Is it reasonable to sometimes block unresolved allegation forum threads from Google?

[Marit VS]

and as to the poll i voted yes on a temporary basis. i.e full proof gets it out in google, if not, tough

I think this is the best way to resolve it. Ultimately, allow it to be found if it's true, but until we know the truth, you could be ruining perfectly legitimate business with unfounded accusations.

What is it they say? Innocent before proven guilty?

[Viriatu]

Unlike some i dont think there is any excuse for a post to be put out of google for any reason. And i dont say this because im only an affiliate and not an operator, i have at least 3 solid reasons to say this.

First reason, for the ones that use the argument, "oh a ranting post can put a perfect legitimate bussiness on the line..."

Well this not true or else all programs would go bust at some point, but for the sake of being unbiased, we need to put this in reverse and talk about the affiliate that normally complains. When the poor affiliate comes to post on GPWA, general rule, he has been robbed, ignored, pissed on, and comes here with the sense that others inside the vertical can help him get what he is owed, contracted.

Second point is more obvious even, IF said affiliate comes to GPWA and the thread is not made available to the public aka google, then it does not exist, not only to the public in general, but also wont exert any pressure on the target AF, and we all have seen a lot of dirt going under the carpet over the years.... so putting this rule forward will cap the power of public pressure...

Third point and even more important to me is this, all press is good press, it is up to a program to hold its terms and not make retroactive changes. Even in the event that the affiliate is full of ****, lying or simply trying to put a dent on the program for bad blood, if the program is in the right, then the truth will come out and things will be good.
And i say this, because for me it is a very easy and straight forward way to see and check new programs using complaints on gpwa, nothing makes me want to promote a program more, than when i see a issue raised and a prompt response and solution by the AP, this shows they in fact care about the affiliate relations. And i can say in first hand that today i posted what was supposed to be my last post here, due to a misunderstanding, and GPWA team, namely Universal4 did whatever he could to resolve my issue, explain my doubts and gave me an out even after i was hasty in making a judgment call.

So to all of you who use delay tactics, wait months to get post responses, this is YOUR fault if you get bad press, the faster you act the faster it goes away. And i saw already some programs that got into the **** and came up later, GPWA and other affiliate forums have given a second chance, if you are willing to do what is right.

On a last note, for those that read my sorry rant thread, i want to make clear, i asked it to be archived. I certainly did a mistake posting before getting my facts correct, i recently had surgery and that took a toll at my ability to use keyboard and post long articles/post correctly.

[universal4]

Don't forget that the same tacticts that you use to make sure the affiliate programs are dragged through the dirt (even if they do not deserve it) can be used against individual affiliates.

Not that this has been a widespread problem, but it is possible and we are looking for ways to keep it all fair to everyone, on both sides.

Understand that the GPWA is not trying to stop issues of wrongdoing or even assumed wrongdoing from being posted, we are just trying to determine the best way to get the issues presented and to ensure the path to the FACTS are correct.

Rick
Universal4

[xecutable]

Well things should always be transparent and visible to the searcher I believe. If someone has wrongly accused you and the thread shows your innocence, I think it will prove even further that your are trustworthy. If not, people deserve to know what sort of a program or affiliate you are.

In both ways, the information should be available to those looking for it.

[Viriatu]

Don't forget that the same tacticts that you use to make sure the affiliate programs are dragged through the dirt (even if they do not deserve it) can be used against individual affiliates.

Not that this has been a widespread problem, but it is possible and we are looking for ways to keep it all fair to everyone, on both sides.

Understand that the GPWA is not trying to stop issues of wrongdoing or even assumed wrongdoing from being posted, we are just trying to determine the best way to get the issues presented and to ensure the path to the FACTS are correct.

Rick
Universal4

I understand that and i stand by my words, if i **** up i deserve to be outed no matter what, may i be an affiliate that spams others or an operator that does not pay...

