this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2026
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I think new accounts that show up to shil their app should be banned. They're not actively participating in the community, it's just spam. There's been a huge uptick recently.
This has gotten a ton of votes, and I'm in agreement that new accounts that have only posted about their paid app should be considered spam, and I would say a timed ban (maybe a week?) would be a good start.
Now what about open source vs paid? Devs who made something may just think "oh I should share it on selfhosted!" On their freshly made fediverse account. Does open source get the same treatment? I'd lean toward no, but some of these projects have a paid component as well - paid hosting, or a license upgrade, or whatever.
I think its fine that they want to make some money, and I'm personally more positive toward a hosted option than a paywall, but its a finer point to navigate than just "paid vs open".
That said, I do see a problem with comments on some posts as well - a reply with "spam" and no report is not helpful. The comment itself isnt helpful. A downvote and report is.
So I think a clear and concise set of rules would be helpful, and maybe with a separate list for fully open source and no paid component, open with a paid component, and a fully closed (paid or not, because we all know where the profit comes from in this scenario).
I'd personally lean toward something like an account xx days old to be able to self-promote, and tags for each type of post.
Personally I'm fine with paid apps here, lots of people use tailscale for example. I think the larger issue is the drive-by spamming without contributing outside of their own promotion thread.
I like the comment elsewhere in this thread referencing a subreddit that requires X comments over Y days in the community first.
What if the new account user, who is working on a product that integrates with what the vast majority of selfhosters run, just found Lemmy? Lemmy selfhosted doesn't exactly share the same popularity as say Reddit. It doesn't just roll off the tongue. I had to vigorously try to find Lemmy before I got here.
That sounds like you're describing someone who is only making a lemmy account because they see potential customers they want to advertise to.
That's the exact reason I don't want someone to make a lemmy account.
If all they have to contribute is self promotion I think they should be banned.
They should hang out a while first and not have only posts promoting their software, and not only have comments in those threads.
The lemmy attitude is very anti commercialization, and they don't know any better. That doesn't mean we should allow it.
I tend to agree.
The lemmy attitude is like chaff in the wind.
"Lurk for a while before posting," has been a standard rule of netiquette for at least the 30 years that I've been using the 'net.
I would tend to agree with that. Maybe OP didn't think of that.
They did think about that, apparently you did not. Did you not see that they specifically said "brand new" accounts? Or are you talking about the most recent OP that posted an ad to beta test closed source software?
This happens on Reddit, and basically my problem is that these users often don't have enough experience to be able to actually give solutions. Reddit is full of people who think they have a good solution, dealing with comments of people explaining that what they are struggling with is actually a solved problem (or a skill issue). No one cares about your vibecoded slop that implements 1% of the features of an existing open source solution (they used to not be vibecoded but we still didn't care). It being paid and proprietary is just even more annoying.
My idea of requirement to engage with the community is also about being able to ensure that the users are technically competent. If they are experienced, it will show up in the discussions we can see and review. For their benefit, if they lurk, then they can take a look at what is being used, and what problems actually exist, instead of making assumptions.
If they really believe their product is so good, they can spend a few weeks helping people with Linux questions and sharing their (non product related) insightful thoughts on Lemmy so I don't dismiss them instantly when they finally advertise it.
You can start with timed bans, so they get the point
are they charging? is it open source?
They aren't charging you. The OP/DEV in question is willing to give their product away. A product that integrates with your opensource *arr stack. All he wanted to know is, 'Would you be interested in beta testing it?"
I mean, there was recently a new user here who intro'd himself as a Windows selfhoster. He was pretty much welcomed with open arms, with a few snarky remarks, but welcomed. How much more closed source could you get than Microsoft Windows? What's is the actual difference here?
Lmao, the OP you're talking about literally said that "It's a paid closed source app". Why are you not mentioning that little tidbid?
I assumed everyone has a decent reading skills?
that is incredibly misleading.
its not someone asking advice about a closed source app. its someone shilling their own paid for product.
why are you ok with advertising for paid for products being shoved down your throat?
they arent “willing to give it away”. theyre willing to give it to testers for free labour to test their paid for app.
