Again welcome to the TeaVendor Guide Forum. In order to keep things as fair as possible, to prevent abuse, and to prevent chaos, there are 12 "guidelines" below. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with them so I am NOT over modding this forum.
THANKS! And your input is always welcome! Remember, this is a work in progress ...
Jan 15th 10 8:23 pm
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Jan 15th 10 8:56 pm
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 23rd 06 12:52 am
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Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
A few rules of the road so there is not total anarchy. Rules ... er guidelines will be added as needed. General Forum rules apply (see Introduction) unless an exception is stated here.
1. A vendor may be nominated by any member in good standing and who has been a member for at least 3 months and has at least 25 forum posts. Nominate a vendor for this listing by posting in this topic sans links. The nomination must come from a member who is not affiliated with the vendor being nominated.
2. A nominated vendor must sell at least 5 different teas specified in a particular "nomination topic" (for example the BLACK Tea Nomination topic) in order to be considered for that specific listing, at least 5 different offerings.
In the event a nominated vendor does not offer at least 5 teas specific to a Nomination topic, I will ask if there is a "second to the nomination" from another QUALIFYING member. If there is a second, the vendor will be placed on the list for that nomination topic.
3. An individual vendor topic will then be created by yours truly and linked in the Nomination Topic in the OP, Original Post. This will lend some uniformity to the process and greatly enhance accessibility to the vendor topics.
4. There will be one and only one official vendor topic per nominated vendor. Individual Vendor Topics can be generated by more than one Nominating Topic as well, for instance the Green tea and Black tea nominating topics. But there will only be one topic per vendor regardless of how many Nominating Topics the vendor has been nominated to.
By all means nominate a vendor for multiple Nomination Topic listsings. If a vendor sells more than one general type of tea, but already has a topic, it is still beneficial to have the vendor on multiple Nomination Topic listings!!!
5. The nomination period is open ended, no time limit. The Nomination Topics will remain as a Sticky atop the TeaVendor Forum while the new vendor topics will float as a regular topic. Although as new ones are added, I may sticky them for a few days.
6. No head starts, in other words, a NEW "Official" topic will be created and linked here, not a preexisting topic. Although Japanese Green Tea vendors are already running.
7. After posting your nomination(s), please PM me a link for each one!
8. The nomination should remain simply a nomination, no links, save the endorsements for the vendor topic. Unfortunately, posts violating this particular guideline will be edited accordingly.
9. In each Vendor Topic, members will be encouraged to post replies, declaring if they are a fan and/or customer. Positive reviews are encouraged as this will most help members figure out what to try.
Reviews may be posted by any member in good standing and who has been a member for at least 3 months and/or has at least 25 forum posts. This will be at the discretion of the Moderator to interpret this rule. For instance, 3 months (or 3 years) and virtually no posting will not likely be OK.
If you had a negative experience that you want to convey in the vendor's topic, please give careful consideration before posting. If you have a negative review of a product tested, please be specific (in other words, don't say something like, "tried this vendor and did not like").
While I would like this forum to remain as positive as possible, I realize that change for the better can come through constructive criticism. A question to ask before posting a negative experience is, "did I communicate the problem directly to the vendor? Did I receive satisafaction or a satisfactory reply?"
Not everyone will like every tea from every vendor. Sharing what you do like is most beneficial. IMHO.
10. The vendors may comment in their respective topic, post rebuttals, but at this point, may not post links and should limit the post to the non sales information. TeaChat is a spam free zone, this is an experiment that I think can work with cooperation from everyone, including the vendors.
***Rebuttals by vendors*** In the event of a negative review, etc by a posting member, the vendor may request permission to post a rebuttal. They must FIRST ask me for permission! No exceptions. Rebuttals posted w/o permission will be removed from the topic.
If the vendor does not wish to join the forum, I would have to post the rebuttal for the vendor.
Regardless, the vendor should contact me either via the forum's messaging or via email at teachat@adagio.com
Vendor Topics can be removed at the discretion of a Moderator for review.
