RC Police and Ads

[Joane Pappas White <Lyoness@Castlenet.com>]

Attention all Ridecampers,

This is the second time that a camper has been asked not to post any
notices of ads on Ridecamp which are being listed in the classifieds.  I
want to ask others for their thoughts on this matter too.  

I live in rural Utah and would never be able to buy endurance tack or
even horses if it were not for my Ridecamp contacts. Most of you know
that endurance related items are not readily available at your local
farm store. I devour the sale items on RC and immediately go to the
classifieds when RC notes that a new item is listed, which certainly
causes me to add many hits at Endurance Net. 

Maybe I would object if these ads were out-of-line or really lengthy but
I do not feel that a small notice on Ridecamp is a problem.  On the
contrary, I glance down the list of topics and usually go straight to
the sale notices first.  I also inspect every hypertext website on our
members' signature lines--regularly.  

We are a generation of shoppers and I have found everything I need right
here on Ridecamp or the Endurance Net Homepage and classifieds (usually
after I read a notice on Ridecamp about something I need).  I bought two
Canadian horses and established a great friendship with Christy Janzen
because of a small ad on Ridecamp.  I have bought $1000's of dollars
worth of tack over the years from members of this list and sold a saddle
in one day with a small note on RC to go to EN Classifieds. During every
transaction I have made new friends in the endurance world. Why would
anybody want to stop that kind of exchange?

  If a large number of Ridecampers are bothered by the ads (and my bet
is they are not), then perhaps limiting ads to not more than 50 words
would be okay but please don't remove our day to day contact with people
who are adding new items to the classifieds.  I don't have time to
reread the classifieds all over again every day and the short notes on
RC often are a source of information from others as well about a
specific produce.  For example, did you see Karen Chaton's note back to
Tracey  about electrolites?  Is that an ad?  She discussed every
electrolite on the market.  I believe someone suggested that Tracey talk
to Teddy about the products she has available at Running Bear Farm.  Is
this advertizing?  If it is--who cares?  It gave Tracey the information
she needed from excellent sources and even gave her a place to get them.

My vote is FOR ADS BY OUR MEMBERS ON RIDECAMP!

Joane Pappas White
Price, Utah
Lyoness@Castlenet.com