Help Us Keep Patch Free of Spam

Some users of Patch, which we hope is considered a service to the community, are not living up to their end of the bargain with respect to our terms of use. While most readers who post comments, events or other information on the site have done a great job of helping us to keep the community informed – after all we can’t do it without your help – there are a few requirements of the Patch Terms of Use that we think it’s important to highlight.

First, some people are using the Events section to post advertisements or solicitations, which are prohibited. The terms state:

“You may use this Service solely for personal and non-commercial purposes. That is to say: You can’t use the Service to make a living unless you enter into a separate agreement with us that says you can.”

This is not to say that posting an event such as a benefit concert or fundraiser for a nonprofit would be prohibited – quite the contrary, we encourage you to post such items – but posting an advertisement for a sale at your business does not qualify as an “event” for the purposes of this site. Like any news outlet, we do sell advertisements to get that kind of information out to the public.

Camps, regular gatherings that are open to the public, such as poker nights, and events at a business that benefit a nonprofit are welcome, however.

Secondly, many people seem to be posting comments under aliases. This also is not allowed. Patch makes an effort to be transparent about our editors and contributors: “Patch believes in transparency, and we ask that all your registration information be truthful. You may not use any aliases or other means to mask your true identity.”

Likewise, we want the people who participate on our site to be honest as well. We have been very lenient thus far, because our intent is not to stifle debate, but rather encourage people to stand by their words. This does not mean that you have to spell out your religion, political affiliation or what toppings you prefer on your pizza, but please at least use your real name, and not a string of letters. To the spammers, this is a dead giveaway that you are not a legitimate member of the community.

Also, don’t spam the site. This is a place for people to share information about the community. Not solicit participation in chain letters, pyramid schemes or to sell knock-off Rolexes.

To the majority who are using the site to talk about community issues, events and happenings, we can't thank you enough. Please keep up the good work – even if we are asking you to put your name behind your words. The comments, tips and the content you share help make the site well rounded in its coverage, and frankly, we couldn’t do this without you.