IndiTalk Archive Kidnapped :P

Well, thanks to all the IndiPolice members who cared to reply to my queries. I'd like to clarify that by posting my query, I didn't want to question the rules. I just wanted to know what is considered link spamming, because, IMO, a newbie might have a similar question, which, I feel, the Indiblogger rules and guidelines doesn't clarify. (Or atleast I feel so)

i don't see anything wrong even if you question the rules :)

Well CYber - I answered that only on my post. Anything that is not relavent to general public but flooding the community crowding out good content or individuals trying to corner the public community for personal or commercial promotional purposes.

I was just sharing links on IndiTalk and it suddenly clicked to me that "Link spamming or flaming on IndiTalk will result in your account being disabled." And we now have stricter norms about this.

Though I don't smoke, neither I'm fond of playing with match sticks or any inflammable articles, so, I can't indulge in flaming, but, I'd like to know more about Link Spamming:

"Link spamming or flaming on IndiTalk will result in your account being disabled."

1. Does this mean that we are not allowed to post any links on IndiTalk?

2. If we are allowed to share links, what kind of links can be shared on IndiTalk?

3. What comes under the purview of link spamming, and how do you categorize whether the link shared be considered spamming or not?

4. What is the course of action, if someone like me (I'm fond of sharing links ), gets caught red or green or blue handed, sharing links on IndiTalk? 

There is a difference between link spamming and link sharing. The same rule as of forum applies here, too. A link relevant to the discussion in hand is allowed, but sharing a link which is not at all relevant and disturbs others is what is being referred to here as link spamming. Let me tell you the history of this warning.

There was a time when a lot of people used to come on IndiTalk and share their blog links and vanish. Sometimes they did it in such a quantity that it really disturbed those who were chatting and hence, this warning was put up.

Adding to what Animesh already said, Spam is anything that is done to promote something at a place which is not right - IndiVine blog link posting is not spam, however posting a link on IndiVine from a blog which is full of dummy content and just to get back links (say for adverts), adding those links is SPAM. 

Similarly, IndiTalk is not a place to promote your links - so if you are promoting a link (yours or others) this is not the right place - and hence gets tagged SPAM. However if you are discussing something and a link is in reference to this discussion (and not self promotion like discussing your latest post and adding the link) that is not spamming. 

Thanks, Animesh and Indianomics for sharing insights into link spamming. However, while chatting, we do post links to our latest post or something, or to our blogs too, like for example, while we are talking about some contest and that we shared our contest posts with people, would it still be considered link spamming (afterall, it'll drive traffic to our blog, and thus promotion)?

It's very subjective CK. As I said if something is being shared as per context, it should not be considered so. Moreover, no one goes through IndiTalk archives unlike forum threads. So, unless someone gets disturbed and complains, it is highly unlikely that any action would be initiated. Even if any of the IPs are active on the talk, believe their judging sense to find out what is spamming and what is not 

Well Cyber - In general rules should be interpreted in spirit and not in letter. The spirit of all rules here is to ensure the following:-

1. Community should not be perceived to be hostile and unfriendly for any users - old or new

2. Community should not be used for promotional purposes.

3. Useful content should not be buried in a sea of content with minimal public utility.

To enforce this philosophy rules are framed to give operational guidelines to support the philosophy. Generally rules are stricter than the enforcement to give some leverage to the rule enforcers. (It is same everywhere. In your first job, if you had read the terms and conditions of your employment contract, it would have given you nightmares)

Rule enforcers ideally are members who over the years have shown maturity in community interaction and are trusted by the community admins to appropriately use discriminatory powers within rules framework to support the general philosophy mentioned above. 

I'll create a thread explaining all the recent changes to IndiTalk folks - sorry, lots of work this week so it might take me a day or two!

Thanks Renie. That would be really appreciated!

This thread's also turning nasty. Bhaaaago...

On a lighter note, i'll say that Indiadmins know what's better for IB and if they think these changes will help IB develop, so be it! I am happy this way too! 

BM, not everyone likes to be treated like kids

All the best bhaag-ing 

IndiStream link also vanished. It was a useful one to glance through the latest replies updated in real time 

Only temporary - until we fix it! The link has been removed, but IndiStream is still there.

Yes IndiStream is still there there and I am am still accessing it directly with the URL  ( just like the IndiArchive   )

How to prevent fights between people on this Earth? 

Build 7.137 billion cages, one for each person on this Earth. Communication between them will be controlled by a central program which will pass the message from the sender to the recipient only if it doesn't have the potential to start a fight. 

Don't ask me the logic or the context. I will not answer. 

Don't disagree by giving reasons. You will waste your energy. 

I think all these changes are very effective for preventing fights... Thinking on those lines, I think IB's doing a great job! Love you IB<3

but how can such things prevent fights arising out of indifferences 

Exactly my point CK...This feature does nothing but remove transparency.

@CK and FP - I guess the changes are made in an effort not to prevent indifferences, but to ensure we warn people from flaming on IndiTalk. Recently it has been observed that people resort to flaming due to personal indifferences, even though they may not even realize that they may be hurting sentiments of others. IndiBlogger is here for everyone, not only for a few of us. 

