snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Y'all can move this thread wherever y'all see fit I don't care. Lol. IDE just like to get together on some issues to make this a forum that can compete with the best of them.
Why are the forums slowing down so much?
- Thread starter snakeblitz33
- Start date
michaeltx
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much#post_3430904
Situations like this are a huge turn off about this site for me...https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/387819/thermos-frag-swap
Over moderation for no good reason is a real mood killer for a lot of folks.
Sorry about that I must have missed updating that post. I did put that post in the shark tank and was told it was a no go at this point in time.
I dropped the ball on it and I do apologize for that one.
There are many factors that cause a board to go up and down.
I noticed that since I have come back over a long time of not being able to be on the boards that some new features that were added to the board had a lot of negative side effects. I think that along with the economy has a lot of people not being able to afford the hobby right now. IT is unfortunate that this has all happened and alot of people are trying to put food on the table that this hobby is the first to take a hit.
We did have the trading and selling forums on here and it was a big headache to say the least. we as moderators spent alot of time in that area alone and it got to be a big negative issue with us and admin with rival stores posting. I can say it was not all bad and I did get alot of great stuff from members in that area and wish it was still there but really admire SWF.com for even allowing it to start with.
I do believe that Scott and the Team here at SWF.com is open to suggestions but keep in mind that they are first a store and that will always take the top priority in the final say.
Please add anything that you wish to see happen here in the site. maybe some of them can be looked into by Scott and the Team.
Mike
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much#post_3430904
Situations like this are a huge turn off about this site for me...https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/387819/thermos-frag-swap
Over moderation for no good reason is a real mood killer for a lot of folks.
Sorry about that I must have missed updating that post. I did put that post in the shark tank and was told it was a no go at this point in time.
I dropped the ball on it and I do apologize for that one.
There are many factors that cause a board to go up and down.
I noticed that since I have come back over a long time of not being able to be on the boards that some new features that were added to the board had a lot of negative side effects. I think that along with the economy has a lot of people not being able to afford the hobby right now. IT is unfortunate that this has all happened and alot of people are trying to put food on the table that this hobby is the first to take a hit.
We did have the trading and selling forums on here and it was a big headache to say the least. we as moderators spent alot of time in that area alone and it got to be a big negative issue with us and admin with rival stores posting. I can say it was not all bad and I did get alot of great stuff from members in that area and wish it was still there but really admire SWF.com for even allowing it to start with.
I do believe that Scott and the Team here at SWF.com is open to suggestions but keep in mind that they are first a store and that will always take the top priority in the final say.
Please add anything that you wish to see happen here in the site. maybe some of them can be looked into by Scott and the Team.
Mike
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
At bare minimum, I would like to see an instant chat function on the board. It would be fun to instantly chat with fellow reefers. I think that may also bring in new hobbyists who may want emergency help and can't get it on other boards without a live chat feature.
I think a little more definition in what a "competitor link" is would be nice. There are many times that I want to link an article to someone, but it's on another forum, and I hate to copy and paste without citing a source. I think that links to articles on other forums should be permitted. Whatever helps the hobbyist have a successful tank and keep reefing and buying from SWF.com... yah know?
I think it's great that they started the TOTM again, and I look forward to it every month! I hope we can continue it.
I wish Acrylic would stop by and say something. He said he had some ideas, lol.
I think a little more definition in what a "competitor link" is would be nice. There are many times that I want to link an article to someone, but it's on another forum, and I hate to copy and paste without citing a source. I think that links to articles on other forums should be permitted. Whatever helps the hobbyist have a successful tank and keep reefing and buying from SWF.com... yah know?
I think it's great that they started the TOTM again, and I look forward to it every month! I hope we can continue it.
I wish Acrylic would stop by and say something. He said he had some ideas, lol.
S
smartorl
Guest
I'm sorry, the economy really doesn't have that large of an impact on a forum that has a solid base. Several of the forums that I have been members of for years have members who are no longer active in the industry or hobby. Several of our older members no longer have tanks but still stop in.
I think the biggest problem here has been the forum itself. Some days, I am too disgusted with the time it takes to load the heavy graphics and ads. You click on something but because it's still loading and moving, you end up on another page, have to back up and go through it all over again. Half the time when I read a thread and go to reply, the reply option is messed up and I have to reload the page to have a place to reply. More than half of those times, I just leave.
There is no point in my opinion of needing a super flashy forum with all the bells and whistles if it is not user friendly.
I would love less bling. A simple, practical message board would be very welcome.
