Action Line# 91002 -- Classified ads
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --
Complaint:
I used to frequent the classified ads as they were posted on the Incirlik home page and enjoyed looking for possible deals around the base. Recently the site was relocated to the FSS page and I hadn't taken the time to locate it and rummage the listings. This morning, I decided to look into the site and was a little perturbed by what I found. On what used to have several listings a week, now had a meager four. Across the top of the page was a disclaimer that posting will be charged $5.00 per ad up to 25 words. Had this fee always been there or is this new (accounting for the very few postings)? Any explanation or justification for this charge would be appreciated.
Response:
Thank you for your interest in the Incirlik home page. In July of this year, the base classified ads were transferred from the Incirlik home page, managed by the wing's public affairs office, to the 39th Force Support Squadron's Web site in order to comply with DoD and Air Force instructions. These instructions state all postings on an official government Web site must be official business. The Incirlik home page is the official military home page for the wing and there are rules which regulate what can and cannot be posted. Posting ads which in most cases provide people with monetary benefit and using government manpower and resources to manage the ads did not comply with the set instructions.
Instead of ending the entire program without offering another option, the public affairs office asked the 39th FSS marketing office if they could take over the ads. The 39FSS.com website is a Non- appropriated funded site which requires it to be self sustaining. In other words, the money received via customers must pay for the Web site domain and the labor involved in posting the ad.
I used to frequent the classified ads as they were posted on the Incirlik home page and enjoyed looking for possible deals around the base. Recently the site was relocated to the FSS page and I hadn't taken the time to locate it and rummage the listings. This morning, I decided to look into the site and was a little perturbed by what I found. On what used to have several listings a week, now had a meager four. Across the top of the page was a disclaimer that posting will be charged $5.00 per ad up to 25 words. Had this fee always been there or is this new (accounting for the very few postings)? Any explanation or justification for this charge would be appreciated.
Response:
Thank you for your interest in the Incirlik home page. In July of this year, the base classified ads were transferred from the Incirlik home page, managed by the wing's public affairs office, to the 39th Force Support Squadron's Web site in order to comply with DoD and Air Force instructions. These instructions state all postings on an official government Web site must be official business. The Incirlik home page is the official military home page for the wing and there are rules which regulate what can and cannot be posted. Posting ads which in most cases provide people with monetary benefit and using government manpower and resources to manage the ads did not comply with the set instructions.
Instead of ending the entire program without offering another option, the public affairs office asked the 39th FSS marketing office if they could take over the ads. The 39FSS.com website is a Non- appropriated funded site which requires it to be self sustaining. In other words, the money received via customers must pay for the Web site domain and the labor involved in posting the ad.