11. New member posts within the official member topics will be monitored closely, and suspected false testimonials will be deleted. This is a judgement call, albeit, but historically, false testimonials have been a significant source of forum spam.
Vendor Topics can be removed at the discretion of a Moderator for review.
12. Members will be able to actively post throughout this forum, I will attempt to keep every single topic open. Members will not be able to post new topics in the TeaVendor forum for several reasons including fairness to vendors and members, and to prevent chaos ... keep some order.
OK, let the nominations begin!
1. A vendor may be nominated by any member in good standing and who has been a member for at least 3 months and has at least 25 forum posts. Nominate a vendor for this listing by posting in this topic sans links. The nomination must come from a member who is not affiliated with the vendor being nominated.
2. A nominated vendor must sell at least 5 different teas specified in a particular "nomination topic" (for example the BLACK Tea Nomination topic) in order to be considered for that specific listing, at least 5 different offerings.
In the event a nominated vendor does not offer at least 5 teas specific to a Nomination topic, I will ask if there is a "second to the nomination" from another QUALIFYING member. If there is a second, the vendor will be placed on the list for that nomination topic.
3. An individual vendor topic will then be created by yours truly and linked in the Nomination Topic in the OP, Original Post. This will lend some uniformity to the process and greatly enhance accessibility to the vendor topics.
4. There will be one and only one official vendor topic per nominated vendor. Individual Vendor Topics can be generated by more than one Nominating Topic as well, for instance the Green tea and Black tea nominating topics. But there will only be one topic per vendor regardless of how many Nominating Topics the vendor has been nominated to.
By all means nominate a vendor for multiple Nomination Topic listsings. If a vendor sells more than one general type of tea, but already has a topic, it is still beneficial to have the vendor on multiple Nomination Topic listings!!!
5. The nomination period is open ended, no time limit. The Nomination Topics will remain as a Sticky atop the TeaVendor Forum while the new vendor topics will float as a regular topic. Although as new ones are added, I may sticky them for a few days.
6. No head starts, in other words, a NEW "Official" topic will be created and linked here, not a preexisting topic. Although Japanese Green Tea vendors are already running.
7. After posting your nomination(s), please PM me a link for each one!
8. The nomination should remain simply a nomination, no links, save the endorsements for the vendor topic. Unfortunately, posts violating this particular guideline will be edited accordingly.
9. In each Vendor Topic, members will be encouraged to post replies, declaring if they are a fan and/or customer. Positive reviews are encouraged as this will most help members figure out what to try.
Reviews may be posted by any member in good standing and who has been a member for at least 3 months and/or has at least 25 forum posts. This will be at the discretion of the Moderator to interpret this rule. For instance, 3 months (or 3 years) and virtually no posting will not likely be OK.
If you had a negative experience that you want to convey in the vendor's topic, please give careful consideration before posting. If you have a negative review of a product tested, please be specific (in other words, don't say something like, "tried this vendor and did not like").
While I would like this forum to remain as positive as possible, I realize that change for the better can come through constructive criticism. A question to ask before posting a negative experience is, "did I communicate the problem directly to the vendor? Did I receive satisafaction or a satisfactory reply?"
Not everyone will like every tea from every vendor. Sharing what you do like is most beneficial. IMHO.
10. The vendors may comment in their respective topic, post rebuttals, but at this point, may not post links and should limit the post to the non sales information. TeaChat is a spam free zone, this is an experiment that I think can work with cooperation from everyone, including the vendors.
***Rebuttals by vendors*** In the event of a negative review, etc by a posting member, the vendor may request permission to post a rebuttal. They must FIRST ask me for permission! No exceptions. Rebuttals posted w/o permission will be removed from the topic.
If the vendor does not wish to join the forum, I would have to post the rebuttal for the vendor.
Regardless, the vendor should contact me either via the forum's messaging or via email at teachat@adagio.com
Vendor Topics can be removed at the discretion of a Moderator for review.
