Referral links in messages
By Brooke
@o2bnocn (2992)
United States
September 23, 2008 11:01am CST
Does it aggravate you when you accept someones friend request and they start to message you about sites?
A while ago I accepted someones friend request, I must have gotten 5 messages about different sites and the referral link in the message. Now keep in mind, I did not ask about any sites... I don't think I even responded to any of that person's messages. I didn't ask anything about any sites that I can remember, and I definitely didn't say anything about joining one to that person.
He/she kept doing it so I deleted them as a friend on here. I don't want to have to deal with those messages and I was tired of getting them.
I recently got another one from another person but I didn't delete that person because it was only one.
A couple of days or weeks ago I got one but in this case it really didn't bother me, I was asking about a site and I requested their friend's request. I was asking about the site for my sister, I thought she might want to join. They sent me an email about the site. Now in that case I really don't mind... I understand why they did that. My sister did join and I gave her that person's link to join under.
So what are your thoughts about this? does it bother you when people do this, especially when they keep on and on?
The majority of the people here are nice enough and decent enough that they do not do that, and only send you a message about it if you ask about the site or you are wanting to join their site.
1 person likes this
8 responses
@richiem (3644)
• Philippines
24 Sep 08
If I would have such kind of friend, I don't think I will be starting a discussion like this.
I would send him/her a private message telling him/her that I don't like receiving such messages from him/her.
Starting a discussion like this just aggravates the situation.
For example, if someone here has a problem with you, would you like him starting a discussion about it? I don't.
Have a nice day! 
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
24 Sep 08
I understand what you are saying but I didn't tell who they were so no one knows who it is. I don't personally know the person I just accepted their friend's request. I don't ever see that person respond or start discussions so I am wondering if they are just here to promote their sites.
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
23 Sep 08
[i]Hi Brooke,
I have the patience for that..LOL! I have received a lot also and most of the time I will just delete it especially when I am not interested!
I joined one site a forum like this from a friend here who introduced it to me![/i]
@rup011 (725)
• Germany
23 Sep 08
Oh it must have been really annoying for you. I usually get some of these but I just ignore. If it gets too annoying I will definitely delete those friends. Its good to send the link to your friends only when they asked for it. Otherwise its just like spamming. When we accept friends its just not for professional reasons but also because we share the same interests or point of views. but if some people start doing this, its better to delete them. They will learn their lesson. You did the right thing. Yah I agree with you that majority of people here are nice and matured and only few of them are such.
@RedFeather (427)
• United States
24 Sep 08
if these messages are unsolicited...i would respond in no uncertain terms, that this is not the reason i'm here.
i would include in the message that removed from my friend list.if i receive another "promotion" from them without a request from me, that they will be immediately
there are many here who trade referrals, but these trades are begun mutually, and this process should never be abused...
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
24 Sep 08
Exactly, maybe that is what I should have done. I just got really irritated with it so I deleted them as a friend. I might say something the next time I see them, but then again I hardly ever see them on here. So it isn't a big deal for one, we never talked it wasn't like we had gotten to know each other.
@nageshnnr (85)
•
24 Sep 08
as u said that u got the referral links from ur the person whom u accepted as a frnd...same thing happened to me when i accepted a frnd in yahoo messenger and he was sending me daily 10-15 msgs which was really irritating and whenever i signed into my yahoo messenger there were only his offline messages...because of that i was just closing all the offline 1 day one of my frnd sent me a msg nd i didn see it...bcoz it was in the middle of his msgs..and due to that many problems occured...my frnd was in full need nd he msged me for help..but i didn do..because that guy who made it everything...from tht time onward i didn accept any person whom i dont knw...this really irritates me when anyone sends the links...
thats my opinion buddy....bye
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
24 Sep 08
Yeah I don't think people should send the links unless people are asking for the links. I think that if people want to promote the site do it another way, even put it in your profile and when anyone asks or says anything about the site then just tell them that there is a banner in your profile they can sign up for if they are interested. I think that is a better way than just messaging everyone about links that they are not asking about.
@cmw4562 (239)
• United States
23 Sep 08
I have to laugh on this one because this exact same situation just happened to me! The site that was sent to me is a scam site so I just ignored it.
Whether people realize it or not, if they have not been given permission to send their information to someone, they should not send the affiliate link(s) because it is considered spamming.
When a person requests information for a particular product or website, this is all the person wants, just information on that particular product or website.
Because if they are sent information on other products and other websites afterwards and they did not request this information and the Sender did not ask if it was ok to send it to them, then this is a case of spam.
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
24 Sep 08
Exactly, it is like spamming. It just aggravated me because the same person kept messaging me about different sites. I started to get annoyed and I am not going to put up with that. It doesn't bother me that much if one person does it only once but that is enough. Like I said it is different when I am asking or looking to be someones referrals. I wonder if those people are just here to get other people to sign up for other sites.
@mjasmin (178)
• Micronesia
23 Sep 08
It only happened to me once therefore I can't say I was aggravated, I simply ignored the message, it didn't seem like a big deal to me. You can learn from such practices. But really it did not bother me that much I guess it's mostly because it only happened once, I guess I'm not as popular as you ;)
Yeah it wouldn't have bothered me all that much if it only happened once. This person kept messaging me though, the same person different sites.