On 9 August 2017 at 17:14, Steve D'Aprano <steve+pyt...@pearwood.info> wrote: > On Wed, 9 Aug 2017 07:12 pm, Chris Warrick wrote: > >> So, I started by writing my opinion of those recommendations, and that >> the “community” is very small (<1k Twitter followers, 2.7k Facebook >> likes). But then I went to the “About Us” page, and found your name >> and your profile picture there. Native advertising is evil and rude. >> You made it sound as if you were an user, genuinely looking for help >> in learning Python. But in reality, you just want people to visit your >> website, get ad revenue and potentially get people to join your >> community. >> >> Shame on you. > > Why is this shameful? Why shouldn't people make money from their Python > expertise, if they can? Do you oppose people who get paid to program in > Python? > > If you're opposed to advertising, use an ad blocker, or just avoid the site. > > So long as the website isn't *exploitative* (ripping off other people's > content > without providing any added value) there is nothing wrong with promoting it > here. It is on-topic, and if it provides some added value (not just a link > farm), doesn't serve malware, then let it compete for eyeballs and hearts and > minds on its merits.
I’m not opposed to advertising on websites[0], or to paying for expertise. I am opposed to the way the original post was phrased — it was a textbook case of native advertising. Wikipedia says: “Native advertising is a type of advertising, mostly online, that matches the form and function of the platform upon which it appears.” (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_advertising ) The original poster sent a message that looked like a genuine call for help by someone looking to learn Python. They somehow found the list[1] and want our opinion on it. But that wasn’t the posters real motive: the motive was to get people to use their website. And this is not okay. Compare the second revision (with [Repost] in the Subject line) — that one has clear information regarding the poster and their intentions, and it’s perfectly fine in my book. The damage was already done nevertheless. [0] As long as said advertising is not user-hostile. [1] It appears as the 10th hit in Google for “python tutorials” over here. -- Chris Warrick <https://chriswarrick.com/> PGP: 5EAAEA16 -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
