I recently had a link removed from a post (see page http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=16770).

If you look at my post, you'll see that I am asking a question about a hosting company. I have a link to the hosting company, which the moderator (Chicken) left as -is.

However, the link to my non-profit, non-commercial, non-hosting-related website was removed.

It was then (apparently) placed into a sig, somehow.

I looked at the Rules (which were substantially rewritten since I looked at them a couple of weeks ago), but I still have some questions:

1. Why is it wrong to have a link, within a post, to a site that is non-profit, non-commercial, and not related in the slightest to web-hosting? How does that link hurt anyone's credibility?

2. Why can we have links in signatures, but not in posts?

3. Looking at the Rules, I read the following:
"Participants may not use the Forum to direct others to any pages at their own commercial website, including informational pages.
Participants may not use the Forum to direct other to any pages which they have a commercial interest in, these include commission or referral hyperlinks."

This seems to indicate that we're talking about links to commercial or hosting-related pages. Which of the following is true?

- Chicken deleted the link without looking at my site.
- NO LINKS OF ANY SORT are allowed.

This needs to made clear. If we cannot link to any sites, then a major benefit of using this **WEB** forum is negated. I understand that you need to appear above the fray, but this is ridiculous.

Pi**ed off,
Chris

I assume that Chicken thought you were trying to circumvent the prohibition on hyperlinks in sigs. You can have you url in your sig as text, but you cannot make it into a link. By just typing your own url at the end of a message instead of using a sig, you are able to have that url displayed as a link to your site. So on this forum a link in a sig is not quite the same as a link in the text of a post. By moving the link to your sig Chickem made it into plain text instead of a hyperlink.

I can understand your frustration at havig a mod edit your post, but the best I can say is don't worry about it. Perhaps Chicken can offer some insight into his actual reasons (since my comments are just guesses) for editing that post.

-joe

Joe basically summed it up, but just so you didn't think I'd ignore your post...

I placed your URL into your signature.

1. What Joe said. We ask that you post your URL in your signature and if you like, in the web field (which will allow people to click your WWW button.

2. Hotlink issue, currently under consideration. Your link in your signature may suddenly become hot, but it would be better to discuss that in the other thraed in this forum (which is already going).

3. Your link did not apply to the rule you mentioned.

Which of the following is true?

- Chicken deleted the link without looking at my site.
- NO LINKS OF ANY SORT are allowed.

Both are true, though I mean within posts. As I said, you may enter in a URL as well as list your site in your signature.

You may link to your own web sites via the methods mentioned above.

Pi**ed off

As I said, hotlinks in signatures (as oppoesed to the 'coldURL' that is there now), is currently under consideration. Even if links go hot, we'd still require that you list sites you own in a signature to separate it from your post. I know it sounds picky, but due to the commercial presence at the forums, it is better if we have uniform guidelines for *all* members.

Chris, before you get annoyed, just email and ask and I would have been glad to explain it to you. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to email/PM me.