I don't know, chat just doesn't scream a "gotta have". If you want to chat, go to a chat room somewhere. Many, many successfuly forums don't have chat functions. People can communicate just fine within the scope of the forum.
I also think that allowing the newbies often suspiciously new people to enter the contests is counterproductive. This doesn't promote a desire to hand around for those who have remained loyal to this forum through thick and thin. There should be rewards for those who do stay. Many forums have minimum post counts before people can enter things, minimum post counts for starting threads, even limited areas for them to access until they are established. This is nothing new, this is so that people hang around because they "WANT" to belong to the group.
Family friendly site, isn't a bad thing at all. I do feel that some people have been allowed to be destructive to the boards and accost other members and allowed to stay. This is wrong, it shouldn't matter who they know. The main person I refer to is gone now however, for me, given the chain of events, the board no longer feels like home. I pop in now and again but mainly catch up with my friends from here in other places.
I think the biggest problem here has been the forum itself. Some days, I am too disgusted with the time it takes to load the heavy graphics and ads. You click on something but because it's still loading and moving, you end up on another page, have to back up and go through it all over again. Half the time when I read a thread and go to reply, the reply option is messed up and I have to reload the page to have a place to reply. More than half of those times, I just leave.
There is no point in my opinion of needing a super flashy forum with all the bells and whistles if it is not user friendly.
I would love less bling. A simple, practical message board would be very welcome.
I don't know, chat just doesn't scream a "gotta have". If you want to chat, go to a chat room somewhere. Many, many successfuly forums don't have chat functions. People can communicate just fine within the scope of the forum.
I also think that allowing the newbies often suspiciously new people to enter the contests is counterproductive. This doesn't promote a desire to hand around for those who have remained loyal to this forum through thick and thin. There should be rewards for those who do stay. Many forums have minimum post counts before people can enter things, minimum post counts for starting threads, even limited areas for them to access until they are established. This is nothing new, this is so that people hang around because they "WANT" to belong to the group.
Family friendly site, isn't a bad thing at all. I do feel that some people have been allowed to be destructive to the boards and accost other members and allowed to stay. This is wrong, it shouldn't matter who they know. The main person I refer to is gone now however, for me, given the chain of events, the board no longer feels like home. I pop in now and again but mainly catch up with my friends from here in other places.
A chatting feature would be very hard to moderate, if not impossible, so I don't see that happening. I can see PM ending up becoming a tool for spammers and unsolicited communication. We do have near instant messaging via the private message feature which will notify you as soon as a message appears. However, if there is enough interest in this, we can bring it up to SWF or you can contact SWF directly with the idea.
Agree that the new forum unfortunately has had and does have its negative sides. The annoying ads are a problem and the difficulty in actually using the forum, for some, is hard to get by. However, it is not for lack of trying to resolve issues by SWF.
This forum does have a solid base, but forums do not grow because of a base. Forums thrive when the membership is dynamic with new people joining, contributing daily. This is likely why new members are allowed to join in on the contest (to encourage participation in the forum and sales for SWF). I do think, that economy features predominately in impacting participation. While some who left the hobby remain as participants on the forum, most people leaving the hobby are not going to continue with the forums. SWF is active, but not as active as it used to be. Many contributing factors to that.
The standing policy at SWF is that no links on the forum from competitors or stores. That would include other hobby sites and hobby forums, including articles. Copy/pasting from other sites should not be done here, since that could be considered as plagiarism. Best to use your own words. Anybody can do a google search if they wanted to read articles. People come here to share with you, fellow hobbyists.
Personally, I think that the thermos trading was a great idea, however, all the problems that occurred with the trading forum previously has left a bitter taste for SWF.
Agree that the new forum unfortunately has had and does have its negative sides. The annoying ads are a problem and the difficulty in actually using the forum, for some, is hard to get by. However, it is not for lack of trying to resolve issues by SWF.
This forum does have a solid base, but forums do not grow because of a base. Forums thrive when the membership is dynamic with new people joining, contributing daily. This is likely why new members are allowed to join in on the contest (to encourage participation in the forum and sales for SWF). I do think, that economy features predominately in impacting participation. While some who left the hobby remain as participants on the forum, most people leaving the hobby are not going to continue with the forums. SWF is active, but not as active as it used to be. Many contributing factors to that.
The standing policy at SWF is that no links on the forum from competitors or stores. That would include other hobby sites and hobby forums, including articles. Copy/pasting from other sites should not be done here, since that could be considered as plagiarism. Best to use your own words. Anybody can do a google search if they wanted to read articles. People come here to share with you, fellow hobbyists.
