davidwr's Journal: How to abuse /. to promote things [hint: DON'T]

Note: Based on a response to this spam by a spammer whose only submissions were 3 recent submissions spamming basically the same thing.

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Subject: How to abuse /. to promote things

New to Slashdot? Heard it's a great place to promote your product or idea? Well, maybe. Before abusing /. for personal gain, take time to read the advice below. Not following it will lead ot frustration. Following it *may* lead to success in abusing /. but more likely, it will lead to enlightenment.

1) Is the thing you want to spam technical in nature? if not, give up, your submission will not be accepted by a non-established editor if it's even remotely promotional. Yes, there are non-technical items that make the front page, but these are generally news items. In the rare case that a non-technical promotional item makes the front page, it's because it's already all over the news, it doesn't need your help to promote it.

2) Is your advertising time-sensitive? If you can't wait a few months to build up a good reputation, forget it, as a new submitter, your submission will not be accepted if it's even remotely promotional.

Still want to give this a go?

3) Take the time and effort to become an established editor with a "good karma." This takes months and dozens of qualitity replies. If you are at all a decent human being, at the end of this stage you will realize spamming Slashdot is bad. You may have abandoned your goal of spamming Slashdot, but you may regain your humanity in the process. It's a win-win for everyone, well, everyone except whoever wanted you to spam.

Still want to spam Slashdot? Is the item you want to spam technical? Is there still a market for it?

4) Find an article about it on a non-spammy reputable site. Mainstream news sites are best, but NON-BIASED, WELL-RESPECTED tech-related sites MAY be okay.

5) Is the article in any way promotional? Don't use it. If it's promotional it *might* be accepted but people will see your submission in your history and people will screen your future submissions more carefully.

6) Is the writer of the article known for being a "shill" for this or any other product, service, or idea? Don't use it, for the same reason as #5.

Okay, if you've reached this point, you've taken the time to earn a good /. reputation, you've found a source that is likely to be acceptable.

Now comes the hard part: Writing a summary that does not sound promotional.

If you can do that *despite* being bent on abusing /. for personal gain, congratulations, you've mastered the art of blending in with legitimate contributors. Your submission may actually be accepted.

If it is not, do not re-submit any other articles on the same topic for several months and not until you've posted several dozen quality replies during that time. If you get in a hurry, people will figure out you are a spammer and your account may lose its reputation.

That's the long-and-drawn out way to abuse Slashdot to promote things.

There's a much shorter way: DON'T.