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FAO 220 management

What is the Neovite thingy at the bottom of the board ?

What does it do ?

Has it been forgotten about ?

Intrigued

Comments

  • Ah it seems to has disapeared.

    While I have your attention - where is the online coaching that you promised ?
  • willieverfinish wrote:
    Ah it seems to has disapeared.

    While I have your attention - where is the online coaching that you promised ?
    Yup - would love to know the answer to this - went to look for it straight after it was mentioned in the mag - only for it to never be found!
    And as everyone knows, I need all the help I can get
  • I think there needs to be a reality check here on both sides of the fence.

    I have just looked down the credits at the back of the latest 220 to check how many people are involved in putting the magazine together. If you also understand that a lot of these individuals will be working on other magazines for Origin Publishing you will realise quickly it does not take a lot of time to put together a magazine these days given software available. I am a designer and filling in templates and photo manipulation in this digital age is not that difficult for a specialist user.

    The main concern of magazines publishing team beyond finding advertisers to filling its pages is content. It is obvious that what we have now is a grazing culture in publishing who is happy to lift / buy content rather than create it, hence we see duplication and reviews for example which come across as simply marketing directly from the manufacturers source.

    220 has put up this forum as a vehicle for selling advertising packages i.e. you get magazine space, along with banner placement on a website, the forum is the only way it could generate any views because they are woefully slow on any news. I remeber posting on here the fact Chrissie Wellington had crashed and potentially was a doubt for Kona, I suspect they walked into the office a day or so later on the Monday oblivious to the fact, yet they will have a big picture of Chrissie on their next front cover.

    There has been no reply because no one looks on here from 220 simple. As for running a coaching service well that is a false promise and should never have been made. I can remember when 220 first came out. It took a lot more effort in those days to put together a magazine and as a result the team behind it were very involved in the triathlon scene. I suspect those days are long since gone. I wonder how many of the team actually ride a bike, let alone ride to work as part of their training. I suspect the majority involved have no interest in the sport but are rather professional graphic designers etc...

    I say this for one reason, if they were all involved as many were in the magazines formative years they wouldn't feel they had to allocate magazine time in saying when and where they where racing. Rather they would be well known faces on the circuit. We can see this manifesting itself in another way, and that is how they present basically freelance contributors as 'one of the team'. I am sure that Joe Friel is not one of the team rather he is one of the sports most highly acclaimed internationally renowned coaches and authors and is simply acting in a freelance manner recirculating his past writtings.

    We should expect nothing from them on this forum for them it is advertising space for us an opportunity to use as we wish. In the same way 220 should be honest about how big they are and what their prioritories are and not pretent otherwise.
  • U make some good points.
    It's just disappointing I guess.
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    Well, the proof will be in the pudding, if they come on and set us straight, or if this thread goes unnoticed....

    Is there a smilie for tumbleweed?
  • [img:2t1z1ylj]http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4m54zZwc61qzufnjo1_400.gif[/img:2t1z1ylj]
  • [quote="nivagh"]Well, the proof will be in the pudding, if they come on and set us straight, or if this thread goes unnoticed....

    It would be nice to get a response from time to time, do you think it might be an idea to change the title of the post to something more obvious as it has been 25 or so days. I would have though even in this time frame someone would have been on at least to recognise the post and say they are looking into it, after all how do they manage to decide what comments to lift off the forum to help fill in that bit of blank space alongside the letters page. Maybe those comments are simply randomly lifted by a computer programme, which kind of makes sense some months the more I think about it.
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    bump (yawn)
  • do you think it might be an idea to change the title of the post to something more obvious as it has been 25 or so days
    Er.... I'm not sure I can make it any more obvious tbh

    Please feel free to make a suggestion and I'll edit the original post.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    How about 'where's the online coaching you offered'
  • Hi all

    Matt from 220 here, trust all is well.

    In reponse to your queries, I can assure you that we read all of your posts on an hourly basis.