Personally, I think that the thermos trading was a great idea, however, all the problems that occurred with the trading forum previously has left a bitter taste for SWF.
reefraff
Active Member
Could be they need to look at the tags they use for internet search engines. Even in bad times I'd expect to see more newbies.
Other than that I got nothin. I don't purchase from SWF because they have the worst "customer service" in the industry. Solve that and things might pick up as well
Other than that I got nothin. I don't purchase from SWF because they have the worst "customer service" in the industry. Solve that and things might pick up as well
ironeagle2006
Active Member
For me it is simple as heck the Economy I had to sell 2 of my 3 tanks to surivive and it SUCKS. Had to get rid of my 150 and my nano cube. But I am still aiming for my jumbo tank in a few years called starting to get Dead rock and such just going to take more time. What bites is that I am the one that has to do this yet my kids destory what little I have left.
cipher43
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much#post_3430988
You'd think. For the last 18 months or so since I came to this site there has always been a wave of members coming and going. Many, due in part from the economy, technical challenges and some who I am sure have just moved on. Fortunately I can say that with all of the changes that have been made around here I am happiest with the site the way it is now as long as they can keep glitches to a minimum. I like the idea of a members chat, room or rooms. The forums can be a tool for learning but they also seem to be a way for socializing. And I think a socialized environment can also be a place where people can feel comfortable and want to come to learn as a way of meet new people in the hobby. I believe the socializing of the tool is what this site needs to move forward without but without some of the vices that keep it held back. Like, for instance, the sharing of information by the linking to data from other sources on the net such as other forums as long and they're not stores themselves (directly) as well?
I agree completely on the community/socializing feel. Without the friendly attitude from people like Shawn, Corey, BTLDreef, Al, Meowzer and many more have shown I might have jumped ship long ago.
I started on this site, RC and a few other saltwater forums around the same time and I really didnt get that "family feel" from the other ones which is one of the reasons I know I stayed here and really only post on this site even though i do read on the other sites still when i have time.
As for the buy/sell/trade section i think that would be awesome but i do see where the problems with that would come from for the SWF store. The only buy/sell/trade section I have ever really looked at is on my states group forums.
I think the Chat room style would be nice but i also feel it would make the moderators work overtime because people will end up abusing it one way or another.
The biggest change I think should be made is make it so we can link to other forums . I understand this is a store first and these forums have LOTS of good info and people on it but if you are just linking to a forum and not a store itself what does it hurt.
It is still going to happen if you let it or not, but the thing is it may be going on in pm's instead of on the forums where it can help more than the one person it was sent to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431141
I'm sorry, the economy really doesn't have that large of an impact on a forum that has a solid base. Several of the forums that I have been members of for years have members who are no longer active in the industry or hobby. Several of our older members no longer have tanks but still stop in.
I think the biggest problem here has been the forum itself. Some days, I am too disgusted with the time it takes to load the heavy graphics and ads. You click on something but because it's still loading and moving, you end up on another page, have to back up and go through it all over again. Half the time when I read a thread and go to reply, the reply option is messed up and I have to reload the page to have a place to reply. More than half of those times, I just leave.
There is no point in my opinion of needing a super flashy forum with all the bells and whistles if it is not user friendly.
I would love less bling. A simple, practical message board would be very welcome.
I don't know, chat just doesn't scream a "gotta have". If you want to chat, go to a chat room somewhere. Many, many successfuly forums don't have chat functions. People can communicate just fine within the scope of the forum.
I also think that allowing the newbies often suspiciously new people to enter the contests is counterproductive. This doesn't promote a desire to hand around for those who have remained loyal to this forum through thick and thin. There should be rewards for those who do stay. Many forums have minimum post counts before people can enter things, minimum post counts for starting threads, even limited areas for them to access until they are established. This is nothing new, this is so that people hang around because they "WANT" to belong to the group.
Family friendly site, isn't a bad thing at all. I do feel that some people have been allowed to be destructive to the boards and accost other members and allowed to stay. This is wrong, it shouldn't matter who they know. The main person I refer to is gone now however, for me, given the chain of events, the board no longer feels like home. I pop in now and again but mainly catch up with my friends from here in other places.
Let me start by saying I'm not taking a stab at ya smartorl.
