Well, I made my final post at ReefCentral - a forum reknown for it's misinformation and excessively controlling moderators (hence why this is my first and last post in five years). I posted a thread selling a few of my personal aquatic paraphernalia, as I'm moving personal (not business) locations soon. Here is a transcript of what followed:
Moderator Geo: "as commercial member you may not use the forums to offer items for sale. Your recent selling thread has been removed. Please respect forum policy and do not use Reef Central as an avenue to conduct business. Your thread has been deleted"
Mike Maddox: "My business has nothing to do with my hobby aspect, and my business has no dealings with hobbyists whatsoever. Other forums don't have a problem with my posts at all. Also, since when is my business a "commercial member" of RC? I don't recall any contracts, or agreements to pay RC's exorbitant $1000/month ad rates"
Geo: "You are in business and do not get to decide which sales are hobbyist or business. In our eyes they are all business and not permitted."
Mike Maddox: "my business has nothing to do with the hobby side of the industry. We install custom, high end aquariums mainly in other businesses, and provide consultation services on the professional side of the industry. Neither myself or my employees sell to or deal with hobbyists, and certainly don't garner clients from hobby forums. I would ask you and RC to kindly see me for what I am (a hobbyist, that's currently moving locations and needs to sell a few items that my local reef club has no home for), but seeing as this minuscule task seems to be beyond the abilities of the RC forum and its over-zealous moderators, I'll post elsewhere from now on."
Apparently I'm not a hobbyist anymore. Ah, the antics of that forum (which, by the way, grosses in excess of $10,000 monthly in ad sales), but even mentioning that on their forums is an instant permanent ban) never cease to amuse me. A greater source of misinformation, immaturity, and hiding of profits, there is not...
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