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Website dilema...

andycal

Critical Thinker
A
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
382
So, here's the problem. I run a local village website with a forum, some news and a business directory.

It's been run fine for three years now, but recently I received and email from someone asking if they could advertise their acupuncture service.

I said, in the nicest way possible, that I don't advertise CAM, but they're welcome to discuss it in the forum. In fact, I don't allow advertising of any medical practises.

This caused all sorts of hassle. I first get accused of 'censorship' and then someone decides to have a go saying that as I run a website for the community, I should allow everyone to advertise and leave it up to the individual to decide whether the treatment works or not.

At the end of the day, it's my site so I'll do what the hell I want, but current consensus by the visitors is that I should allow it.

What would you do?
 
Stick to your guns. It's your site and you can do as you please. The "community" argument is a red herring and could be used to justify anything. How about advertsiements for NAMBL? Hate groups? "Adult" web sites? Should the community decide about those, too, or do they expect you to set limits, but only as long as they agree with those limits?

Your site. You draw the lines. You don't even have to be consistent, although life will be easier if you are. If they disagree, let them host their own sites. It might open their eyes...
 
I agree. You're the one putting in the effort to run the site. If they don't like it, they're welcome to start their own and see what hard work it is. Then they can put whatever adverts they like on it. They might even like to add some animated gifs of fairies.
 
Write yourself a policy on advertising and editorial content and display it on the web site.

Say that you will not accept advertising for any good or service that makes unsubstantiated claims.

Or something similar. Do the same for editorial content.

When someone complains just point to the clearly stated policy.
 
Drooper said:
Write yourself a policy on advertising and editorial content and display it on the web site.

Say that you will not accept advertising for any good or service that makes unsubstantiated claims.

Or something similar. Do the same for editorial content.

When someone complains just point to the clearly stated policy.
Click to expand...
Abso-fricken-lutely.

Your rules can be whatever you want them to be as long as you don't catch people off-guard by them, and you stick to them for everyone.
 
If you don't want to rock the boat too much, you could get legal. All paid-for advertising on web pages must comply with the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines. I'm not sure what the ruling is on CAM, but they will ask for clinical proof of health claims and reject it if they are unsubstantiated.

Ask your advertiser to submit the advert to the ASA for clearance. Chances are they will go away rather than attempt this negotiation, which can be a hassle.

Mind you, the advert might not make a specific claim, so they might get clearance anyway. And then you'd look even worse for rejecting it because you just don't like the concept.
 
Drooper said:
Write yourself a policy on advertising and editorial content and display it on the web site.

Say that you will not accept advertising for any good or service that makes unsubstantiated claims.

Or something similar. Do the same for editorial content.

When someone complains just point to the clearly stated policy.
Click to expand...

Well put Drooper. Poor andycal is probably going to get flooded with emails showing "substantiated" claims. If he puts that up.

Rolfe would be great resource for debunking them though.
 
What Drooper said.

It's that simple. You don't need to apologize or explain. Simply make your site factual. Verifiable evidence, baby. That should earn you respect.

Heck, you allow them to discuss it on the board, so it isn't as if you are actively silencing them.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys. It's really been an eye opener on the site to see just how deluded some people are. When challenged I merely said "Provide the evidence".

So far my arguments have never been met with anything but "People believe and therefore you should...etc".

Interesting point here though. I have tried to be as calm and collected as possible when discussing these things, always mindful of believers who think skeptics are 'too harsh'. In one argument about homeopathy I got an incredibly patronising rant from someone who decided to 'teach me a lesson'. Unfortunately when I pointed out the embarrasingly big holes in his argument his reaction was to want to be deleted from the board and not discuss it any more. He also requested the topic be deleted. Obviously I didn't do it.

The second argument ended when the person arguing for acupuncture posted a link to that recent BBC report. When I pointed out the flaws in that, the witty and intelligent response was "Stick it up your a**e".

I rested my case at that point.
 
andycal said:
This caused all sorts of hassle. I first get accused of 'censorship' and then someone decides to have a go saying that as I run a website for the community, I should allow everyone to advertise and leave it up to the individual to decide whether the treatment works or not.
Click to expand...
An editorial decision about the content of a private website is not censorship.

I disagree with the decision to ban Wellfed from the forums. But it ain't my forum, and it ain't censorship.

Anyone who claims otherwise has simply heard the word used in a similar context, and is mindlessly repeating it without understanding its meaning.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya, "The Princess Bride"

- Timothy
 
Absolutely. Point them at supanames.co.uk and that it'll cost them less to run their own website there than to keep arguing with you. My deal with them was £50+ plus for 2 years, including my own .org.uk address, a mySQL DB so I could run phpBB etc.
 
andycal said:
In one argument about homeopathy I got an incredibly patronising rant from someone who decided to 'teach me a lesson'. Unfortunately when I pointed out the embarrasingly big holes in his argument his reaction was to want to be deleted from the board and not discuss it any more. He also requested the topic be deleted. Obviously I didn't do it.

The second argument ended when the person arguing for acupuncture posted a link to that recent BBC report. When I pointed out the flaws in that, the witty and intelligent response was "Stick it up your a**e".
Click to expand...
That sounds like a lot of fun! Is this little altercation readable by the public? If it is, would you mind giving the url?

Rolfe.
 
OK, I did put the link, but rather than hassle the board, I've pm'd it to Rolfe.
 
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