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MacDirectory policies
About postings
Managing postings
Replying and Searching for Ads
Troubleshooting
Frequently asked questions
Advertising on MacDirectory
Permissions, Media, Links
MacDirectory policies
What are the rules for using MacDirectory?
Our policy for using MacDirectory is simple. You cannot post, sell or buy products or services that are illegal to own, buy or sell in the place of your residency; or that are not bought or sold in compliance with all applicable international, federal and state laws and regulations. When using MacDirectory, you must comply with all applicable laws relating to the item you post, sell or buy.
Please be sure that you are familiar and agree with our our Terms of Service and Copyright guidelines. In addition, we have the following policies:
- Posting ads using multiple different e-mail addresses
- Posting duplicate ads in multiple categories and/or multiple cities
- Posting an ad that serves no other purpose other than to send traffic to a web site
- Posting an ad that defames anyone or contains "hate speech"
- Posting an ad that defames anyone or contains "discrimination"
- Posting a multi-level marketing or other prohibited job
- Posting an ad that contains adult content that is not in the personals section
- Posting pornography, nudity or other prohibited personal
- Posting opinions, notices, and discussion topics not in the discussion forums.
- Any ads that do not comply with MacDirectory’s Terms of Service will be removed. Additionally, users that violate such policies will be blocked from using MacDirectory and will be reported to the authorities.
What are the copyright guidelines for using MacDirectory?
You can not post any content in MacDirectory that violates the copyright of others. Please review our copyright tips, but note that the copyright information featured in our site is for generic and non-legal purposes only. We do not provide legal advice.
What is not allowed on MacDirectory?
The following items are not allowed to be posted on the site:
- Alcoholic items
- Arms and weapons and related items (firearms, firearm parts and magazines, ammunition, paintball guns, BB and pellet guns, tear gas, stun guns, switchblade knives, and martial arts weapons)
- Baby walkers
- Bodily fluids, blood, and body parts
- Burglary tools
- Counterfeit currency, stamps or coins
- Counterfeit products of any kind
- Electronic surveillance equipment designed or used primarily to illegally intercept/record the private actions or interactions of others without their knowledge or permission
- Embargoed goods
- Escort services
- Government and transit uniforms, IDs and any type of licenses
- Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
- Illegal services
- Hazardous materials and supplies.
- Fireworks, destructive devices and explosives
- Identity documents (personal info, reports, etc.) in any form
- Items which encourage or facilitate illegal
- Lottery tickets, sweepstakes, slot machines
- Massage services
- Obscene material including child pornography
- Offensive material
- Pesticides
- Pets and animals. The Animal Pedigree Act makes it a federal offense to sell an animal of a recognized breed as, purebred, registered, or eligible to be registered if it is not.
- Pictures, images or videos containing nudity
- Police or any Federal/State/Government badges and uniforms
- Prescription of drugs, supplies and devices
- Prostitution or ads that offer sex, sexual favors or sexual actions in exchange for money
- Recalled items
- Satellite products that violate the Radiocommunication Act
- Sexual services, including camming (camming is the use of a video-recording device to capture audio-visual content from a display (e.g. using a camcorder to record a movie).
- Solicitation of other users except by placing an ad
- Stocks and other securities
- Stolen property
- Tobacco products
- Used cosmetics and other used beauty products
- Be sure to review MacDirectory’s Terms of Service and Copyright guidelines.
What types of jobs are not allowed on MacDirectory?
The following types of job ads are prohibited on the site:
- Multi-level marketing jobs where recruitment of other members is part of the compensation
- Pyramid schemes or jobs that require upfront or periodic payments
- Jobs that pay only commissions, unless the ad makes it clear that the sole source of compensation would be commission and clearly describes the product or service that would be sold
- Jobs that require recruitment of other members, distributors or agents
- Jobs that involve sexual activities
- Ads that are not clear regarding what type of work would be required
- Be sure to review MacDirectory’s Terms of Service and Copyright guidelines.
What types of personal ads are not allowed on MacDirectory?
The following types of personal ads are prohibited on the site (MD Space):
- Ads that contain any sexual or pornographic content, including:
- Nudity in posted images
- Descriptions of a sexual nature
- Ads posted by minors
- Ads that offer sex or sexual activities in exchange for money, products or services. Prostitution is prohibited.
