"Hi Everyone.

Last week I checked in to the Mediterranean Gardening Forum. Not much action there, as ever, but a small problem has arisen, which I thought I’d ask for help with from you guys on this very active Container forum.

A recent posting there (about 5 down the list) commented on the lack of action (we can do nothing about that – a site either takes off or it doesn’t) – but also on the large number of unmoderated "advertising" posts. I replied to the poster, and looked for myself.

Sure enough, there is a post (currently second down the list) which is advertising cheap shoes. It was posted on July 13th. It has no replies. It has not been taken down.

So, I delved deep into the "Help" section and sent an internal email about this advertising post to the site administrators, on 21st September. It was delivered and I got an automated reply saying "they" would write to me. It is now 26th September, there is no reply, and the offending post is still up there.

Now I recall some time back someone being bizarrely barred from this Forum for inadvertently advertising, and then being re-admitted through popular acclaim.

How come explicitly blatant advertising is still being allowed?

OK, this has very little to do with container gardening as such (and I have learned so much from this CG site!), but it has a lot to do with trust and our on-line gardening communities.

And, I am going to copy this post onto the Mediterranean Forum site. Totally against the rules.....

Any comments?"