Airsoft Radio ads

NakedDex

Sorry to continue the side-track, but this isn't being discussed elsewhere so permit me to segway momentarily.
This "even if it's true" stipulation is news to me. Does that not render the "Experiences/Advice with airsoft retailers" sticky-thread to be pretty much impotent with regard to discussion on, well, experiences? Having read all of this, I was going to suggest that the posts about individual experiences with aforementioned retailer should be moved in there for further discussion, but surely this now means that the thread in question has been relegated to no more than a series of backslapping posts?
I'm not at all trying to be offensive or agitate the proverbial fecal matter, this is just a genuine query.

As for the radio advertisement, I've not heard it to comment on it's content. From what I've read it seems to be borderline, but not crossing the line. MIA have a track record for saturated marketing, and having already assumed control of most Google search results and advertising in airsoft print media (in the form of the "Irish edition" of Airsoft International), the radio was the next obvious step.
Personal feelings aside, I don't agree that radio advertising is the wisest choice, for several reasons already mentioned by others. That said, what's done is done and it's his money being spent on it so there's no-one that's going to have the authority to prevent him from doing so.

Stercus Accidit

@Doc - High court like, not much you can do, you may as well complain that rain is wet.

Its just a glorified 'attack the post, not the poster' type rule, I'm sure you can find ways to say what you want to say.

Dav

I've been having some of this chat with Doc on Twitter, I made the point (poorly I think given I only had 140 characters) that there's still plenty of scope to discuss pros and cons of a retailer or product etc without breaking the law.

I'm going to quote something my colleague Darragh posted on the Hunting Forum on this same issue almost a month ago.

Darragh wrote: »

Folks

I'm setting this post back live after a lengthy discussion with the moderators of the forum.

It's as simple as this - Boards.ie will not host post, threads or comments that are false, defamatory or specifically designed to damage someone's business.

Honest answers about or critiques of people's work is fine. In my opinion, if you're willing to post a negative review of someone's work, you should also put up your name and contact details for that person to contact you.

We are not here to "get" anyone. We are not here to promote one business over another - we are a platform for discussion - and as long as that discussion is honest, open and transparent, we're happy.

I'd remind people too that all moderators on Boards.ie are volunteers and that to contact me or the office to talk about posts on Boards.ie, just email us at hello@boards.ie

Let me say this though - threatening me or any of my colleagues personally, the moderators or anyone with violence, with protests or indeed just with vague "Oh I'll get you" crap is NOT tolerable and will not be accepted, condoned or even responded to.

I'm happy to talk to any reasonable person, or happy to talk to the Gardaí or solicitors if they don't treat us with the respect we treat them with.

If there's something about you on Boards.ie that you have a problem with - LET US KNOW.

If you see or have a problem with a post or pm please use the report button (it's this one : ) and then let the moderators deal with it!

If you aren't satisfied by the moderators help, read this page.

Contact the office at hello@boards.ie by email with the link and what's wrong with the page.

Give me time to look into it. You want your solicitor involved? No problem - our address is Boards.ie, Latin Hall, Golden Lane, Dublin 8 - but remember, it wasn't ME or the Moderators who posted stuff about you, it was another member and your issue is with them.

<snip of elements specific to that case - Dav>
...

Thanks

Darragh
Boards.ie Communications Manager
hello@boards.ie

So what does that mean?

If you really want to bad-mouth a business, you'd best put your real name and contact details to it so that the business involved can, if they want, take legal action against you for doing so. If they bring you to court and you show that the comments you made were factual, then they loose and you sue them for costs. Most business' won't do this. However, if they complain to us about the defamation published on our site, we are legally obliged to act on it.

It is *my* job to make sure Boards.ie does not end up in court over something it's members have said.

evilrobotshane

Maybe there's another rule to prevent this, but it sounds like what would be allowed is the somewhat silly situation of:

"I was thinking of getting such-and-such a gun in MIA, what do you guys think?"
"Stay away from those guys, seriously, just avoid."
"Why?"
"We're not allowed go into detail, but my recommendation is that you steer well clear of them."

senordingdong

/advertising discussion?

