Been playing around with a fair few blogs for a while related to this topic. UK Tiling Forum that is.
We started our UK tiling forum back in 2006, April 2nd I think it was. So nearly coming up to 15 whole years being the tiling forum for the UK. Literally.
Our forum, like this Electrical Forum (now posting electrical news from any source by the way!), was the first to be online, and the first to gain traction. And generally when a forum does that, it works ongoing.
We have tried to setup forums for various other topics, I own a lot of automotive-related forums that do well, and 10 times that which don't do well. Likewise in the construction industry we have the three main forums doing well, and then a dozen not doing anything at all.
Providing the forum keeps the members in the loop with a main aim, and they all agree, the forum moves with the industry and it stays current and valid and reputable and on-topic.
This is hard. So spam which we can categories in many ways, is basically posts that aren't wanted. So some examples might be (not saying they're always spam in our case, but as an owner of many forums I am member of many forum-management forums and we see this as a constant battle):-
Obvious ones that member spot
Reasons for spam / types of spam, might be:-
Well, the ones where brands or suppliers are giving away free tools and / or products in return for false-positive feedback on the forum, or in threads.
So false feedback is feedback that is fake. Positive feedback is feedback that will provide positive reviews online. False-positives are the two combined.
This happens in Google reviews, Tripadvisor reviews, it happens massively in Trusted Tradesmen related websites (quick backlink to our own site that's sitting dormant for now by the way, that's not a fake link added or something added by mistake) such as MyBuilder, CheckaTrade etc. By the way, CheckaTrade when you sign up to a new profile, encourage you to email all your "past customers" to leave positive reviews for your new account and profile. Time and time again my own research (including just asking members in our Tilers Arms sections on our forums etc) shows that the profile owner will without a doubt create 5+ gmail addresses the day they have their email from CheckaTrade saying email their customers, to leave their own false-positive reviews.
When regular long-standing members start to say they are regular long standing members of a UK tiling forum and if said company sends them a free tile cutter worth £500, they will share it with their local tiler mate, and get them both leave false-positive reviews, along with pictures of it being used in jobs etc in return.
The company supplying said product(s) get cocky and PM or email a few other regular members and ask them to do the same thing.
---- no. I removed all their content, removed the company in question, and ----ed off a lot of regular members as I couldn't explain (due to data protection etc) what's really gone on.
So they start a forum of their own.
The company they plugged "sponsors" them. And they end up creating a new UK Tiling Forum that's littered with false-positives.
Not only that, they start coming back to our forums under new names as their own forum is so quiet and they're so used to expressing their views online that they aren't getting enough threads on their own forum to nurture their feels.
I bought some domain names, and rank higher than they do for their own domain. And then some. I've created this article mainly to rank along side my blogs and sites I've made. But also to show you how we protect you and your advice.
We don't want false fake advice on our forums. And spam isn't always ------ spam. Sometimes it can be paid-for under-the-radar 'spam' (unwanted posts). And sometimes it can be the members who think they run the forum and can do anything on it, that lose the most when it happens.
Because our forums certainly don't lose traffic.
And I certainly don't let competitors off easy. That's my job. Stay number one.
So here are some links I need to post to this article. Check them out, they're not the best sites or blogs, but they rank where I need them to rank. And that's good enough for me. What took them 4 months to make one wordpress-based site, I made 6 wordpress sites in a day and every one ranks above theirs for different terms.
Cheers for reading this far. You didn't need to. I just needed a lot of words in this post.
You can help by replying to it with a few words and a question, so I can reply to that again with a question, and we make this 'article' a dozen or so posts long. That'd do it some good.
UK Tiling Forum Websites and Blogs and Things:-
Threads around Electrical News:-
UK Tiling Forum - The Tiling Forum for the UK, but also overseas too. Hmmmmm
We started our UK tiling forum back in 2006, April 2nd I think it was. So nearly coming up to 15 whole years being the tiling forum for the UK. Literally.
Our forum, like this Electrical Forum (now posting electrical news from any source by the way!), was the first to be online, and the first to gain traction. And generally when a forum does that, it works ongoing.
We have tried to setup forums for various other topics, I own a lot of automotive-related forums that do well, and 10 times that which don't do well. Likewise in the construction industry we have the three main forums doing well, and then a dozen not doing anything at all.
The first UK Tiling Forum, or UK Anything Forum, will always be THE forum for that said topic
Providing the forum keeps the members in the loop with a main aim, and they all agree, the forum moves with the industry and it stays current and valid and reputable and on-topic.
How do people who run forums stop them from being 'spammed from the inside'?
This is hard. So spam which we can categories in many ways, is basically posts that aren't wanted. So some examples might be (not saying they're always spam in our case, but as an owner of many forums I am member of many forum-management forums and we see this as a constant battle):-
Obvious ones that member spot
- ------ spam
- Buy a lady from Vietnam spam
- Gambling spam
- Spam aimed at our obvious user base
Reasons for spam / types of spam, might be:-
- To physically get a member to click a link - so targeted topics aimed at what they assume is a lonely bloke
- Some spam is just to get a link in a thread on an established forum - this will be things like 'visit our website to buy cheap bitcoin' and then the wording cheap bitcoin is a link. They're trying to increase a genuine bitcoin sites (sometimes) own ranking in Google, so they get some genuine natural traffic.
What's the worst type of 'unwanted posts' (or spam) on a UK Tiling Forum then?
Well, the ones where brands or suppliers are giving away free tools and / or products in return for false-positive feedback on the forum, or in threads.
So false feedback is feedback that is fake. Positive feedback is feedback that will provide positive reviews online. False-positives are the two combined.
