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  1. #1
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    Webhosts recommending their "buddy" webhosts.

    I don't know where to post this but please feel free to move it where it should belong.

    There are providers that recommend their "buddy" providers and are returning favors back and forth. This is plain deceit. I don't think it's fair to those of us who are playing by the rules. I just thought I would express my discontent with the situation. I'm certain others are also concerned about this nefarious trend.

    What to do?

    Regards
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  2. #2
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    I don't understand your post. How is it deceit as you say?

    I have companies that I have networked with "buddies" we trade referrals all the time. Its called doing business.

    maybe I misunderstand what you are saying
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by UNIXy View Post
    I don't know where to post this but please feel free to move it where it should belong.

    There are providers that recommend their "buddy" providers and are returning favors back and forth. This is plain deceit. I don't think it's fair to those of us who are playing by the rules. I just thought I would express my discontent with the situation. I'm certain others are also concerned about this nefarious trend.

    What to do?

    Regards
    See that 'report'-button on the right top of each post ? press it and make a report; as per rules this is not allowed; unless they have first hand experience with the host as webhost. That is the best thing you can do.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by 040Hosting View Post
    unless they have first hand experience with the host as webhost.
    How would you prove if they did or did not have prior experience?
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by trustedurl.com View Post
    How would you prove if they did or did not have prior experience?
    That is something for the moderator to decide and to act on after they received the report.
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  6. #6
    It does happen a lot, but on the same hand when someone is asking for a certain type of hosting (say colo with kvm/ip in uk) then I recommend someone who I know does it. But strictly state no customer experience (well I try too).

    I agree they shouldn't recommend other hosts they haven't used but there is a difference between that and my example above.
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  7. #7
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    Yes, please report those posts if you believe something is fishy. Otherwise though, I wouldn't say there's anything inherently wrong with one business recommending another simply because a lot of us do or have likely used competing businesses at some point.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by AHDOnline View Post
    I don't understand your post. How is it deceit as you say?

    I have companies that I have networked with "buddies" we trade referrals all the time. Its called doing business.

    maybe I misunderstand what you are saying
    He's just upset that none of the referrals are for him Seriously, anytime I recommend someone, it's because I used them at some point and liked them.
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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by larwilliams View Post
    He's just upset that none of the referrals are for him Seriously, anytime I recommend someone, it's because I used them at some point and liked them.


    I'm starting to get rather aggravated that Orien never sends referrals our way. I know how the OP feels! Where is the love. . SoftWareRevue, can you referral someone my way!?! . Michael (mdd hosting)? Anyone!?!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by trustedurl.com View Post
    How would you prove if they did or did not have prior experience?
    We have some of our detectives to take care of it.

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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by AquariusADMIN View Post


    I'm starting to get rather aggravated that Orien never sends referrals our way. I know how the OP feels! Where is the love. . SoftWareRevue, can you referral someone my way!?! . Michael (mdd hosting)? Anyone!?!
    I'll do it if you give me a year of free hosting to test on your service... j/k...
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by JLHC View Post
    I'll do it if you give me a year of free hosting to test on your service... j/k...
    Would that be against the rules?

    Lets say I knew Orien (I don't btw) and he gave me free hosting and I just happened to like it and recommended it on WHT. That would be against the rules?

    Edit: Note: I am just wondering, I have done no such thing.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Universes View Post
    Would that be against the rules?

    Lets say I knew Orien (I don't btw) and he gave me free hosting and I just happened to like it and recommended it on WHT. That would be against the rules?

    Edit: Note: I am just wondering, I have done no such thing.
    I'm sure it wouldn't be against WHT rules because you'd have had 1st hand experience with using the service and it wouldn't constitute an simple inexperienced referal

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  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Outlaw Web Master View Post
    I'm sure it wouldn't be against WHT rules because you'd have had 1st hand experience with using the service and it wouldn't constitute an simple inexperienced referal

    owm
    I would also see it this way.

    I've actually recommended a couple of companies in the past, but it's only because I've used them (or still use them). I know a lot of hosting owners who are great guys (or gals ), but don't recommend them.

    I've also done in the past, if a person is looking for a specific feature or something, I'll try and point them to a host that might fit, but I don't recommend them per se. I think we've all done this at some point in time, but not in a malicious way. For example, let's say Joe Customer comes here, and is looking for some suggestions on IRC hosting. I don't know any hosts off hand, but if I did, I might say something like "hey, I think xyzhost.com offers it, you may want to check them out. I don't know how they are though, but they offer what you're looking for".

    Personally, I think there's a difference between recommending, and pointing a person to what they are looking for.
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  15. #15
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    Most people who are regulars on this forum will have some sort of connection to the hosting industry. We are after all the "largest, most influential web hostign community on the Internet". It would be hard to only have "end users" commenting on recommendations

    You could equally apply this to anything - "XXX is recommending host Y because they bought his support software", "ZZZ is recommending host A because they bought his flash tutorial demo's" etc... Fact is, you're going to find people on here who know plenty of other people in the industry who are their competitors, but would happily recommend clients to each other if they knew someone else met the users requirements when they couldn't. That's part of good business.

