Remove excessive advertising from documentation pages
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Hey opening this here instead of reporting the repo and would be happy to contribute fixes and be responsible for the below changes. Thanks for hearing me out. This wiki just really gave me the ick.
Issue Description
The current wiki includes a large promotional advertisement for BisectHosting with discount codes on EVERY documentation page. This practice imo violates GitHub's Acceptable Use Policies regarding advertising and promotional content and is generally considered distasteful.
Remember the GitHub community primarily consists of developers who value open-source principles. We tend to find excessive advertising distasteful, especially if it feels like a blatant commercial push rather than a subtle sponsorship acknowledgment. Developers often prefer quality content over promotional material. Remember this is a developer first platform. If this kind of advertising is something baked into ur sponsorship agreement with Bisect then a private site with advertising would likely be a better option. (Again willing to contribute to that for you.)
Specific Violations
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Excessive Promotional Content
The primary focus of repository content should not be advertising or promotional marketing. The current version places a large advertisement with discount codes on every documentation page, making advertising a significant focus rather than supplementary content. In fact its copy paste use across all the wiki's entries means that the ads are sometimes a bigger than content/entry. -
Inappropriate Context
While GitHub allows static images and promotional text in README documents or project description sections, the current implementation extends advertising beyond appropriate contexts by placing it on every documentation page, including technical documentation for individual mod elements. -
Bulk Content Distribution
GitHub explicitly prohibits "excessive bulk content". Placing identical advertising blocks across all documentation pages constitutes excessive bulk promotional content.
Relevant GitHub Policies
GitHub's Acceptable Use Policy states:
"While we understand that you may want to promote your Content by posting supporters' names or logos in your Account, the primary focus of the Content posted in or through your Account to the Service should not be advertising or promotional marketing."
Additionally:
"You may include static images, links, and promotional text in the README documents or project description sections associated with your Account, but they must be related to the project you are hosting on GitHub."
Similar Cases
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The Obsidian plugin community required removal of excessive advertising, specifically stating that advertisements "must not show up spontaneously" and should only be delivered in appropriate interfaces.
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GitHub staff has previously clarified that while advertising is permitted, it should not constitute a full commercial site.
Proposed Changes
- Remove the BisectHosting advertisement block from all or most documentation pages. Use sparingly inside large content blocks. Be classy not trashy and slip it in here or there.
- Consolidate sponsorship/hosting information into:
- README.md
- A dedicated SPONSORS.md file
- The repository's GitHub Sponsors button
Benefits
- Improved documentation clarity and focus
- Better compliance with GitHub policies
- Reduced maintenance overhead
- More professional presentation
- Better user experience for documentation readers
Alternative Solutions
- Use GitHub's built-in sponsorship features
- Create a dedicated sponsors page
- Limit advertising to the README file only
Imo changes like these will help maintain the project's professionalism while still allowing for appropriate acknowledgment of sponsors and supporters in accordance with GitHub's policies.