This happens in Google reviews, Tripadvisor reviews, it happens massively in Trusted Tradesmen related websites (quick backlink to our own site that's sitting dormant for now by the way, that's not a fake link added or something added by mistake) such as MyBuilder, CheckaTrade etc. By the way, CheckaTrade when you sign up to a new profile, encourage you to email all your "past customers" to leave positive reviews for your new account and profile. Time and time again my own research (including just asking members in our Tilers Arms sections on our forums etc) shows that the profile owner will without a doubt create 5+ gmail addresses the day they have their email from CheckaTrade saying email their customers, to leave their own false-positive reviews.
When does it become a problem for a UK Tiling Forum?
When regular long-standing members start to say they are regular long standing members of a UK tiling forum and if said company sends them a free tile cutter worth £500, they will share it with their local tiler mate, and get them both leave false-positive reviews, along with pictures of it being used in jobs etc in return.
How do they get clocked by the UK Tiling Forum?
The company supplying said product(s) get cocky and PM or email a few other regular members and ask them to do the same thing.
Awks Position For The Owner Now Then?
---- no. I removed all their content, removed the company in question, and ----ed off a lot of regular members as I couldn't explain (due to data protection etc) what's really gone on.
So they start a forum of their own.
The company they plugged "sponsors" them. And they end up creating a new UK Tiling Forum that's littered with false-positives.
Not only that, they start coming back to our forums under new names as their own forum is so quiet and they're so used to expressing their views online that they aren't getting enough threads on their own forum to nurture their feels.
Protection or Retaliation? - Probably both
I bought some domain names, and rank higher than they do for their own domain. And then some. I've created this article mainly to rank along side my blogs and sites I've made. But also to show you how we protect you and your advice.
We don't want false fake advice on our forums. And spam isn't always ------ spam. Sometimes it can be paid-for under-the-radar 'spam' (unwanted posts). And sometimes it can be the members who think they run the forum and can do anything on it, that lose the most when it happens.
Because our forums certainly don't lose traffic.
And I certainly don't let competitors off easy. That's my job. Stay number one.
So here are some links I need to post to this article. Check them out, they're not the best sites or blogs, but they rank where I need them to rank. And that's good enough for me. What took them 4 months to make one wordpress-based site, I made 6 wordpress sites in a day and every one ranks above theirs for different terms.
Cheers for reading this far. You didn't need to. I just needed a lot of words in this post.
You can help by replying to it with a few words and a question, so I can reply to that again with a question, and we make this 'article' a dozen or so posts long. That'd do it some good.
UK Tiling Forum Websites and Blogs and Things:-
-
Domain Default page
www.tilingforums.co.uk
-
Tiling Advice | USA and UK Tiling Forum | Tiles Installation Advice
Welcome to the UK based Tiling Forum by Tilers Forums. Now Tile Advice Forum for USA, Australia, Canada and Ireland. Cutters, Tiling Tools, tiles images, and more.
www.tilersforums.com
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Tiling Tools | Tiling Tools, Tile Trim, Tile Cutters, Cutting Discs, Levelling Systems and more...
Tiling Tools, Tile Trim, Tile Cutters, Cutting Discs, Levelling Systems and more...
www.protilingtools.co.uk
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Domain Default page
www.uktilingnews.co.uk
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UK Tiling Forum - in - UK Electrical Forum
, UK Tiling Forum, UK Electrical Forum, ElectriciansForums.net Est.2006 | Free Electrical Advice Forum and page_number.
www.electriciansforums.net
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Tilers Forums
Tilers Forums. 1 835 J’aime · 5 en parlent. Tilers Forum - The UK Tiling Forum. Run by tilers, part of the UK's biggest trade & construction forwww.facebook.com
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UK Tiling Forum - they proper hate us don't they? - UK Plumbers Forums
Been looking at the tilers forum UK Tiling Forum as I've been getting quite a few refurbs and can't find a decent tiler so been doing it myself. Got some good gear and although I'm not particularly quick, I do a good job. Some of the blokes on there really have got a bee in the...
www.plumbersforums.net
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Free Electrical Advice: Electricians Forums | Talk Electrician Forum - electricians talk
Electrical Advice for Free - Electrician Talk forum with fellow electricians on ElectriciansForums.net, the independent electrical advice website and forum.
www.electriciansforums.co.uk
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UK Tiling Forum
Welcome to UK Tiling Forum the official UK based online tilers forum. Setup by 50 tilers over lockdown. Tile forum for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
www.uktilingforum.co.uk
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UK Tiling Forum; established in 2006 and is free to use for tiles UK
Welcome to the UK Tiling Forum category on Tilers Forums, the free Forum made by Thousands of Tilers over Decades. UK Tiling Standards Forum for British standards in Tiling. Bs5385.
www.tilersforums.com
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DIY Tiling Forum - | Tiles Advice
DIY Tiling Forum in Tilers Forums: The USA & UK Tiling Forum for Tile Fixers and DIY. Advice and Dicussion Forums for Tiles Installation Advice and Tile suppliers
www.tilersforums.com
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Free Unbiased Tiling Advice > UK & USA Tile Advice and Questions
Find Tiling Advice Questions Help and Advice. Tiling Advice | TilersForums.com Questions Help and Advice. Free Unbiased Tile Fixing Advice. Tilers Forums built by 75 Pro Tilers in 2006. TilersForums.com
www.tilersforums.com
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Tilers Community Group - | Tiles Advice
Tilers Community Group in Tilers Forums: The USA & UK Tiling Forum for Tile Fixers and DIY. Advice and Dicussion Forums for Tiles Installation Advice and Tile suppliers
www.tilersforums.com
Threads around Electrical News:-
