Harringay Online Policy on Promoting Commercial Interests on the Website

To be honest we struggle to get this one right! We want to champion local businesses and local business people and we're keen to support them, but people who use the site don't want it swamped with posts advertising stuff. So, as things stand, we're trying to balance supporting local business with making sure that the site isn't clogged up with advertising. This means that anyone can advertise, either for free or through paid advertising.

Within this approach we've tried to make it possible for small or emergent businesses to advertise by keeping out advertising rates affordable. We also have a special place where Harringay businesses with no physical shop-front to trade behind can have their businesses added.

Here's how we're running things:

1. Hidden Businesses

We believe that our members are interested to learn about what we call hidden businesses – that is those businesses run in Harringay by locals but trading without a high street presence. We help these hidden Harringay businesses by providing the Harringay’s Virtual High Street page.

2. Display Advertising

To help with our running costs, Harringay Online is happy to offer display advertising. Advertisements on Harringay Online display in the right hand column and show on all the busy pages on the website. All sums received for paid advertising are used ONLY to meet the running costs of this community website.

3. Tradespeople & Professional Recommendations

We have a Tradespeople & Other Services Recommendations Listings for members to recommend or comment on tradespeople and professional service providers they have used for the benefit of other members. We maintain this service by tagging posts to try and ensure members can easily find information in it.

4. Events

Any local events offering genuine entertainment or educational value may be added to HoL as event listings. All listings and all events must comply with our normal terms and conditions.

5. Hotels, B&Bs & Guest Houses

Local hotels, B&Bs and guest houses are featured on local places to stay section. This section is included on the website at the request of members. Whilst we are happy to consider requests for inclusion from any local establishment, inclusion on the page is made on the following terms:

a. Site Admin will determine which establishments are considered as local.

b. Links will be made to the hotel's Trip Advisor review or, if no such review is available, another well known review site. Where no review is available we will not include the establishment on our website.

POLICY

1. This policy applies to all commercial entities. We define a commercial entity as one that trades in whole or in part for profit. Voluntary organisations including residents' groups, friends groups, charitable groups, schools, etc are not covered by this policy.

2. No commercial entity may promote their business on Harringay Online in any way without the express permission of Site Admin. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes promoting a commercial business by:

• using their member page to promote their business or provide business contact information or links to business websites.
• using the internal messaging system or commenting on or liking members pages simply to draw attention to your profile for commercial reasons
• commenting on others members' events
• adding or contributing to a discussion or blog post
• adding or commenting on an image
• joining under a business name, using a business logo as an avatar or adding business details to a member's own page.

3. The Tradespeople & Professional Recommendations Group is a service for members to recommend tradespeople from their own experience. Business owners and their agents may not add their own businesses nor add comments to recommend their businesses on other members' postings.

4. Please do not advertise your business without agreeing it with us first.

5. In the event that a business owner learns that their business has been criticised, they have a right to respond. Any such responses must stay within what is reasonable in the context.

Exceptions

Businesses based in Harringay and the immediate vicinity run by local residents and trading without the benefit of a shop front may request inclusion on the Harringay’s Virtual High Street page. For inclusion, email the website virtualhighstreet@harringayonline.com.

Questions & Comments

Any questions or comments about this policy can be addressed to us at siteadmin@harringayonline.com

Last updated: 30th March 2012