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Best Text Expander software for Windows
mouser:
Is it just me, or is some of this thread starting to read like an ad?
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Seems to me that if there is a thread about "what's the best tool for.. ?" then the author of one of these tools should feel comfortable explaining why they think theirs is best :) Something that might seem like an "advertisement" if posted out of context seems very appropriate on such a thread.
barney:
Something that might seem like an "advertisement" if posted out of context seems very appropriate on such a thread.
-mouser (March 18, 2011, 11:44 PM)
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Yep, yer right ... but that doesn't make it seem less like advertising :D. Nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong with developer(s) comments as to what the software can do, especially in contrast to other mentioned software. After all, it was developed to fill a perceived need, although some of us need help with that perception.
For instance, I personally was unaware of much of the capability explained because I'd never had a need for that capability. I'm now better informed, and know where to look should such a need arise. Methinks the advertising element arises from:
* I need to do this
* The software can do it
* I need to do that
* The software can do it
* I need to do something else
* The software can do it.The back-and-forth of such an exchange can look more like advertising, without that truly being the intent, than elucidation. That doesn't mean anyone wants the interchange to stop, but we do tend to tag things with our own labels :P.
mouser:
As a software developer this is an issue that i've had some experience with.. I remember when i first started DC trying to post on a couple of forums about my software and being told to stop "spamming". And yet if someone else posted about my software it was "thank you for letting us know about some nice new software." Although I would never do it, it made me realize why so many companies hire people to post about their software and pretend they are just normal users.
So one of the principles we've tried to follow on DC is to say that authors and companies are welcome to post about their software here, as long as they do so in the appropriate place and state their affiliations clearly.
It's also why i think it's important that we welcome companies to post about their software when we have a discussion like "what's the best tool for xxx" or when there is a thread about their software, or in the "announce your software" section. If it's a place where we would welcome a normal user to tell us why they would use program X, then it should be ok for a company person or the author to tell us why they would, without having to pretend they are not associated with the company.
The only thing we require is disclosure and that they post as humans, rather than copying+pasting some block of text from an advert.
40hz:
Is it just me, or is some of this thread starting to read like an ad?
--- End quote ---
Seems to me that if there is a thread about "what's the best tool for.. ?" then the author of one of these tools should feel comfortable explaining why they think theirs is best :) Something that might seem like an "advertisement" if posted out of context seems very appropriate on such a thread.
-mouser (March 18, 2011, 11:44 PM)
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I did not mean to imply they were spamming. (Note the presence of the wink-bixie ;) at the end of my original comment.)
I'll try to make my attempts at joking around a little more obvious next time. :)
mouser:
40hz you didn't say anything inappropriate -- i just thought it might be a good opportunity for me to advocate for why i think people should feel comfortable posting on these kinds of threads recommending their own products, since i know some might be unsure whether they should do so.
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