h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This has to be a technical problem I suppose. I posted an alert to the moderators a couple of days ago. Just a quick one to say "this is an advert": A68339505

Posted by this researcher: U14469583

It got a quick response saying "we have decided that it does not contravene the House Rules and are going to leave it on site" -
but it was a quick email and I thought the mods must have nothing much to do and couldn't be arsed in any case - because, even if they had read my message, they certainly couldn't have checked the advert.

I just had another go. This time the alert message was long and detailed and the response came instantly. And I mean INSTANTLY! I no sooner clicked the send button than an acknowledgement email landed in my email inbox - followed mere seconds later by the same standard reply "we have decided that it does not contravene the House Rules and are going to leave it on site". The address these replies are coming from are interesting: "[email protected]" and make me wonder if h2g2 hasn't been hacked and hijacked by this advertiser. This is the long message I sent that got the unfeasibly rapid response:

~~

I sent in this complaint a couple of days ago (ref P28525340) and was informed by someone (no name given) at [email protected] "we have decided that it does not contravene the House Rules and are going to leave it on site". This researcher (researcher 14469583) has posted 5 of these adverts - all very similar which very obviously break h2g2's house rules. They have posted nothing other than adverts and have clearly joined h2g2 for no other reason that to advertise. If you continue to let the adverts remain and insist that they do not break the rules, I would like a proper explanation. I've been a member for years. I know the rules. I'm also a BBC licence fee payer and because we pay our licence fee, the BBC does not carry adverts.

This is the h2g2 house Rule being broken:

"No advertising. Advertising is not allowed anywhere on bbc.co.uk. We've never allowed Researchers to advertise on h2g2, but being a part of the BBC makes it even more important that the editorial independence of the Guide is not threatened by people filling the Guide with adverts. Writing entries that review or criticise commercial products are obviously fine, as long as they're balanced, but adverts aren't - that includes a direct link to a page of a commercial website such as an online DVD or bookshop; an auction site or similar ventures."

This is one of the advertisments breaking that rule:


"Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Laptop Battery

Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Laptop Battery

( Hi-Quality Replacement Batteries for Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS ) Battery Capacity: 4400mAh
Battery Cell: 6-Cell
Battery Voltage: 11.1V
Battery Type: Li-ion
Battery Color: Black
Battery Weight: 450.76 g
Battery Dimension: 206.90 x 40.80 x 20.50 mm
Price: $ 74.79 + (S&H rates)
Availability :Brand New, NO Memory effect!
Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Laptop Batteryonline shop

http://www.laptop-battery-store.com/toshiba-pa3356u-1bas-battery.html

Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Battery Description:
Replacement Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS batteries are made with high quality parts and are guaranteed to meet or exceed the original equipment manufacturers specifications at a reduced price. This Li-ion Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS battery on sales will be perfact repalcement for your original Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Laptops.
Saving your money and time to select suitable brand new pa3356u-1bas battery here, quality of this battery is certified as well by TUV, RoHS and the CE to name a few. We guarantee the battery for Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS with a full one-year warranty from the date of purchase, 30-days money back, fast shopping!
Any question or suggestion about this pa3356u-1bas battery? please Contact Us so we can offer you the most convenient service."

Best to email the eds, Tibley. If there are five similar ads, then you can add spamming to the reasons.

Oh. Right ho Bel! Good idea! Not sure where to look for their email address. You don't happen to have it handy, do you?

I'll split it up and change the order so they won't be flooded with spam, OK?

@bbc.co.uk

and what goes before it is:

h2g2editorial

Cheers Bel

Thanks guys we've got Tibley's email now and we're investigating

Multiple spamming too!