- Ads that contain personally identifiable information such as a phone number or address
- Be sure to review MacDirectory’s Terms of Service and Copyright guidelines.
About postings
What is MacDirectory?
MacDirectory is a free community classifieds Web site serving the needs of Apple Macintosh users worldwide. We offer a convenient, fast and easy way for Macintosh users to connect, share and trade things such as products, services, events, jobs, personals and more. We also offer Apple news, product reviews, editors’ recommendations, support services, and video/picture postings and personals.
The name "MacDirectory" was chosen because it represents our mission -- a single Web site where Macintosh users can find anything related to the Apple Macintosh market.
Is it really free to post an ad on MacDirectory?
Yes, it's 100% free to post and reply to all ads in MacDirectory.
How many ads can I post on MacDirectory?
You can post up to 12 different ads in MacDirectory each day. However, you can do not post the same Ad over and over again.
How long does my ad stay on MacDirectory?
Your ad will appear in MacDirectory for 30 days. However, your ad may be deleted if it violates our Terms of Service. During that time, you may edit, delete or repost your ad for another 30 days. You could keep your ad running indefinitely as long as you keep reposting our ad.
Do I have to register to post an ad?
Yes, you need be a registered MacDirectory member in order to post content. The registration process is simple, fast and free. This reduces the amount of spam. If you are not a member, register now.
Registered members can post content in the following sections:
- Consultants
- Deals/Discounts (must be pre-approved by our team)
- Events
- Jobs
- Members (personals)
- Resumes
- Services for hire
- Software Downloads
- User Groups
- Videos & Pictures
- Wanted (must be pre-approved by our team)
How do I create a user account?
Go to our register page and sign up. Enter your e-mail address, tell us about yourself and set up your account. We'll send you an e-mail with your activation code. Once you receive this email, simply click on the activation code and your account will be activated.
Important: In order to active your account, you must click on the URL provided on the self-publishing email. This is required in order to avoid spam. If you don’t see this e-mail, check your spam folder and/or trash folder in your browser. It may take up to two hours for you to receive our self-publishing email.
When you become a registered member, you will be able to manage posts more efficiently. The process of creating posts, editing and deleting them, and re-posting ads are fast and easy.
Are ads screened before they appear on MacDirectory?
No, MacDirectory ads are not screened before they appear on our site. However, postings violation our Terms of Service, will be deleted.
Can I post my ad on multiple MacDirectory sections?
Yes, but you should only post your ad on the category that best represent the product or service you are looking to sell.
Can I link to my Web site in my ad?
You can include a Web site address by including a URL in the description of an ad:
- Link to additional product information
- Link to a page with more pictures
- Link to a page with an alternate contact method
Please note that such links will not be clickable.
- If you want to include a clickable link to a Web site address, or if you would like to get more traffic to your Web site, consider our cost-effective and targeted advertising options.
Can I link my ad and direct users to eBay or other auction sites?
No, you can not. When you post an ad on MacDirectory, you need to set a fixed price because we are not an action site.
Can I use HTML tags in my ads?
Yes, MacDirectory accepts some HTML tags (paragraph tags are not needed). Here is a listing of acceptable HTML elements and values:
- Bold text: Bold is symbolized by a <b> in front of the text you want bold, and a </b> at the end of the area you want bold.
- Italics text: The tag is a simple <i> in front of hte text that you want italicized and a </i> at the end of the text you want italicized.
- Underline text: The tag for this is <u> </u> and is used similar to the bold and italics. Many Web designers do not use this tag often since the underline is perceived on the Web as a hyperlink.
- Headings: There is a special tag for specifying headings in HTML. There are 6 levels of headings in HTML ranging from h1 for the most important (larger size), to h6 for the least important.
Typing this code:
<h1>Heading 1</h1>
<h2>Heading 2</h2>
<h3>Heading 3</h3>
<h4>Heading 4</h4>
<h5>Heading 5</h5>
<h6>Heading 6</h6>
How do I post ads in the Deals/Discounts section?