Well things should always be transparent and visible to the searcher I believe. If someone has wrongly accused you and the thread shows your innocence, I think it will prove even further that your are trustworthy. If not, people deserve to know what sort of a program or affiliate you are.

In both ways, the information should be available to those looking for it.

Agreed, everyone can make a mistake and most of us have already been there, what we want here is the pressure from peers to speed up things, if a red flag comes and its not true, like i said in my first post, the accuser is discredited and the program gains points... but if GPWA blocks google from the thing it does best, the use of this forum will be diminished...

[universal4]

Don't forget that many people will not read more than the title and description on the serps pages.

Also keep in mind the suggestion is NOT permanent blocking but only temporary until such time as the issue is clearly defined.

Rick
Universal4

[marvel]

Nothing will clearly with Ibexnetwork and you delaid the thread from google. What a forum is this, if Ibex talk in privat massages with you and the thread goes out of google? Is it no a affiliate forum or is it a how can i make money forum?

so we will do all posts from the ibex thread in a new website, nothing happen do what you want in this forum!

sorry for my english!!

[Viriatu]

Nothing will clearly with Ibexnetwork and you delaid the thread from google. What a forum is this, if Ibex talk in privat massages with you and the thread goes out of google? Is it no a affiliate forum or is it a how can i make money forum?

so we will do all posts from the ibex thread in a new website, nothing happen do what you want in this forum!

sorry for my english!!

I understand you frustration m8, and we all work with the same goal here, in this pool you have a chance to say enough is enough, vote, make your voice stand out, and above all be patient, so far Mr Corfman and Universal4 and all the GPWA try very hard to not rush into hasty decisions, and in this case, despite decision being made to block robots.txt, we are being giving a chance to chose, i think this deserves a praise. End of the day, we honest people of GPWA really want the same things for all, fair and just...

[Roulette Zeitung]

Hello Viriatu,

you don't know the full background and the full story of Ibexnetwork or have you read e.g. the German thread and all other Ibexnetwork threads, blocked from Google, in full? If you know the whole story, then you know, where the wind is blowing.

But today i must laugh. Because one of the threads title was changed after adjusting the robots.txt that happened secretly a few weeks ago, this (title changed) thread is back in the serps because of the new title. The old title was placed in the robots.txt and disallowed.

It's easy. Bad guys get busted. They don't give answers anymore. The victims get no help, no more answers at the end. I don't talk only about the criminal spam. I talk about not paying a webmaster with an amount over 2000 Euro and trying to take intelligent members for an idiot.

Then the bad guys asked in the background for a way to get "clean" in Google, because they know, that webmasters 1st searching in Google, the biggest free information source of the world, before making a deal.

The solution: You disallowed content from Google, the biggest free information source of the world, with the robots.txt secretly, so that bad guys can be happy because nobody find the truth about them if somebody want to get information about the company through Google 1st before making a contract. And secretly because everybody knows how i think about these things, when they happened behind the back.

The easy fact: It was done secretly, and if i have not researched it, then no poll would exist. This is the simple truth, and a handful intelligent and well informed (also important) members can count 1 and 1 together and are very disappointed and angry about this.

Writing members are only writing members and no sponsors. We are filling forums that the owners can make money. Members are fill up forums and because a forum have postings, sponsors will pay money for it. For an empty forum nobody will pay one cent.

But there is a difference between a victim of Ibexnetwork (e.g. the member Insider) and Ibexnetwork:

The victim disturbs.

so we will do all posts from the ibex thread in a new website

Ibexnetwork, don't underestimate a special group of independent webmasters and the loyality to each other. It was a big disservice.

For a German free man censorship of any kind is unacceptable.

All will come back to the place, to the right place and this time uncensored.
To the place called Google, the biggest free information source of the world, where possible victims of bad guys can be warned before they are losing money, losing life-time and losing the trust in some people.

Now you can cry again "No, no, no, it's no censorship."
It is.

