Rules for FPPing sites closed to non-members?

June 27, 2005 7:30 PM

What's the rule/precendent/whatever for FPPing a site that is closed to non-members (and is a pay site) but which may be of interest/use for Mefites? There's not much to see unless you're a member and I can't recall seeing a similar post in the past. Yes? No? Maybe?
posted by dobbs to Etiquette/Policy at 7:30 PM (18 comments total)

I'd say no.
1. If it's a pay site, and you're suggesting people join, might this not be considered Pepsi Blue?
2. You're just going to make non-members bitter and potentially homicidal.
posted by Jimbob at 7:37 PM on June 27, 2005

There's not much to see unless you're a member
In which case there is no real point in posting it, unless you are doing so to say "there is a really cool web site, of which I am a member and you aren't, so neeneer to you", which I don't think you want to do. If this is your intention, post away.
posted by dg at 7:49 PM on June 27, 2005

Is it something you can bugmenot? If so, just be sure to add the bugmenot link afterward, labelling appropriately.

If not, you will be wildly raped, and not in a good way, by the community's majority.
posted by mystyk at 7:49 PM on June 27, 2005

Unless that is your intention..
posted by Balisong at 8:23 PM on June 27, 2005

I'd say no. It might as well be written in french.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:02 PM on June 27, 2005

Hmm. Okay, I won't post it.

No, not something you can use bugmenot for.

But I think it's weird people are against this in principle.

It's a community site for writers (specifically screenwriters) that I think is the "best of the web" for community writing sites (of which plenty (if not all) of the free ones have been posted before). Certainly it's the only one I've found that's actually useful. The fact that it's a pay site (and has other requirements) is part of the reason it works--only people serious about it are going to join--you don't get every tom dick and harriet in there offering useless advice.

I mean, what if Delicious or digg or [whatever] were a pay site, wouldn't people want to know about them anyway? Certainly their usefulness isn't totally due to their freeness. (That said, Mefi ain't free and we obviously all find it useful to some extent.)
posted by dobbs at 10:03 PM on June 27, 2005

If it's the central link in the post dobbs it just means that it's kind of redundant for all of us outsiders. But if it was melded in with related sites or reviews etc etc then maybe the rabble would be more accepting.
posted by peacay at 10:33 PM on June 27, 2005

dobbs, I would think that there would be at least one (if not more) AskMeFi questions where the site recommendation would be appropriate, and those looking for such info/advice are the most likely to want to know about such, even if it is a pay site, as opposed to FPPs where most people are just looking for link goodness to enjoy, right?
posted by birdsquared at 10:36 PM on June 27, 2005

You know, MetaFilter would no longer be an okay post subject under these guidelines. Just sayin'.
posted by grouse at 1:17 AM on June 28, 2005

No, grouse: anyone can read MetaFilter so there's value in a link, even for non-members. Dobbs specifically said "There's not much to see unless you're a member " which seems to be a very different case.
posted by blag at 2:48 AM on June 28, 2005

MetaFilter -- It Might As Well Be Written In French
posted by matteo at 3:35 AM on June 28, 2005

Dobbs: I think is the "best of the web"

Well, it is really "best exclusive club" actually... The fact that there are 'other requirements' makes that even more clear.

only people serious about it are going to join

Yes, exactly! What would be the point? Maybe a post that included a bunch of 'best resource available' for different topics, even if they were all pay, would be better...

I mean, what if Delicious or digg or [whatever] were a pay site, wouldn't people want to know about them anyway? Certainly their usefulness isn't totally due to their freeness. (That said, Mefi ain't free and we obviously all find it useful to some extent.)

Funny, I have no interest in delicious even though it is free - not that it is relevant. Mefi is not a good comparison. First, there is a lot of free content on the site. Second, a $5 lifetime fee is regrettable, but hardly equivalent to any other pay model I can imagine...
posted by Chuckles at 5:10 AM on June 28, 2005

You can do it, just link to the bugmenot as well.
posted by baphomet at 6:36 AM on June 28, 2005

Bugmenot does not allow IDs/passwords for pay sites, baphomet, only for free registration sites.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:50 AM on June 28, 2005

Pardon the OT: Dobbs- Did you get my responses to your e-mail?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:08 AM on June 28, 2005

If you're a member at the site,perhaps someday when MefiProjects comes out that could rate a link. That's how long I've been waiting to post *my* writer's group.
posted by redsparkler at 11:05 AM on June 28, 2005

You know, MetaFilter would no longer be an okay post subject under these guidelines

Sure it would, all content on MeFi is available to the non-subscriber, you just can't post. With the exception of some forums and wiki's all the internet is like that. You wouldn't say no links to CNN because you can't post. Newsfilter yes, no contibutions no.
posted by Mitheral at 11:18 AM on June 28, 2005

You know, MetaFilter would no longer be an okay post subject under these guidelines

Burn! Parried valiantly by Mitheral, but there's a point there.

Still, if most people won't be able to enjoy it and there's a vague hint of "click here and someone makes money" then I'd have to agree, no.

Still, having perfect trust in your judgement and taste, dobbs, I'm sure that if you have a case in mind to post, it would have been a good one. I guess we're going to lose out on some stuff.
posted by scarabic at 4:43 PM on June 28, 2005