I have never had a problem with loading the SWF forums and im using a computer that is absolutly out of date (it was bought in 2002/2003 so thats getting to be 10 years old.) I can understand however if you have dialup because that is bad.
as for limiting newbies i think that would kill the forums. I know when i started on here which was over a year and a half or so ago (yes i know i'm still way under 500 post so you may consider me a nub still to the site) i had alot of questions and if I wouldn't have been able to get some answers from people by starting my own thread i would have gone with RC and stayed there because newbies have the right to ask dumb questions too. I think all that would do is cause alot more people to Hijack forums or stop asking questions altogether which i know you are probably against. As for entering contest i don't understand the problem there too. Not everyone joining this forum are new to the hobby so an "expert" from another forum that has decided to jump his previous ship and join SWF shouldn't be punished because he doesn't have such and such number of post. That to me is like entering a race and only the first 50 people that sign up for the race can have the chance to win the race and the rest can run but not get anything out of it.
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much#post_3430988
You'd think. For the last 18 months or so since I came to this site there has always been a wave of members coming and going. Many, due in part from the economy, technical challenges and some who I am sure have just moved on. Fortunately I can say that with all of the changes that have been made around here I am happiest with the site the way it is now as long as they can keep glitches to a minimum. I like the idea of a members chat, room or rooms. The forums can be a tool for learning but they also seem to be a way for socializing. And I think a socialized environment can also be a place where people can feel comfortable and want to come to learn as a way of meet new people in the hobby. I believe the socializing of the tool is what this site needs to move forward without but without some of the vices that keep it held back. Like, for instance, the sharing of information by the linking to data from other sources on the net such as other forums as long and they're not stores themselves (directly) as well?
I agree completely on the community/socializing feel. Without the friendly attitude from people like Shawn, Corey, BTLDreef, Al, Meowzer and many more have shown I might have jumped ship long ago.
I started on this site, RC and a few other saltwater forums around the same time and I really didnt get that "family feel" from the other ones which is one of the reasons I know I stayed here and really only post on this site even though i do read on the other sites still when i have time.
As for the buy/sell/trade section i think that would be awesome but i do see where the problems with that would come from for the SWF store. The only buy/sell/trade section I have ever really looked at is on my states group forums.
I think the Chat room style would be nice but i also feel it would make the moderators work overtime because people will end up abusing it one way or another.
The biggest change I think should be made is make it so we can link to other forums . I understand this is a store first and these forums have LOTS of good info and people on it but if you are just linking to a forum and not a store itself what does it hurt.
It is still going to happen if you let it or not, but the thing is it may be going on in pm's instead of on the forums where it can help more than the one person it was sent to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431141
I'm sorry, the economy really doesn't have that large of an impact on a forum that has a solid base. Several of the forums that I have been members of for years have members who are no longer active in the industry or hobby. Several of our older members no longer have tanks but still stop in.
I think the biggest problem here has been the forum itself. Some days, I am too disgusted with the time it takes to load the heavy graphics and ads. You click on something but because it's still loading and moving, you end up on another page, have to back up and go through it all over again. Half the time when I read a thread and go to reply, the reply option is messed up and I have to reload the page to have a place to reply. More than half of those times, I just leave.
There is no point in my opinion of needing a super flashy forum with all the bells and whistles if it is not user friendly.
I would love less bling. A simple, practical message board would be very welcome.
I don't know, chat just doesn't scream a "gotta have". If you want to chat, go to a chat room somewhere. Many, many successfuly forums don't have chat functions. People can communicate just fine within the scope of the forum.
I also think that allowing the newbies often suspiciously new people to enter the contests is counterproductive. This doesn't promote a desire to hand around for those who have remained loyal to this forum through thick and thin. There should be rewards for those who do stay. Many forums have minimum post counts before people can enter things, minimum post counts for starting threads, even limited areas for them to access until they are established. This is nothing new, this is so that people hang around because they "WANT" to belong to the group.
Family friendly site, isn't a bad thing at all. I do feel that some people have been allowed to be destructive to the boards and accost other members and allowed to stay. This is wrong, it shouldn't matter who they know. The main person I refer to is gone now however, for me, given the chain of events, the board no longer feels like home. I pop in now and again but mainly catch up with my friends from here in other places.
Let me start by saying I'm not taking a stab at ya smartorl.
