1st off - this does all seem to be getting rather petty and the \'net is a big place - plenty room for a whole host of sea angling sites.
Just want to clear a few things up:-
I\'d be the 1st to acknowledge the work that Jaybee put in on NESA (and I have done so many times). Without him, the initial framework of NESA as it is now (and many other sites) would not have been created.
However - it was a \"framework\" upon which a lot has subsequently been built. When I 1st joined NESA, it consisted of only a few forums:
shore fishing
boat fishing
conservation
chat and later....
the barmaids bosom
Mind you, that was in the days when NESA was a proper website, not just a discussion forum. Some of the sections from the former sitte can be found in the \"original site\" section in the \"modules\", over on the left of the screen.
The growth in the size of NESA (I\'m talking about the size of the site here - not the membership), has come about through a great deal of time & effort being put in - not nicking things wholeseale from other sites. The \"other\" sites didn\'t have them (then) anyway. Such things as:
NE dealer directory
list of sea angling clubs and contact details
list of charter boats from various ports and their contact details
a reel shematics library
a trading post section
an area for updated sea state reports
sepparate catch report sections
None of the above used to be on NESA.
There were no regular competitions arranged where members could meet up, there was no RNLI fund raising, no auctions, no annual Winter shore comp, no annual boat comp, no NvS Comp, etc.
Yes, Jaybee is undoubtably to be credited and greatly thanked for starting something which was going to grow - and grow it has done - enormously so - but I\'d like to think that it didn\'t just grow on its\' own and that I\'d like to think that I had a hand in that growth.
Now, they do say that \"immitation is the sincerest form of flattery\" - I don\'t mind \"immitaion\" at all - what I do object to is pure plagiarism. I don\'t mind, in the least. if a site is set up with all the same forums / information areas as NESA - just so long as the information it contains is not that simply \"lifted\" to be pasted into the \"other site\".
As I\'ve previously said, I\'ve worked long & hard in putting a lot of information together for use on NESA - why should I be happy to let it be lifted for use in another site ???
I suppose the term \"\'net ettiquette\" just really translates into \"good manners\" and respect for those who\'ve ACTUALLY put the work in.
OK.....that\'s the \"plagiarism\" bit......now the \"advertising\" and \"posting of links\" bit..........
Both Jaybee and I were / are well aware that NESA could be (and is) seen by some as a means of free adverising - particularly of businesses. I\'ve honestly lost count of the number of 1st posts I\'ve deleted because they were blatent advertisements posted to publicise a business - whether it was a tackle shop, charter boat, or whatever. A few did slip through in the early days and I recieved complaints from members and also those businesses whos\' posts had been previously removed. If the owner of a business wants to promote it on NESA, then they need to prove themselves as members 1st - and I\'m not talking about offering discount for NESA members - I\'m talking about taking an active part in contributing to the forums.
If such a business then wants to promote itself on NESA - why can\'t they just ASK 1st?? - I\'ve said, many times, that I\'d even put a permanent link in the \"weblinks\" to their site. However, it seems that the old \"\'net ettiquette\", or simply, plain old \"good manners\" is not a concept familiar to some.
Similarly, why should I be happy to let others promote their website on NESA without asking 1st?
I don\'t do it - I\'ve never once visited another site and posted a link to NESA on it.
Those who ASK are invariably told \"yes\" they can post a link and I tell them that I\'d put a permanent link to their site in the \"weblinks\".
It doesn\'t matter one jot if they haven\'t heard of the term \"\'net ettiquette\" - everybody has heard the expression \"good manners\".
Finally on the same subject.....
ANE was set up as (and still is) a sattelite of NESA. Consequently I had no objections to information being put in there which originated on NESA. Even though I have told him that he can use anything from NESA, Bri still ALWAYS asks if he can use this or that...BEFORE using it.
This is a reciprocal arrangement and Bri has told me that I can use anything from ANE - however, like Bri, I would still ALWAYS ask BEFORE doing so.
petepj asked me ages ago if he could mention the rockhoppers comp to raise money for the BVLS on NESA - ofcourse I said he could.
Please DO NOT use NESA as a venue for a squabble between 2 other sites !
I really do feel more than a little p!ssed off that I\'ve felt it necessary to have to justify my stance on \"plagiarism\" and the posting of un-solicited links to other sites.
I really thought (or hoped) that you knew me better than that and that I held the interests of NESA as a site at heart more than anybody.
[Edited on 5/4/2006 by TC]