Postings submitted in our Deals/Discounts section are only allowed by approved businesses (no end-user postings). This policy helps us reduce spam and online fraud. If your business is looking to increase sales, complete our application form for approval. It is simple and free. Approval requires 24-48 hours. Program benefits include:
1. Increase sales without spending money
2. Ability to post ads in our Deals/Discounts section
3. Ability to post ads in our Wanted section
4. Ability to manage postings effectively
5. Increase company brand and visibility
6. Ability to access our best customers
How do I post ads in the Wanted section?
Postings submitted in our Wanted section are only allowed by approved businesses (no end-user postings). This policy helps us reduce spam and online fraud. If your business is looking to buy hard to find items from our users, complete our application form for approval. It is simple and free. Approval requires 24-48 hours.
How do I post ads in the MacDirectory store section?
You can not post “individual” ads in our store section. Products featured in the MacDirectory store are managed by our partner PriceGrabber. If you are interested in featuring your products in our store, contact PriceGrabber.
How do I post ads in other MacDirectory sections?
To view all of our submit forms, click on “post” button located in the top right of our home page, sign-in and follow the upload instructions.
What type of services can I post in the Services for Hire section?
Our Services for Hire section allows you to post any professional service that is useful for Macintosh users such as:
Apple repairs and support
Creative and design services
Consulting services
Data recovery services
Printing, pre-press services
Programming
Training
TV/video services
User groups
Web development
Other professional services
Managing postings
How do I create a user account?
Go to our register page and sign up. Enter your e-mail address, tell us about yourself and set up your account. We'll send you an e-mail with your activation code. Once you receive this e-mail, simply click on the activation code and your account will be activated.
How can I include images in my postings?
On the upload form, you will see a section called "images" located below the description field, where you can upload many pictures that will be appear in your ad. In addition, some of our submit forms allow you to upload videos.
I can't find my ad in MacDirectory. Where is it?
Some ads may be delayed by up to 24 hours before they are posted on the site. This is done to help stop spam and related bad ads. If you can't find your ad in search results, there's a good chance it was delayed. If you still don’t see your ad, please contact us 24-48 hours after you posted your ad. Please include your posting title and a brief description.
How can I make changes to my ad?
If you are a registered MacDirectory user, log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and “Edit my Postings.” Make your ad changes and be sure to click the “save” button located at the bottom of the page.
How do I delete my ad?
Log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and “Edit my Postings.” Select the ad you want to delete and click on the “delete” link. The deletion process can not be un-done.
Reminder: Please remember to delete your ad after you have sold an item or if the posting is no longer needed.
I forgot my password. How can I get it?
If you forgot your password, click the "Forgot password?" link on the log-in page. We will email you your password. Be sure to check your spam or trash folder for our e-mail.
How do I change my e-mail address?
Log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and select “Edit my profile.” Type your new e-mail address and save the changes. We will e-mail you an e-mail verification to your new address. Once you receive it, click on the self-activation link in order to validate your new e-mail address.
How do I change my profile picture?
Log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and select “Edit my profile.” Go to the “Upload a profile picture” section, click on “Choose File,” select your new picture and save your changes.
How do I change my profile information?
Log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and select “Edit my profile.” Edit the desired profile information and save your changes.
How do I change my Apple product ratings?
Log-in, go to “My Accounts” located on the top menu bar and select “Edit my profile.” Click on the “Your Apple Knowledge & Interests” link, edit your Apple ratings and save your changes.
Searching & Replying to Ads
How do I reply to an ad?
To reply to an ad, simply click on the “reply-to” e-mail located on top of the ad. The “reply-to” e-mail is underlined and in blue color. If no e-mail is available, look for other contact info such as telephone number, e-mail address, and poster Web site address. This contact information is located at the end of the posting inside a light gray box.
Once you click on “reply-to” e-mail, write a message to the poster, type the verification code at the bottom of the page and click “Send message” button. The verification code is used to help prevent spam. Once your e-mail is received, the poster of the ad will e-mail you directly.
Troubleshooting Tips:
If your reply comes back to you with an "undeliverable" message, check for the following:
Ad is probably no longer valid. The MacDirectory e-mail address is only valid as long as the ad is active. Once an ad expires or if it is removed, replies will bounce back.
