What is Spamvertising?

"Spamvertising leads to baldness, child abuse, famine and global nuclear war"  ...and it's deceptive to present it as information.

A guide to junk replies on this branch

1  "Spam" is the common name for what's officially termed unsolicited commercial email. In fact, it's Internet slang for just about any original post (OP) or replies to a question made by a poster on a forum or bulletin board intended to bring about direct commercial gain to themselves.

2  Advertising is the inevitable flea that comes in with the dog of commerce and making business in the capitalist world. I hate it and I hope you do.

3   Put them together and you have spamvertising. On this board, I have made it eye-catchingly bold with some asterisks, like this - ***SPAMVERTISING*** so you are in no doubt that the poster is advertising a business. It's important to make it clear sometimes, as spamvertisers have assumed the cloaks of "satisfied travellers," just bursting to share the name of this person who runs a fabulous guesthouse/ manages a reliable trekking agency/ is a dependable driver in Rajasthan (you'll probably find more if you have the time and tolerance)... The Nepalese spamvertisers specialise in generalised, rambling travelogues which end with an email address and recommendations for either an individual guide or an agency. The text of their message may well come from legitimate recommendations given (if not to them, then to their mates) in a typical school exercise book, but which their client never gave permission for to be used in such a deceptive way.

4   So what's wrong with, say, a Nepali trek organiser (often the worst spamvertisers) broadcasting their presence to an audience of backpackers? First of all, whoever needs to advertise a business in this way - many times answering a question with a totally off-topic reply - will probably not stop at scraping and wheedling once you book with them. Their dishonesty stands proven as they have broken the code of the LP Thorn Tree board - no commercial posters are allowed. They have also broken the rules with their fellow trek guides/guesthouse owners etc. by using dirty tricks; any business person with more scruples wouldn't post in such a dishonest way. The spamvertiser is clearly offering something not to be trusted.
 

Q: What can I do?
A: Be a Spamvertiser killer!

1   DO NOT USE the services of anyone who posts a spamvertising message. Indeed, warn others if the recommendation comes on a thread where a poster has asked an innocent question about recommended hotels or guides.

2   Try to report the spam post to a Thorn Tree moderator. Do this by clicking the grey "report abuse " flag that looks like this at the top of the post. This may help to get the post deleted and the poster banned. However, people doing this in the past haven't really reduced the tide of spamvertising - spammers can get new handles and post their junk the next day. Still, it does help clean the place of the most glaring misuse a bit.

3   Weekends are really bad for spam posts (and flamers, trolls and other low-lifes) - posters know that moderators are not on duty during this time, so it's often a free-for-all and spam postings stay until the next working day. All you can do is be patient, and possibly check the original poster's other contributions to see if it has spread to other branches, reporting there as well.

4   If you are a spamvertiser reading this, stop trying to fool people by claiming you are someone you are not! The LP Thorn Tree board does not allow commercial posts. You are breaking the rules! You are trying to sell your business or service by appearing as a traveller. There are plenty of people who will notice your bad English or single-poster "endorsement" and report you. Your post will be removed and nobody will believe you, anyway. You will lose all your hair and your breath will begin to stink like a water buffalo.