already posted with these sorts of posts should also be locked immediately. That would only be fair.

And since you mentioned Creative Teams, members of CTs are given scrap kits to work with at no cost, to make layouts for the designer. CT members do not get money for this. If you want to make a comparison, it would be similar to someone working as a cashier or other job for Michael's/Joanne's/etc. And I know that people that have worked at those type of craft stores have come posting about sales before they are advertised to the public. Yes, they get money from those companies, but they are not paid extra for sharing sale information here, they share that information to benefit the DIS member. Information only. Just like our one thread with Disney Digital kits. The one thread where we contained all of that information. Not like the hundreds of Enabler/On sale/etc threads for paper scrapbookers.

What hurts most is the way this was done. If I were a moderator here and was told by the higher ups to enforce these rules (assuming this is what happened), I would have made a post. One where I would have mentioned the rules, and that they would be enforced more now. And to list clearly what is allowed and not allowed. Even at this point you don't seem to know fully what is allowed and not allowed. The way it was done hurt people. You have hurt many people.

 

[rlovew]

My primary issue with the new rules is that paper scrappers are throwing links around and it's fine but we are restricted and moderated excessively on digital links.

Both traditional and digital scrappers have had posts deleted due to this rule- at least 1 traditional thread was completely deleted rather than closed.

I don't think Walmart, Michael's, Target, Joanne's or Hobby Lobby advertises on the DIS, I request that no sales or clearances to those stores ever be posted about again. All threads already posted with these sorts of posts should also be locked immediately. That would only be fair.

You may request anything you like but the webmasters have said this is okay and they are the ones who make the rules. As I mentioned in the thread about the digital kits- you are welcome to post an enabler alert to a digital kit or sale if you are not a designer or ct member for that site.

What hurts most is the way this was done. If I were a moderator here and was told by the higher ups to enforce these rules (assuming this is what happened), I would have made a post. One where I would have mentioned the rules, and that they would be enforced more now. And to list clearly what is allowed and not allowed. Even at this point you don't seem to know fully what is allowed and not allowed. The way it was done hurt people. You have hurt many people.

You may not have liked the way it was done but whether the new rules had been posted by a moderator or a webmaster you still would not have liked them and that is the main issue there- since the webmaster are the ones who make the final rulings on things we felt it would come better from them. None of us wanted to hurt anyone and we are trying to ask more questions and clarify some things based on points people have made.

Rebecca