Posting in Trade marked forums?

[cdkrg]

I noticed that the various reps from large sites get what can only be described as exceptions to the TOS.

Don't get me wrong, I think WebmasterWorld is right to do so for the most part. If Joe Blow is making an announcement I probably don't want to hear it. If GoogleGuy is I probably will. So I would have it no other way. I'm just curious about how the distinction is drawn.

Anywho, I noticed that these reps are allowed to make promotional posts for the sites they represent. If I posted the promos they did for my sites Brett would be all over me like hairs on a gorilla.

GoogleGuy's allowed to interject his PR (e.g. "just try it" mantra in response to complaints) and all the reps seem to be allowed to be self-promotional and even make calls to action in support of who they represent.

Again, no complaints at all here, if it were any other way it would be daft, as we are actually VERY interested in those people's input despite their employment bias.

My curiosity is where the line is drawn. I imagined a semi-large web property sending over X-dude or X-guy and getting spurned.

So what kind of sites get exceptions?

Amazon would (if they already don't have a rep) right?

Would paypal? I would think so.

Just curious. Feel free to do that gorilla thing if this rubs anyone the wrong way. I know damn well I can't expect any special treatment. ;-)

[edit_g]

So what kind of sites get exceptions?

I'm very much speaking out of term here - because I'm not connected to the running of this board in any way whatsoever, so take this answer for what it's worth: nothing. One answer which appeared to me immediately is: if you need to ask the question; the site probably isn't ok to post.

[Brett_Tabke]

Once you put a companies name (google, yahoo, microsoft, ask jeeves) on a forum, it is an entirely different prospect than other forums. We are primarily here as a platform to discussion search engines and site owner/webmaster issues. Along that way, we all have to deal with the various search engines. Rarely - if ever - have I seen any of those guys do pure promotion.

>amazon

They do have a rep in these forums that rarely post. Same with PayPal, Ebay, Visa, and a couple others I can't remember right now.

[cdkrg]

edit_g,

I assure you, I am under no illusion of such grandeur myself.

Brett,

having their own forum is, indeed, a useful criteria for being able to have a rep, obviously if their property is of sufficient interest to merit their own forum here a representative would also be welcome.

You are right that they rarely abuse their positions here for pure promotion. I think I only remember a few who made posts that sounded like press releases, and I wonder if this is their own good instincts or if you counsel them on this beforehand.