    The reason we haven't posted is that, editorially, we see the forum as yours and, barring the occasional Online Forum Comment for the magazine, we have the unwritten rule of staying clear of dictating content. We're more then happy to deal with spam, sending out PDFs from the magazine etc but we've always felt that the forum should be a community for our readership and not us. But perhaps that's a mistake on our behalf and you'd like more involvement from us?

    The 220 Online Coach has suffered from development issues beyond our control but we're hoping that a new Training Zone (more details to follow) will be available on the website in December.

    LancsRider, I'm happy to address your accusations in a personal email but, for the record, the small full-time editorial team (only one of us is a designer!) we have here has 30 years of experience on 220 alone, so your claim that we have no interest in the sport is somewhat grating.

    As always, we're more than happy to hear your views on what's working online and in the magazine.

    Yours in sport, Matt
  • Matt -

    Thanks for the reply.

    I don't think we are asking you to police the forum but in response to your statement
    The 220 Online Coach has suffered from development issues beyond our control but we're hoping that a new Training Zone (more details to follow) will be available on the website in December.
    We totally understand that your busy and have other responsibilities other than sitting down all day pouring through this forum but maybe little post just to explain why something that was promised hasn't materialised. That would be nice tbh. it's the not knowing that frustrates me.

    The magazine has actually improved a great deal in recent months - so much so I shall be renewing my subscription.

    I'm not digging you out at all but merely trying to help in the natural progression of your forum... It sometimes feels as though it's stalling.... Days go by without a reply to posts. Newbies ask questions and they never get answered.

    tis forum is where my experiences with triathlon started - in a way I have a lot to thank this place for. I just want to see it as busy as it used to be.

    Thanks again
    Ben
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  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Matt

    Thanks for the reply, much appreciated to see your views. From our perspective the lack of input from you guys speaks volumes. We get the odd question which then we pay to see our comments in the magazine. What I'd like to see is you guys pushing the forum in the magazine to get it back to a decent state. Then a bigger input - you guys race the same as us - tell us about it. You guys have sheds of advice - tell the newbies what they need to hear. Sure they can read more in the mag but it doesn't stop you commenting.

    At the moment, if this forum was a horse you would actually shoot it. I found triathlon on here, I still comment, I still clean the spam up and I want this place to survive and be a place where new people can come and pick up advice and the like.

    Help us help make the forum a good place to come again.

    I've been fairly critical of the forum in the past but thats only because I want it to thrive and you's have the resources to make that happen.

    Cheers
  • Afternoon all

    Thanks for the posts.

    Our reluctance to post anything on the forum has always been down to, not apathy (believe me we want to join in), but from us not wanting to sound like we're preaching, policing or essentially selling the magazine on a space that we see is for the readership. Obviously we've gone too far in the other direction.

    Sorry if the Online Forum Comment in the magazine seems like a slap in the face to you but we feel that's one of the best ways of promoting it in the magazine. Any alternative recommendations from you?

    We agree the forum has taken a hammering due to the redesign changes and the constant spam earlier in the year, and it's frustrated us hugely as well.

    So, yes, we'll make an active, visible effort to resuscitate the forum instead of staying a silent observer... just don't complain when our art ed starts dispensing his nutritional pearls of wisdom on you each evening!

    Cheers, Matt (220)
  • Matt thanks for the reply,

    Just because two or three of us have a viewpoint doesn't make us right, but please think through the role of the forum and its relationship with the main magazine.

    This year I decided to go and watch the Liverpool triathlon as I had not been to one for years as a reaquaintence with the sport I was once heavily involved in. What struck me was that in the time I have been away, the times have not got any quicker, and looking at the first two waves neither have the sizes of the races in respect to what I would consider club or regular weekend warrior atheletes. What was different was wave after wave of individuals who would not have been anywhere near the sport 25 years ago all with the ambition of finishing on their own or as part of a team. All those years ago I couldn't have dreamt of a race like that in my nearest city.