I have never had a problem with loading the SWF forums and im using a computer that is absolutly out of date (it was bought in 2002/2003 so thats getting to be 10 years old.) I can understand however if you have dialup because that is bad.
as for limiting newbies i think that would kill the forums. I know when i started on here which was over a year and a half or so ago (yes i know i'm still way under 500 post so you may consider me a nub still to the site) i had alot of questions and if I wouldn't have been able to get some answers from people by starting my own thread i would have gone with RC and stayed there because newbies have the right to ask dumb questions too. I think all that would do is cause alot more people to Hijack forums or stop asking questions altogether which i know you are probably against. As for entering contest i don't understand the problem there too. Not everyone joining this forum are new to the hobby so an "expert" from another forum that has decided to jump his previous ship and join SWF shouldn't be punished because he doesn't have such and such number of post. That to me is like entering a race and only the first 50 people that sign up for the race can have the chance to win the race and the rest can run but not get anything out of it.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelTX http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431108
Sorry about that I must have missed updating that post. I did put that post in the shark tank and was told it was a no go at this point in time.
I dropped the ball on it and I do apologize for that one.
Mike
No worries, I don't think that swap was really going to go very far anyways. Sorry if my post sounded like a personal attack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431168
Could be they need to look at the tags they use for internet search engines. Even in bad times I'd expect to see more newbies.
Other than that I got nothin. I don't purchase from SWF because they have the worst "customer service" in the industry. Solve that and things might pick up as well
lol. I can't speak from exp. But I've seen a lot of folks claiming the same thing, not just here but else where as well. Although most people don't tend to post about their good experiences, it's mostly the bad ones that drive people to post anything at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cipher43 http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431198
I agree completely on the community/socializing feel. Without the friendly attitude from people like Shawn, Corey, BTLDreef, Al, Meowzer and many more have shown I might have jumped ship long ago.
I started on this site, RC and a few other saltwater forums around the same time and I really didnt get that "family feel" from the other ones which is one of the reasons I know I stayed here and really only post on this site even though i do read on the other sites still when i have time.
As for the buy/sell/trade section i think that would be awesome but i do see where the problems with that would come from for the SWF store. The only buy/sell/trade section I have ever really looked at is on my states group forums.
I think the Chat room style would be nice but i also feel it would make the moderators work overtime because people will end up abusing it one way or another.
The biggest change I think should be made is make it so we can link to other forums . I understand this is a store first and these forums have LOTS of good info and people on it but if you are just linking to a forum and not a store itself what does it hurt.
It is still going to happen if you let it or not, but the thing is it may be going on in pm's instead of on the forums where it can help more than the one person it was sent to.
Agreed, if one thing could be changed that would make me happy would be the linking issue. Since it's something that goes on anyways it's just more of an inconvenience making people go behind the scenes to do what they are going to do regardless. This way others may be able to benefit from seeing or reading certain things that they may otherwise never be aware of. Not to mention the fact that a lot of folks aren't trying to hear just one side of a story, but when you can link other information to back up claims then it makes certain ideas that much more credible.
Originally Posted by MichaelTX http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431108
Sorry about that I must have missed updating that post. I did put that post in the shark tank and was told it was a no go at this point in time.
I dropped the ball on it and I do apologize for that one.
Mike
No worries, I don't think that swap was really going to go very far anyways. Sorry if my post sounded like a personal attack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431168
Could be they need to look at the tags they use for internet search engines. Even in bad times I'd expect to see more newbies.
Other than that I got nothin. I don't purchase from SWF because they have the worst "customer service" in the industry. Solve that and things might pick up as well
lol. I can't speak from exp. But I've seen a lot of folks claiming the same thing, not just here but else where as well. Although most people don't tend to post about their good experiences, it's mostly the bad ones that drive people to post anything at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cipher43 http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431198
I agree completely on the community/socializing feel. Without the friendly attitude from people like Shawn, Corey, BTLDreef, Al, Meowzer and many more have shown I might have jumped ship long ago.
I started on this site, RC and a few other saltwater forums around the same time and I really didnt get that "family feel" from the other ones which is one of the reasons I know I stayed here and really only post on this site even though i do read on the other sites still when i have time.
As for the buy/sell/trade section i think that would be awesome but i do see where the problems with that would come from for the SWF store. The only buy/sell/trade section I have ever really looked at is on my states group forums.
I think the Chat room style would be nice but i also feel it would make the moderators work overtime because people will end up abusing it one way or another.
The biggest change I think should be made is make it so we can link to other forums . I understand this is a store first and these forums have LOTS of good info and people on it but if you are just linking to a forum and not a store itself what does it hurt.
It is still going to happen if you let it or not, but the thing is it may be going on in pm's instead of on the forums where it can help more than the one person it was sent to.
