As there was recently a question put to the staff concerning this thread - and as the forum's advertising policies fall under my purview - I thought it best that I respond publicly to the concerns that have been raised.

The concern raised was not about a rule being broken and the staff have determined that no rule was broken.

The question was more about the fine line between keeping people informed, passing on by word-of-mouth a new discovery, promotion of a company, and indirect advertising.

For as long as this forum has been around, one of the hallmarks has been honest and forthright reviews of products. Another hallmark has been an opportunity for members to show off their outfits and any new items they may have purchased.

One of the problems we have faced since we took on our first paying advertiser back in 2004 was how to separate the 'drive-by' advertising and promotion that plagues some sites, from those reputable companies that choose to support this forum.

We developed our advertising policy with these in mind.

We have publicly published our Policy on Advertising Promotion and Product Reviews in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section -

Please notice the parts I have highlighted in red below -

Our policy on advertising, promotion and product reviews

Advertising & Promotion
Our members want access to a wide array of kilts and kilt related products and services. To provide this we have accepted paid advertising from select companies who wish to present their products to our membership.

Advertising and/or Promotion are defined as:
"A form of communication used to encourage, persuade, drive or induce an audience to take or continue some action concerning a commercial offering. It can be used to change or reinforce consumer behavior or offer assurances to consumers. Advertising often involves repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate certain qualities with the image or name.
Advertising does not always involve the direct sale of a good or service. An example would be the case of a public service announcement. If the result is an increase in awareness of a good or service it is advertising and /or promotion."
Any member of the forum who produces a kilt or kilt related product and who wishes to advertise on the forum will be directed to our advertising plan for details of our ad space and rates.

No other advertising or promotion will be allowed except those listed in the advertising plan.

Posting in the DIY, For Sale, and Photo Galleries
The DIY Section is intended as a place to share ideas and accomplishments of items made by our members for their personal use. It is not intended to be a "show room" for new products being introduced by any commercial enterprise.

The “For Sale” section of the forum is intended for private sales of items owned by our members for their personal use. No product or service will be listed, or linked to, in the “For Sale” section by any Commercial Enterprise.

The posting of photos on the forum or in the "Photo Galleries" is intended for our members to show off their own, personally owned, kilts, accessories, and outfits. Posting photos of products for sale by any commercial enterprise other than paid advertisers is not allowed.

Product Reviews & Endorsements
One of the functions of X Marks is to allow open and honest reviews of kilts, kilt related products and services.

Product Reviews are the best way for new members to gain information about suppliers. We encourage our members to post Product Reviews. All reviews must be about a product purchased for the members own use. Product reviews must contain only verifiable factual information.

Negative product reviews are also encouraged as an important warning to other potential buyers, but the reviewer must be very careful not to denigrate or libel the manufacturer or supplier. Negative reviews must contain only verifiable factual information.

If member wishes to post a review, of a product purchased from one of our advertisers, it would be best if the review is posted in that advertisers section of the forum.

Product Endorsements, while not prohibited, are not encouraged. We understand that everyone has their favorite supplier, but endorsements often cross the line and become unauthorized advertisements. Any endorsement of a product must have the approval of the manufacturer or seller. Endorsements must contain only verifiable factual information. Defining when a Product Endorsement crosses the line and becomes Advertising will rest solely with the Forum Owner. For example: an endorsement made as a first post would be very suspicious.



I would ask our members to keep these points in mind as they attempt to help and inform others.

I seriously doubt that a thread that simply presented the features that make a quality product, and how to identify those features, (without including examples of commercial offerings), would not have raised the question that was presented to the staff.

If we hold a member to a standard within the DIY, For Sale, or Photo Galleries sections of the forum should we not apply the same standard across the entire forum?

Would it be considered fair to highlight or mention commercial offerings from companies that have chosen not to support this forum?