User talk:Islasfilipinas

Do you maintain GoIloilo.com?
If yes, why not donate the pictures to Wikipedia Commons instead of linking to external photo albums? By donating, you still retain copyright to the pictures but you let others use them (attributing it to you) and help promote Panay. --seav (talk) 00:42, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Yes we do maintain www.goiloilo.com
Seav, www.goiloilo.com is not just photos. Our articles about small Panay communities often contain the ONLY information and photos online about these communities. In its previous incarnation (www.pbase.com/hammerslag) we have received dozens of thank you's from homesick overseas Filipinos who are delighted to see something especially hometown photos. For example:

"Mister Bob! Im an OFW and really homesick for my hometown! I accidentally clicked unto your site and I am totally awestruck! Thank you so much! you did a marvelous job! We do love Iloilo and I have to work abroad to preserve my heritage and while you a foreigner did just that...I hope more Ilonggo's will see what you did and understand certain things we did not see while we live in our country, life isnt easy for some of us but thanks to you for patronizing our heritage. Salamat Gid!"

another which you doubtless deleted as "spam"

"Postcard-like scenes of Nogas Island in Anini-y. my hometown always remind me to re-visit the island even if I had been there many times. Viewed from Siraan Hot Springs, one Filipino author from Manila once said of Nogas Island, "sometimes in one's life, an island calls" while viewing the setting sun there. Unfortunately, she never had the chance to be there. But I'm glad because Nogas Island is featured here for the world to see. I still would like to see for myself the Tabon bird on Nogas Island, an endangered bird specie although smaller in size, unbelievably it lays bigger eggs than a chicken.The bird they say would bury its eggs into the sand until they are hatched."

When we are planning a trip our first stop is Wikipedia. Again, when you delete our articles as spam, you're usually removing the only information on Wikipedia about these places. For example you deleted our article on Sebaste, Antique as "spam". Now there's NOTHING about Sebaste except its Standard Geographic Code and 2000 Philippine Census Information.

By the way, our site is non-commercial. It contains no ads nor do we receive any revenue except our satisfaction from the visitors who give us their thanks. Isn't it possible that these posts help Wikipedia become better? Bob and Carol Hammerslag, Iloilo City


 * Hi, let me reply in detail:


 * First, it is very bad form to link to your own sites. Please read the External links guidelines of Wikipedia. It says there:

Due to the rising prominence of Wikipedia and the amount of extra traffic it can bring a site, there is a great temptation to use Wikipedia to advertise or promote sites. This includes both commercial and non-commercial sites. You should avoid linking to a website that you own, maintain or represent, even if the guidelines otherwise imply that it should be linked. If the link is to a relevant and informative site that should otherwise be included, please consider mentioning it on the talk page and let neutral and independent Wikipedia editors decide whether to add it. This is in line with the conflict of interest guidelines.


 * (emphasis mine). In addition that same page says that we should normally avoid "links to blogs and personal web pages, except those written by a recognized authority" (emphasis mine). Moreover, in Wikipedia, it is considered spam when one person adds external links to the same website even if the website is non-commercial. Please read the Spam content guidelines for what is spam in the context of Wikipedia. It says there that we should normally avoid "adding many links to (or mentions of) the same site or product."


 * Now it's not a question of whether the site is useful or not. I own and maintain several websites and blogs myself and I have gotten thank you notes from visitors not unlike the thank you notes that you have gotten. But I don't link to my own sites from articles in Wikipedia since it violates the conflict of interest guidelines. I hope you understand where I am coming from. --seav (talk) 07:29, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for your reply. I can see that you are a key Wikipedia Philippine editor and I yield to your judgment. I just ask you to consider that in applying the spam guidelines, you don't become so zealous in protecting Wikipedia from "spam" as to forget the underlying purpose of such editing: "Each link should be considered on its merits, using the following guidelines. As the number of external links in an article grows longer, assessment should become stricter. This implies that where there is no other content, editing should be less strict. Deleting the only content is pretty strict, possibly a bit overzealous. Islasfilipinas (talk) 08:42, 17 December 2008 (UTC)