Ironic, coupon code links in left ad bar

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Devistater

Diamond Member
Sep 9, 2001
3,180
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This is very ironic. What with the rules against coupon codes, I went to the front page of the hotdeals and I noticed that the google ad bar on the left displayed tons of links to coupon code sites. Aren't coupon codes and code links against the hot deal forum rules?

I dislike the left bar, it should at least be moved to the right. Or at least the page should be coded better so that after you page down past the bar, the forum is back again to the left. And I know this is possible, blizzards battle net forums do this.

I've seriously considered installing proximatron recently to get rid of the ad bar on the left, so far I haven't but I probably will.
 
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MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
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76
This is the deal with coupon codes.

Back in the hot deals heyday, every etailer had coupon codes. Buy.com was one of them. They had one time use codes though, after you used one, you weren't supposed to be able to use them again.

People figured out how to abuse them though, and when coupon codes WERE allowed here, you couldn't find a buy.com thread without someone explaining how to abuse the codes. Eventually, some etailer got mad and threatened legal action against AT. The admins here decided it wasn't worth their trouble (the forums are a hardware forum afterall, HD is just an offshoot forum that got huge) and told everyone to stop posting codes.

Not all coupon code websites are banned. Fatwalet is, because thats where coupon code abuse discussion is allowed, so right after coupon codes were banned, members here were linking to threads there.

With the coupon code websites in the google adbar, it's just linking to the website, not the codes themselves. Etailers can't get upset about the links being there, because it's just an ad, which AT can't really control.

It's not going to change. It is possible the admins could complain to google about it and they MAY pull the ad from our rotation, but that probably won't happen. If you don't like the ads, pony up the $30 and become a subscriber. I figure the General Hardware forum saves me that much at least each year.
 
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AvesPKS

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
4,729
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Originally posted by: MrBond
This is the deal with coupon codes.

Back in the hot deals heyday, every etailer had coupon codes. Buy.com was one of them. They had one time use codes though, after you used one, you weren't supposed to be able to use them again.

People figured out how to abuse them though, and when coupon codes WERE allowed here, you couldn't find a buy.com thread without someone explaining how to abuse the codes. Eventually, some etailer got mad and threatened legal action against AT. The admins here decided it wasn't worth their trouble (the forums are a hardware forum afterall, HD is just an offshoot forum that got huge) and told everyone to stop posting codes.

Not all coupon code websites are banned. Fatwalet is, because thats where coupon code abuse discussion is allowed, so right after coupon codes were banned, members here were linking to threads there.

With the coupon code websites in the google adbar, it's just linking to the website, not the codes themselves. Etailers can't get upset about the links being there, because it's just an ad, which AT can't really control.

It's not going to change. It is possible the admins could complain to google about it and they MAY pull the ad from our rotation, but that probably won't happen. If you don't like the ads, pony up the $30 and become a subscriber. I figure the General Hardware forum saves me that much at least each year.
Click to expand...

Uhhh...it's linking directly to the sites which contain coupon codes...so, would it be okay for me to post coupon codes that I got from ads DIRECTLY linked to by Anandtech?
 
allisolm

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,325
4,989
136
Uhhh...it's linking directly to the sites which contain coupon codes...so, would it be okay for me to post coupon codes that I got from ads DIRECTLY linked to by Anandtech?

No.
 
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AvesPKS

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
4,729
0
0
Originally posted by: allisolm
Uhhh...it's linking directly to the sites which contain coupon codes...so, would it be okay for me to post coupon codes that I got from ads DIRECTLY linked to by Anandtech?

No.
Click to expand...

So...would it be okay if I linked to a site which contained coupon codes, upon request?
 
allisolm

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,325
4,989
136
So...would it be okay if I linked to a site which contained coupon codes, upon request?

IMO (but mine isn't the one that counts), yes, but the request isn't okay.
 
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Lord Evermore

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
9,558
0
76
In order to have any reason to link to it, you'd have to be discussing it in the first place, which you couldn't do. :) I don't think they'd appreciate random linking just so people can find the sites, or putting it in a sig.
 
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AvesPKS

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
4,729
0
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Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
In order to have any reason to link to it, you'd have to be discussing it in the first place, which you couldn't do. :) I don't think they'd appreciate random linking just so people can find the sites, or putting it in a sig.
Click to expand...

But what if it was one of the sites contained in an advertisement which non-subscribers could see anyway? Wouldn't I, in fact, be doing Anandtech a favor by advertising these revenue-generating links for them for free? :D
 
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AvesPKS

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
4,729
0
0
Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
In order to have any reason to link to it, you'd have to be discussing it in the first place, which you couldn't do. :) I don't think they'd appreciate random linking just so people can find the sites, or putting it in a sig.
Click to expand...

But...we're discussing it now...and in the other thread about this, I linked to various sites which contain coupon codes...couldn't someone chime in in a hot deals thread about how they could get even more off if they go to said site (which is a valid advertisement on AT) and get some coupon codes?
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
It's great too - in the FS/T forum, the SVC ad post - lists the coupon codes right there in it!
 
PrinceXizor

PrinceXizor

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2002
2,188
99
91
It's also not allowed to link to "promotion" sites and to sell items you don't have in FS/FT and to offer to build a system for a price, etc...all things you can do run into at sites that are linked to in various adds. If you can't figure out the difference between an add and a post...well....I dunno what to say then.

If you don't like it you can:

1. Subscribe...voila...no adds
2. Get a blocker of some kind.

P-X
 
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