We all need to sit down and have a rational discussion over referral links.
Lately numerous posts have been reported as spam to the various abuse-related channels and mechanisms Steemit community members created for the benefit of the platform.
Many of these referral links are found in posts by newer users or otherwise Minnows and, partially due to the confusion around whether referral links are "allowed" or "not allowed" in accordance to overarching platform etiquette, have resulting in otherwise-"quality" posts getting flagged.
To make sure we're all on the same page, let's define what a referral link is first.
Definitions
Referral Link
Referral links are designed to introduce a service or product to another person where either executing an action (subscribing, purchasing, etc) or simply viewing it will result in a monetary benefit to the referring person.
They typically look like this, although types and presentations vary:
http://www.urlofsomethinggeneral.com/r?=2345235
http://www.urlofsomethinggeneral.com/referral/2352353
Some referrals are for products, such as physical items recommended for purchase at a store. Some are for services. Some are crypto-related.
Differences Between Referral Links
There are two general categories of referral links on Steemit and anywhere else for that matter.
One is harmless links merely designed to introduce a legitimate product or service while ensuring that the referring person gets some minor monetary benefit for the introduction. These can include referrals to crypto services, Amazon or t-shirt stores that sell products, gaming links, etc. The majority of referrals found on Steemit fall into this category.
The other is a malicious attempt to refer a person into a scam. These are typically for "get rich quick" schemes that don't work, are not intended to work, and are designed to trick a user. Other examples of malicious referrals are illegal content, malware-introducing links, click-bait, and referrals designed to benefit a malicious third party such as a criminal group. Malicious links are self-evident and very rare.
So in summary, we'll refer to referrals as either "harmless" or "malicious".
It is important to note that spamming a "harmless" referral link in comments, through clickbait or in chats can turn that "harmless" link into a "malicious" one.
Discussion
Whereas the Steemit platform is designed in such a way as to allow each individual the opportunity to voice their displeasure with a user or their post/comment by flagging, a uniform approach is needed to be adapted by anti-abuse services. As a group we must either flag all "harmless" referral links or none. Of course, we should flag all "malicious" referral links.
Currently, the presence of referral links is causing a great deal of confusion and unnecessary stress for everyone involved. On one hand, original content creators who are Minnows see referral links used in posts by Whales and other prominent community members. When they see a trending post offer the link, they assume it is acceptable to do the same. They write excellent posts about a service and share their referral link, only to have the post hidden through flags for a crime they didn't know they committed.
Meanwhile, readers are perpetually confused over whether referral links are permitted and are reporting these Minnow posts to the cleaning mechanisms. This needlessly wastes the time of cleaners, particularly as afterwards the appeal process initiated by the affected Minnow requires manual resolution. This is a colossal investment in time that could be better-spent, particularly as the numbers of individuals engaged in keeping Steemit "clean" is small and overworked.
And obviously, the affected Minnow who thought that they were creating valuable original content is confused, pissed off, and disillusioned with Steemit, which goes against the general goal of Steemit to grow and produce that same original content.
^ Some article about proposing
Proposal
We propose that all "harmless" referral links, irrespective of whom they're shared by, are permitted.
We also propose that all "malicious" referral links, irrespective of whom they're shared by, are immediately "cleaned" to mitigate their harmful proliferation.
Conclusion
We must agree on a uniform approach and adapt it across the board. When we allow only certain wealthy/influential users to benefit through sharing their referral links but bar all others, everyone loses.
What are your thoughts?
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