|
|
Erdnase27 Inner circle 2505 Posts |
Hi I don't want to be harsh but why are there so many magicians on here only promoting their products? to me it looks like if the help or advice wasnt ment to help but to make a buck. Can somebody please explain?
I ask this because a friend of mine said that about the magiccafe... |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Michiel,
We do try to control that here on the Magic Café. However, it is also the perfect place to ask a direct question about an effect. If we are lucky, the inventor, vendor, or recognized user is who responds. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
It's not harsh... it's a legitimate comment. We all have advice and help to give based on our various backgrounds and experiences. Much of my advice is already written up in The Wizards' Journals or other publications of mine sold on my site. If I know the answer to someone's question may be found in one of those articles, I mention it. No one is forced to buy anything, but if they know an answer is there, they now have a choice they didn't have before when they didn't know where to turn.
Lots of magicians mention, for example, Mark Wilson's Course in Magic book, or Tarbell. But if the person seeking help doesn't have those books, he's going to have to buy them somewhere, or search for them in the library. That's fine with the old classics of magic, but if you want a contemporary answer, you're not going to find it in the public library. You may have to spend a buck. Those who are magic dealers, or who build props for sale, or who are magic authors have a certain type of experience that others don't. Magicians who only perform professionally (for money) have different types of experience to share than those who do one show a year at the family reunion. Thirteen-year olds have different viewpoints than those in their fifties and eighties. It's up to the person asking for help and advice to consider the source and make a decision as to what is helpful to them and what is not. I think the huge mix of different backgrounds, years of experience, and types of experience is what makes The Magic Café such a useful tool, and why it has the largest and most active following of any Magic Forum on the Internet. I hope that helps to answer your question. I'm sure others will also share their viewpoints based on their various backgrounds and experiences.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Father Photius Grammar Host El Paso, TX (Formerly Amarillo) 17161 Posts |
I'd agree there is some promotion of marginal products by some on the Café, but then there is also promotion of some really good items, that are limited in their distribution and harder to come by. Often we get offered discounts and pre-release prices etc, which is nice. And if you aren't interested you just click and go on.
As Bob noted above, there are a lot of questions about various effects and products out there and often the creator or producer is a Café member and you can get it straight from the horses mouth. I've found some wonderful items here on the Café that I did not take notice of elsewhere. Reading so many glowing comments and reviews of the items here made me take a second look. I'm glad such are here, and they really do try to cut down those who are here just to promote.
"Now here's the man with the 25 cent hands, that two bit magician..."
|
gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
I have no problem with this as long as it's not spamming up the whole site. I think the moderators do a good job of keeping the barkers in line, but I certainly can see how it would annoy some people.
It's the politics in the "Not Very Magical, But..." board and the bickering in the "Penny for Your Thoughts" board the annoy me to distraction.
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
|
Josh Riel Inner circle of hell 1995 Posts |
I've found that if I don't like what I'm reading I can click on the little back button thing... Perhaps not all browsers have them.
Sometimes I prefer to jump right in, even if I don't care. There's only one guy who I have seen who jumps into a thread, berates anyone who hasn't bought his stuff and always promotes..... But like I said, that back button.
Magic is doing improbable things with odd items that, under normal circumstances, would be unnessecary and quite often undesirable.
|
gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
Josh,
As I'm sure you are aware, it's very easy to get emotionally involved in an issue, and things don't always come across in text as we would like them to. Would you really just hit the back button if someone was insulting or libeling something/one that you hold truly dear? A moderated board is a happy board... G
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
|
Erdnase27 Inner circle 2505 Posts |
Agreed with gaddy.
|
Josh Riel Inner circle of hell 1995 Posts |
Like I said, sometimes I prefer to jump right in, even if I don't care.
Like now. I've yet to see a thread that stays on course. Even the Howiedidit's in the Secret Sessions while the creator was alive and fighting had issues with staying on topic. Sure people say stuff I disagree with, but does that mean that it should be removed? That, fortunately, is not for me to decide, but the mod's who have taken that responsibility. We can only control ourselves, unless you want to be a moderator. Otherwise, you just have to be able to thicken the skin, and go to a less obnoxious area.... or start a new thread expounding on your displeasure. They are all viable options. A lot of times people just want to have something to complain about. I usually prefer to get out or dive right in. Each to his own.
Magic is doing improbable things with odd items that, under normal circumstances, would be unnessecary and quite often undesirable.
|
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I think a definition of spam is what's needed. I think we can agree that an advertisement for mens' potency products would be considered spam by everyone here. I think an advertisement for magic products on a magic forum needs to be given a little more leeway. After all, we all are interested in magic. But I would contend that a magic advertisement in a forum needs to be of an informative nature on the topic being discussed and if it is both informative and on topic, it should not be considered spam. The mentalists are not interested in getting the latest version of Hippity Hop Rabbit, and the children's magicians are not interested in nailing their hands with a cup stab trick. But if the Little Darlings are having their usual discussion about "Which Hippity Hop is Best?" then information about a new and different Hippity Hop, whether that information is placed by a customer or a dealer, should not be considered spam.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
DanielSkahen New user NY 64 Posts |
Much of what I've purchased by way of tricks, videos and (especially) books of magic has been brought to my attention through the Café, passed through my questions and scrutiny through the Café, and pushed to my decision point through the Café.
Everything from paid advertisements to product reviews to shameless self-promoters to little signature links can be found as nuisances or as opportunities to learn new magic you may have otherwise never discovered. Some work out better than others, and I'll admit that I've wasted a fair amount of money on bad decisions through Café promotion. But the value I've gained from products I discovered on this forum far outweighs money I've lost. I recommend seeking out that value, with the same degree of skepticism but also an open mind to what's out there. That's just me.
- Dan Skahen
|
aligator Inner circle Canada 2044 Posts |
I would agree with much that was said in the previous post. While one does have to be careful about shameless promotions, the amount of "good " information from objective practioners and hobbyists far outweighs the promotion side of most forums. I can say without any doubt whatsoever that the percentage of effects, books, whatever, that have turned out to be positive and useful has jumped dramatically since I began reading in the Café.
|
DMG New user 39 Posts |
Here's my perspective as a new user...
There is sooo much content here that if some spam or other is bothering me (highly unlikely) then I can simply ignore that thread or skip those posts. Not a big deal to me. And if some spam is driving someone away from this extremely helpful site then... geez I guess I don't know what to tell that person. "Lighten up " comes to mind but I don't want to be rude. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Selfpromoting (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |