Stop posting craigslist ads.

[Alex Shanku]

John, I do agree with a lot of what you posted. I have, in the past, posted craigslist deals on the creek for the members to see.

But, over time, I have really changed my mind.

Anyway, it appears I am in the small minority here.

Craig, I already use those search engines, as I have said twice (three times now) I AM NOT posting about an item I "lost".

Whiny and selfish...huh....ok. Not wanting to unnecessarily increase the price of an auction item is selfish?? If so, than YES i guess I would be.

Why would members post items that non-members could see?

Maybe the deals and discounts forum should be viewable by contributing members only? Moreover, why not keep ALL craigslist and ebay/auction posts in the deals and discounts?

[Matt Bickford]

introducing a person that is willing to pay more is not unneccesarily increasing the price. In fact, keeping that person away is unneccesarily holding the price down. You're hurting the seller and the new buyer (both of which are happier with the introduction of the 3rd party) in order to help a person that shouldn't be receiving this outside help.

I can give multiple reasons why introducing this 3rd party is good. Please do the same for your side of the argument.

We have to assume that you missed out on something. There's no other reason that you'd want them outright banned from the entire forum. If you don't want them clogging up the general woodworking that's one thing, but that's not at all what you suggested.

[Rick Moyer]

Maybe the deals and discounts forum should be viewable by contributing members only? Moreover, why not keep ALL craigslist and ebay/auction posts in the deals and discounts?

Now THAT seems like the right idea. I didn't agree with what you said in your first post, as I felt, as others did, that you may have had sour grapes over losing an item. if you merely meant to say that these things should not be double posted on both forums, I agree. I think what I quoted you on would be the best approach IMO.

[glenn bradley]

I really appreciate the Ebay and Craigslist postings in the Deals and Discounts forum. It is the place I visit several times a day after I visit the Classifieds forum. I don't have the time to do all of the searching and thank those that help me out in that area. I haven't purchased anything through the Ebay and Craigslist posts but it gives me a chance to buy if I find something I need or want that I would otherwise miss.
PLEASE do not put a stop to the listings.

I'm with David. I thought part of the reason for this forum was to help each other. I think many folks have been tipped off to items they might otherwise have missed.

If someone was waffling long enough for a post on SMC to be seen by a member, and long enough for that member contact the seller and still even long enough for that member to come to an agreement with the seller, then the waffler just wasn't really that interested; just irritated that someone more decisive got the deal while they were fooling around.

I see the postings as a service.

[Rob Russell]

Maybe the deals and discounts forum should be viewable by contributing members only?

Interesting suggestion. We're trying to find ways to encourage more people to spend the lousy $6 and become a Contributor.

Most people don't realize it, but visitors consume more than half of the resources at SMC. Those are folks who aren't even registered - just lurking, let alone not contributing information. At the time of this post, we had 271 Members and 372 Visitors active on SMC. That's almost 60% of the server load, bandwidth, etc. being taken by folks who aren't helping SMC grow other than generate contribute page hits.

Moreover, why not keep ALL craigslist and ebay/auction posts in the deals and discounts?

That's part of what the Moderators are discussing.

[Matt Bickford]

what you quoted is not what he was merely trying to say. Let us not forget what he said as the post progresses.

"Put it this way, if you had your eye on a tool or machine, and someone started posting url's of the add along with pictures, would you be happy?" -Alex Shanku

[Jerome Hanby]

Now THAT seems like the right idea. I didn't agree with what you said in your first post, as I felt, as others did, that you may have had sour grapes over losing an item. if you merely meant to say that these things should not be double posted on both forums, I agree. I think what I quoted you on would be the best approach IMO.

Ditto, that sounds exactly right.

[Alex Shanku]

what you quoted is not what he was merely trying to say. Let us not forget what he said as the post progresses.

"Put it this way, if you had your eye on a tool or machine, and someone started posting url's of the add along with pictures, would you be happy?" -Alex Shanku

" Let us not forget what he said as the post progresses." I just made the post an hour ago, its only two pages long...I dont think anyone "forgot" what I have posted.