E-mail was possibly entered incorrectly. Common typing errors including omitting the .com, or typing the category name and posting ID number incorrectly. MacDirectory e-mails start with the category name followed by the posting ID (no spaces or dashes): services612@macdirectory.com
Attachments sent to a MacDirectory e-mail address cannot exceed 500KB.
How do I complete a transaction using MacDirectory?
MacDirectory should only be used to complete local transactions. If you are buying or selling a product such as an old Apple computer, the transaction should take place in person at a location decided upon by both parties. Cash should be exchanged only after the item has been inspected. Conducting transactions in person helps you avoid shipping charges, exchange rates, and most importantly, minimizes the risk of fraud and scams.
I mistakenly replied to a posting. Can I undo it?
No, you can’t. If the poster replies to you, simply say you made an error.
What should I do if I have been cheated by a transaction?
If you feel you have been cheated due to a false or misleading ad, contact us immediately. Please include as much information as possible including posting title, date, posting ID, etc. Our team will investigate and cooperate fully with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
What happens if someone harasses me by posting a prank/fake posting?
If someone posts a prank or other harassment about you or your company, contact us immediately. Please include as much information as possible including posting title, date, posting ID, etc. Our team will investigate and cooperate fully with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
How do I search in MacDirectory?
To help your searches check out these helpful hints:
Narrow your search by selecting the appropriate category. For example, if you are looking for a consultant, search in our consultants section, not in another section.
Avoid typing words like “and”, “the”, “inc.”, “corp.”, etc. Be sure to enter the actual company name.
How do I sort search results?
Most MacDirectory sections have many sort options including date, price, etc. Postings showing at the top of any page, means they are the most recent entries. Some sections in MacDirectory also allow you to sort by popularity, comments, and other options.
How can I contact an author from a review, interview or news item?
To contact an author, use our contact form and send us an e-mail along with the posting ID number, article headline and author’s name.
Troubleshooting
I can’t find my activation code.
If you can’t find your activation e-mail, check your spam and your trash folder. It is possible that your e-mail application automatically deleted our e-mail.
If you get an error message when you click on the activation code, or you do not recognize the e-mail program that pops up, cut and paste the e-mail address in your internet browser in order to active your account.
Other things to consider:
If you are using a free e-mail account such as Google or Yahoo, make sure you have not exceeded your mail box storage limit.
Check again your spam, junk, bulk, and trash mail folders. Our e-mail always includes the word “MacDirectory.”
Search for the keyword “MacDirectory” in your e-mail application in order to find our activation code.
Verify the e-mail you entered during the registration. If you entered the wrong e-mail by accident, you will need to register again!
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) sometimes delay e-mails for hours. Check for the MacDirectory activation e-mail later.
Where is my post?
If you can't locate your ad, try these:
- Your ad may take 15 minutes or up to a day to appear in MacDirectory after you publish it.
- Try to reload/refresh the page where you ad was published.
- Search for your ad in the right category. For example: If you post a job opening, you should search for your ad in the “Jobs” section.
- Search for your ad under the correct post date. Your post will appear under the date when you published the ad.
- Search for specific keywords or title that actually appeared in your posted ad.
- Other possibilities: If you still can’t find your ad, it is possible that your ad was expired, or it was removed from our site due to violation of our Terms of Service or flagging.
My city is not included in the “select city” pull down menu. What should I do?
Click on the “select city” pull down menu and select “other” -- the last option in the pull down menu. By selecting “other” you will have the ability to enter your city name.
I can’t find professional service, for example a consultant, in my area. Where should I look?
If you can’t find a professional service in your area, try a more general search. For example, search for the service in a nearby city, in a larger city, or search for another zip code.
Most companies in our “Services for Hire” section offer services locally and nationally.
Why was my ad deleted?
If your ad was deleted, here are possible reasons:
- Expired: Ad was deleted automatically or you deleted it yourself.
- Miscategorized: Ad is placed in the wrong category/section.
- Not current/outdated: Ad is no longer current/valid.
- Offensive/prohibited: Ad violates MacDirectory’s Terms of Service.
- Spam/overpost: Ad was posted too frequently
- Infringing: Ad violates intellectual property of others.
- Frequent flagging: Ad receives too many negative flags and removed.
