New pipemaker on lepipe.it: Gerardo Papalia

We are starting to get a lot of ads on this forum. Are these welcomed?

Welcomed yes, but not necessarily endorsed.

These people need to earn a living, and it's hard enough to do that as it is in this day and age, so why shouldn't they be able to notify us about the new wares they're offering.

OTOH, it would be nice if these vendors also contributed something, but that could be said about the many, many lurkers just as well.

You're absolutely right. They have every right to. I would love to see them offer something else other than an advertisement though. A pipe can be a very personal thing. I tend to purchase pipes (which in an of themselves can become old friends) from, well, friends...

the possibly that social intercourse may give rise to an unwanted situation and policy of "safe posting" is the best practice.

The only two retailers that I see on here regularly are www.alpascia.com and www.lepipe.it. When they post, it is always because of new product and I almost always go check it out. I wish other retailers would give a heads up here at MPC when they get new stock in. It would save me surfing through all the pipe store sites on a regular basis looking for myself.

Right now its just a couple ... ask for more and this site might just become a blasted advertisement central. I guess I don't mind all that much that they advertise here but I'd be just a little bit happier if they didn't.

I don't like pointless advertising for advertising's sake, just the new product announcements. I love looking at the new pipes.

Also, all of these types of posts should be confined to the commercial announcements section of the forums. Stay out of that area and you do not have to read a single one. Pretty easy fix for those who do not like them.

As I am in no state to come up with a comment on my own, I will simply echo what Corneel has already said.

This issue is very complex and we have spoken often in the past in Italy.
I have a radical position: paid advertising, visibility free does not exist.
Many people think the opposite, and I accept, but the result of this coexistence is always problematic.
In Italy is much worse because there are pipes clubs that use the forums to help spam.
So happens that if you read the Italians forums find that if you speak evil of any craftsman will eliminate to the community.