Spam Thread (Chat)... #72  

Rookie

no point in replying though, we the users are wrong.

Mcleod

No sir, "we the users" are not wrong.

You however, are wrong in many of your assumptions.

All constructive feedback is always appreciated.

mark1414

But people are trying to give you constructive feedback. I think you only want positive feedback...

Mcleod

I just said to my colleague at work, that engaging in an argumentative discussion in site feedback may be pointless to some degree, but hopefully some helpful and meaningful feedback will come from it.

I think I was happy with all comments except for Rookie, he hardly uses the forums and makes massively incorrect assumptions about the site.

That's the sort of shit I get upset about... people who assume things that are drastically incorrect.

Mcleod

Even you mentioned that you felt the site has changed to cater for paying users.. however there aren't any paying users.

Would you be able to explain why you felt that way?

Rookie

I hardly use the forum since the changes and the decline. Even then I check in to off topic every day but do not post as there is nothing worth posting a comment on these days.

Why not accept feedback from someone who was an active member and then stopped posting but still comes here everyday?

Mcleod

Who said I wasn't accepting your feedback?

I've responded to every question you've posted...

Why do you continue to criticize my devotion to this site?

mark1414

I was referring to 'paying users' in the broad sense.

I noticed a lot of the changes with the forum happened when we were told we couldn't post certain things because of google ads pulling your funding. That's a good example of tailoring the site around where the money comes from. Which again is fair enough because the site obviously needs money to run. But wasn't that the main reason OT was 'cleaned up'?? That was when a lot of the heavy users seem to quit.

The second part about paying using was referring to focusing on the classifields sections. I wrongly assumed that the car yards pay for ads. And yes the $9.99 thing is a relatively new introduction but its an example of needing to make the classifields the focus if people are going to pay to sell things. Finally, the business sponsors. They just go overboard sometimes, I noticed that motorculture88 guy or whatever his name is was the only poster on the side bar of the front page for a period of time (however, that might just be linked low posting allround).

None of the users know what goes on behind the scenes - we can only comment on what we see happening on the site.

wolfman101

I for one really don't care. I'd still rather talk to the six people who use this forum than post to FB.

Doc

I really can't stand fb any more, sick of friend's sharing all the bullshit

Doc

And the updated change isn't that bad, I found my way to work around and and navigate where I want to go.

Mcleod

Excellent feedback regarding the "Site Sponsors", their topics aren't meant to show in "Active Topics" or the topic feed bar at all... I've fixed that now!

I know the "clean up" you're referring to with regards to Google suspending the site and that's when Off Topic got moved to it's own site with no advertising whatsoever... it was a free for all... and people still bitched and moaned that it wasn't as popular as it once was... and begged for it to be moved back into the main forum with Boost Cruising...

So it did... but the price for that was to clean it up...

Albeit... it still continued to decline...

Please understand, I truly have tried everything.... and every action I've taken has always been with the users interest... I held out on having any advertising on the site for the first few years (2001-2005) until it just became too expensive to continue doing it out of my own pocket alone.

vk134

I have to agree with you on that, I have it as a contact point for people/kids etc, but fk me there is so much crap posted "I'm feeling tired/cold/hungry fn blah blah" harden the fk up, or the "yay look at me, dinner at Chateau dogs balls or whatever", then there is parents/school groups, fk makes me want to cry for humanity. At least foruns are more like a bunch of blokes having a fn laugh, posting crap etc

Doc

I really only look at my fb now when I get a notification when someone in my fav posts something. Everything is crapola

Bob

People just don't, or just refuse to understand the work and finances required to run a site much like this. I believe that you just need to move on, follow the trend and do what is best for the longevity of the site/business.

Doc

alpharx7

Question for you McLeod. What prompted you to make this most recent change?

alpharx7

nice to see a few of the older crew posting here again.

alpharx7

I've been trying to get my cars interior back together, its just that it's taking ten times longer than expected, since everything needs to be customized to suit the application.

now if it took 3 times as long as expected I'd have it together already, miracle worker that I am.







funny that you're sick of it, I only bothered signing up for an account a few months ago.

alpharx7

I got all excited seeing this on a site that I frequent, until I examined it further.

I'm sure that someone round here has kids that would love this though.

alpharx7

Elite Dangerous has entered alpha testing, for those who've backed the game the required amount of dosh. (I think it was 200 pounds for alpha testing- plus this gave you a whole heap of starting options / commander name / ship types/ starting status etc)

I can't for the life of me find where the gaming section has gone. so I'm posting this here.

Mcleod

To try and make it easier to use for a wider audience... in the hope that more people who come here for the first time will actually come back rather than looking at the website and going "uh, this is crazyness".

So the idea is to achieve a greater level of simplicity, the site had become quite all over the place and very complicated, most newbies just found it to be a maze and would get very lost.

Think about a new user who visited the forums category list... it was pretty intense!

I'd been wondering today why most of you were upset, after all, it was just a change to the homepage, but I think you guy's are old skool regulars who appreciated the drop down menu, and that's what the problem is... would I be right?

The statistics told me that the drop down menu's were very rarely used, most people clicked the top level option and didn't bother navigating into the drop down items. The average user would see it and get rather lost.

Website design is pretty tough these days... ten years ago you could make a website very complicated and that was fine because everyone who was browsing the internet (at the time) was rather technical and probably worked in the IT industry.

These days, every mum and dad is using the internet and they need simplicity...

Good examples are the major banks current websites, like http://www.cba.com.au/ and http://www.nab.com.au/ ... absolute minimal with the utmost simplicity.

alpharx7

ever heard of murphy's law.........

build a system that even a fool can use and only an fool will use it..............

Shuffs

Alpha's last post has now vanished,but despite my mouse smoking,and a couple of lights flashing,I've finally found Ya!
Murphy,reporting for duty,morning Spammers

Shuffs

New page Spam,where's McLeod when you need him?

Doc

Good mooning

Shuffs

Mooning Doc,you"re up early for a Queenslander...Working today?

Mcleod

I reckon... that maybe... I have this problem sorted.

Maybe...

wolfman101

That would be swell.
I'm off to my old man gym.

Doc

Yer mate, 6 am start

Doc

Mc, I'm still having that issue where I have to refresh before I post on the mobile site.

alpharx7

love your form.


that would be nice.

Rookie

wow 6 hours between posts in the spam thread

alpharx7

it's the weekend rookie, things slow down.

I've been outside working on my car, grand total of one speaker is mounted, with the trim panel cut to shape. just a small adjustment to be made tomorrow - I didn't want to re-start the air compressor - it's been going most of the afternoon, figured I'd give the neighbours a break.

i'll do the other side tomorrow, then they need to be rubbed back, prepped, and sprayed in charcoal vht vinyl dye.

still need to make new front kick panels, mount the speakers, fit the new head unit, and refit the interior / clean everything.

not a chance that i'll make downshift tomorrow. disappointed but oh well

you guys can have heaps of fun hanging out with the woztec's

Draven