Can I make a post about...

Look, copyright infringement is 🙂. It doesn't really matter if we personally dig it or hate it, or if we think copying books is totally fine or a massive crime. As long as the law says it’s off-limits, that's just how it is.

It's pretty simple. Just like you're gonna get banned for posting a torrent link for Skyfall or, I don't know, Mass Effect 3, you're gonna get banned for dropping a link to download some ebook online.

And honestly, selling copyrighted stuff is an even bigger 🙂 than just sharing it for free.

Alright, all things considered, we're moving on... rules are rules and everything has to be done by the book.
So, I've got a follow-up question for you:
Will I be allowed to post an "ad" stating that I have a study guide containing specific questions? I’ll just explain the details via DM to anyone who shows interest... basically, I won't explicitly say I have a copy, just that I have the study guide. That should be perfectly fine, right!?!? Or am I going to have the FBI breathing down my neck again trying to figure out what I'm up to!?!?

Actually, since you seem primarily interested in finding loopholes to bypass the rules and regulations, any form of advertising will be strictly prohibited for you.👍

Hold on a second, you’re constantly popping up here in the appeals section and over on the subforums too...
Every single day on the main board, people are posting ads for books, phones, branded gear—who's actually monitoring all that? And am I going to get my ad banned there too along with my entire profile getting nuked?? Honestly, does anyone have anything better to do than go looking for problems where they don't exist? There’s a massive difference between moderating a subforum to stop arguments and keeping the peace, versus banning people who are just doing exactly what every other user does. It’s like some people get a little taste of "authority" and suddenly lose all their empathy and social awareness. To me, it just feels totally pointless. 🙂

Let’s try not to turn this into a personal vendetta. To be perfectly clear, the rules here are quite straightforward. I didn't step in initially because nobody had raised an issue, but once the complaints started rolling in, I removed your post. Following the administrator's guidance, I actually tried to work with you by letting you repost a revised version, yet you chose to post it again despite the ongoing feedback from other users. Consequently, I had to take it down again. Moving forward, any further attempts to advertise will result in a ban, but don't feel singled out—I'll be applying that same standard to everyone else too.👍

Regarding your suspension, the issue isn't the advertising itself, but rather the fact that you were using two different accounts on a single thread, which violates our policy against multi-accounting.👍

As for those ads appearing on other subforums, if you truly believe they violate our guidelines, feel free to flag them for review. The administration will look into it.👍

Gregory Cooper5 said:so, am I allowed to post an "ad" saying I own a STUDY GUIDE full of questions? i'll just hit up anyone interested via DM to explain what it actually is... basically, i won't say i have a copy, i'll call it a study guide. that should be fine, right!? or are the FBI agents gonna come knocking on my door again to see what's going on!?!?

Nah, nope. Selling copyrighted material isn't allowed here, no matter how much you try to dress it up or hide it.

Regarding the ban, you actually got flagged for using two different accounts on the same thread, not for spamming or advertising, which would have been a different violation altogether.👍

I’ve seriously never used more than one account... I guess I got banned for something else entirely, then. Whatever. Case closed. It’s a shame, honestly. And look, I’m trying not to make this personal, but if I did, I’d take it to a national level—I'll just say it plain and simple: this is a perfect reflection of what's happening in this country. The little guy gets squeezed dry while everyone else just sits back and enjoys the ride.🤷

On the thread over at , Skylar is out here basically running an ad for that book... I mean, they're straight-up selling it, but you can't even tell! Seriously, give me a break!

Gregory Cooper5 said:...I've never operated under two different usernames... I guess I was banned for some other violation...

Using your primary account on June 4, 2012, you were posting on this exact same thread under the username samokrijes, which violates our policy and is why you received a three-day suspension.👍

Gregory Cooper5 said:And on the page http://www.vbulletin.com/showthread.php?t=423512&page=169 Skylar is advertising a book... or rather, selling it... how is that not obvious!!?!? For crying out loud, give me a break!

Back on June 4, 2012, Daniel Ward87 stated that selling original books was permitted. The comment you're pointing to was actually posted on September 30, 2012, whereas mellowraven22 banned all sales of originals on October 6, 2012. Looking at the timeline, the comment wasn't deleted immediately, but we're removing it now because I believe it’s the fair thing to do for you. As of October 8, 2012, no advertising of any kind is allowed on this thread—again, strictly to ensure things remain equitable for you.👍

I'm going to end up thinking I'm some kind of big shot if all of this is actually because of me 👍

Just gotta make one quick little tweak here so nobody gets the wrong idea:

Brian Edwards6 said:mellowraven22 actually banned selling the originals back on October 6th, 2012.

Look, you can sell the originals all you want, just not the knockoffs.