Indianomics, I do know IB is not for few but for the entire group of bloggers, and so I thought transparency is of more importance. If the platform is for few, transparency can be a desired quality but not absolute necessity but when the platform is huge, transparency becomes a necessity. Or at least I think so.

It may be of merit if you could help explain what adding a no-flaming banner may have to do with Transperency?

p..........let them do what they want yaar....wat will we get by runnng after logic...btw u couldnt explain logic either abt that eating egg and putting egg on head thingy...................somethings are better left unanswered

ND, you can't equate feelings with policies.  Anyway, I now understand how IB works

I think we have been using the word "indifferences" here in a wrong context 

Indianomics, I missed your question yesterday. Sorry about that. To answer your question, when did I say anything about no-flamming banner being related to transparency? I just gave my reaction about what I think about it. When I'm talking about transparency, I am talking about logic behind the removal of archives, and nothing else. I hope I'm clear now

PS: I saw Renie's reply about creating thread about it and so I'm happy about it.

You guys recommended to remove archives? What's the logic behind it? I'd love to know that.

@FP - I am sure IndiBlogger team had a very strong case else they wont have taken such a step for a feature that is loved by many and they themselves created. The Logic does exist in almost all actions that IndiBlogger team takes. Else, there could be many things that could be changed overnight based on a few's recommendation. Things with IB always take time, I am sure you all must have noticed because IB team takes time to analyze a situation and act only if it could help :) 

So you mean to say that the logic is not going to be revealed? We have to keep on guessing about it? Somehow I am not a huge fan of guessing games. I like to call a spade a spade. But never mind, if most of the bloggers are not bothered about transparency, who am I to demand that? Ignorance is bliss

I doubt this has anything to do with Transperancy, more so - this is a precaution. Logic may be reveled and it is up to the IndiTeam to decide whether that logic should come out or not - similar to the IndiRank logic! no one knows for sure how it runs but IndiTeam did share what they consider. 

Nice now Indichat window is closed when we open the indiblogger page  It can be opened only on clicking the indichat button 

Yes Ranjith you are right, there is no chat window in the un-logged version

Well, got another shocker on Inditalk today. As soon as I opened the Inditalk today morning, got a pop-up about terms and conditions.

Strange, I did not get it. 

may all top-chatters got it.

use pop-up blocker.

I also got it :|

avdhoot..try chatting then maybe u;ll get

Hmm... It's not pop-up though, but one has to check the same before starting the chat.

It's ridiculous

I think Inditalk will be phased out shortly ...and then just forum threads where no chatting is allowed.

it'll be sad if they do it...cos it'll be all too quiet here then

there is no such plan.

This is read bad news  How can I keep track of all the cool conversations and cooler fights 

By being on IndiTalk 24x7

or buy them from ck 

or Ranjith 20 rupees for each page We have more 3.5K pages, so, we'll get a handsome amount 

Yes CK 

Who will be our first customer? Pankti? ND? NSV? 

i dont buy all that... i like it free

!

I don't need to buy anything I anyway rarely used to read archives.

Pankti 

Ck looks like we don't have market for the archives 

ranjith,

Do you go to all the tabs daily on IB and see if everything is ok?

ND noticed it first. I asked her to create a thread. She didn't, so, I created it 

and don't you think noticing it is  natural thing... whenever I open IndiTalk, I first read the archive 

I stopped reading archive some time ago. I could not take so much information overload

ND noticed it first. 

!

I have also reduced reading archives...

no theres no archives now to reduce reading

I was talking of the week just before the archives disappeared 

LOL...Madhu is right...be ready to get this thread locked and deleted

No, it won't. This is a PSA 

wats PSA?

Public Service Announcement 

Another thing: does this mean that if you want to archive your chat, better start a thread on the forum? At least you will have the records with you!

threads can be deleted too

Maybe Renie hated the idea of fights on Inditalk being there for everyone to access and see? But I do think IA should be restored for the greater good, i.e., transparency on the forum

Yes, they should be restored. If not done, those who want to read all those fights can buy the archive from me 

@r.....there wont be fights without archives..people read archives first then fight so no business for u

ND But I have all the previous fights. I can sell them to those who want to pass time reading history 

R, IA? What's that?

IA = IndiTalk Archive 

ND suspects that it is because she asked Pankti to read the archive to know about the blue dart robber in the morning.

And CK suspects that Renie was frightened of his archive downloading program. 

Now Pankti will give her opinion 

ND suspects that it is because she asked Pankti to read the archive to know about the blue dart robber in the morning.

timing matched 

though i must add...that incident has nothing to do with IB...its a seperate issue with shopclues.com

Actually I suspect that because I was working on downloading the archives' pages at almost the same time, this thing was possibly being worked upon. I just stopped working on it to concentrate on some other stuff, and the buttons were gone, and so were the numbers that showed the details of archives pages that I was downloading. 

na na ck...archives vanished little after a while after i had asked p to read them...

So, p and nd are the main culprits 

ck now, download the archive 

R, I am not a culprit!

ok