I recently joined several industry discussion groups. I had heard that Selected Independent had a great one and, since I am not a member and can’t join it, I joined several others. I guess I am naive because I was hoping to really engage in some meaningful discussion forum about industry issues with people expressing differing viewpoints. I am sorely disappointed.
Rather than a dialogue among practitioners these group discussion forums are used almost exclusively by vendors seeking to advertise their services (for free). I don’t know about you but I find this both intrusive and offensive. Certainly, it is not helpful. When I joined the CANA discussion group, for instance, I received an email informing me that I would have to wait to be approved for membership in the discussion group. Great, I thought, they are being selective. I am a consultant so I half expected to be denied as a non-practitioner. A couple of days later I was approved. Since then I have received almost daily emails inviting me to new discussions that are nothing more than advertisements.
I find I have two emotional responses to these intrusions: 1) It disgusts me that someone would hijack a discussion forum 2) I mentally take the vendor off my list.
I don’t know. Am I weird? I know that it takes time to police this stuff. I do know that if I ran one of these things and someone reported this activity to me I would take the offending vendor off the list immediately. But I did report it and… well never mind.
Yes I agree that it is disappointing that a lot of discussions are sales oriented. Although from time to time on some of the sites I have actually found a helpful nugget or two. Still the most consistent place to learn over the web seems to be closed group discussion, or participative webinars.
Thanks
JEP
I run a discussion group for UK funeral directors and we were getting spammed like this. I took the hard line and gave the offending vendor one warning and then blocked his access. It’s now one of the rules of joining – ads are allowed but in the ads section. If they are in the discussion section you get one warning then you’re out.
As you say, vendors that do this are definitely off the might buy from list.
Bryan, that is entirely fair. I wish folks would do that here.
Alan,
I’m with you 100%.
But you know I just came up with great design for a new cremation urn that’s completely turning my business around. It’s kind of a TV/Karaoke/DJ Set Up all combines into one fantastic 3D presentation LED lit faux cherry wood box. I’m sure it will revolutionize the whole industry. 🙂
Seriously, I too am tired of Matt Frazer telling me every week about his latest software change and George Frankel pumping his Eternal Reef. They both have great products. But what we would love to hear from them is serious conversation about the challenges of funeral service and what they, as vendors, have heard from others that they deal with.
Amen!