Acceptable Use Policy Issues

Quoted from vBSEO™ - End User License Agreement (EULA)

Originally Posted by ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

You may NOT use the software on any website that contains the following information:
* Violent content, racial intolerance, or advocacy against any individual, group, or organization
* Support or encouragement of terrorism
* Pornography, adult, or mature content
* Illegal hacking/cracking content
* Promotion or facilitation of piracy of intellectual property including software, digital audio, and/or video, etc.
* Illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia
* Illegal sales or promotion of weapons or ammunition (e.g., firearms, fighting knives, stun guns)
* Illegal sales or promotion of tobacco or tobacco-related products
* Illegal sales or promotion of prescription drugs
* Illegal sales or promotion of products that are replicas or imitations of designer goods
* Any other content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity, or infringes on the legal rights of others
* Excessive profanity

What makes you think that your product, which sits in the background noise of the site, should limit the free speech of everyones site who uses it?

Are we promoting your product for you, thus giving you a bad image if we are not in-line with the same ideology as you? If so, in which way are we promoting vBSEO? Through the copyright link? What if we paid for un-branding?

How do any of the things (or at least the ones I've bolded) in that list harm the reputation, sales, or promotion of vBSEO, and thus give you a valid reason to have them in your AUP? Is vBSEO just another way for you to push a political/ideological agenda?

This is a legitimate pre-sales question and I would like an answer. My site does not violate any of the AUP and so I am considering buying vBSEO, but your policies really anger me. If this is done for a political/ideological agenda I don't think I can support a business practice like this.

Crawlability Inc has a right to choose which websites can use the software. Also there is not unbranded version of vBSEO avaible at the moment.

Ok, but is there a REASON for these particular policies? Or is Crawlability just pushing their personal agenda?

I'm not saying you don't have the right to put that stuff in your AUP..
I'm just saying, your AUP is more restrictive than even the most restrictive web host out there, and you are just a plug-in to another product. Does that seem right to you?

I'm just wondering what the REASONING behind these policies are.

vBSEO helps sites get indexed better on search engines. Thats the main reason. Crawlability Inc. doesnt want to help sites with illegal content indexed better.

But not a single line that I bolded in the AUP is illegal..
Well actually 2 are, or might be:

Originally Posted by ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

* Illegal sales or promotion of weapons or ammunition (e.g., firearms, fighting knives, stun guns)
* Illegal sales or promotion of tobacco or tobacco-related products

The "or" in there makes those quite ambiguous.
If you meant "promotiong weapons" or "promotion tobacco" in general, not illegal.
If you meant "promoting illegal sales", like for example promoting a black market for weapons, then I understand those two, although I'm fairly sure that is still not illegal.

However, I still do not understand the other 3:
Excessive Profanity - Not illegal
Pornography, adult, or mature content - Not illegal, particularly "mature content" which could be anything really.
Violent content - Not illegal

So, please explain why these clearly not illegal activities are prohibited?

Originally Posted by Mert Gökçeimam

Crawlability Inc. doesnt want to help sites with illegal content indexed better.

This also includes any forum related to or discussing Porn, sharing of images related to porn or otherwise images of nudity.

This also includes anything that may not be illegal in other countries but are illegal in the united states and by properties of the united states (such as Puerto Rico) - otherwise known as part of the United States commonwealth. As the vBSEO product, and the Crawlability, INC. are in fact either created in or operating within the bounderies of U.S. Laws.

Originally Posted by liquidx

However, I still do not understand the other 3:
Excessive Profanity - Not illegal
Pornography, adult, or mature content - Not illegal, particularly "mature content" which could be anything really.
Violent content - Not illegal

So, please explain why these clearly not illegal activities are prohibited?

While those are not Illegal per se, they are against the Moral Values of the United States as a whole and against the Moral values of the company which develops vBSEO. That by itself is more than enough reason.

Crawlability is a privately owned company and wishes to maintain a percentage of respect and diginity, which should be highly commended and not scorned for their actions. They could go the low road and allow sales to just any joe, dick, harry and sue that comes along - not caring if the person caters to a group such as "Nambla" as an example or the K.K.K. as another. I, on the other hand am proud that Juan, Joe and others have decided to take the high road - versus the easiest path to take which would equal more sales & a lower percentage of high quality sites running their product.

