attn: ANADTECH MODERATOR - "DO NOT crap on peoples threads"

[MadRat]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=45&threadid=187266

Here's the quote:

"DO NOT crap on peoples threads
If you are not interested in trading for it
or buying it,don't post

AnandTech Moderator"

I have a real beef in this instance. I pointed out that this guy had erroneously labelled his cpu as a 300mHz when in reality it is only a 233mHz machine. Selling a PR300 as a 300mHz machine is at a minimum misleading. To me its dishonest. Not only that, but I did it in a diplomatic fashion; I asked him to clarify the speed!

I think Mr. Anandtech Moderator is going overboard by clearing out my post and warning me off. If anything he should make Mr. Junior Member Xcaliber clarify his sale! With the recent rash of scams, we really need to be more dilligent around here. This could be but another scam-artist.

 

[M O M O]

madrat.. i feel for you

 

[AnandTech Moderator]

We do not allow members to post anything that will hinder another members chance of a trade or sale.If you had concerns over the actual speed of the cpu,you should have emailed him or sent him a private message stating so.
Posting such comments,even though you were trying to help would only cause his thread to become cluttered with comments that would ultimately decrease his chance of a sale.
We understand that you posted with good intentions but please in the future use other means of communicating.
We will edit said comment.
Thank you

 

[hatboy]

I don't want to make the mods angry here, but I tend to agree with MadRat. Let's say that there is a dishonest trader who misrepresents the specifications of whatever he's selling/trading in a post (I'm not accusing anyone, this is purely hypothetical). Let's assume someone follows the mods' advice and e-mails him about it, knowning that he has incorrectly described his product. No one else has any way of knowing about this e-mail and the seller has no obligation to tell anyone else about this. The person who sent the e-mail, under the current rules, is obligated not to tell anyone else about it. So, the seller can still sell his misrepresented product to some uninformed person without them ever knowing until it's probably too late. Maybe posting comments into a thread will lessen the chances of the seller being able to sell his product, but if it's described in a misleading way, I don't think that's a bad thing. Plus, if the seller does correct his description, I seriously doubt anyone is really going to hold it against him (everyone makes mistakes, after all).

 

[Rainguy]

I also agree with MadRat. Correcting people's posts on inaccurate specifications of computer hardware is proper within the thread if it is done without malice. This is entirely different from telling someone that you can buy the hardware they are selling for a cheaper price somewhere else.

My $0.02 cents is that we continue to do this to avoid bigger problems after the sale consumates.

 

[DarkManX]

I also agree, the mods go overboard with this.

 

[johnjk]

Vote me in with MadRat also.

 

[AnandTech Moderator]

We understand and appreciate your comments on this subject but we cannot allow this to happen.
There is a fine line between crapping on a thread and giving good advice.
To avoid this kind of dispute,no posts will be allowed if said parties are not interested in purchasing or trading of said items.
End of discussion

 

[Possessed Freak]

That means you can no longer say: "I personally vouch for Mr Whoever he is a great trader" and you can no longer say: "I own one of these 'products' and I think it is excellent, good luck with your sale..."?

Neither of these posts are by people who want the product, what about bumps? What about "Damn good price" posts? What about "BTW seller did you get my blah blah blah"?

 

[AnandTech Moderator]

Please read my statement
We do not allow members to post anything that will hinder another members chance of a trade or sale

 

[Possessed Freak]

To avoid this kind of dispute,no posts will be allowed if said parties are not interested in purchasing or trading of said items.
End of discussion

That was the last statement, the one I took as the final clarification.

 

[hatboy]

So then I guess in this thread http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=45&threadid=184874, my post and DMage's posts are all illegal, since we were not interested in buying his product, but instead were trying to be informative (gasp!).

 

[AnandTech Moderator]

Let me rephrase that,it was a poor choice of words.
Anything that will be detrimental to a sale or trade is prohibited.

 

[apoppin]

So now - if I understand this correctly - proper procedure would be first to e-mail my concern to the incorrectly posting party.

