Updated Quality Standards for Entrecard

Sir yes sir!

Good!! It’s about time to get rid of all that nonsense!

Finally…
Some rules on EC…
I am really pissed off when dropping the cards, it opens some full page ads…and then redirects.
Wastes my precious time which I can utilize in dropping some more cards.

I think there should be one more rule…
“If the blog has not been updated in 2 months or so, should also be removed.”

Thanks..

Finally, I’m pleased to see auto-playing music, ad sites will be removed.

Well, it’s great that these rules are FINALLY on entrecard, but when the heck are you going to hire some people to help out with support? The support still sucks and I know a lot of people that are getting deleted don’t receive replies to their dispute.

Another thing is, maybe you should show us the REAL number of actual members on Entrecard rather than always telling us the number of all the total accounts. Come on, i’ve created like 50 accounts here and they’re all being added to the total.

-Tim

YEAH YEAH YEAH to no autoplay music. That is one of my pet peeves and when I am doing my drops I stop dropping on anyone with music.

Keep up the great work!!!

Graham, I think you have a wonderful idea and a great service and it certainly seems us humans like to gripe more than express gratitude so here is a big glob of gratitude. I hope it makes up for some of the whining!

With aloha,
Susan

I like to think that the no autoplay music rule is due to my article on impNERD. I know it probably isn’t due to that, but I am taking full credit anyway, if you like it or not!

Ah, what a relief to get rid of autoplay music !.

I have a question though! I’m a member of some book blog tours and post the generic tour post for those, which is the same on each tour members blog. I also do some paid posts, not many. I also post my book reviews in other locations, as well as my blog in order to get more exposure for the authors – but I do write those all myself!

I also write posts that are exclusive to my blog – family updates, pictures, recipes, homeschooling news etc.

So my question is, do I still qualify as a member? Hope so!

Some clarification on #8 please.

Do you mean no blogs that are listed with Entrecard using a redirect as the main url or do you mean no redirected urls in posts?

I often use tinyurl in links in posts that have affiliate codes (so people don’t cut out my affiliate code).

Good!

Aye Aye Captain!

Love the new rules, thanks for looking out for your users.

I hope some solution can be found eventually so that non-english language blogs can take part.

Rule 2 may be necessary at the present time for practical purposes but the internet and blogging are world-wide and if Entrecard is to truly reflect blogging it should be too. Rule 2 excludes huge potential numbers.

GO! GO! GO!

It’s about time these rules strictly be implemented . I am into paid reviews but I always try my best to come up with sensible filler entries.

@ Tim Brady – You think the support sucks? What are you basing that on? I handle support and every query gets answered. I have had a few emails from people asking why they didn’t get a reply, and when I search the support mailbox, I can see that I did reply to them – so the reply must have gone into their junk mail folder. If anyone hasn’t had a reply to an email, they should contact support@entrecard.com and a reply will be forthcoming. If you still believe the support is no good, send an email to the support mailbox and explain why. If we have made a genuine error or missed a query, we will apologise and do our best to ensure it doesn’t happen again. However, we will not stand for slander.

@ Jennifer – the rule regarding paid posts only applies if the blog contains nothing but paid posts. From your description it sounds like you should be OK, but please feel free to email support@entrecard.com with the URL of your site and I will give you a more definite reply.

@ Jeff Miller – looking back at that point I agree it is not as clear as it could be, I will update that. To clarify, it only applies to sites where a redirect is used as the URL on the account. Using redirects within your posts is fine, although we might make an exception for redirects to inappropriate content

@ Caledonian Jim – in the future, yes, we would like to allow other languages besides English. However, those sites would need to be split into their own international version of Entrecard with their own forums and support. It’s just going to get confusing if the forums are flooded with non-English posts, and I am not sure how we’d be able to reply to support queries. So I agree with what you are saying, but aside from some coordination between the various teams, each international site would basically have to run itself. I may be wrong about this, though. Either way, it’s a massive undertaking.

So, this how I love EC, Rules, Rules, Rules!!!

@ Ben Barden – Thank you for the clarification

@ News Pie – An article about an article on another site is original content. A copy of an article from another site is not and is, potentially, a copyright violation.

Also, News Pie’s comment made me think. Is there any value to a topic specific news aggregater when we have Digg and the like?

This is most excellent news! I seriously detest those skip the ad before you can get to the blog site. My speakers are muted most of the time but sure shooting the time they aren’t is likely in the wee hours of the morning when all of a sudden I’m reminded they aren’t muted but not quick enough to wake my husband I applaud your nudity stance especially after my experience today but that site will likely be removed as it is a forum rather than a blog but kind of written in a blog fashion. Still more than one person can post which means some undesirable content can get through. So here are my big questions?

