Pete - you met the wall of Anti-Spam head on
. This is really a member's site (and you're more than welcome to be a member - membership is wicked pissa expensive
- free) and we do frown on people coming aboard and posting commercial products - seems to happen at least once a month around here
.
We do have site SPONSORS that we are carefull about who we chose to become sponsors and the stuff must be relevant to what we do - surfcast & boat for saltwater fish in the northeast.
There are also 2 places where it is mentioned about commercial advertising:
"Please note that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations or any other method to promote yourself without first clearing it with Striped-Bass.com is inappropriate on this message board." on the registration message of the forums and "Classifieds
Buy,Sell, or Swap for members only please. NO COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING - thanks... " on the tab to get into the Classifieds forums. So when you posted a commercial product (the steps) people go tweaked as we've been down this road before. This site is not a business venture but a community of people and when someone trys to solicit the community without permission, people get pissed. You get all those crappy spam
e-mails everday about making your dingaling bigger, loose 40 pounds in 20 days, or your own chance with Paris Hilton? Well dropping a link and promoting a product without permission is the message board equivalent.
Personally, I think you might bring something to the table here as a member, especially with a fiberglassing background, that knowledge could be a big help when one of our members bounces of a rock (I'm doing work on an old boat and might have a question too from time to time). So I encourage you to enjoy the site as a member and participate with us - I think you'll enjoy it. But as for commercially trying to sell a product or a link thru the site when not contacting me first for permission and not being a sponsor - doesn't fly well around here.
As for $400 and change for glass steps, that's not unreasonable. Materials alone are $150, labor for the first molds, layups of individual steps, finnishing, making some profit... Sure the home guy can make some for less money but not many people will find one "commercially" for less than those.
Different places have different rules but most sites frown on self promotion & advertising. So from one guy on the Bay to another, I'd like to see you participate as a member and join our little community but understand its not channel to move merchandise on...
Thanks,
JohnR
Chief Cook & Bottlewasher
Striped-Bass.com