Book ad deleted from the high-ticket services subforum!

This is about the web development subforum.
So, I posted an ad for two web design books from my own collection—put them in the "buy/sell/trade" thread and the "Dreamweaver" thread. Both posts got nuked. I even got a strike because apparently it counts as "advertising" in the Dreamweaver thread, and then the other one got wiped for being "off-topic." Like, how does that work? You see people constantly pitching their professional web development services with full price lists in the "buy/sell/trade" section—which is supposed to be for members sharing knowledge and resources—yet my posts get deleted and I get flagged? Where’s the logic... and what are the actual rules here?

Speaking as a moderator here.

First, regarding the "Hire/Freelance" thread. This section is strictly designed for people looking to hire someone for web development or professionals offering their services. No links, no images, and absolutely no company names allowed. You post a plain text ad, and all follow-up communication happens exclusively via PM. Emails, phone numbers, or anything else is prohibited. The entire point is to connect clients with service providers. Given these restrictions, there is zero opportunity for actual advertising since only your username is visible—no real names or business titles. Plus, there's no space for reviews or testimonials. This is the one and only spot on the entire Internet subforum where any kind of solicitation is permitted.

Daniel Garcia is selling books. Books have nothing to do with the specific purpose of the aforementioned thread. As for posting ads elsewhere, advertising is banned in other sections. Regarding the penalty issued, it was a yellow card. Therefore, Daniel Garcia hasn't been suspended; he’s just been warned.

If you want to post various other ads, use the Classifieds subforum. Or simply put something in your signature like "selling this book, contact me via PM," which I've seen some users do.

Jacob Foster11 said:Alright, stepping in here as a moderator.

First off, regarding the "Hire/Offer" thread—it’s specifically designed as a spot where someone can say they need web development or offer those services. No links, no images, and zero company names allowed in the thread. Just a plain text ad, and all follow-up happens strictly via PM. Emails, phone numbers, you name it—none of that is permitted. Basically, the thread exists solely to connect people who need a site with people who build them. Because of those strict rules, there's zero chance for actual advertising since the only thing visible is a user's handle. No real names, no brands, no reviews... nothing. This is the one and only place in the entire Internet subforum where any kind of self-promotion is actually okay.

Daniel Garcia is selling books. Books have absolutely nothing to do with the purpose of the thread mentioned above. As for posting ads elsewhere, ads are banned everywhere else. And about that penalty—it was just a yellow card. So, Daniel Garcia hasn't been banned, he just got a warning...

If people want to post various other ads, there's the Classifieds subforum. Or even just put something in your signature like "selling this book, hit me up via PM"—I've seen plenty of users do that.

Look, that specific thread is packed with links, emails, and service prices, which makes them blatant ads. Plus, you see questions and advice about web development and tools popping up there too. It's clearly a space meant for trading services and expertise. Since these books are instructional and directly related to the subject matter and the whole subforum, it counts as offering knowledge—so claiming it's off-topic just doesn't fly.
How am I getting flagged for an ad in the Dreamweaver thread when people in the "Hire/Offer" thread are running full-blown commercials? I didn't drop any links or emails, so I wasn't running an ad. And since when does the rule change depending on which thread you're in?...

If you look at the very first post in this thread, it clearly explains the purpose of the discussion. There's no mention of specific books, and there are barely any classified ads posted for them.
As for the Dreamweaver topic, I’m honestly not even going to dignify that with a comment.

👋

Look, I’m not going to waste my breath arguing with you. Check how old this thread is, then look at when the rules in the opening post were last updated. Read them. What happened on this board years ago is irrelevant; what matters is what the current rules allow today. There is only one link to an image gallery, and that is perfectly fine because she explicitly stated she works for free. Mentioning prices isn't against the rules, either. And for the record, these aren't advertisements; they are classified ads. If they were actual ads, there would be a specific brand being promoted. The only thing identified in that thread is the user's handle. Furthermore, the subject of this thread is web design services, not book trading.

Regarding the yellow card for advertising: it doesn't matter if it's labeled for advertising or for violating subforum rules. It's a warning to tell you to stop. Any kind of solicitation on this subforum—unless it's in this specific thread or the domain/site sales thread—is strictly prohibited.

As far as I'm concerned, this discussion is over.