If there is no response or a negative one, the follow up would be - what? - e-mail the moderator[/i] and let them investigate and take care it?

 

[Russ]

<< Selling a PR300 as a 300mHz machine is at a minimum misleading >>



Feel free to complain to Compaq, AST, NEC, Acer and a few dozen other companies that sold Cyrix based machines.

Russ, NCNE

 

[apoppin]

Quite true Russ.

However, if we e-mail someone we think is misleading potential customers and they do not respond; wouldn't the next and final step be to inform the mods and leave it up to them?

 

[Russ]

This entire thread is based on the fallacious assumption that this seller was misleading anyone. If the potential buyers in a hardware trading forum are unfamilar with Cyrix's &quot;Pentium Rating&quot; scheme, than it's their own damn fault. They have no business engaging in the transaction to begin with.

Russ, NCNE

 

[hatboy]

You make a good point Russ, and an informed buyer should probably know about the real speed of a Cyrix cpu. However, with that being the case, it doesn't seem that pointing out something so widely-known would be &quot;detrimental&quot; to the sale of the item (to use the mod's terminology). Perhaps the mods are being a bit over-zealous if users of the forum are not allowed to even mention such obvious facts about hardware being traded or sold.

 

[Russ]

The genesis of the approach was the constant snarfs who would jump in to threads and trash the sale with statements like &quot;I can get that at pricewatch for...&quot;.

These losers were doing this with no intention of negotiating a purchase; their only goal was to demonstrate to the world how technically savvy and aware they were. This immediately causes the thread to turn in to a flamewar and the seller loses all hope of making a sale.

The difficulty is in the line of demarcation. If this instance is allowed, than what stops the Pricewatch Snarf from trying it, and than pissing and moaning when he gets popped? Nothing stops these twits; and they WILL do it, if an inch is given.

It is a sad fact that the maturity quotient in that forum frequently dips to a level that this heightened control must be maintained. Nonetheless, it IS a fact.

Russ, NCNE

 

[apoppin]

Excellent points made, Russ.

So stay out of it completely and if someone feels so badly about a seller's method, just bring it to the attention of the seller privately and if that fails to the mod - not in the thread. Seems reasonable enough.

It is also a very useful new forum feature to have private mesages.

 

[MadRat]

What Russ fails to see is that this guy originally posted the product as an AMD-something 300mHz. When asked to clarify he said, &quot;Its a Cyrix K6&quot; and then somebody corrected him.

If the guy doesn't know what he is selling then maybe he shouldn't be selling it.

i.e. I got this great Porshe for sale. Its a really wonderful roadster and gets great gas mileage. It has a rear-mounted engine with a big VW - I assume it means Very Wompass! - stamped on its aluminum manifold...

 

[apoppin]

Evidently the forum position is that the buyer should be asking the questions.

If you were concerned, MadRat, you should have e-mailed the buyer. Failing to get a satisfactory response, let the mods know privately. Leave the problem with them - your conscience should then be clear.

 

[MadRat]

So basically let the rest of the forum members - whether newbies or expert - get screwed. Great morale victory! Not.

 

[apoppin]

You mean you don't trust the mods to fix a problem once it is brought to their attention? Only you can do it publicly?

 

[thorin]

MadRat&quot;So basically let the rest of the forum members - whether newbies or expert - get screwed. Great morale victory! Not. &quot;

apoppin&quot;You mean you don't trust the mods to fix a problem once it is brought to their attention? Only you can do it publicly? &quot;

No his point is more, given 1 day to email the person and hear back (or not) and another day to email the mods, have them email the poster in question and hear back. 3 Days have gone past to get the thing corrected and some poor unknowing person has been scammed.

Mods&quot;Anything that will be detrimental to a sale or trade is prohibited. &quot;

So we wait as much as 3 or 4 days and hope none of our fellow buyers/traders get scammed? When we know better and can point out the misleading info?

Thorin