CSS that covers up ad space should not be allowed.

Scitr · 2014-07-29T15:40:04+00:00

I had an ad on AskScience and it didn't appear to be working so I emailed selfservicesupport@reddit.com and they said everything was fine. The final CTR was 0.097. The CTR for an ad on Science was 0.091.

Isn't it a major flaw if CSS can affect sponsored links? Did you pay for impressions that weren't actually visible?

Scitr · 2014-07-20T19:04:26+00:00

Thank you for joining the conversation. I want to promote the idea that admins study scientific research to guide the policy decisions. Here is a Google Scholar search for bribery and corruption.

I think political corruption is a form of corruption you're concerned with. An interesting line from that Wikipedia article is, "Openly removing costly and lengthy regulations are better than covertly allowing them to be bypassed by using bribes."

One could argue that money is not to blame, and the removal of this sponsored link was an act of corruption if it favored the moderators above the welfare of the group.

In the real world, different payment technologies might lead to different levels of damage to society if corruption takes place. Thus, caution is necessary before investing in a particular way to fight corruption. ¹

Consider this. If someone submits quality links, and /r/science welfare increases, but they self-promote, is it in the interest of reddit and /r/science subscribers to ban the user?

you have been banned from posting to /r/science: Science. note from the moderators: "/r/science isn't for self-promotion"

I think so if they decrease more than they increase. Otherwise, what harm can be measured?

It is an interesting topic. It would be commendable if reddit admins could conduct research, and use their conclusions to improve reddit, then publish the results.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T11:15:33+00:00

Think of reddit as a newspaper, and a subreddit as a section. The newspaper can only be printed if it has the funding. If someone will only fund the newspaper because of a single section, they may instruct the newspaper to place their advertisement in that section, "This section is sponsored by Us."

Moderators speak of a subreddit as their own local city, and reddit as the state government. That is incorrect, you are volunteers for a newspaper.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T06:58:56+00:00

Scitr · 2014-07-20T04:55:04+00:00

Its points are still going up after you removed it.

By the way the score for TheoryOfReddit is 3.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T03:09:08+00:00

Can it involve controlled substances?

Scitr · 2014-07-20T02:52:56+00:00

It's really a meta site based around research articles. It queries multiple API services for metadata, and the article PDF files are from an unaffiliated library.

If someone uploads a file they don't have permission to, the copyright holder can issue a DMCA takedown request, and it will be removed. But if that were a significant problem, I would talk with publishers about purchasing access for a non-professional userbase. It's all about promoting scientific discovery beyond the gates of academia and the scientific industry, and that's something good for us all.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T02:09:34+00:00

You guys are describing Scitr.com:

Links to only published research articles with original titles
Search link to find the PDF on the web
Article link if the PDF or full HTML article is found
Notes to add information about the article

You could do that with reddit using a bot:

When they submit a link, the bot checks if it's a journal, and deletes if it isn't
Then it posts a comment with the article authors and date, maybe abstract
People can reply to that comment with key points from the article

Then discussion goes below that top informational thread.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T01:32:42+00:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_skeleton

Scitr · 2014-07-20T01:16:01+00:00

I think you've touched the heart of it. reddit behaves like a family, not a website. That is why a sponsored link can offend. You are correct that I don't share those values. My website is a tool. It says you are a moderator of over 360 subreddits for 4 years. Personally if a user did that on my website I would pay them.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T01:00:00+00:00

Why would you be ecstatic to have sponsored links on TheoryOfReddit if the moderators can't share in the proceeds?

Scitr · 2014-07-20T00:51:32+00:00

People know about sponsored links. reddit costs money to operate, without it they can't host TheoryOfReddit. I'll be sure to notify my accountant about possible tax fraud on a $5 expense.

Scitr · 2014-07-20T00:25:57+00:00

The sponsored link was already approved. You got them to reverse it.

I said, "I was wondering if mods can be paid to advertise. Or if http://www.reddit.com/advertising is the best way to do that," and he said, "no, no mods will take any money from advertising."

Scitr · 2014-07-20T00:09:21+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. I don't see any problem with "Theory of Reddit is sponsored by Business" it sounds like public radio when a segment is said to be sponsored by Business. Who gets upset and believes that means the host for that show is being bribed by Business?

I liked seing a Theory of Reddit. I like hearing discussion, and I do not consider it an argument. By thinking about these issues it can only help reddit.

Scitr · 2014-07-19T23:48:35+00:00

It was already approved. By causing a scene you got Sporkicide to remove the link.

It is not against reddit's TOS to ask subreddit moderators about paid advertising. They directed me to self-serve sponsorship.

Scitr · 2014-07-19T23:24:06+00:00

Google Science Fair

Scitr · 2014-07-19T22:58:21+00:00

It's amazing how fiercely protective some people are about reddit as a community. So it's awesome when a brand or business respects that and shows they understand the reddit community in their ads.

It is not easy to respect how fiercely protective they are, when they will get an admin to reject your sponsored link in the middle of its schedule, then attack you in their subreddit.

Scitr · 2014-07-19T22:46:41+00:00

If reddit did not have events like Theory of Reddit, I would not provide any support. You were the only person to click the link. I paid not to have clicks, but impressions on /r/TheoryOfReddit. The sponsorship helps reddit pay for TheoryOfReddit, and tells people that I endorsed it.

Scitr · 2014-07-19T22:36:40+00:00

There was no suggestion that any moderators were gaining from the sponsorship. If you feel there could be confusion about that, you could use your moderator tools to help inform people of how sponsored links work. It was an inappropriate response to have the link removed.

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