Your Own Little Corner of Cyberspace and the Spam Mentality

So.. I want to promote my website. No harm in that right? Nope totally wrong I'm afraid. It seems like there are a clutch of individuals that want to protect an area of the internet as their 'own'. Even on community forums. Now I use the word 'community lightly here. As from what I've seen today it's as far removed from its true meaning as it's ever been.
Lets use craigslists for example. (I shouldnt even advertise it here given the experience ) now heres a site that is in essence an 'ad' site and general discussion forum. Now forgive me if Im wrong. Advertising site. Let that settle for a moment and ponder on what that means. Can you tell me? I mentioned my website (not giving out the URL) and asked for a bit of help with some of the gig reviews, if anyone would be so kind to do so. The rough outline of it was along the lines of 'help me make my website grow'. Now the word help in my book means to obtain assistance from anyone willing enough to share it. In one foul swoop Im classed as a spammer. Without even listing my URL. One post. Not hundreds. One post. The place is both a forum and a ad site as I've previously spoken of. Now where did I cross the line? I'm not sure, but there were plenty of people there more than willing to berate, belittle and generally show little or no concern to the fact that I was new to the site and may have genuinely made a mistake in my posting. Now if ads are seen as spam on an ad site (considering again I didnt really place an ad) what is an Ad Site for? I appreciate it can be abused if listings or ads are posted here there and everywhere. With this in mind aren't the likes of Coca Cola, McDonalds and other multi-nationals guilty of the same thing? I'd argue they are.
Given that every day we are bombarded by these companies, be it in newspapers, billboards or TV advertising we are all slaves to Spam. And we subscribe to it willingly. Another argument is of course that when we sign up for an email account we dont subscribe to constant harrasment of said 'spam'. Or do we? In fact we are ourselves advertising the fact that we are open to the world for all to see. We are announcing our presence. Yes it can be annoying. How many times I could have had a penis enlargement closely followed by a bucket load of blue pills to keep the thing up is beyond me. But I still have a choice.... To read it and respond, or to ignore it and delete it. We are still left with that choice. Not so much in the world of TV, radio and other forms of commercial advertising. On average I suspect we receive more junk mail from the people we subscribe to as customers rather than those to which we do not advocate our approval to receive such literature. Yet we care not. They are effectively are on our 'approved' list.
So back to the wicked world web. Web being the most suitable term to describe it. An advertisers wet dream of sorts. No other media can match its potential audience or customer base. For some it seems though, either competition or opinion breeds a mentality of scepticism, misplaced fear or just ignorance and is a real threat to their own personal space. To encroach on what someone believes to be 'their own little ballpark' instills loathing, mistrust and down right nastyness. The web in itself has a way of creating a totally different persona for each of its users. Taking a shy boy in public, to one of complete confidence and bravado. A gentle, kind type into a vicious and mean, beast of a person. Whether each web persona is a reflection of a hidden personality trait Im unsure. But Im sure of the fact that we each have one, two or several that we'd be ashamed of showing in public.
A journey of creating a website and promoting it seems an ever more daunting a task with each passing day. The wrongs and rights of what you do is scrutinised and acted upon with more diligence than that of the spanish inquistion. And equally, you are crucified (or rather burned at the stake) for your misgivings however innocent they may be.
Some very unklind things have been said to me over the years on the web. I do however take them all with a pinch of salt as that is who I am. But. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. A totally untrue phrase in honesty. Words are more hurtful than many a physical action. Whether intended or not. Their power is matched by nothing else.
Ive rambled yes. But my thoughts flow more when I ramble like this. Id confuse myself if I hadnt already and wandered from the path I originally set out upon. As for advertising my website.? Today I dont think I'll give a shit! ;)