Agreed, if one thing could be changed that would make me happy would be the linking issue. Since it's something that goes on anyways it's just more of an inconvenience making people go behind the scenes to do what they are going to do regardless. This way others may be able to benefit from seeing or reading certain things that they may otherwise never be aware of. Not to mention the fact that a lot of folks aren't trying to hear just one side of a story, but when you can link other information to back up claims then it makes certain ideas that much more credible.
S
smartorl
Guest
There are times when I fewer issues. I know at one time Renee was upset with the issues she was having loading and I wasn't having any. I really think it's hit or miss based on the latest modifications. I have a super fast connection and my computers for my business are cutting edge or as much as they can be with technology updates. I can say that my old dinosaur of a computer that my son uses has fewer issues although I think it is a coincidence.
I don't agree with the limiting of new people starting new threads on many forums, but maybe certain areas of our forum like the aquarium to provide the members with a privileged area. I didn't mean that a person had to have x posts to post anywhere, that defeats the purpose. I should have been clearer. This forum used to maybe still does moderate new posts to make sure they are not spam. Human beings strive to belong to things, this is why there are churches, clubs, sports, etc. Having incentives to want to be a part of a group does provide strength. I have only entered one contest I think and I won my catergory so I am not coming from a place of sour grapes but from a place of wanting to see the members who have stuck by this group be given some recognition over someone who has 3 posts, all of them in contests. This forum used to be an uber tight group, some of us hang around in the hopes of a resurgence.
From a business standpoint as a successful businesswoman, I can see why they have done the things they have done to boost activity, but from a marketing standpoint, sometimes you have to think outside the box a bit and create an environment that people want to embrace and become a part of. When I am recruiting I not only offer some things up front, but also show what the future can hold should they decide to stick around. This is one of the oldest "tricks" although I don't think trick is the right word, because there is no trickery involved.
I did not take offense to your post at all, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
As far as the trading, I totally understand. For those that were not here, what was intended to be simple trades amongst members had several businesses in here making large profits off of the members. These weren't cheap swap deals, some pretty signifigant purchases were going down daily. Then on the other side of the coin, you had the people who were not happy with their purchases and the out and out con artists. I got some amazing frags, with extras, and I got taken for a few rides. It was purchaser beware but some wanted to make a scene when their deal didn't pan out as if the forum was responsible. It grew increasingly ugly as time went on. Even the thermos trades as invariably someone didn't hold up their end and those after were upset.
As far as the customer service here, I have ordered for many years, years before I knew of the forum and have always been happy and felt they went above and beyond to make things more than right.
I don't agree with the limiting of new people starting new threads on many forums, but maybe certain areas of our forum like the aquarium to provide the members with a privileged area. I didn't mean that a person had to have x posts to post anywhere, that defeats the purpose. I should have been clearer. This forum used to maybe still does moderate new posts to make sure they are not spam. Human beings strive to belong to things, this is why there are churches, clubs, sports, etc. Having incentives to want to be a part of a group does provide strength. I have only entered one contest I think and I won my catergory so I am not coming from a place of sour grapes but from a place of wanting to see the members who have stuck by this group be given some recognition over someone who has 3 posts, all of them in contests. This forum used to be an uber tight group, some of us hang around in the hopes of a resurgence.
From a business standpoint as a successful businesswoman, I can see why they have done the things they have done to boost activity, but from a marketing standpoint, sometimes you have to think outside the box a bit and create an environment that people want to embrace and become a part of. When I am recruiting I not only offer some things up front, but also show what the future can hold should they decide to stick around. This is one of the oldest "tricks" although I don't think trick is the right word, because there is no trickery involved.
I did not take offense to your post at all, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
As far as the trading, I totally understand. For those that were not here, what was intended to be simple trades amongst members had several businesses in here making large profits off of the members. These weren't cheap swap deals, some pretty signifigant purchases were going down daily. Then on the other side of the coin, you had the people who were not happy with their purchases and the out and out con artists. I got some amazing frags, with extras, and I got taken for a few rides. It was purchaser beware but some wanted to make a scene when their deal didn't pan out as if the forum was responsible. It grew increasingly ugly as time went on. Even the thermos trades as invariably someone didn't hold up their end and those after were upset.
As far as the customer service here, I have ordered for many years, years before I knew of the forum and have always been happy and felt they went above and beyond to make things more than right.
reefraff
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beth http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431174
reef, that is not the feedback that I usually see regarding customer service.
