Shame question - links in signature

[paxmao]

I am a bit ashamed of asking this from a Hero rank, but I just want to make sure that I have read all applicable rules and understood these correctly. I would like to use my signature to link to a few books, crypto related, in a on-line sales service. This is a legit service and I would be acting just as a lead generator.

Is this allowed? Any restrictions or limits?

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[Japinat]

To my knowledge, I think it's allowed, try reading back the forum rules but AFAIK, you are not breaking any forum rules.

[rhomelmabini]

Well, it's allowed the only restriction most can get was if you're being paid via your signature and that campaign doesn't allow you to modify your signature link. If it's your own signature I think the sky is the limit afaik. I guess putting some phishing links, viruses and similar things harmful are the restricted, well, if you're caught doing that, correct me if I'm wrong.

[isaac_clarke22]

Correct me if I am wrong as well.
As long you don't include advertisement including signature in your post area, you should be good.
In signature, aside from the signature restriction based on rank, as long as you don't put someone else's sensitive info as well. This falls into DOXes which might be way too far already from what the OP seems to ask, but it would be great to at least take note of it somehow.

Quoted from Unofficial list of (official) Bitcointalk.org rules, guidelines, FAQ:

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24. Advertisements (including signatures within the post area) in posts aren't allowed unless the post is in a thread you started and is really substantial and useful.[9][e]

~

Q: What about deleting DOXes?
A: Nope, we don't delete them either as long as they comply with the following rules:

<...>
1. Personal information must be confined to the new "investigations" board (under Scam Accusations), which is only visible to Members and above. Personal information is defined as anything which links a user's online identity (username, email, etc.) to their meatspace identity, excluding links that the person himself has posted. It is not allowed to post somebody's personal information in any other public place, including in signatures.
2. It is not allowed to post someone's dox if it is especially obvious that you're just using the dox as a weapon. For example, if there are no remotely-plausible trade complaints, then the person can't be a scammer, and their dox should not be posted.
3. As before, anything that the legacy insecure government/banking system requires to be secret is not allowed anywhere. This includes social security numbers, credit card numbers, and certain account numbers.
<...>

Why aren't they deleted? Because such doxing is just compiling information about a user already available publicly, often via search engines.

~

[hilariousandco]

You can pretty much put what you want in your signature as long as it's legal.

[Yamifoud]

There's no difference on campaigners who wear signature on gambling sites, they promote a gambling site through their signature and it's never against the forum rules. Majority of the campaign now are gambling related and some are even shady, but you are promoting something that is not risky to people.

[Lucius]

I would just like to add that it is allowed that the links in the signature can be referral links, and it is also allowed to put such links in personal text and profile personal web site. I was interested in the latter and found a few threads in which there was a discussion about it, hilariousandco has confirmed as a global mode that this is allowed.

The only dilemma I still have is whether to post such links using a short link or leave them (as far as the web personal site is concerned) in their original form?

[Upgrade00]

The only dilemma I still have is whether to post such links using a short link or leave them (as far as the web personal site is concerned) in their original form?

I'm not aware of any particular rule on this, so I'll assume both are allowed.

In a plain text, the full original link should be more acceptable as it shows all link details on the site users are clicking on.
In signature designs, images are used to represent links, but usually comes with the site name and social media icons.

[tranthidung]

I am a bit ashamed of asking this from a Hero rank, but I just want to make sure that I have read all applicable rules and understood these correctly. I would like to use my signature to link to a few books, crypto related, in a on-line sales service. This is a legit service and I would be acting just as a lead generator.

Is this allowed? Any restrictions or limits?

From what you disclose about the service you would like to work with and advertise here with your signature, I think you are fine with the (unofficial) rules of the forum. It depends on the service and their books: legit, legal and your investigation is true.

Even if your investigation is not accurate, I think the community and DT members allow you a window time to take it off after their warnings. I guess it is about 24 hours that is long enough for you.

Below quote contains some rules that I think have relations to your service and your signature.

6. No linking to phishing or malware, without a warning and a valid reason. [e]

10. No embedded NSFW images anywhere. NSFW content must be marked accordingly.

11. No linking to illegal trading sites.

17. Trading of goods that are illegal in the seller's or buyer's country is forbidden. [2]

[iamsheikhadil]

I think it's 100% fine as long as the service/products you are promoting isn't a scam and you have done research on it by your own. I have observed people using their own referral links to gambling websites in their signature campaigns and so I think this is allowed even if you use your own referral link to the site to generate revenue from the books that gets sold. This is just my opinion though based on the observations.

[LoyceV]

I think it's 100% fine as long as the service/products you are promoting isn't a scam

Unfortunately, it's also okay if the service is a scam. But at least malware isn't allowed.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

You can pretty much put what you want in your signature as long as it's legal.

There you go.  And I wouldn't see a problem with putting any kind of non-signature campaign advertising in your signature space as long as it didn't break any of the other rules.  That would be kind of strange, wouldn't it?

