Unfairly target

**Andrea** · 03-13-2009, 05:25 AM

I have nothing constructive to add here except that it seems panties have been wadded and knickers have been twisted.

**bike4ever** · 03-13-2009, 06:38 AM

Actually, SadieKate, they do have my phone number. I asked them to call me regarding this issue.

I've vented enough. Thanks for everyone's support.

**SadieKate** · 03-13-2009, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by bike4ever

Actually, SadieKate, they do have my phone number. I asked them to call me regarding this issue.

Ah, so you picked up the phone and called them . . . privately. Gave them a chance to respond before going public????

**ginny** · 03-13-2009, 08:45 AM

... but it seems like this is what the internet is all about: democracy in action. She is exercising her voice and as long as TE doesn't start pulling her posts, it seems she is welcome to post whatever she likes in an effort to get to the bottom of why her FS posts are being pulled. Perhaps she is really trying to find who is 'compliaining' about her posts and explain to that individual that she is not selling from a store front. It's best to keep private matters private, but blogs and facebook and the internet in general are all about vomiting private matters for the world to see. She and everyone else in the thread have been respectful of both TE and the other posters (rare on the internet), and it seems like a fairly acceptable way to a) get the admin to reply to her concerns b) assure whomever is complaining about her FS listings that she isn't selling from a store front. Moreover, the suggestions here that she have her friends post their own FS items and TE charge for FS listings are not bad ones. ....just my unsolicited 2cents

**shootingstar** · 03-13-2009, 08:59 AM

The admin does own/oversee these forums. Why not? She pays a company to have all these forums on a server. Respect the boundaries. Freedom of expression also means respecting boundaries. One day if you run a biz and want to set up forums like this, things start looking real different from the other side.

I perceive TE forums as primarily community-building among women. If admin had a clear profit motive, she would have kicked folks like me off the forums a long time ago. I haven't bought anything from TE yet but nor have I sold any used/new stuff here either.

Come to think of it, why don't you just set up your own blog and start selling the stuff? But I guess, you might have to look at the rules for free blog set-ups too.

**Karma007** · 03-13-2009, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by Andrea

I have nothing constructive to add here except that it seems panties have been wadded and knickers have been twisted.

hahahahaha!!!!

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 03-13-2009, 09:16 AM

Maybe I'm nuts, but this does sound commercial to me:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showp...48&postcount=7
I think those friends should all be selling off their own used bikes if they want to sell them here.
If you enjoy the TE forums aside from the 'for sale' ads issue, then you should stay even if you wind up being asked to stop selling other people's stuff here. I'm sure no one wants to see you leave altogether. Like most of us here, you can continue to contribute constructive and helpful input in the forum even without selling things.

**jobob** · 03-13-2009, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by ginny

... but it seems like this is what the internet is all about: democracy in action.

Excuse me, but this forum is a gift to us from the people at TeamEstrogen.com, and they have every right to determine what is and is not posted on this forum.

I'm amazed that people so easily lose sight of this simple little fact.

Jeff and Susan run this site on a very long leash - there are things that are posted here that would really piss me off were I in their shoes - and the least we can do is to respect their decisions on how and what is posted here.

And I think it is incredibly tacky that Bike4ever is trying to get other posters to feel sorry for her because she is not willing to abide by the decisions of the people who actually pay for this forum to exist and work to keep it running.

**ginny** · 03-13-2009, 11:03 AM

[QUOTE=jobob;410357]

I'm amazed that people so easily lose sight of this simple little fact.

but I actually said "the internet " and I didn't specifically say this forum. Nor did I say freedom of speech because when a forum is run by individuals, they do retain the right to censor what they wish. There is no freedom of speech. In that, I agree with you. What I am saying is, as long as they do not remove her posts from here, she is free to post what she wishes. They may exercise their rights of censorship in deleting this post if they wish.

Anyway, I did read the 'commercial looking' post, and I agree with you, but as long as TE doesn't delete this post, or any others, people may post what they wish. It doesn't mean it's 'right' or 'appropriate' - that's my point. And now, we are not talking about bikes at all... I'm done. Sorry to take this so off topic... (and apparently I haven't quite figured out the quote function here...)

**ilima** · 03-13-2009, 12:09 PM

I agree with you, ginny. Sure, TE operates these forums and sets the rules as to what is and is not appropriate. But . . . while some things may be unambiguously prohibited, there is necessarily a fuzzy--and pliable--boundary between appropriate and not appropriate.

I don't think it's inconceivable that the administrators would, in part, look to the forums' users to help determine where that boundary is. And what is permitted may change over time.

What is and is not appropriate for the FS forum appears to be in a state of flux right now. I don't need another bike but I will still check out what bike4ever is selling. And her listings are almost exclusively women's bikes or bikes in small sizes, which seems appropriate for this site.

**ilima** · 03-13-2009, 12:17 PM

I think it's unfair to pull that post out of the context of it's thread. The OP in that thread was expressing frustration at selling a bike and bike4ever gave her some advice.

I've sold a couple of bikes on craigslist and some cycling stuff on ebay. And you know what, I cut and pasted from old ads, which served as a "template" for newer ads.

In my view, "commercial" would have been bike4ever listing her (non-existant) bike selling company or soliciting to sell the OP's bike for her. She did neither. She merely offered advice that was appropriate to the thread. I honestly don't see how you get "commercial" from the post you linked.

**Susan Otcenas** · 03-13-2009, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by bike4ever

I agree with attempting to deal with an administrator; however, I have tried that without success. I have answered their questions honestly, but someone still "complains" about my posts. I never hear back from the administrator when I reply to their requests.

Bike4Ever,

You and I have had a long string of email back & forth over the past 24 hours. I could post that string to prove a point, but I won't because that was a private conversation.

Frankly, I'm rather offended that you would say that you never hear back. That's not the way I conduct business, and it disappoints me that you would attempt to shame me in public.

I quite specifically apologized to you if we had inadvertently deleted a For Sale post for used personal items, and even invited you to re-post those personal items if you wanted to.

FOR THE RECORD:
We do not permit commercial posts on the forums. That's been a long running policy. However, I don't actively "police" the forums, nor do I want to. These issues are brought to me and other admins when someone (usually more than one person) complains, at which point we take action to keep the forums non-commercial.

Our policy is to delete the offending posts, and send a polite email asking the poster to keep her participation in the forums non-commercial. We don't ask people to leave, but rather to simply respect the policy.

Susan

**kermit** · 03-13-2009, 02:50 PM

I would much rather buy an item from someone that posts on this board and is known rather than an unknown entity. I hope it can be worked it out.

**fidlfreek** · 03-13-2009, 03:27 PM

Agreed Kermit!

I LOVE TE! I can ask questions here that i can't ask anywhere else! And I would be sad sad sad if people w/ expertise (for instance bike4ever) were driven away. They (and their knowledge) are an asset to the website. I have personally benefited from bike4ever's wisdom and want her to feel appreciated!

I think the solution is just to get bike4ever's OPs to do their own postings. I know, unfortunate, but maybe the middle ground?

FYI As a person who recently used TE to recycle (aka resell) a small WSD bike I would haven been very content to pay TE a small classifieds fee given that their forum was the perfect place to find a buyer!

**fastdogs** · 03-13-2009, 04:16 PM

I love to see the bikes you post for sale. The photos are great and all the info is there. If I had a bike for sale, I might ask you to post it for me because you do such a good job. I hate that stuff (posting things for sale).
You also post helpful advice, not just bike-for-sale posts. I hope you are allowed to keep posting when you have used bikes.
vickie

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