No one, not one living soul that has graced the halls of Lemmy selfhosted since I've been here has shoved anything down anyone's throat. Are you not master of your own domain? Do you not possess self control? Additionally, I chart my own course. I don't let hive mind tell me what I can and can't selfhost or use in relation to my server.
So, to recap, they're going to give their app, which is closed source but integrates with what most selfhosters host, to beta testers, who are interested, and in return, the beta testers get to keep the app for free. I see no free labor.
It was said when rule 3 was being discussed, that there are so few selfhosters out here, why gatekeep?
I dont want to scroll lemmy to find advertisements.
why are you fighting so hard for it? do you want adverts here? do you want every post to be yet another closed source paid for project? Thats sad.
Well, for one, I can actually scroll right by things I'm uninterested in. My mouse wheel goes by three row clicks. It doesn't take all that much effort, even for this old geezer, to just whiz right on by. Even if it's something I'm uninterested in, like the *arr stack in general, I can still be positive about it. It's pretty fascinating to me how it all clicks together. But I have definite, hard coded opinions against piracy in general, no matter what your rationale is. I know some use the *arr stack for their own physical collections, but let's be real....the vast amount of selfhosters that deploy the *arr stack are pirating.
Because I honestly feel that the OP with the integrated, closed source app he asked if anyone wanted to beta test, acted in good faith.
Every comment you make makes me more and more convinced that you've created a throwaway account to advertise your own paid products here.
Now that is quite hilarious. What paid products am I advertising? I'm not a dev, and frankly I would never be a dev. For one, I'm not that well educated in the area of programming. Two, I wouldn't be confident enough to release it to the public. Three, I wouldn't put up with all the bellyaching that goes on, demanding that a dev do this or that with something he wrote. Hard pass.
Did I say you did so on this account?
Your long reply and bullshit about "bellyaching" isn't helping me think otherwise.
OK you got me. I joined a year ago, made a fistful of accounts, just for this very day. Even though, if you rifle through all of my posts and comments, you'll pretty much see, I have no programming skills and I have nothing to sell. But again, you are welcome to your own opinion.
I'm— sorry—I—used—too—many—sentences.
in summary, youre happy for advertisements on this community. got it
Yes, but all of your comments seem to miss the fact that this post is talking about paid software. Which is what the OP you're talking about and defending did. You also said "they aren't charging you", which might be true for now, but they will make money off of beta tester's free labor.
That's exactly how beta testing works. I've mentioned, I do a lot of beta testing for BetaBound. I'm currently beta testing a rumba floor sweeper knock off. WHen I'm done, the company says 'thank you' by letting me keep the rather pricey product. Are they going to make money? Of course they will. That's why they started business....to make money.
I'm aware, and don't think that ads to provide free labor for a paid product belong here. That's been my entire argument the entire time.
I honestly think, that the OP/Dev in question acted in good faith. I do not view his thread as an advertisement to buy his product. IMHO, he solicited beta testers for his product that integrates with the *arr stack, which the vast amount of selfhosters deploy early on in their selfhosting journey. Where else would be a better place than a selfhosting community?
The question isn't "did OP act in good faith".
I do consider it an ad to recruit people to do beta testing for a paid product. I don't want to see ads in my feed. If I wanted that, I'd go to reddit. Maybe they should post there instead, where ads are overwhelming and users don't give a shit about being advertised to constantly.
Fair. You do, I don't.
I'm very aware that you don't consider it an ad, but it's an ad in my eyes. It's literally a call to action to recruit people to improve their paid application in order to extract money from users in the future.
I've very aware that you do see it as an ad. So, here we are. I'm about to fire up a bowl, do you partake? It's some gnarly gas for sure. I like to share what I've grown with my own two hands. No strings attached. You don't have to put 5 on it.
I don't smoke with people who like ads shoved down their throats. It's a personal thing.
No worries mate.