    I know we will not get everyone to convert from a lifestyle choice into a sport where they are integrated into the structures of a club and as such get support around them.

    What is apparent through my looking daily to this forum over the past few months is that there are a lot of individuals out there who are giving Triathlon a go are excited about it and want to know where to go next, get advice or simply encouragement. I could argue that this should be the role of the forum of British Triathlon, but the fact is a lot come here. As a supporter of the spot I along with others do my best to answer questions, often cycling orientated, to keep these interested parties involved. I know these questions are taken up in the magazine and that if you have 10 to 12 copies they would be repeated, if however you are a real newbie have one or two copies of the mag and the latest Q and A do not adress your imediate needs where do you turn to.

    There has been recent debate as to whether this forum is dead or is at least dying. I get the sense that many older contributors have got tired with fielding the same questions time and time again, I can feel that way sometimes as well. I do think the magazine can take some of this responsibility, I know this can be difficult as a lot of questions can be about is this brand better than that and you have a responsibility to all of your advertisers. In a similar way we would really like to hear your views as there needs to be stuff on here, even if it is controversial, with which to get experienced triathletes logging in even if it is once per week.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Sorry if the Online Forum Comment in the magazine seems like a slap in the face to you but we feel that's one of the best ways of promoting it in the magazine. Any alternative recommendations from you?
    No No. You've missed the point here. This wasn't a dig at the magazine. What I would like to see is you guys pushing the forum in a better way. What we have is a 1/4 page at best with some of our comments - I would like to see a push to get some of the readers back on this forum. There simply has to be loads of readers out there who could be on here adding to place - this then gives you a better range in which to print from.

    Look back and see - its generally the same names who are there.

    I would like to see you guys on here passing comment on some post and even perhaps setting the record straight on some things as well. It makes it a fair cop and a much livlier place.

    Thanks for coming back. Good to see you's do read the forum
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Oh and for those that can remember - just before the change over to the new forum I remember one Friday there was about 50 odd people using this forum at one time... clearly with too much time on their hands.

  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    I'm pleased that we've had some activity on this thread.

    Having read the various responses, my standpoint has changed a little. To begin with, my view was that the forum was largely dead, with a number of questions from new posters and little ongoing discussion. As such, I tend to spend most of my time on tritalk, or the bcttt forums. I thought that I owed the forum nothing and that the content would justify its continued existance or it would just die quietly.

    However, as at least one other poster has noted, it was through the magazine, as a novice triathlete that I found trhe forum, and for me it was helpful in the early days. So we should for the sake of peope in a similar position make some attempt to revitalise the forum and try to breathe a bit of life back in.

    More active participation from the editorial staff might be welcome; the spam seems thankfully to have died down, and those of us who are now wizened experts (ie. in at least our second season!) to come back on a little more frequently and keep the discussions going where they merit it.
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    DVB wrote:
    The reason we haven't posted is that, editorially, we see the forum as yours and, barring the occasional Online Forum Comment for the magazine, we have the unwritten rule of staying clear of dictating content.
    An interesting idea. And one, that after the last two years, has been demonstrated to be the wrong one.

    It is in your interests to have a vibrant forum, good for the wider community, good for your readership, good for 220, and good for your advertisers.

    The strategy of "leaving it to us", has, inevitably, lead to us picking up sticks and marching off to start another forum, where there isn't the spam, and the lack of direction.

    Now, you don't have to be heavy handed with your interventions. Think of it as trying to keep a balloon up in the air - it just needs to be given a tap every now and again, not a big one, but one in the right direction. It's simple things like starting a topic when things are being a bit quiet, throwing in some ideas to keep a discussion alight and so.

    In a sense, forum.bcttt.com is what the 220 forum was, in its prime. But without the lure of the 220 name to continually attract new members. About 90% of replies on here are from bcttt forumites.