Like cipher mentioned I started out over here and kinda drifted back and forth between here and RC. So I made an order and got a dozen dead snails. I contacted SWF and got a canned response about snails taking more time to come out of shock blah blah blah. This ain't my first rodeo, The snails had been sitting in my tank for over a day before I e mailed them. I mean it was no kidding 1 dozen snails. I was worried that they had gotten a diseased batch in or something and wanted answers, It was pretty weird that a whole bag of snails would be dead out of an order where all else was fine. I contacted customer service again (e-mail was the only way to do so at the time) and didn't get any response so I opened up a thread here in the appropriate forum. No bashing or anything, just asking if there was an issue with the batch of snails. Two other people also jumped in as well and instead of responding to our questions the thread was removed.
That whole incident turned me off so much I quit coming to the site for a long time. I only came back over when someone mentioned some of my T5 research was being misquoted over here (which turned out not to be the case) and I somehow got sucked into the Aquarium LOL!
Originally Posted by Beth http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431174
reef, that is not the feedback that I usually see regarding customer service.
Like cipher mentioned I started out over here and kinda drifted back and forth between here and RC. So I made an order and got a dozen dead snails. I contacted SWF and got a canned response about snails taking more time to come out of shock blah blah blah. This ain't my first rodeo, The snails had been sitting in my tank for over a day before I e mailed them. I mean it was no kidding 1 dozen snails. I was worried that they had gotten a diseased batch in or something and wanted answers, It was pretty weird that a whole bag of snails would be dead out of an order where all else was fine. I contacted customer service again (e-mail was the only way to do so at the time) and didn't get any response so I opened up a thread here in the appropriate forum. No bashing or anything, just asking if there was an issue with the batch of snails. Two other people also jumped in as well and instead of responding to our questions the thread was removed.
That whole incident turned me off so much I quit coming to the site for a long time. I only came back over when someone mentioned some of my T5 research was being misquoted over here (which turned out not to be the case) and I somehow got sucked into the Aquarium LOL!
reefraff
Active Member
One thing "that other" board did was make it so buying and trading forums were not available to anyone who wasn't a board member for at least 90 days and had 50 forum posts. Not sure if that could resolve the problem over here or not. I don't knock them for wanted to protect their business interests but sometimes what would appear to be best for business isn't. If you pull more people to the site you have a much better chance they will purchase from the site at some point.
cipher43
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431208
There are times when I fewer issues. I know at one time Renee was upset with the issues she was having loading and I wasn't having any. I really think it's hit or miss based on the latest modifications. I have a super fast connection and my computers for my business are cutting edge or as much as they can be with technology updates. I can say that my old dinosaur of a computer that my son uses has fewer issues although I think it is a coincidence.
I don't agree with the limiting of new people starting new threads on many forums, but maybe certain areas of our forum like the aquarium to provide the members with a privileged area. I didn't mean that a person had to have x posts to post anywhere, that defeats the purpose. I should have been clearer. This forum used to maybe still does moderate new posts to make sure they are not spam. Human beings strive to belong to things, this is why there are churches, clubs, sports, etc. Having incentives to want to be a part of a group does provide strength. I have only entered one contest I think and I won my catergory so I am not coming from a place of sour grapes but from a place of wanting to see the members who have stuck by this group be given some recognition over someone who has 3 posts, all of them in contests. This forum used to be an uber tight group, some of us hang around in the hopes of a resurgence.
From a business standpoint as a successful businesswoman, I can see why they have done the things they have done to boost activity, but from a marketing standpoint, sometimes you have to think outside the box a bit and create an environment that people want to embrace and become a part of. When I am recruiting I not only offer some things up front, but also show what the future can hold should they decide to stick around. This is one of the oldest "tricks" although I don't think trick is the right word, because there is no trickery involved.
I did not take offense to your post at all, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
As far as the trading, I totally understand. For those that were not here, what was intended to be simple trades amongst members had several businesses in here making large profits off of the members. These weren't cheap swap deals, some pretty signifigant purchases were going down daily. Then on the other side of the coin, you had the people who were not happy with their purchases and the out and out con artists. I got some amazing frags, with extras, and I got taken for a few rides. It was purchaser beware but some wanted to make a scene when their deal didn't pan out as if the forum was responsible. It grew increasingly ugly as time went on. Even the thermos trades as invariably someone didn't hold up their end and those after were upset.
As far as the customer service here, I have ordered for many years, years before I knew of the forum and have always been happy and felt they went above and beyond to make things more than right.
