New rule proposal: Ban referral codes

Every time someone asks for advice about which network is suitable for their app or ask about the performance of some ad networks, there are always replies with referrals to some network urging the user to sign up using a referral code.

It has become very difficult to determine if someone is being honest about an advertising network or if they’re just trying to get you to sign up using their referral so that they make money from you.

I propose that the administration add a plug in to the forum to strip referrals so that we can have reliable information about ad networks which will empower the users of this forum and allow them make good decisions as far as which network to choose

Assume no one is helpful in such case. Even if you ban referrals the networks will just create accounts and promote without referals as many do here. My take is - if a network spams the forum or users of it spam with referals - avoid it.

Forget about it ~ admin has this forum in dark asss;)

I’d like to read a thread where a rep doesn’t chirp in with a wall of text that takes too long to scroll past.

We tried making a new forum that would be better moderated, but it didn’t work - too many people decided to make one (and at least one by a troll) and it only led to chaos. In the end all were closed.

Yeah, there are a lot of unscrupulous promoters here.

I agree it can be hard to tell sometimes. The flipside of this is that if a network’s referral program pays well, this probably means that developers who sign up are actually earning something with this network. Otherwise the company wouldn’t have any money to fund the referral program! :slight_smile: So it could be argued that the networks which have continued momentum behind their referral program are probably going to be able to make you some money as well.

If it were simply a matter of banning spam then sure, it makes sense to get rid of referral codes. The two potential problems I can see with this though:
1.) As @Magnesus said, networks can just create fake accounts and pretend to be enthusiastic, altruistic devs; and
2.) Some legitimate developers could be making some decent money from promoting their favourite networks here.

I’d be curious to know - has anyone made actual revenue from their referral codes here, and if so would you still be supportive of removing these links to help fight spam?

I don’t think its really a good idea to ban referral codes. This forum is designed to support individuals in their quest for making money. Referral codes are still a very good source of some extra and effortless income. However, administration can restrict this kind of posing enthusiasts to a dedicated area only. I really want to hear some referral income based stories, so guys who managed to do it should come forward with their stories

Referal based income stories are useless because they are most likely bullshit written to promote the referal link.