Direct Links Clarification

[Ken Salisbury]

The last few weeks there have been some questions and obvious confusion concerning what direct links are or are not permitted in posts. So I will give it a shot to clarify any questions new members may have.

Direct Links Allowed:

- To a member's personal web page/site provided the page has information germain to the thread subject (re: a photo/description, price, etc of the item being discussed or suggested.)

- To a commercial web page/site provided it is has the information which is germain to the thread subject at hand. (re: Joe Blows Harware hinges).

- To previous SMC threads of interest to the subject.

Direct Links Not Allowed

- To any other public forum.

- To a public auction like E-bay. (Suggestion for the poster to do a search on e-bay to get his answer is fine - a direct link is not).

- To the member's web site in their 'signature' line (If your signature line presently has a link to your web site please use your 'User CP' to remove it)

Please don't comment that this information should be on the Support Forum - I have posted it there also - just want to get maximum coverage especially to the new members.

[Dave Moran]

Thank you Ken, I was a little fuzzy on the fine points so I didn't post any links at all even when it would have been a help.

[John Shuk]

Thanks Ken. That's a big help.

[Keith Christopher]

I will of course abide by the rules but may I ask why some are not allowed ? I hope it's not an already answered question and it's not intended to questions anyone's authority. I think I may know the answer but just curious.



Keith

[Scott Banbury]

I wonder about this too.

I removed my URL from my signature line per request but I can't see how it hurts to have other woodworkers be able to go to my site and see that I have a Woodmizer for hire and/or special wood that they may want to pry from my wood hording hands.

[Jim Becker]

I removed my URL from my signature line per request but I can't see how it hurts to have other woodworkers be able to go to my site and see that I have a Woodmizer for hire and/or special wood that they may want to pry from my wood hording hands.

Your web site is accessable to anyone by their clicking on your name at the top of any post...as long as you put it in your profile.

[Ken Salisbury]

Your web site is accessable to anyone by their clicking on your name at the top of any post...as long as you put it in your profile.

Absolutely Correct ! ! ! We encourage members to visit each others web sites. Having your website in your profile enables people to access it like Jim says. Direct links are just not allowed as an intregal part of your signature line.

[Aaron Koehl]

Now would be a good time to point out that if you click on a member's name, it brings up a menu with all sorts of stuff. Try it..

[Rob Blaustein]

I understand why you might not want people to post links that essentially advertise their services or products, but I'm not sure I understand the rationale for not allowing us to include links to useful posts in other forums if they are relevant to the discussion. Part of what makes this site so useful is that people are generous about sharing their expertise and letting others benefit from their research. If I've looked into a topic and saved a useful link on another public forum, why create more work for someone else by telling them to search for such and such on some other forum? I apologize if the logic behind this has already been discussed.

[Darren Ford]

Thanks for that information Jim & Ken. I never think about looking at the profile. I'll try to remember that. I for one will miss the links in the signature. I enjoy checking out other peoples work.

[Keith Outten]

The content of other forums may not be appropriate for our members. Our community frowns on the use of innapropriate language, flaming and personal attacks. Since it is unreasonable to expect Moderators to follow every link to verify the content it is best that we refrain from linking to other sites whose content may be offensive to our members. Many sites do not allow any outside links, we decided in the beginning that we would try to be flexible as long as external links were not abused.

Many of our rules here at SMC are for the benefit of younger woodworkers who we feel should be able to participate without having to endure mature language or topics. SMC is a place for all woodworkers to enjoy.

[Dave Moran]

Thanks Keith, Aaron, and Ken,

Knowing the rules is one thing, understanding the reason for them makes it easier to remember them. While I didn't understand the reasons my feeling was a simple "I am a guest here, I can choose to either follow the house rules or not visit" I chose to visit, but was just a bit too cautious on the links part.

[Tim Leo]

I'll follow the rules, but I need to point out that I found Sawmill Creek by following a link on another forum. It seems incongruous that the SMC frowns on similar reciprocal links.

tim