The best for all would be a forum only with love, peace and harmony, an illusory world. But then you forget, that the only thing, that counts in a place like this at the end, is soulless money.

But in the internet, at home, at every place of the world, one wisdom is built for eternity:

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
Buddha



Leopold

[Viriatu]

Dear Leopold,

i only had 3 years German class, im not fluent in any kind, i cant speak or write properly your language, but i do read it, and i do understand it to some extent, and in fact, i read the background post on German forum, about ibex, and i also like to be aware. i tried to best of my ability to do some due diligence to understand were did this pool come from, this is one of the most important pools in GPWA, will make gpwa be another CAP, or strive it to keep useful for members like we all loved it so far.

I also been on the place your country m8 is once or twice, me a smallish affiliate, i cant imagine the damage for people with dozens of sites losing time putting in and writing new materials, and in the end, not get the pay you fairly worked for.

My point to you is this, i dont think this is about German, Portuguese or Italian, my concerns are global, for insider, for you, for me, for ibex, for all in this verticals, trust is a very rare gift, once squandered away is very hard to get it back.

Having said this, i also think it was not good to block the threads, but i like to think Mr Corfman and gpwa team, being Uni4, Nancy or any of the other great guys/gals in here would not take the chance of losing such precious gift as the gambling webmaster trust.

We are so many, some of us are so big and powerful, we are not the kind of bull you want to take by the horns, ask CardSpike scammers and CAP suckers that tried to take advantage of us in the past, they are dead and buried. But we all need to understand that this is business, so yes soulless money will always play a part, but we are also all people and people are not perfect, i think, gpwa as a whole entity gave me far more i could ever learn or do by my own, and even after this mistake, i put faith this will come into the light and we can know the truth, i know i would love that, i know that insider also would love that, but it is very hard for affiliate to prove a lot of things, and it is also very hard to manage such big community.

In honesty, i do not believe GPWA would ever take money for a line in a robots.txt... GPWA must be better than this, and if not, im sure we will all find a new home, it is true a mistake was made and a very sad one, but, i for one, will give this a chance to go through the end.

[Roulette Zeitung]

After reading some of your words...
Tears escaped from me and I began to weep.
It's as sure as eggs is eggs.
This forum is a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize and was founded not to make money, only because of the philanthropy.
I apologise for my system-critical view of the things.
You know, I am only a old geezer.
GPWA is like a wonderful rose without a thorn.
And a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
And you, yes you out there, victim of Ibexnetwork, better should belt up!
Mum's the word!

Leopold

[Viriatu]

Not taking a side, saying what i really feel, and with great pain and cost, wont go into details, but i did not fancy your sarcasm in this situation. i dont work/know ibex enough to say nothing also, but i do trust some people here, and for someone who cares about someone enough to help a fellow webmaster, you posture is not becoming, i still expect more from you, maybe its a language barrier and im not smart enough to express myself, but my goal is your goal, to be paid on time, and have a forum that helps us and our goals.

In last instance you always have a choice, you can leave, make your own forum and articles regarding another problems and be done with it, i was trying to make you and other readers understand, how hard it is to create consensus regarding money problems, in a forum built with paid ads, i got in response your disdain, wft should i think now? maybe you are part of the problem if you are not open enough to find a solution. Overall i think i made my point very clear, you take it like you like, from my part i have you like a comrade in arms and not someone i need to suck dick to get something, same with gpwa, im here because of people that are open eyed like you, im not here to kiss ass and i bow to no1, if you are proud, you understand this also...

[Roulette Zeitung]

i dont work/know ibex enough

Sometimes it's easy to make a long story short.

Leopold

[universal4]

It is clear that Leopold does NOT know the true roots of this place, or he would not have used such sarcasm in the statement

was founded not to make money

The GPWA was founded to help gambling affiliates trade ideas, network with each other, investigate programs to work with and help them make money with their own businesses. The GPWA itself was NOT founded as a source of revenue/profit for the owner, and in fact sponsorship and advertising costs came along after Cindy realized the board could not sustain the traffic volume without covering costs.

