Earlier quoted context omitted.
I see that, and I'm all for removing shallow content. I just don't get the point of a blanket ban on OF people who market themselves this way -- a mod should be capable of saying, "this person is promoting herself, but it meets the quality standards so no reason to block it" (let alone pre-emptively ban such a person). Indeed, those are the very kind of submissions that lead to a thriving, synergistic forum-ecosystem…
> I just don't get the point of a blanket ban on OF people who market themselves this way The reason has been specified and is to the point: "... contribution is usually shallow and easy to see through. This pollutes the place with a low-effort content ..." - these OF advertisers are only interested in getting people to see their profile (as you rightly pointed out), not their posted content, because their intention…
It's a figure of speech, and I'm well aware of the ostensible justification, which is why the bulk of my comment is specifically addressing it, and you even recognize it as doing so.
Do try to be charitable, if for no other reason than my profile lacking a promotional link :-p
Since you've opened the door to lectures about "didn't you read this part of the comment", then I'll have to turn it around and ask why didn't you read this part:
>>Isn't that how people are supposed to promote themselves? Giving out free, relevant stuff in the hopes you'll want to know more about them?"
>>I mean, isn't that how ethical self-promotion is supposed to work? Join a community, obey their norms, contribute, and if they like you, they'll follow up? How do you expect it to work?
What is the ethical way to self-promote? In the best world, I imagine it would look exactly like I just described. If you don't have an answer to that, a better way, then I'm not sure what basis you have for objecting here; you should probably figure it out before claiming you have a defensible position.
FWIW, "just stay in your little box and never come out" is not what I would count as a defensible position.
>contribution is usually shallow and easy to see through. This pollutes the place with a low-effort content.
It absolutely can be, sure. But the point where you say "OF promoters can never contribute anything of value" is where you cross over from "prudent moderation" into slut-shaming. My regular account links my blog, as do numerous other HNers. If that blog makes them money, should they be pre-emptively banned?
>And yes, many sub-reddits do have poor quality content. Thanks to the ban on OF advertisers, it is much less.
0% of the off-topic LAMF submissions were from OF-linked accounts, and at the same time, reddit has lost out on quality submissions from OF users, while gleefully letting through ulterior-motive submissions from people who don't bother to announce themselves. Hence, "tunnel-visioned".