I am having problems uploading pictures. What should I do?
If you have problems uploading pictures, you may be uploading the wrong picture format. Also try these:
- Make sure you checked “picture” instead of “video” when uploading pictures.
- Reduce the size of the pictures to be less than 2MB each
- Make sure that your picture has one of the following formats: Photo: GIF, JPEG, PNG.
- If you have an anti-virus or firewall software, turn it off.
- Update your browser so you are using the latest version.
I am having problems uploading videos. What should I do?
If you have problems uploading videos, you may be uploading the wrong video format. Also try these:
- Make sure you checked “video” instead of “picture” when uploading videos.
- Change the video file size. We accept up to 20MB for each video uploaded.
- Make sure that your video has the right format. Accepted video formats include: AVI, DAT, MPEG, WMV and MOV.
- If you have an anti-virus or firewall software, turn it off.
- Update your browser so you are using the latest version.
I am having trouble viewing videos. What should I do?
- Make sure you have good internet connection/speed. The slower your connection, the slower the video will play.
- Update your browser so you are using the latest version.
- Reload the page and try to view the video again.
I am having trouble reading content in MacDirectory. Can I increase the font size?
Click on the gray menu bar and select the “Font size” option. MacDirectory offers three different font sizes. You will need to change the font size for each posting in MacDirectory. Hint: Most Internet browsers have the option to increase the font size of web pages. You may consider increasing the font size in your browser instead of changing for each page you view in MacDirectory.
Frequently asked questions
What is flagging?
Flagging means that a posting has been sent to our support team for investigation. Common flagging reasons include the ad posted is miscategorized, not current/outdated, offensive, infringing, or spam.
To flag a posting, click on “Report Violations” located on the gray menu bar (usually next to “Font Size” option) then select the appropriate reason for flagging the ad. In our videos and picture section, the flagging option is located on the right side of the viewing video/picture area.
Our flagging system allows MacDirectory users to report inappropriate ads for investigation and removal. Flagging helps us keep MacDirectory current, useful and safe for everyone!
Ads are flagged for the following reasons:
- Miscategorized: Ad is placed in the wrong category/section.
- Not current/outdated: Ad is no longer current/valid.
- Offensive/prohibited: Ad violates MacDirectory’s Terms of Service.
- Spam/overpost: Ad was posted too frequently, or is too commercial.
- Infringing: Ad violates intellectual property (copyright, trademark, etc).
- Ad receives too many negative flags. We only allow one flag per person per ad.
- Individuals whose postings are repeatedly flagged will be removed.
What are e-mail alerts?
E-mail alerts are e-mail notifications sent directly to your e-mail address, whenever a new posting is added on MacDirectory.
Alerts can be added for any category on the site. They will be sent to you depending on how you set up them.
You must be a registered member in order to use our alert feature. To create an alert, log-in first, then click on the “set up” blue link located at the bottom of the article or posting you are reading. You will be asked to identify your alert, set up how often you would like to receive them and which e-mail address you would like to use.
To unsubscribe from alerts, go to “My account” and select “Edit my alerts.”
What does “Barter/Trade” means?
Barter means the exchange of products and/or services without the use of money. It is also called trade or exchange.
Can I change the font size of ads?
Click on the gray menu bar and select the “Font size” option. MacDirectory offers three different font sizes. You will need to change the font size for each posting in MacDirectory. Hint: Most Internet browsers have the option to increase the font size of web pages. You may consider increasing the font size in your browser instead of changing for each page you view in MacDirectory.
How can I print ads and articles?
Click on the gray menu bar and select the “Print” option. MacDirectory offers a print friendly format for all content posted including ads, news, reviews, interviews, etc.
How can share and ad or article?
Click on the gray menu bar and select the “e-mail” option. MacDirectory offers an easy way for you to forward published content including ads, news, reviews, interviews, etc. MacDirectory also offers more than 10 sharing options including “dig,” “googlize,” “rojo,” and “yahoo.”
Top reasons why postings are deleted
Junk posting – Junk posting includes spam (example: get rich fast) misleading ads, etc.
Miscategorized – Ad was placed in the wrong category.
Private information – Ad includes someone’s personal info (phone number, name, address, e-mail address, Social Security number, etc.)
