![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
One of the things that happens on MySpace is that persons with something to sell (writers, bands, etc) will go around and friend anyone who looks like they might have in the remotest interest in something that could be claimed to be related to the thing being sold. For example a science fiction writer would friend anyone who lists science fiction in their interests. Or science. Or reading... The idea here is that people will check out your profile and with any luck friend you back. Even if all they do is check out your profile before going away -- well, that's another pair of eyeballs looking at your ad for whatever you're selling.
Since I was brought up on Usenet, I see this as spamming. Since this sort of advertising to each other appears to be one of the two main reasons for MySpace's existence (the other being the seeking out of someone to have sex with), I don't normally complain about it.
Unfortunately, it seems to be contagious.
This morning, someone friend-requested me on LibraryThing. I didn't recognise the name. When I went to look at it -- yes, it was another writer, who was friending everyone in sight in an attempt to pimp his books to them. Sorry, that's spam as far as I'm concerned. Yes, one can turn off the friending facility, but I happen to like having people I actually know friend me. You know, like happens on LiveJournal. I don't want LT turned into just another giant "look at meeeee!" advertising network. I just don't know how and where to complain about this development. :-(
ETA: there's a thread complaining about this in the Site Talk group:
http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=24214
It's not just friending -- it's long comments on people's profiles, and invites to discussion groups for an author's books. It's clearly got potential to swamp LT with spam, so I've emailed one of the LT staff about it.
ETA2: I *thought* there was something in the rules banning this sort of activity, but couldn't find it with a quick skim through the website. Someone in the discussion thread has pointed at the TOS:
http://www.librarything.com/privacy
In particular:
"# Do not use LibraryThing as an advertising medium. Egregious commercial solicitation is forbidden. No matter how great your novel, this does apply to authors.
# Do not spam user comments or group invitations. Inviting people in your town to a new group is okay; inviting hundreds of members is not."
Since I was brought up on Usenet, I see this as spamming. Since this sort of advertising to each other appears to be one of the two main reasons for MySpace's existence (the other being the seeking out of someone to have sex with), I don't normally complain about it.
Unfortunately, it seems to be contagious.
This morning, someone friend-requested me on LibraryThing. I didn't recognise the name. When I went to look at it -- yes, it was another writer, who was friending everyone in sight in an attempt to pimp his books to them. Sorry, that's spam as far as I'm concerned. Yes, one can turn off the friending facility, but I happen to like having people I actually know friend me. You know, like happens on LiveJournal. I don't want LT turned into just another giant "look at meeeee!" advertising network. I just don't know how and where to complain about this development. :-(
ETA: there's a thread complaining about this in the Site Talk group:
http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=24214
It's not just friending -- it's long comments on people's profiles, and invites to discussion groups for an author's books. It's clearly got potential to swamp LT with spam, so I've emailed one of the LT staff about it.
ETA2: I *thought* there was something in the rules banning this sort of activity, but couldn't find it with a quick skim through the website. Someone in the discussion thread has pointed at the TOS:
http://www.librarything.com/privacy
In particular:
"# Do not use LibraryThing as an advertising medium. Egregious commercial solicitation is forbidden. No matter how great your novel, this does apply to authors.
# Do not spam user comments or group invitations. Inviting people in your town to a new group is okay; inviting hundreds of members is not."