I still stand by what I originally said, and I found, that the bulk of the responders disagree with me.

I posted some ideas as to a compromise. (Let us not forget that)

[Jerome Hanby]

I'm with David. I thought part of the reason for this forum was to help each other. I think many folks have been tipped off to items they might otherwise have missed.

If someone was waffling long enough for a post on SMC to be seen by a member, and long enough for that member contact the seller and still even long enough for that member to come to an agreement with the seller, then the waffler just wasn't really that interested; just irritated that someone more decisive got the deal while they were fooling around.

I see the postings as a service.

Posting about CL items can bite you too. I wouldn't think twice about grabbing an item that someone was asking questions about if it was something that had the right mix of want, need, and location.

[Chris Padilla]

Posting about CL items can bite you too. I wouldn't think twice about grabbing an item that someone was asking questions about if it was something that had the right mix of want, need, and location.

Yes, there is that risk but I think it is small and in the end, if you did that, would anyone really know? The person posting about the craigslist item would just have to assume he wasn't fast enough. Some deals simply don't last...we all know this.

For example, I found a craigslist SawStop TS for sale. I really wanted it. I also found the exact same ad on eBay (guy was hedging his bets putting his ad in two places) but after discussions with LOML, it wasn't going to happen. Only then did I post it in D&D. Yes, I was selfish in not posting about it since I was an interested party at the time but after I became disinterested, I decided to broadcast it.

Now certainly some other Creeker could have found the exact same info I did and he could have made plans to get the saw and my posting to SMC may have messed it up for him as it could have potentially brought in more competition. To that I have to say, "Sorry and oh well!" That scenario may well have happend but I've no clue if it did. I feel that if I can't have the deal, I'd like to try and see if a fellow Creeker might benefit from it. I have a feeling that is likely why most Creekers post such items. That is how I got my veneer from a guy in Indiana...and I'm grateful for the information.

[Mike Henderson]

By posting pointers to the listings, you're helping the person selling the item and you're also helping someone looking for that item who hasn't seen the listing. More information is better. The Internet is an example of that.

Mike

[Anthony Anderson]

Yes
I thought I did a fair job at expressing it

No

Ok. Me too

??

Same to you!

I understood what you were saying (just a little sarcasm). You are, evidentally, reading, and replying to my post as individual sentences/statements. Read the post as an entire statement, think/reflect about what I said, and things might make more sense for you. (??)
Okay, I will spell a little of it out for you, but not all. Help someone in need, just for the sake of it! Then it will become clearer that you are putting a great amount of energy into something that bears questionable benefit (I think there might be a little chemistry or physics in there somewhere). It will make you feel better. And again, have a great day.

[Keith Outten]

Why would members post items that non-members could see?

Maybe the deals and discounts forum should be viewable by contributing members only? Moreover, why not keep ALL craigslist and ebay/auction posts in the deals and discounts?

Alex,

This is a good idea, we can adjust the Forum privileges so that visitors cannot view anything in the D&D Forum.

For the record these kinds of posts are not allowed in any of our woodworking forums here. When I find them in the wrong forum I either delete them or move them depending on the subject.

In our Classified Forum we intentionally allowed visitors to not only read posts but they can also view pictures. The reason is that when our Contributors are trying to sell their stuff and we want to help them as much as possible.
.

[Anthony Anderson]

OOPS! I forgot to contribute this year. So I guess I am one of the freeloaders right now. Sorry Rob. Don't boot me from D&D just yet. Keith and Jackie, contribution will be on its way in the next day or so. But one thing to keep in mind, many people here, in prior years, have contributed more than the $6 requested, so just to merely look at the numbers, and say ["we have this many people supporting SMC, and this number of visitors who don't"], doesn't do justice to the people who tried to help in the past, and may have forgotten to send this year. And, no, I didn't take it personal. I just thought that there may be others like me.

[Mike Goetzke]

What bothers me more is when someone lists an item then a few days later when they don't get any takers threaten to post the item on e-bay or CL.