Guys, I want to know your opinion on this.

I saw in freelance job markets that some people looking to hire someone to do forum posting in exchange of several cents per post.

I view paying for forum posting to be unethical and not right http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/imag...miles2/mad.gif

What is your view on this? Is it ethical? Is it right? Or, it's nothing personal - it's just business - thing?

If the posts are relevant to your forum topic, and are of some reasonable quality, then no, there is no "ethical" issue with paying someone to post in your forum.. Just like there is no problem in paying someone to write and article or press release for you.. You are paying for content..

What about the contest going on here?? People posting have a chance to win some cash, does that qualify as paid posting?? What about ad revenue sharing?? Again, paid..

What about your bid for position web directory?? Is it ethical to put someone with more money ahead of someone with better content?? Some would say it isn't

I have to agree there, you are simply buying a service.

Feydakin is completely right noobpreneur There is nothing unethical in forum hosting. I find posting on social sites sometimes unethical since the posters doesnt really interested in site and just gives your money back by quality reviews althoguh, in fact, the site may not get that quality mentioned on the artical...

There is nothing unethical or wrong about it. The real consideration is whether or not your blossoming community can benefit from it. Paid posters are guaranteed to leave after their quota, and from my experience, most post like they have a quota.

One of the keys to building a forum from the early stages is to get those first X amount of members. -- Getting that first "mini community" within your community and getting the exchange of friendships. Paid posters can't give you that. They are transient posters that don't constitute as members at all. They are only for creating the illusion of activity and nothing more.

Creating multiple aliases and talking to yourself and your first members is much more effective, granted you have the time.

I don't see anything unethical about it either. I am surprised at people thinking it will work given the going rate for posts. When you add up the numbers it's a below minimum wage job. I don't see why anyone would think they'd get quality posts paying a few cents per post and I don't see why people think they're going to make money worth their time by getting paid to post.

Unethical? No. Poor business decision? Yes.

I think that buying forum posts is absolutely ethical. It's a way of generating content, and if it makes your forum look that much more occupied, then it is a great way to get going.

Forums can be tough to start and attract people to. A bubble of content, no matter how you get it, is something that can really help launch it.

I don't think it's unethical. It's pretty smart, because most people don't want to join a new, empty forum without any posts, and so interesting, useful posts can get more members and more members to join and post.

Its ethical, rather its smart work

to get more visitors -> definetly few will reach for money

to get good alexa rank ->more article more good rank as alexa is now updating rank on basis of content ALSO.

to get more member

to get more publicity


try it it works....

I don't think there's anything wrong with it and have used it in the past.

You're adding to your customer value, creating a buzz, and getting your users more motivated to talk. It's such a win/win situation.

If you insist on having a forum and there's nobody in it, it's as good as website suicide in my opinion. It undervalues the site unbelievably.

Best,
Rachel

Of course it's ethical, it's a way to get the forum. as nobody likes an empty forum

So long as these posters would add value to the forum.... It's a nice way to jump start a new forum with relevant and useful topics. I thinks in this context, it is both ethical and legit - as you are just hiring a service

Thanks all for the opinion - point well taken

A bit off topic, what about the effectiveness of paid forum posting? Has anyone try such service? How's the outcome?

I've used stay at home mom's on my forum.. But they were very interested in our topic to begin with.. Paid them for Oct. / Nov. to give them a little Christmas cash and most stayed on for free as regular members afterwards..

The thing is, people will rarely post on a dead forum.. So having several real conversations running at the same time helps take the pressure off of a new member.. Even if they are paid for postings

@feydakin - good comment on the new member's pressure - I feel that too when joining a new forum.

Why they ask only cents to make posts?
Link building market price seems to be $3-$10 per qualified link in PR site, article marketing is at least $50 per article. I was thinking to ask at least $1 per post if I will put some third party link to my signature.
Pay per post must be similar to article marketing at least $20.

I dont think its wrong at all. If your niche is good it does not matter if its paid posting or free one

I had been evaluating a dating site script a while back that could auto-generate profiles. I ended up not using the script because it was too buggy, but I was never very keen on the idea that it made fake profiles. If I'm a consumer and I pay to join a dating site, I expect to find that the people on there are real. (Incidentally, a lot of the big dating sites are owned by the same company and "share" profiles so that they can claim they have a bigger member database than they do. Most members don't even know their profiles are on multiples sites.) If you have a subscription-based forum, I personally think paid posting might fall under the ethical category of questionable. If it's free, though, I don't think I have a problem with it.

@veikogh - I never find any forum post that is paid a dollar per post... I would even be a forum poster myself if a dollar per forum post That, at least, so far that I know.

@virtuosimedia - I never thought of that... Good point!