TheDoc

Yeah that clears it up like, I'm not as much disputing the position of boards as much as having a rant out loud and in a way quering like Dex has the validity of having any retailer/site discussion.

in a way though surely having the advertisement run on Nova in a way is a kind of clever step. It may be the case I assume that there is some price slash on advertisement space being the station is re-launched and probbly looking to fill slots.

But it is a station that woudln't necesairly hold a large under age listening group and if you will forgive me for pigeon holing contains groups mostly of some type of the following

middle aged men
Young male adults
Teen males

Interested in the sort of music that they are playing.

It is not the sort of station that plays Cascada that would rope in maybe a few undesireables so perhaps we are not giving the full credit to the guys in said retailer who perhaps have gone to some length to work out the average target audience they would be aiming at.

Then again like I said it might be the case it was just a huge price slash, but I don't see anything hugely por coming from this particular ad, or an advertisment coming from this type of radio station.

If it was something like spin fm or fm104 during their "Dance and techno" slots then yeah I might see there being a problem but for the time being, I'd say things will be alright.

senordingdong

Yeah fair point.
Would love to hear from the man himself in that regard though.

Inari

Doc makes a good point - the ad could be more targetted than we (especially me) gave it credit for, initially. I'd still sooner hear ads on the radio for sites as opposed to retailers, and that includes retailers I prefer. I just think that skirmish sites are more...airwave friendly, and more suitable. Better slogans, and more effective use of the medium

J.D.R

Inari wrote: »

Doc makes a good point - the ad could be more targetted than we (especially me) gave it credit for, initially. I'd still sooner hear ads on the radio for sites as opposed to retailers, and that includes retailers I prefer. I just think that skirmish sites are more...airwave friendly, and more suitable. Better slogans, and more effective use of the medium

I have to agree, especially in regards to introducing Airsoft to the greater public. There isn't alot more you can say about airsoft retailers that will get new people in the door, except "GUNS!!!", whereas with sites, you can talk about every aspect of airsoft, deals, places, people, types, etc, which will, in my opinion, get much better reception

gerrowadat

Dav wrote: »

If you really want to bad-mouth a business, you'd best put your real name and contact details to it so that the business involved can, if they want, take legal action against you for doing so. If they bring you to court and you show that the comments you made were factual, then they loose and you sue them for costs. Most business' won't do this. However, if they complain to us about the defamation published on our site, we are legally obliged to act on it.

It is *my* job to make sure Boards.ie does not end up in court over something it's members have said.

What if we link to an external site that contains the contents of our post? How about an externally-hosted image with some text in it? Want to get into that little chestnut? I can easily whip up something that takes the contents of my post, post it on a blank forum I host and post a screenshot inline. Would that cause the boards.ie batphone to go off?

Complete nonsense. The retailer in question knows exactly who I am, and nothing I said in any of my posts on this thread can be proven to materially detrimental to his business, or untrue.

Seems like all it takes now is some knuckle-dragger (with the 'S for solicitor' page pulled out of the yellow pages in the nearest phone box) to pick up the phone and it's red alert at boards internet HQ. Pathetic.

andy_g

gerrowadat wrote: »

What if we link to an external site that contains the contents of our post? How about an externally-hosted image with some text in it? Want to get into that little chestnut? I can easily whip up something that takes the contents of my post, post it on a blank forum I host and post a screenshot inline. Would that cause the boards.ie batphone to go off?

Complete nonsense. The retailer in question knows exactly who I am, and nothing I said in any of my posts on this thread can be proven to materially detrimental to his business, or untrue.

Seems like all it takes now is some knuckle-dragger (with the 'S for solicitor' page pulled out of the yellow pages in the nearest phone box) to pick up the phone and it's red alert at boards internet HQ. Pathetic.

It seems that most people just cant leave the past alone. the past is the past.

Also the fact that MIA cannot post to defend themselves here on boards.

Also for those of you that dont know the meaning of Knuckler-Dragger.
Here it is.
Knuckler-Dragger " An insult used against those of extremely low intelligence, or general stupidity.

It seems some people around here still have vandetta's and need to grow up.

Thread has run its course.
Locked.