Deregulation, social Darwinism and putting up posters all have a special connection. You’re perplexed, I know, but you’ll see what I mean.

If you’ve ever advertised for a club or event on campus, you’re probably familiar with the red tape: only one poster per board; don’t cover other posters; only posters on the board corresponding to the day of your event; “this board is for geology department use only.”

Is there some ‘‘Secret Board of Shadowy Figures’’ that makes these rules? Do they have a meeting room somewhere in the depths of the library’s ground floor? And do they get to put posters up as well? Inquiring minds want to know.

Putting up posters can be extremely irritating. The process is over-regulated to the point where posters are rendered useless because there’s so little you can do to get the word out about your event.

In trying to be fair, these policies create bulletin boards that look more like guerrilla war zones. Clubs are stopping at nothing to be seen and are actually being threatened for ‘‘questionable’’ postering tactics.

A change is in order, but the answer isn’t to suppress clubs more or make rules even stricter. Rather, let’s let the monster out of its cage.

Take a moment to consider social Darwinism. The rules of social Darwinism state that the strongest or fittest should survive and flourish in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die.

I understand the ramifications of supporting the same theory that despots in history have used to justify their atrocities. Remind yourself, though, that the subject matter at hand is posters, not people. We’re talking about inanimate, manipulated tree bark.

So, why don’t we let the principles of social Darwinism play out; let the poster chaos ensue. Some student groups will stop at nothing to get people to attend their event, so why stop them? These “strongest” and “fittest” groups shouldn’t be restricted to putting one poster on a board just because the “weak” and “unfit” aren’t willing to try any harder.

Backlash would be inevitable. Groups with smaller budgets can’t afford it. Groups with smaller membership don’t have the manpower to sustain it.

For these clubs, it becomes a matter of creativity. Just because you lose a leg up on posters, doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with sidewalk chalk, Facebook or other means of advertising.

As it is now, many groups bitch and whine about other groups covering their posters, especially adversarial groups that are advertising an event that occurs concurrently with their own.

Instead of complaining, how about you show some retaliatory chops? If another group posters over you, you poster over them. If they rip down your poster, you rip down theirs. Airing out gripes to the aforementioned Secret Board of Shadowy Figures won’t get more people to attend your event, but relentless postering might.

I understand the harsh advertising situation I’m supporting, but how comforting would it be to know that the boards in the Lecture Hall could be totally and completely plastered with posters for your event?

And that even if it is only a short time before some other club covers your posters, your bombardment was there, and was seen by potentially hundreds of people.

An eye for an eye, a poster for a poster. If nothing else, advertising would become a lot more interesting.