That is odd that your comp wont bring it up right if its newer cause like i said my computer i use most of the day is a crappy old dell inspiron 6000 with a poor processor, poor video card and i did upgrade the ram to 2 gb. Is it windows 7 or mac? not sure if those comps would have an issue with it or maybe an antivirus that is causing you issue. I know one of the antiviruses wouldnt let me on a site a few years ago so i had to switch.
I agree with ya now that you clarified the newbie post issue. I doubt you can stop those type of people that do that because they can always find ways around it if its double or triple posting on a few threads to get there count up or just leaving there account up on there comp all day.
Also its too bad on the buy/sell/trade section. That was before my time i think lol. Unfortunately i think that is going to happen no matter what you do to modify that section. Its like craigslist, you will always have spammers and hackers. The only way i could see doing this is if it was basically enter at your own risk and if something goes bad its your own fault. I don't think if it was up that i would buy from anyone that i didn't know had posted and were normal people so i don't think i would have a problem.
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431208
There are times when I fewer issues. I know at one time Renee was upset with the issues she was having loading and I wasn't having any. I really think it's hit or miss based on the latest modifications. I have a super fast connection and my computers for my business are cutting edge or as much as they can be with technology updates. I can say that my old dinosaur of a computer that my son uses has fewer issues although I think it is a coincidence.
I don't agree with the limiting of new people starting new threads on many forums, but maybe certain areas of our forum like the aquarium to provide the members with a privileged area. I didn't mean that a person had to have x posts to post anywhere, that defeats the purpose. I should have been clearer. This forum used to maybe still does moderate new posts to make sure they are not spam. Human beings strive to belong to things, this is why there are churches, clubs, sports, etc. Having incentives to want to be a part of a group does provide strength. I have only entered one contest I think and I won my catergory so I am not coming from a place of sour grapes but from a place of wanting to see the members who have stuck by this group be given some recognition over someone who has 3 posts, all of them in contests. This forum used to be an uber tight group, some of us hang around in the hopes of a resurgence.
From a business standpoint as a successful businesswoman, I can see why they have done the things they have done to boost activity, but from a marketing standpoint, sometimes you have to think outside the box a bit and create an environment that people want to embrace and become a part of. When I am recruiting I not only offer some things up front, but also show what the future can hold should they decide to stick around. This is one of the oldest "tricks" although I don't think trick is the right word, because there is no trickery involved.
I did not take offense to your post at all, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
As far as the trading, I totally understand. For those that were not here, what was intended to be simple trades amongst members had several businesses in here making large profits off of the members. These weren't cheap swap deals, some pretty signifigant purchases were going down daily. Then on the other side of the coin, you had the people who were not happy with their purchases and the out and out con artists. I got some amazing frags, with extras, and I got taken for a few rides. It was purchaser beware but some wanted to make a scene when their deal didn't pan out as if the forum was responsible. It grew increasingly ugly as time went on. Even the thermos trades as invariably someone didn't hold up their end and those after were upset.
As far as the customer service here, I have ordered for many years, years before I knew of the forum and have always been happy and felt they went above and beyond to make things more than right.
That is odd that your comp wont bring it up right if its newer cause like i said my computer i use most of the day is a crappy old dell inspiron 6000 with a poor processor, poor video card and i did upgrade the ram to 2 gb. Is it windows 7 or mac? not sure if those comps would have an issue with it or maybe an antivirus that is causing you issue. I know one of the antiviruses wouldnt let me on a site a few years ago so i had to switch.
I agree with ya now that you clarified the newbie post issue. I doubt you can stop those type of people that do that because they can always find ways around it if its double or triple posting on a few threads to get there count up or just leaving there account up on there comp all day.
Also its too bad on the buy/sell/trade section. That was before my time i think lol. Unfortunately i think that is going to happen no matter what you do to modify that section. Its like craigslist, you will always have spammers and hackers. The only way i could see doing this is if it was basically enter at your own risk and if something goes bad its your own fault. I don't think if it was up that i would buy from anyone that i didn't know had posted and were normal people so i don't think i would have a problem.
travelerjp98
Active Member
I read through this thread... don't have much comments... been there done that.
reefraff
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beth http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431231
Did you ever get a response back to your 2nd email?
Nope. A few days later I noticed a thread about it at RC too. One of the others from here plus a couple others posted about it there as well. Like I said, I wasn't pleased LOL!
Originally Posted by Beth http:///t/388778/why-are-the-forums-slowing-down-so-much/20#post_3431231
Did you ever get a response back to your 2nd email?
Nope. A few days later I noticed a thread about it at RC too. One of the others from here plus a couple others posted about it there as well. Like I said, I wasn't pleased LOL!