Hi
I guess it is time to clarify, or possibly revise the rules.
We've had problems in the past with people coming here
just to advertise sites with the intent to make a profit (links to MLM products, or affiliate programs, that sort of thing) We've also had problems with people coming here just to advertise other websites or free forums with the intent to take our membership or traffic away.
It's ok to tell someone about a website that may be helpful if someone has inquiries about that particular topic. We assume everyone here is here for the same reason, and that is to support each other in a common goal.
It's not ok to join our forum just to post and say "Come check out this nifty forum/site I found" because that person didn't come here to look for or provide support, they just came here to use our forum for free promotion.
From a business standpoint, there are two other reasons we prohibit this.
Our monthly bills are semi-fixed. They can increase under some circumstances, but they will not decrease, even if traffic is reduced. However, reduced traffic will seriously reduce the amount of funding we receive from our advertisers. As everyone here knows, we already cover some of the costs out of our own pockets. Reducing our advertising revenue further could literally shut us down for good. This is not just true in our case, but this is a general situation for all websites.
Also, we want to improve 3FC, and make it more comprehensive for more people. We know we cannot be everything for everyone, and if someone doesn't find what they need here, they know how to use search engines and find what they need elsewhere. That's just the way of the internet and is not unique to people seeking weight loss support. However, if someone is looking for something in particular and we don't offer it, then we'd really like the opportunity to try to provide it!
In other words, we really want to keep you here! It not only helps keep this site open, but it also encourages us to expand and make the website better.
We had to crack down on the advertising rule in January, because of the influx of people selling products/services in response to New Years Resolutions and the increased interest in fitness. It's always bad at the first of the year. However, things have settled down and I guess it's time to let our guards down a little.
Therefore, it's ok to provide links to other websites, as long as they are not
blatant advertisements, but are genuine suggestions of support or information. I'll update the rules to reflect this.
If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please let me know
(God forbid 
) 