1. How fast are you going to be able to eliminate the sites not adhering to the new standards?
2. Will those sites get a warning or just be eliminated?
3. Are we still to continue reporting sites? I’m just asking because even though they are reported the sites still are on the system.

A further question?
Is there anyway of purging the “no such user”, “404″ or “blog deleted” ads in the campaigns so we don’t waste time clicking on them? TIA

Well done to the Entrecard majordomos

An excellent set of rule amendments. Everything I would wish for is there; except, they may need a clarification. You say require no autoplaying audio, does this also include autoplaying video which has an audio track?

Keep up the good work.
K

Hello,

In regards to the Tiny Url’s, so if they link directly to the site. Or where they are suppose too. Are they okay then? And does Entrecard bother with informing bloggers, before their accounts are deleted to rectify possible mishaps, because not everyone is getting the message of new rules and regulations. Not everyone subscribes to the Entrecard Blog Feed. And I haven’t received any internal message.

Respectfully, Matt Thompson | Mattheosis
http://www.mattheosis.com

A blog is defined by a community of users. The different personalities of the visitors help make each blogging community special and different from other sites. The comments people leave, their special perspective on the topics chosen (even if aggregated from some other place)… as well as the personality of the blog author all play a part in making each site “original”. The author, regardless, chooses the focus, the design, the topics to be included, and what content is appropriate (with feedback). Plus there’s regular posting, editing, and site upgrades on the backend . And all of this is more important than the “standards” you’ve chosen to make an issue of. It is just WRONG for you to decide what comprises “acceptable” format or content! And you’ve stepped WAY over the line refusing access to people of other ethnicities and religious beliefs (yes, this might end you up in a lawsuit that you won’t win whether fitting your definition of “legal” or not).

How can you judge the “value” of these sites: Sites with artwork. Sites with fiction. Even sites that attempt to define what constitutes a “good” blog. Will you apply your own “standards” to these blogs as well?

where did we say we were deleting any of the following? “blogs with static posts, blogs with intro pages … blogs with ads, bloggers who accept paid postings, and bloggers who post all sorts of content other than personal diaries.”

That pretty much sums up your genocide program except you presume to know how old the “static” posts should be, how many posts should be on the front page… and even how the site redirects from a front page to sub pages (as well as which sub-page it should redirect to). Re-read what Graham posted above.

Hitler had rules, too.

Hey, I’ve got an awesome idea! Let’s allow all the splogs with nothing but ads plastered all over themselves front to back in Entrecard! Wouldn’t that be awesome! I’m sure our members would love visiting splogs all day!

Yay for News Pie’s suggestion!

“I think Google can be quite a powerful tool when you know how to use it correctly.”

So what about a site run by an author who “knows how to use” Google? If the author skillfully chooses the topic, edits the content, and packages the results in a way that even those people who DON’T know how to use Google can benefit from the information… would that constitute a website which provides “value” or would that violate EC “standards”? Then, when the author shares his personality, and a community of users evolve — each leaving a piece of himself or herself behind in the form of comments and suggestions… wouldn’t that then constitute an “original” site or, rather, does that fit EC’s definition of “unoriginal”?

That’s the real problem? Your “infrastructure” (network, system)? You can’t afford a successful business? Who are you fooling, us or yourselves? If you don’t upgrade to new servers (your own, if you don’t have them), and regularly, then YOU will fail. Splogs will either survive, or not. But you aren’t powerful enough to make or break them, in spite of your self-aggrandizement. In the meantime, you abuse your authority to make yourselves look important, make lame excuses for your behavior, and otherwise operate like a fly-by-night organization. 1. You can’t discriminate, period. 2. It is wrong to mass delete blogs for no reason and without warning, and 3. You are not an expert on what constitutes proper blog format and content (In fact, Entrecard is NOT a “blogging community”: It is an advertisement widget community)! These are all forms of self-destructive behavior. And you will not survive such bad business practices for long.

Are your users playing hall monitor? But YOU set up the reporting process in the first place! And what’s democratic about setting rules? A broad “guideline” would suffice (short): Websites should be in good repair, regularly updated, and contain “useful” information (still, the word “useful” is troublesome). Then, a WARNING would be appropriate. Short: Your site doesn’t meet our guidelines: Make sure your links point to a valid address (or Update your posts more regularly, or Add more content, etc). Finally (three warnings are the general rule): We thank you for your continued support but regretfully inform you that your site is not appropriate for our network: Please remove our widget from your website. Speaking for “splog farm operators”: Perhaps you aren’t looking beyond the content (or, more specifically, you aren’t looking AT the content)? Nonetheless, there are sites with content that I disapprove of… and I don’t visit those sites.

Thanks especially for not accepting web sites with auto starting audio. This makes Entrecard dropping so much more enjoyable.

Stop Ear Pollution