11. New member posts within the official member topics will be monitored closely, and suspected false testimonials will be deleted. This is a judgement call, albeit, but historically, false testimonials have been a significant source of forum spam.
Vendor Topics can be removed at the discretion of a Moderator for review.
12. Members will be able to actively post throughout this forum, I will attempt to keep every single topic open. Members will not be able to post new topics in the TeaVendor forum for several reasons including fairness to vendors and members, and to prevent chaos ... keep some order.
OK, let the nominations begin!
Jan 15th 10 9:01 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Question about guideline #2, are the separate BLACK/OOLONG/etc nomination topics still to come by Saturday or should we go ahead and say "Vendor X for Black Tea" here?
Jan 15th 10 9:21 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Actually all the Nomination topics are completed and ready to roll.bsteele wrote:Question about guideline #2, are the separate BLACK/OOLONG/etc nomination topics still to come by Saturday or should we go ahead and say "Vendor X for Black Tea" here?
I will reread them and make sure they are ready for live.
So, once live, you can nominate Vendor "X" in as many Nomination topics as you want. But please wait for the Nomination Topics.
I will possibly post them here after TeaDay is posted for Saturday. So, after midnight tonight it looks like.
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
THere have been many nominations 'under consideration' for several months: am I missing a requirement or requests for seconds for the nominations, or is it simply a matter of lack of moderator time?
Jul 17th 10 4:40 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Thank you for asking, Debunix.
It has been more of a priority issue. The TeaVendor forum has not had nearly the review posting I had hoped for so far, and the amount of time required is quite large.
In addition to adding the qualifying topics very shortly, I am considering some type of promotion to boost reviews here.
Again thanks for asking. Any promotional suggestions would be welcomed!
It has been more of a priority issue. The TeaVendor forum has not had nearly the review posting I had hoped for so far, and the amount of time required is quite large.
In addition to adding the qualifying topics very shortly, I am considering some type of promotion to boost reviews here.
Again thanks for asking. Any promotional suggestions would be welcomed!
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
I am not sure whether it should be filed here, but I suggest a way to report dishonest sellers and sharing negative shopping experience, something like common Buyers Beware thread. I have already lost about $150 due to dishonesty of sellers and feel that everyone should benefit from it and know where not to buy.
Nov 10th 10 4:08 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Thank you for the suggestion! Let me consider this one a bit, but I like the idea.
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Chip, any progress on "Dishonest vendors" list?Chip wrote:Thank you for the suggestion! Let me consider this one a bit, but I like the idea.
Dec 8th 10 5:57 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Thank you for reminding me. I will have something up hopefully within the next 8 hours.dangert wrote:Chip, any progress on "Dishonest vendors" list?Chip wrote:Thank you for the suggestion! Let me consider this one a bit, but I like the idea.
Still have been considering how to approach this ...
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Oh dear....I think I've been constantly violating this ruleIn each Vendor Topic, members will be encouraged to post replies, declaring if they are a fan and/or customer. Positive reviews are encouraged as this will most help members figure out what to try.
Reviews may be posted by any member in good standing and who has been a member for at least 3 months and has at least 25 forum posts.
Mar 18th 12 3:04 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
Well true, but you have not violated the intent of the rule which is to prevent first time posters from posting negative reviews or false testimonials.
Now you are at 35 posts ... although 12 are in this forum.
Now you are at 35 posts ... although 12 are in this forum.
Mar 18th 12 3:07 pm
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Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
*Posting away worry free. This vendor forum is IMO invaluable, especially because it's member driven and the reviews mostly (I think?) are just from avid independent tea drinkers.
Re: Important! TeaVendor Forum Guidelines!
I wonder if you would consider modifying the rule on number of posts to also include members who may not be voracious posters, but who have been on the forum for a long period of time, and have at least a modest amount of activity? Although this is probably too complicated to administer, I really wanted to make the point I guess.