    Tritalk is all well and good, but it isn't quite as newcomer friendly as 220 was, or bcttt is.
  • Jack thanks for this comment as it does an excellent job,far better than I could on what I feel the problem is.

    I have just spent 30 minutes on a reply over bike computers, to be honest I am not sure whether this is well placed as comments such as 'just moved to my first drop handle bar bike' tend to indicate a novice, but the fact that they are on a 220 forum might also indicate they are very keen about learning more in what is lets face it a quite complex sport. I think in many ways this type of question is typical of this forum and is dificult to gauge but the answer might be of interest to other viewers.

    To be honest I have just had a big breakfast and was letting it settle before going out for the day on my long bike ride, so I don't mind putting something back into the triathlon community by responding to questions like this. It is also honest to say I do not really need this forum. If I want to know something technical at my level I would post on slowtwitch and open it up to an international forum community and would get a range of replies by the end of the day some very opinionated others very technical.

    220 on the other hand is about and does need posters such as Chrisitan who was wanting more information before spending his hard earned cash. This is in the interests as you say of product manufacturers in the market and I would have thought they would like to place revenue with organisations such as 220 who 'support' growing the triathlon market. It needs to be recognised that triathlon is a sport which in its early days for a newbie throws up so many questions. If these questions are not answered many will simply drop out of the sport for good before they even gave it a go and these are the key individuals in the sport. Not people like me who are well established users of this product called triathlon and is adicted.

    In many ways I find the position, or at leasst the one stated here of not interfeering in 'our' forum by 220 as potentially arrogant. At best it takes a line that the magazine is interested in serving a shallow line of newbies with a constant turn over as they do a couple of events then drop out of the sport. Lets face it this is easy, keep recycling the same appropriate information in the magazine, 'your first triathlon or tri bike for £1000'. At worst they take the subscription from people like me for granted and at the same time expect me and others through this forum with no real support to develop newbies into commited triathletes who then go out and support the magazines sponsors.

    If Christian does make a purchase for example of a new computer and the company who's product it is asks where did you find out more information in many ways he should not say 220 magazine but rather LancRider, or some other individual who tried to help him along the way. I guess many say 220 and as a result the efforts of many on this forum support their advertising revenues. That does not bother me, a strong growing and vibrant sport does however.

    I agree it does not need a heavy hand but a sharing of effort. I know that individuals can't get involved in recomending specific product as thats not fair, but they could field a lot of general questions. I can see how this is going however, I will eventually get bored and selfish and feel there is nothing on the forum for me and will drift away to another place. If the management are really into triathlon then they should be more than happy in starting at time and fueling mature debate around the sport after all the media is free in this country and not attatched to national organisations or race promoters for example. In doing so the forum would be more vibrant and importantly it keeps individuals such as me and you along with others who have made a contribution to this post on board.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Mind you we could between us conjure up a 'talking point' each week/month to encourage debate..as well as contributing or half baked, ill informed prejudices in the form of answers on here..just kidding about the last bit.BTW.
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    What we need is some good old tree frog controversy on here again! You must remember those debates about things like if you don’t train at 95% and have a bike that cost more than your car you should pack in triathlon and do something else.!!! It would get the debate going.
  • move up forum
  • Like a lot of people on the forum I've been watching this topic with interest since it was first started. There's been talk of starting up topics and getting more inclusion in the mag etc. Well, I'm gonna throw my tuppence worth in on this... How about a little more mention about injuries, prevention, management and cures.
    I'm suggesting this as due to my line of work I've suffered some pretty horrendous patella tendonopathy. Sounds like I'm being a fanny I know but it really does cripple you sometimes. I know injury questions tend to get covered in the q&a but it'd be goodto see the odd little piece on this area as I'm sure many of the other forumites can attest to how much an injury or niggle can put a dampener on your season.
    There's my bit thrown in. Many Thanks and keep up the good work
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