I'd rather see a 100% rate of decent, high quality discussion boards running vBSEO or even vBulletin, as that shows me the person behind the product actually cares about the image he,she/or the company projects about himself,herself or itself.

Well, my question is simply are these policies motivated by a personal agenda, or are they doing it for a REAL business reason, because it may hurt their sales, profits, etc.

vBSEO does not host your website.
vBSEO is not even your forum software.
vBSEO is a PLUG-IN to forum software, which sits in the BACKGROUND.

So I would understand that reasoning, not wanting to be associated with certain types of websites.. IF they were your host, or your software. But they are neither, they are a PLUGIN that sits in the background. You could be running a "Nambla, K.K.K. Division" website and it would not reflect on vBSEO in any way. vBulletin or your Web Host (Both of which ironically would tolerate such websites), absolutely, but not vBSEO.

Also, on a side note, America's 3 most favorite things are pornography, violence, and anger (thus profanity).

Are regular checks done to ensure each client is conforming to the AUP?

I'd also like to re-iterate my website does not violate the AUP, but these business practices are feeling more like a personal agenda, and I do not think I can support a product that suppresses free speech for personal reasons.

Don't buy it then.

Based on the responses here, I don't think I will be buying it.

Originally Posted by liquidx

Well, my question is simply are these policies motivated by a personal agenda, or are they doing it for a REAL business reason, because it may hurt their sales, profits, etc.

Again, the owners of vBSEO have always been about maintaining high moral standards on what type of forum is or is not accepted.

I work at an aluminum plant in the town I live. We had a website designed by a smalltown developer and he is into his southern heritage, along with the Rebel Flag over most of his own personal pages.

Our customers would come to our site and see a link to his website, as we allowed this (before he had the flags up.) since he did design the site for the company at half price. We lost around 40% of our customers because of that, as most people today see the rebel flag as being a sign of racism.

It doesn't matter if you feel it has no meaning, or should not be offending. What matters is what do your highest margin of customers feel or think when they see such - and if your company name or product is even associated with it.... that is never good in terms of business.

HOWEVER

Please contact Joe, Juan or Oleg with your forum URL and they should be able to give you a definite yes or no answer.

Originally Posted by liquidx

I'd also like to re-iterate my website does not violate the AUP, but these business practices are feeling more like a personal agenda, and I do not think I can support a product that suppresses free speech for personal reasons.

blah blah blah. Free speech this, free speech that. It's the most murdered excuse for getting away with anything today.

This is not about free speech so stop trying to make it into it. This is about a company not wanting their product to be associated with the sites listed in their AUP.

Period.

You asked if this is a personal decison. Yes. So there is your answer. Whether you buy it or not is up to you now. This product has been out for almost three years now. You are not the first and unfortunately will not be the last to complain about this. The fact remains it is not changing. This is what VBSEO believes and they are sticking to it.

Now that that is out of the way and you have your answer you can choose to buy it or not buy it based on your personal beliefs of whether this practice is "right" or not. You can "stick it to the man" if you want or you can accept the fact that this country/world allows a company the freedom of standing up for their beliefs in their business.

Well, I spose that just brings up the second issue I have.. and since one of the moderators pointed out there is no unbranding option this is a second reason I will not buy vBSEO.

When I pay for a product that is a plug-in to another product, and costs ALMOST as much as the product it's a plug-in to.. I expect to not be ADVERTISING FOR THIS COMPANY that I bought it from.

I would pay extra for an unbranding option, thus not associating myself with vBSEO in any way.

So, from your post, I infer that because we are focused to have a vBSEO copyright link at the very very bottom of each of our pages, this reflects badly on Crawlability and the vBSEO product? Because I never asked for this link, nor is it welcomed.

Anyways, chalk it up to 2 reasons why I will not buy this product then, instead of just 1:
1) Forced advertising
2) Someone elses morals pushed on to me

For the future, perhaps you should consider that your morals do not represent the majority of the population of the united states.

Also, in response to DTV: You know what's funny though? Your web host allowed the rebel flag. Maybe they had a moral objection to it? They still supported your free speech. As do most all web hosts, and most all web products such as vBulletin.

Until such things are resolved, I will always consider Crawlability a company of bigots.


Mods: You can close or delete this thread, my questions are answered, I will not be buying your product now.