[quote]Maybe the problem is the variable promo codes themselves, not the open and honest discussions about them, or the links here. Would you like search engines to censor DH promo codes too?
People will also do some reading about the rewards system, probably some more reading about rewards, possibly a wiki search, and even a web search. Would you like all that to be censored too, to prevent a decrease in your revenue?[/quote]
I don’t have a problem with the promo code system, or the referral system for that matter. For me, the problem is a matter of fairness. Let me give you an example:
Sometimes, I will write a complimentary entry about DreamHost in my weblog. I often do this when DreamHost has enhanced its service in some way, so I like to promote it. Naturally, I link to DreamHost with my referral ID. If one of readers clicks through to DreamHost and then eventually signs up for the service, I get a reward for my efforts. Sometimes, however, the potential customer will spend a bit of time lurking or participating in this forum. I believe that to be a Good Thing, because I think that it is important to do a bit of research before committing oneself to spending money. Unfortunately, the proliferation of promo codes in the forum has meant that nine times out of ten I am losing my referral revenue. This hardly seems fair.
I think referral IDs and promo codes should be restricted to non-DreamHost sites only. I imagine such a policy would be difficult to enforce, but it would be much fairer than the current system.
Simon Jessey
Keystone Websites | si-blog