    Where there is definite evidence to support that Host A is recommending Host B and Host B recommending Host A over a long period of time, then we have to
    leave it to the moderators to decide to take action - and we can give them a prod using the report link.

    Otherwise, I see no issue with someone suggesting someone else they know that meets the OP's requirements. The rule on this does leave room for some discretion on what is and isn't allowed.

    I would far prefer to have an experienced host say "Take a look at XXX, they should have what you want" than the OP not getting an answer or not finding what they want.
    Last edited by tickedon; 05-27-2009 at 10:39 AM.
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  16. #16
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    I think the rules are pretty clear on this...

    http://www.webhostingtalk.com/rules.php
    You may not use discussions to recommend, praise, or belittle other products or services, or any company; without first hand experience of those products or services. This includes companies recommending other companies. Any post not meeting a moderator's criteria will be removed without notice.
    If there's a concern about what the OP says happening, please use the report utility and let our hound dogs dig through the muck.

    Woof.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Douglas View Post
    I think the rules are pretty clear on this...



    If there's a concern about what the OP says happening, please use the report utility and let our hound dogs dig through the muck.

    Woof.
    I totally agree mate.

    Why can't they use a system that's already in place and is promoted with what the wise hairy one uses as his sig?

    owm
    Last edited by Outlaw Web Master; 05-27-2009 at 11:39 AM.
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  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by UNIXy View Post
    I don't know where to post this but please feel free to move it where it should belong.

    There are providers that recommend their "buddy" providers and are returning favors back and forth. This is plain deceit. I don't think it's fair to those of us who are playing by the rules. I just thought I would express my discontent with the situation. I'm certain others are also concerned about this nefarious trend.

    What to do?

    Regards
    << removed >> People just have to find a way to mess things up.

    I recommend stablehost, and I am not a buddy at all, I just got excellent service. It is a shame that people can't take that seriously anymore.
    Last edited by writespeak; 05-28-2009 at 02:58 PM.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by AHDOnline View Post
    I don't understand your post. How is it deceit as you say?

    I have companies that I have networked with "buddies" we trade referrals all the time. Its called doing business.

    maybe I misunderstand what you are saying
    It's OK to have partners and refer each other but per the WTH rules, it's not OK to do so in this forum based on the partnership alone.

    Regards
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by 040Hosting View Post
    See that 'report'-button on the right top of each post ? press it and make a report; as per rules this is not allowed; unless they have first hand experience with the host as webhost. That is the best thing you can do.
    Agreed. I'll definitely take the time to do so next time.
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  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by UNIXy View Post
    Agreed. I'll definitely take the time to do so next time.
    Good to see and everyone should be.

    The next question will be, how about if I owned a Data Center and I knew a host that is using our DC, can I recommend him to other who are looking for shared/reseller hosting?

    Of course not :-)

    We are not just talking about where the hosting server located but more on the service of the specific company that he/she actually used :-)
    Last edited by net; 05-27-2009 at 09:10 PM.

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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by net View Post
    We have some of our detectives to take care of it.
    And this is what distinguishes this place from others. And that's why I put way more time and effort participating / helping out here more than anywhere else.

    Regards
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  23. #23
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    I know what the OP means though and kinda agree.

    This I reckon is sometimes difficult to regulate technically speaking. But WHT is well-staffed with green people. If individuals have any concerns about any post they should "report" it!

  24. #24
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    I have seen another trend emerging as well. This is where people do really have experience with the provider kept on recommending this particular or a few provider that he used in the past but his main intention is just to flash his signature. How do you guys think this should be handled?
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  25. #25
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    I would say its fishy if you see a couple or group of hosts constantly referring each other and I suppose it does happen here but it couldn't be that much. Where you are getting at now implies that webhosts should not recommend anyone else as well as not plugging themself.

    Web hosts already have to walk on thin ice when contributing to this forum, more rules like this would make it even harder to contribute.

    To stay an active member here and not get any violations you really have to pay attention. For example you really have to watch where you post your sig, you cannot answer any questions about your service or tell someone to contact you off board if they ask a question in a non-ad post, and a few other things you have to watch out for.

    Let's face it, most of the people who post here are web hosts or work for a web host. Without hosts this forum would be nothing. I don't think they should make it so hard on hosts who want to contribute to the forum. Of course garbage and obvious sig spamming should be prevented and dealt with but when mods try to find hidden meanings in what someone posts or they don't think their post was good enough to show their sig it gets a bit extreme.

    I'm not complaining here but I think something like this, cracking down on hosts that mention other hosts should be done so with consideration. I think there should be multiple obvious cases of it before action is taken.

    I know I recommend and have recommended hosts that probably would never mention me back and I don't ask them to. If I see a topic and the op is looking for a particular service or asking about a certain host I will usually try to make a helpful reply and sometimes that includes me mentioning another web host. Is things like this now going to be scrutinized more?

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