Since by and large my post went ignored and folks have gone back to their opposing views on the topics.
This post and accompanying poll are obviously needed for the following reasons.

I can commiserate with folks on both sides of the fence concerning start ups.

- I think its great that our forum is a place for discussion on new technologies, new products, a place where start ups can inform us of their work, give us their timely updates on progress here, and a platform to promote their work.

- I don't think its great the number of accrued free floating corpses of start ups we have throughout the forum, nor the fact that our forum is being used as a recruitment platform to acquire start up funds from either members or guests or diverted to their own website project pages to solicit funds there.
- with ZERO disclaimers of forum liability posted or warnings to investors that for legitimate, unforeseen or mismanaged reasons they may lose their investments.
- nor the fact that discussions in these threads spread throughout the forum in general have increased a level of "upset" on both sides of the topic pertaining to the start up in question, creating the perfect conditions for toxicity to build.

In a perfect world no regulating would be necessary.
But for the sanity of the community:

- to avoid a minimum of bad blood

- to keep the upset of members to a minimum, concerning the topic

- to keep the upset of spokespeople and teams from Start Ups to a minimum, concerning the topic

- to segregate these forum scattered threads from bleeding toxicity concerning the topics, into the community at large.
- a scattered mess in the forum of (some) successful ventures, and (the majority) "coming soon" or stalled for ~nth amount of time or vapor or abandoned or finally cancelled due to whatever circumstances.

- to segregate these forum scattered threads from bleeding toxicity concerning the topics, into the community at large.

- to make sure that liability disclaimers are clearly and prominently posted so as to absolve Talk Maemo.org from any possibility of legal action, since it is Talk Maemo.org endorsing by allowing these start ups..(whether well-meaning or vaporware bait) forum access and use of this place as a platform to directly fund raise, acquire funds or link to their project sites to do the same and lure members and guests away from here.

And lastly
- to segregate these forum scattered threads, topics and posts from bleeding toxicity concerning the nature of said topics, into the community at large.


A poll to act upon , or not, according to the majority of votes.

NOTE PLEASE:
The issue isn't about being "for" or "against" start-ups

concerning the issue of our Talk Maemo.org's possible legal issues concerning liability for these start ups.
if nothing is done concerning this issue, to tie up this "loose end" ,
then sooner or later something is bound to happen.

if nothing is done to try and contain and place all start up conversation into a designated subforum of their own where only there, can they discuss the issue, away from the forum at large, the toxicity surrounding conversation on the subject matter of the start ups will bleed as it is now, into the rest of the forum.

This is a sober and serious issue which can ruin this place.
and something needs to be done.