A number of brand new accounts have popped up shilling their paid for applications.

Is this within the rules? Is the community happy with this? Could mods clarify this in the rules?

Either allowing advertising, or banning it entirely.

my point is - there is a difference between an open source homegrown project that might be useful, vs closed source paid for projects from brand new accounts

some replies are misunderstanding, somehow.

I am against

brand new accounts who:

  1. first post is a brand new project
  2. project is closed source
  3. project will cost money
  4. is asking for free testing
  5. the post is literally an advertisement
  • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.todayEnglish
    7·
    11 hours ago

    Yes, but all of your comments seem to miss the fact that this post is talking about paid software. Which is what the OP you’re talking about and defending did. You also said “they aren’t charging you”, which might be true for now, but they will make money off of beta tester’s free labor.

    • irmadlad@lemmy.worldEnglish
      17·
      11 hours ago

      but they will make money off of beta tester’s free labor.

      That’s exactly how beta testing works. I’ve mentioned, I do a lot of beta testing for BetaBound. I’m currently beta testing a rumba floor sweeper knock off. WHen I’m done, the company says ‘thank you’ by letting me keep the rather pricey product. Are they going to make money? Of course they will. That’s why they started business…to make money.

      • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.todayEnglish
        6·
        10 hours ago

        I’m aware, and don’t think that ads to provide free labor for a paid product belong here. That’s been my entire argument the entire time.

        • irmadlad@lemmy.worldEnglish
          12·
          10 hours ago

          I’m aware, and don’t think that ads to provide free labor for a paid product belong here.

          I honestly think, that the OP/Dev in question acted in good faith. I do not view his thread as an advertisement to buy his product. IMHO, he solicited beta testers for his product that integrates with the *arr stack, which the vast amount of selfhosters deploy early on in their selfhosting journey. Where else would be a better place than a selfhosting community?

          • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.todayEnglish
            3·
            10 hours ago

            The question isn’t “did OP act in good faith”.

            I do consider it an ad to recruit people to do beta testing for a paid product. I don’t want to see ads in my feed. If I wanted that, I’d go to reddit. Maybe they should post there instead, where ads are overwhelming and users don’t give a shit about being advertised to constantly.

            • irmadlad@lemmy.worldEnglish
              12·
              10 hours ago

              I do consider it an ad to recruit people to do beta testing for a paid product.

              Fair. You do, I don’t.

              • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.todayEnglish
                3·
                10 hours ago

                I’m very aware that you don’t consider it an ad, but it’s an ad in my eyes. It’s literally a call to action to recruit people to improve their paid application in order to extract money from users in the future.

                • irmadlad@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  13·
                  10 hours ago

                  I’m very aware that you don’t consider it an ad, but it’s an ad in my eyes

                  I’ve very aware that you do see it as an ad. So, here we are. I’m about to fire up a bowl, do you partake? It’s some gnarly gas for sure. I like to share what I’ve grown with my own two hands. No strings attached. You don’t have to put 5 on it.