Hello Developers,
Thanks
Rafael
It does seem that you are looking for every opportunity to advertise your extensions so I’m not surprised if your posts get flagged as spam.
I think it maybe was because the post was from 2015, and although you did not reopen it, you posted just after the other user did. Because you also posted an external lin/refk to a plugin it’s possible it just triggered the spam filter. I used to look after forums and websites in the past and things like that added up would be enough to trigger our auto filters (even individually).
Ed: I’ve been auto kicked/moderated for much less. Usually its the time stamp between last>next comment.
When I offered Extensions for FREE and tried to spread the word just as hard, everyone was all right with it. But, now I see a double standard.
I don’t see that as a double standard. You’re advertising to make money.
My work has a value and if my Extension solve your specific problem then its only fair that we both get value from it.
I agree. But I don’t think you should advertise your product in every thread that pops up. Take out an proper advertisement.
I think you hit the nail on the head there… I need to properly advertise!
Currently, I make most of my money by doing 3D Work with SketchUp and NOT by making Extensions.
But, I want to also support myself as a developer and apart from programming, learning how to sell your product is vital.
Now, with that being said the case in point was that I replayed to a topic which had a problem that my Extension solved. Seems it would be bad for me not to jump on that opportunity by offering my product. Still, I am not convinced how was that a bad example of advertisement!
Even though we disagree on some parts I am very thankful for your input!
You should look at advertising on Sketchucation.
I know Rich spends a lot of time making sure any clicky things around the edges all lead to worthwhile stuff so most users are not worried about spam.
Don’t get me wrong I hate spam just as much as everyone else but my Post stayed on the subject in hand by offering a solution to a specific problem specified by the topic author.
Anyways, thanks for your suggestion I’ll give it a thought.
No, I know, I was talking about auto filters. This forum is probably not monitored by a continual human presence from SketchUp since the social team is probably all in Boulder, so they probably rely on machine auditing for at least some things.
Doesn’t mean that you are spamming, just means the post shows the typical signs of spamming/necro posting and auto moderates you. Usually a human will get a notification at some point and pick it up later down the chain.
if three forum users flag a post as spam it is automatically hidden pending investigation…
I have flagged some of your other ‘advertisements’ but not this one…
I have nothing against people mentioning their own ‘products’, but it’s a fine line between help and spam…
john
I think SPAM is when you go off-topic and promote something not related to the topic.
I don’t feel welcome talking about my paid SketchUp Extensions, But when I talked about my free Extensions I had the red carpet all to myself.
among other things, SPAM is unsolicited marketing…
as such, it more likely to be flagged on $plugins than on free ones [ and not just yours ]…
This is a primarily a HELP forum so it is always best to offer native solutions first and then propose plugins as an alternative for more advanced users or issues…
adding a link to your extension page, either on here or elsewhere, is by far preferable than re-running your whole advert at every opportunity…
john
Without Plugin/Extension developers Sketchup wouldn’t be able to reach a certain level of produtivity/professional tools.
Sketchup has the extension warehouse that does little to promote plugins. It works more as a Plugin repository.
There should be an official Trimble guy pointing questions to plugins, free or paid but specially paid.
Sketchup’s API is an opportunity that feeds plugin developers without whom sketchup would be long gone. So plugin developers should be cherished above all users and have a longer leash here.
I see people promoting their work here all the time. Architects posting projects, render artists posting their work, illustrators posting illustrations and woodworkers posting their manufacturing processes. None of them are flagged as spam.
In this iSelect above there was definetelly no reason to post it as spam and Renderiza created a bunch of very cool and very useful plugins, from which iSelect used to be free but my all time favorite is Rename by Layer which is free, powerful and seldomly used, but when I need it it’s there.
It’s a humiliation to our community to flag a Plugin developer for Spamming and should only be done in the most extreme situations.
I hear you, I have been more than guilty posting Space spam!
Yes I do agree that more emphasis needs to be made on the Plugin folks. A lot of us can only do what we do because of it, I would imagine Trimble are working on it but it would be good to have more visibility.
A lot of my mates working in an industry usually overlook SketchUp as they are only aware of the Vanilla ‘off the shelf’ version. They really have no idea of the power that is added via Plugins, most notably Vertex editing/Subdivision. It would be an idea for Trimble to highlight that somehow.
Bravo to plugin developers. my biggest thanks goes to @TIG with his section cut face plugin, this plugin is the only reason I’m using sketchup at the level I do.
I find myself in a similar situation quite often when I stumble on threads that ask for the exact thing my extensions solve. Many of my extension are created as a direct result of having had the same problem myself.
A part of me wants to post the link because it is genuinely helpful, a more selfish part of me wants to post the link for publicity/sales, and yet another part feel equally bad about posting it at all because it is partly for selfish reasons.
In the end I often post about both the manual procedure to solve the problem, and then the plugin to simplify the process.
Regarding old threads I think there are valid reasons to re-open them. The forum isn’t just a place to ask questions; it’s just as much a resource for finding answers to questions already asked. As old results show up in Google search results, as well as in the Suggested topics links in the forum, I think it makes sense to update old threads when there are news on the topic.
I am not against this. I like advertising in the proper place rather than in unrelated places. I myself have posted external links to paid solutions by others (Smustard or LightUp, etc.)
So I think it should be allowed if it is a real solution, and even if there are other solutions which might be free or a workflow with native tools.
But you also cannot prevent others from pointing out these other solutions when you do post a paid solution.
I would suggest posting a extension introduction thread in the Extensions category (which I see you’ve done.)
Then whenever you think it’s a solution, post a internal forum link to the head of that extension thread.
It may be just that Mr. Rivera is simply relatively new here, and some don’t know him well enough to trust yet.
Does Thomas Thomasen get flagged for pointing readers toward Vertex Tools ? (I think not.)
@MiSU @DaveR @liamk887 @eneroth3 @john_drivenupthewall @JQL @DanRathbun @Caroline
Hello Everyone,
I’m a bit late to this discussion, but I felt the need to chime in here.
Developers and non-developers alike should be mindful that the overarching raison d’etre for this online community is to provide SketchUp related assistance to other users. And while the significant contributions of the developer enclave is highly valued, it is often considered burdensome and overbearing when readers are subjected to (what a number of respondents report as) a continual litany of unsolicited commercials for one or more extensions. Such responses are more provocative when no resolution is proposed other than purchasing the suggested products.
Under most circumstances, the occasional reference to one’s creative plugin efforts is generally acceptable to many members of this Forum…but as these references begin to appear with increasing frequency, they are perceived as invasive and objectionable. I’m pretty sure that most of us would react negatively to finding a blatant advertisement inside the text of an interesting technical document.
Heretofore, the Forum policy has apparently (unofficially) been one of tolerance and self policing through flagging responses considered to be unwarranted solicitation or spam. In an effort to treat this issue in an egalitarian manner going forward, posting of self serving minutiae will be closely monitored and censored as deemed necessary, particularly as related to items for sale.
Those who want to make this Community Forum aware of their plugins or other products should advertise through an appropriate venue.