Mystical Angels

Yahoo Answers policies - What is "Personal Site Promotion"?

Hi, I had a citation on Yahoo Answers for an answer linking to a funny, relevant YouTube video. Somehow I got an e-mail this morning about "Personal Site Promotion" being the reason for pulling the answer, and lost 10 points. In my appeal, I mentioned that I had nothing whatsoever to do with the YouTube video, and that I don't hold a YouTube account. The question dealt with finding a job, and the video featured a reconstructed Zoltar machine which contained an innuendo-joke along with discussing work in a goofy manner, which is typical of these fortune teller machines. The answer I gave to the asker was the innuendo-joke and the "source" link was to the YouTube video. I can't even put a CPU on right, how can I possibly reconstruct circus equipment? In fact, I have a disability which makes me so clumsy I can't even get a driver's license. I received an e-mail just this evening that my answer was indeed a violation, but didn't offer any more information on why or how it could be promoting a personal site. I just did a search for "Zoltar" on YouTube and found the best video I liked. Yahoo Help says I can no longer appeal, though I did receive a case number. I don't know what to do with it. If this is relevant, once I found the video (and after I answered the question) I did put it up in my blog, since it was funny and I do put funny stuff on my blog. My blog might be mentioned on my Yahoo Profile page, does Yahoo really get that deep into researching people's profile links? The link was to YouTube, not my blog, and my site was mentioned nowhere in the answer. This is not a big deal to me, I've been a regular Yahoo Answers user for quite a long time and 10 points isn't that big of a deal. But for the future, does anyone here know the definition of "personal site promotion" and why it applied in my case? Stephen K: Thanks for your input. I often use links when answering a question, and in fact Yahoo tells you to. Are you suggesting Yahoo didn't actually review my appeal? As the EFF will tell you, this is a common occurrence on many sites, notably with copyright infringement.

Public Comments

1. Normally a "PSP" is if you directed someone to a site you have some involvement in, such as a chat room that you have created or a vending site where you sell Nike clothing or acai berry juice. Some people feel that links of ANY nature are back and they may feel that you directed them, even though it is youtube, to a personal's personal site within youtube. OK, this is weak and specious, but this is only an idea
2. Perhaps YA originally thought your answer was a PSP violation, which would be of your own site. But I think perhaps when you appealed and they took a closer look they decided your answer was not really an answer, a violation of the question and answer format.