Plus I've seen plenty of members do the same, i.e., advertise something in their sig space without being in a campaign.  Nobody's created a stink for having done so as far as I know (unless it was something illegal, as hilariousandco pointed out, in which case mods would probably just nuke the sig).

Unfortunately, it's also okay if the service is a scam. But at least malware isn't allowed.

Yeah, it's fine if it's a scam but not fine if it's illegal.  Gotta love this forum sometimes.

[The Cryptovator]

For the forum,
There are no specific rules to wear a signature, so you should obey the forum rules during insert a link into the signature like phishing or malware. But yes, you are allowed to use referral links.

For the community,
Since the forum doesn't moderate the scam, so the community cares about it. Wearing a scam site link on the signature would dislike by the community.

So, if you feel the link isn't harmful to the forum and community then you may go. Since a moderator (hilariousandco) answered your question hope you are fine with it.

[NotATether]

The only dilemma I still have is whether to post such links using a short link or leave them (as far as the web personal site is concerned) in their original form?

Shortlinks fall into the category of referral links if you make money off of them. There are/were some shorteners like goo.gl, youtu.be and t.co that don't give people money for clicks on their links and those should be treated like any normal link.

So don't put profit-making shortlinks in your post body, but in your signature they're fine.

[Pmalek]

Unfortunately, it's also okay if the service is a scam. But at least malware isn't allowed.

Yeah, it's fine if it's a scam but not fine if it's illegal.  Gotta love this forum sometimes.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference. I have seen people offer bet365 accounts for sale on the forum. How can that be legal? Especially selling multiple accounts. You can't claim they are your personal accounts because you have only one identity. And the bookie surely doesn't allow the sale of player accounts. Then there are things like Windows/Office product keys whose origin is dubious.

I am curious: If someone wanted to advertise in their signature space that they are selling bet365 accounts, PayPal accounts, and/or cheap Microsoft product keys, would that be allowed considering that some of these goods are on sale in the marketplace?

[Lucius]

I am curious: If someone wanted to advertise in their signature space that they are selling bet365 accounts, PayPal accounts, and/or cheap Microsoft product keys, would that be allowed considering that some of these goods are on sale in the marketplace?

If someone has a thread in which they sell such things for months or even years, and it works without any reaction from the forum administration - why would it be different if someone puts links to the same content in their signature? A lot of what is sold on the forum is certainly at least in some gray zone, and there is definitely something that could very easily be characterized as illegal.

Some things like bank accounts and PayPal sold on the forum are considered hacked, but still leaving the possibility for the seller to explain their origin.

You are only allowed to sell accounts/invites that you legally obtained yourself or through legitimate trades. If you did anything illegal in order to obtain an item, then you can't trade it on bitcointalk.org. Anyone found breaking this rule will be banned. Accounts on sites that require KYC such as bank accounts, PayPal, etc. are assumed to be hacked unless you explain why they're not hacked.

[Findingnemo]

I am curious: If someone wanted to advertise in their signature space that they are selling bet365 accounts, PayPal accounts, and/or cheap Microsoft product keys, would that be allowed considering that some of these goods are on sale in the marketplace?

I guess they are allowed, but it is not a legal the user may get tagged but I am sure that banning is not likely to happen.

I wonder how to report someone who is selling illegal products even on the marketplace because it is against the rules but they keep doing it for years?

[The Cryptovator]

I wonder how to report someone who is selling illegal products even on the marketplace because it is against the rules but they keep doing it for years?

Had you used the report to moderator button? If it doesn't work then you may PM with the details to the appropriate moderators why and how do you think selling products are illegal and against forum rules. I have past experience about such as report when the report to moderator thread marked bad or unhandled, then I wrote the appropriate moderators and they have been taking action. If somehow both are not working then proceed to create a thread with the details, hope it would work eventually if really there is something against forum rules.

[Findingnemo]

I wonder how to report someone who is selling illegal products even on the marketplace because it is against the rules but they keep doing it for years?

Had you used the report to moderator button? If it doesn't work then you may PM with the details to the appropriate moderators why and how do you think selling products are illegal and against forum rules. I have past experience about such as report when the report to moderator thread marked bad or unhandled, then I wrote the appropriate moderators and they have been taking action. If somehow both are not working then proceed to create a thread with the details, hope it would work eventually if really there is something against forum rules.

I used to report the moderator button when I see such threads but not for every thread because even I am not sure that those or legal or illegal in the region they were selling because some products banned in some region but free to use on other regions. So I just report them after that no further action because a mod is eventually going to see that and if they feel that its appropriate then they leave it there for some reasons.

[skarais]

I used to report the moderator button when I see such threads but not for every thread because even I am not sure that those or legal or illegal in the region they were selling because some products banned in some region but free to use on other regions. So I just report them after that no further action because a mod is eventually going to see that and if they feel that its appropriate then they leave it there for some reasons.

At least you can report to the moderator of the thread who sell the product that you can confirm its legality status in the country of the seller and the buyer. The legality of a product being sold can be difficult to identify when the seller and the buyer do not say which area they live in, but when you find something that is violating you are free to report it.