[awh]

We're building a new "web 2.0-style" hosting directory which is powered by customers. The hosts with the most reviews get ranked higher in each category. It's still in development but coming along.

We'd like to know what you think of DreamHost. Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, could you take a minute to write a quick review?

http://www.awardwinninghosts.com/shared-...dreamhost/

Thank you!

[scjessey]

I'm pretty sure that the site listed above is passing its own DreamHost referral ID. I just wanted people to be aware.

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Simon Jessey | Keystone Websites
Save $97 on yearly plans with promo code SCJESSEY97

[seiler]

It does. And it's not even hosted here, making it even spammier.

Server Response: http://www.awardwinninghosts.com/redirec...=dreamhost
HTTP Status Code: HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 20:46:37 GMT
Server: Apache
X-Powered-By: PHP/4.3.8
Location: http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?266859
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/html
Redirect Target: http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?266859

--------------------------------------------------------
Save up to $96 at Dreamhost with ALMOST97 promo code (I get $1).
Or save $97 with THEFULL97.

[awh]

Does that make the site less useful somehow? Using referral links for the hosts that have them means it doesn't have to be plastered in ads, just real customer reviews.

"And it's not even hosted there": So you're suggesting every page of the site be hosted on a different physical server, since each page is reviews for a different host?

I also released under a creative commons open source license the custom plugin I wrote to turn WordPress into a review site engine so anyone can create a site like this (on other topics, hopefully). If anyone wants that link I'll share.

[rlparker]

Yeah, it might be a little "spammy", but at least it appears to be "user driven", unlike so many other "web hosting review" sites.

Additionally, he only posted it once, in a reasonably "correct" forum (though maybe under "Promotion would have been more appropriate ), and it may well be of interest to some Dreamhosters. That said, I suppose it is, technically, spam.

As for the referrer code, I agree it's a little "tacky", and spammish, to post here to drive traffic through the referrer code. It also seems a bit pointless, because anyone going there, from here, would invariably use a promo code anyway ("trumping" the referrer).

--rlparker

[rlparker]

Quote:Does that make the site less useful somehow?

No, it doesn't, but the question as to who it is useful *to* is relevant; it's just spammish to use these forums to "blatantly" drive traffic to your site.

Obviously it is useful to *you* to drive traffic there. It's just not as obvious how it is useful to visitors to this forum and the use of the referrer code lends it a bit more a a spammish flavor. You will find that people here generally react negatively to that.

Had you posted the link in response to a poster asking for reviews on Dreamhost, rather than creating your own post to "pimp" the site, it would have been both "on topic" and relevant, and probably would not have resulted in any negative comments.

My feeling is that the site may well be of interest to some Dreamhosters, so even though it is technically "spam", according to community standards here, I don't think it is completely without value.

I actually like what you have done with the site very much, and think the CC release of the WordPress plug-in is a "Good Thing™". Where is your plug-in available?

--rlparker

[wholly]

If it helps people make decisions, I'm for it. And a single post about his site really keeps it below the spam radar in my mind.

Thanks for sharing your site.

Wholly

[seiler]

Before calling you a spammer again, I will at least say that it's nice you've contributed something to the WP community, but...

Quote:Does that make the site less useful somehow?

This isn't a directory. This forum already does what your site does--we're customers. If we're helpful and someone wants to sign up, at least they can choose from a bunch of promo codes and save money, rather than unknowingly click a masked affiliate link.

Why should someone click away from Dreamhost's site, just to click back again from your site and give you $97?

Quote:Using referral links for the hosts that have them means it doesn't have to be plastered in ads, just real customer reviews.

It would have been just as easy for you to disclose it as an affiliate link as it was for us to. How you finance your sites isn't our problem.

Quote:"And it's not even hosted there": So you're suggesting every page of the site be hosted on a different physical server, since each page is reviews for a different host?

No, I'm suggesting you submit your site to DIRECTORIES or pay for some PPC advertising--not spam a customer-to-customer forum for a host that you're not a customer of.

Useful or not, you have a site that isn't hosted here, makes money with clicks, and doesn't offer anything that isn't already here. Which part of that doesn't resemble spam?

Surely, you have to see the problem there would be if everyone that thought they had a useful site plugged it here.

It would also be different if you were a contributing member of the forum that actually helped people here and maybe had it as a sig link, but you registered to submit a link. That's not what the forum is form. I don't know of any forums that find that acceptable.

--------------------------------------------------------
Save up to $96 at Dreamhost with ALMOST97 promo code (I get $1).
Or save $97 with THEFULL97.

[awh]

The plugin is here: http://www.dangrossman.info/wp-dg-review-site

And I understand that it's kinda spammy. However I have a hard time thinking of any other way to get actual DreamHost customers to leave a review so that others know how great DH is. Directories, PPC ads, other things you suggested won't do that.

My reason for posting here was clearly not to get you to click through to the site, then click on the link, then buy another DH hosting plan.. that's as stupid as you say it is. Both because that's not a normal browsing pattern for anyone, and because you all know to use a promo code which would negate the referral link anyway. Therefore it's clearly the only other reason there could be -- to gather reviews.

I'm going to be redesigning my blog this weekend (third time in three weeks) and hope to release another WP plugin or two that I create in the process.

My apoligies to anyone I offended with this. If you change your mind about where the line rests for spam, feel free to delete this thread. I won't take any offense.

[nathan823]

Hi awh. DH guarantee 97 days money back.

Why don't you just try a one-year plan? With promo code, you only need to pay around 22 dollars.

As what DH said, if you feel DH is not suitable for you, they will always do a refund for you

Save $97 (max discount) on dreamhost plans by using promo code: 97CRAZY.