Time to Shut Down MLM Chat

Generally speaking the 4N forum is informative, witty, positive, uplifting, interesting, supportive etc etc

There is one glaring exception - MLM chat

IMHO it is none of these things - its bitchy, negative, personal, insulting and riddled with blatant ads that are instantly torn to shreds by the constantly circling wolf pack of 4N MLM haters.

And fratricidal tendencies amongst MLM'ers are rife .

That is why I now stay clear although I strayed in tonight to give a comment on MSG. Frankly I wished I hadn't.

There has been some brilliant analysis in the past (take a bow Steve) and useful comment however I feel MLM Chat had passed its sell by date.

What do you think?

Hello Peter,

I agree sometimes it does get a bit heavy, but it would a shame to see it go!! Who would the sponge throwers fling their sponges at?

On the serious side, MLM businesses that actually have products or services are a business, same as web design, accountancy, or any other business......and they dont have their own section.

I think I have to agree with you Peter.... would anyone actually miss MLM chat... except of course ... the sponge throwers!

I agree with Peter. I tend to avoid MLM chat, & stay in the other parts of the 4N forum.

Add my vote. It was set up for a purpose - that purpose has passed. The serious MLMers on here are more than capable of existing in the business section.

I agree. For example if Brad was to create forums for either "Business Coaches and Mentors" or a "Web Site Designers/SEO Optimisers" or a "Sales and Markeitng Gurus" there would be acres of material and posts about snake oil salesmen, con artists, false representation, lying etc etc.

Apologies to those sectors mentioned they are only examples but there are certainly plenty of operators within them who are total bullshitters as with all professions, occupations and trades.

Yet the prevailing ethos within in 4N is not to single out any one sector and then blacken its name by focusing on the bad practice of a few. There is no need for that because 4N is a totally transparent organisation and the bad apples soon get noticed and part their way from 4N.

Network marketing should be treated in the same way. Time to return it to the mainstream Business Forum and balanced discussion of the issues. As Steve, with Brad's help, is doing under his thread about a year in MLM.

The MLM blatant ads about the next big thing should go where they belong - Blatant Ads. Like other blatant ads they can then be judged by potential punters on their merits without lots of sponge throwing by people who would wait to see Hell freeze over before joining an MLM company

Totally agree, too many blatant ads and genuine topics/ questions are interrupted because of this.

Totally agree - After all, don't MLMers generally treat their business as a real business just like everyone else?

My industry is full of cowboys but we don't have a seperate killing field.

Thank you Phil for recognising that some of us would prefer proper of discussion of topics without interruption to destroy the thread and Lee for acknowledging that there are some of us who run our business in a professional way. For me, this section encourages lumping all MLM distributors into the same category and and gives some people a platform to denigrate the MLM model and ridicule distributors and it is damaging to our businesses.

Thank you Peter for formalising the request for it to be closed. Look forward to Friday then Brad.

Got to agree..the serious MLM business people on here can easily manage without it. The spammers/blatatd adders can use the Ads section. It was useful for a time and I've had some valuable info from it...and about a ton of crap

Be careful what you wish for. In principle I agree with the reasons given by those in MLM for closing this section down. However, if anyone thinks those that come on here to sneer and bait MLM in general will ease off then I think you are very much mistaken, as their numbers if anything will grow in business networking.

The business networking section has nose dived in quality in the last few weeks with some serious ego maniacs posting provocative threads that have caused division. This has resulted in lot of decent posters choosing to abstain from contributing which is a shame. By including MLM in this area I suspect it will unite a lot of people in opposite camps within BN and give them a new target.

As I said the reasons given for closing this section are sound and I agree in principle. I do fear though that MLM'rs have seen nothing yet with regard to being baited and ridiculed. I really hope I am wrong but don't think I will be. Just my opinion.

I literally read this forum nearly every day - it helps me gain perspective on MLM - how others perceive it (whether right or wrong), why they do, and helps me shape my MLM business and guide my team.

Many of the posts in here have been genuinely brilliant. The likes of Stuart Ritchie, Steve Lundy and even Paul Ainscow who is not a MLM distributor, have helped me in their own way.

If we could moderate who logs in and puts blatant ads on here rather than in blatant ads (mine a few months was a joke) and perhaps also encourage others not to be so bitchy, I personally would like this forum to stay.

"The business networking section has nose dived in quality in the last few weeks with some serious ego maniacs posting provocative threads that have caused division. This has resulted in lot of decent posters choosing to abstain from contributing which is a shame. By including MLM in this area I suspect it will unite a lot of people in opposite camps within BN and give them a new target."

I do agree with this. Many times I read the Business Section to hopefully learn from other people, but there are some big egos flying around at the moment who just cause boring tit for tat arguments and resort to slagging each other off. As a relatively new business owner, I think it's a shame as there are some very intelligent and illuminating people who don't post any more. As for opening MLMers up to more abuse, I couldn't really care less...most of the abuse aimed at MLM is from people who don't really know much about it....apart from maybe being pitched on MSG or some of the other "watch my video and get rich quick" bods.

I don't really give a stuff what small minded people say and if someone with a more open mind would like to spark a debate or open a conversation then fine

I agree in part, Spammers will post on any forum anyway, I do think this forum helps generally, Only last week I noticed a post on this forum for someone who was interested in a specific mlm company (not my company), I knew someone in that company so i linked them together - so it does have benefits, I have also enjoyed many posts, but I do agree some posts do turn negative, personal and get hyjacked. Ive only been on it for just over a year, but i have noticed a change in that short time.

Will it effect anyones mlm business if it closes ? - It should not, if someone relies on forums to build their company, then I would be worried for them.

Those who still wish to be part of an mlm forum can just join one of the others out there

Close It Brad

I vote bin it too. It's borderline segregation and about as useful as "For The Attention Of" isn't!