Since the GPWA had become so popular, and started generating the traffic it did, it did eventually start generating revenue, but the revenue numbers of today are far different from the old days.

Now I am not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, and I applaud Michael and Casino City for what they have managed to accomplish here at the GPWA, and still hold on to as many of the original values and ideas of the founder and the early pioneers in 2002 and 2003.

I am likely one of the most vocal members here, and I make no secret of the fact that I do not always agree with decisions made, and in fact expressed my concerns about this situation to Michael directly as well as publicly was torn about how to vote on the issue as first.

But I also challenge you to show me a forum anywhere else in the world with as much diversity, full of those who would be competitors, who strive for fairness, honesty, transparency and diplomacy in dealing with issues like the GPWA does. (those that even come close have likely modeled themselves after us)

Yes I am a little stuck on not wanting to block anything from Google or other engines also, BUT we also can not let unfounded or inaccurate or plain false allegations fly without trying to get the FACTS presented...and that is why moderators must exist and why there are times when actions must be taken to either remove a thread from public view, remove certain posts from public view, or possibly do what Michael did with the robots file temporarily until such time as the facts can be presented, openly and honestly so that members and visitors can make a decision based upon those facts.

Out of the three, keeping the thread public, but limiting how the engines can index the content might be the best way to react to some situations.

Please understand, I do NOT advocate censoring, and it is rare that the mods here have to take such actions on threads, but haven't you all heard that:

"If it's on the Internet, it must be true"

Rick
Universal4

[Roulette Zeitung]

I think, we leave it to the reader standing outside. She/He should decide what to think of it.
Thoughts are free and can't be disallowed.

You have presented your view, we our.

I say an extra "we", because there is more than one victim of Ibexnetwork.

Today i have seen the words "CardSpike scammers" and "CAP suckers" in this forum.
Source: https://www.gpwa.org/forum/reasonabl...tml#post728228

I don't know exactly the meaning of this words, but i will research and try to find an answer, because i feel there is a story behind.

The question, why not all other "uncleared" threads was disallowed in the robots.txt, i don't ask.

And now i leave posts from other members and my post to the reader standing outside.

From my side i have said what i have to say to this topic.

Leopold

[-Shay-]

What is going on with this? Did it/is it going to private vote. Is there something coming through to address this issue?

[Crazyrewards-Morten]

FFS... Is it possible to change your vote?

I am responsible for one of the "Yes, on permanent basis."-votes, which was a misclick...

#tooearly #mondays

[Maria F]

I come from South America where many times the public is not allowed to see information and the people that are trying to educate and inform the public can even get killed for it. So I definitely think information (even unresolved) should be allowed to be out there for the world to see and each person should have the right to decide and make their own mind about it.

[Roulette Zeitung]

I come from South America where many times the public is not allowed to see information and the people that are trying to educate and inform the public can even get killed for it.

This is a point that is more important then all other aspects.

Education and enlightenment are the foundation stone to our civilization. My country have shown in the last century, what can be happened, how a small ring of criminals can inflame the whole world.

Hitler, an unemployed beatnik from Austria, Göring, a morphine addicted, arrogant braggart, Hess, a sick, homicidal maniac and Goebbels, an insignificant-looking little man with a club-foot, black hairs and brown eyes, a real model for his own Aryan race mania.

These 4 (in words FOUR) mass murderer was the base pedestal of the greatest catastrophe that ever befell humanity.

Only four people!

It all began with censorship, the burning of books and the bludgeoning of people with a different way of thinking or living.

Today we say in German: "Nip it in the bud!"

Education and enlightenment are the foundation stone to our civilization.

And formulation of history is one of the first plants that grow and flourish around this building.

Leopold

[DaftDog]

I find it strange that some of the older members of this forum have not given their opinion on the subject of this thread. Maybe they are afraid to rock the boat?