Illegal activity – Ad includes illegal activity and violates our Terms of Service.
Pornography – Ad includes pornographic content, text, images, videos or links to a pornographic Web site.
Postings containing any of the following items are also removed:
- Alcoholic items
- Arms and weapons and related items (firearms, firearm parts and magazines, ammunition, paintball guns, BB and pellet guns, tear gas, stun guns, switchblade knives, and martial arts weapons)
- Baby walkers
- Bodily fluids, blood, and body parts
- Burglary tools
- Counterfeit currency, stamps or coins
- Counterfeit products of any kind
- Electronic surveillance equipment designed or used primarily to illegally intercept/record the private actions or interactions of others without their knowledge or permission
- Embargoed goods
- Escort services
- Government and transit uniforms, IDs and any type of licenses
- Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
- Illegal services
- Hazardous materials and supplies.
- Fireworks, destructive devices and explosives
- Identity documents (personal info, reports, etc.) in any form
- Items which encourage or facilitate illegal
- Lottery tickets, sweepstakes, slot machines
- Massage services
- Obscene material including child pornography
- Offensive material
- Pesticides
- Pets and animals. The Animal Pedigree Act makes it a federal offense to sell an animal of a recognized breed as, purebred, registered, or eligible to be registered if it is not.
- Pictures, images or videos containing nudity
- Police or any Federal/State/Government badges and uniforms
- Prescription of drugs, supplies and devices
- Prostitution or ads that offer sex, sexual favors or sexual actions in exchange for money
- Recalled items
- Satellite products that violate the Radiocommunication Act
- Sexual services, including camming (camming is the use of a video-recording device to capture audio-visual content from a display (e.g. using a camcorder to record a movie).
- Solicitation of other users except by placing an ad
- Stocks and other securities
- Stolen property
- Tobacco products
- Used cosmetics and other used beauty products
- Other: Your ad violated our Terms of Service.
I want to say something about a posting. What should I do?
You should contact the poster and reply directly. If you want to write a comment about one of our product reviews, news or interviews, you need to register first. Once you sign-in, go to the bottom of article you are reading and look for the “Write comment” box. Type your comment and click “submit.”
How do I report a violation of my intellectual property?
If you believe a posting on MacDirectory infringes your intellectual property (copyright, trademark, etc.), please read and follow the instructions stated in our Terms of Service, Section 8 (Notification of Claims of Infringement).
Legal and harassment
If you feel you have been harassed contact us and provide as much info as possible including date of published ad, title, description, poster contact info, posting ID, etc. We will investigate and MacDirectory will work with local and federal authorities.
Spam, viruses and other bad stuff
Be wary of unknown attachments, and keep your anti-virus software up-to-date!
Advertising on MacDirectory
How can I advertise using banners in MacDirectory?
If you are interested in advertising in MacDirectory, contact our advertising team. We will contact you with our current promotions and offers. You may also consider advertising in MacDirectory Magazine in order to obtain our multiple ad placement discount. MacDirectory Magazine helps hundreds of companies increase business effectively.
Where can I advertise my services/products?
As long as you provide a service or product that is useful to Apple/Macintosh users, you can post your services in any section of MacDirectory.
For advertisement placement options, rates and current promotions, contact our advertising team. You may also consider advertising in MacDirectory Magazine in order to obtain our multiple ad placement discount. MacDirectory Magazine helps hundreds of companies increase business effectively.
How can I feature my products in the MacDirectory store?
If you are interested in featuring your products in the MacDirectory store, please contact our partner PriceGrabber.
Permissions, Media, Links
What are the benefits of including the MacDirectory URL on my site?
By featuring the MacDirectory URL on your site, we will feature your company on our site and help you increase business. In addition, your support will help us spread the word about your services and site features. Visit our media department and choose from one of our logos and link it to http://www.macdirectory.com.
My company was featured in MacDirectory. Can I copy the article on my site?
You can only use an article in your site if you link the article to MacDirectory.com. Visit our media department and choose from one of our logos and link it to http://www.macdirectory.com.
Where can I obtain MacDirectory media, like Editor Rating logos, etc?
Visit our media department and choose from one of our logos and link it to http://www.macdirectory.com. |
