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My Answers Reported as Violations....Why!?
Several of my answers tonight were flagged and reported as "violations" with no explanation as to why.
I've looked very carefully over the Yahoo! Community Guidelines, and I did nothing to violate any of them.
The only common thing between the answers, which were flagged, was that I provided url links to articles within the body of my answers. Note that these links were to ARTICLES (not anything sales-related, affiliate-related or ANYTHING like that!). They were articles - and the articles were germane to what the people were asking help for!
So, what's the deal? Am I only allowed to put url links in the source box?
For each answer, I put a 3-4 sentence (in a couple cases, even longer) answer and then provided a link to an article.
Again, the links were to articles. Not to products for sale.
In each case, I was really trying to help. The only self-serving motive was I was hoping for more readers of my articles. And I don't understand the big deal or problem with that.
It's very frustrating.
Follow up....the articles were written by me, but I wasn't selling anything! Is it solicitation to simply want more ppl to read articles that I'd written - articles that WERE very pertinent to the questions asked.
4 Answers
- Experto CredoLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Links have a tendancy to scare poeple, so they usually delete first and ask later
- Yahzmin ♥♥ 4everLv 71 decade ago
Brian: You need to read a bit further in the YA HELP section. The links you posted are (I believe) to articles that YOU wrote. So, posting those links is a bit of self-promoting. Not a well-accepted concept here on YA. Check out this information from the HELP pages about posting links to your own websites (or articles):
"In certain circumstances you can. Common sense goes a long way here, but basically, you cannot spam, advertise, or solicit on Answers.
Personal websites or email
The preferred method is to provide the information on your profile page. However when it is directly related to the answer you’re giving, sometimes it is helpful to include personal links or an email address in the answer. For example, you’re the proud owner of a couple of cats and run an informational web site about caring for cats. You answer a question about cat grooming and include a link to a page on your web site with detailed information on the topic, as well as your personal email address for people to contact you with more questions. If you host sponsored ads on your site, be careful about posting links to your site in every answer or you risk crossing over into spam territory, which is not allowed."
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/answers/abuse/gui...
So, the recommended procedure to MOST SAFELY do what you need to do is put the most pertitnent and most used links on your PROFILE page, then simply say in your answer that there are links to pertinent articles on your profile page if a person is interested. This moves the answer away from spamming and violation land. People ARE pretty touchy about spam here.
- 1 decade ago
Your problem may be. If you are answering "quick money" questions, you should be aware many of those "articles" sited by many people are actually written by the owners of the quick rich schemes. Just because it looks like a scholarly article, doesn't mean it really is one. They are just ads disguised. If you are going to site anything make sure it is CNN, Fox News or the like. Long time users will pick up on these fake articles.
If you really want to know post the violation e-mails and examples of these links you used.
- Chetak.Lv 71 decade ago
Without actually reading the questions, your answers and links it is hard to say.
If it appears you are promoting a product regardless hoe valid the link it is, it may appear as advertising or spam.
Add an explanation in your answer so people can judge what they are going to be seeing.
