Home Chat General Chat

220 management - please read in and reply

Guys

Tis forum is dying.... Really it is. The amount of spam is now offensive. Yu say you monitor is forum "daily" but I'm not entirely sure that true if I was honest.

The user Dustinscott has battered this forum with spam posts - can you delete his posts and ban him ?

Why hasn't this been done.

The BCTTT forum doesn't have ANY spam posts cos we manage our board properly.

220 markets itself as a point of info for all levels of triathletes. This forum will put off newbies from posting and asking for advice etc and experienced athletes go to slow twitch, BCTTT or Tri talk. You have lost your way and it's vey very sad.

Why can't you sort this out ? It seems as though the forum is left to it's own devices - the magazine is your main source if revenue and you seem you to focus on that and as a result this forum is on it's arse.

I started here, had some great advice on this forum, met some great friends who I still see today, team laws started on this forum. For that I am so so grateful but chaps, how much longer are you going to let this go on for ? . . .

One other point to note is that when you click on a topic the page opens up on a completely unrelated thread!!!!!!!

Empty promises is all we hear now. Enough is enough.

What are you going to do about it ?

Ben

Comments

  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 52
    Ben
    We don't think dustinscott is spam – what's he selling?
    But yes, the spam has been a continued source of frustration here too, as previously stated, and it depresses us as much as you to log on and see kitchens in south Wales and fake Gucci handbags for sale.
    But, given the lack of spam for the last couple of weeks, it looks, touch wood, that the issue has been sorted and the forum can get off its knees and grow again.
    If you could email me about the topic problem as we haven't encountered that this end.
    Cheers, Matt
  • 220-management-t51443.html

    I click on this link and it takes me to a topic entitled "changing my signature" when i enmtitled the topic " FAO 220 Management"

    Very strange
  • Guys,

    The man is right, I had a few goes at generating some discussion on here, gave up and went over to chuckle at the crazies on Slowtwitch!

    I subscribe to the magazine and love it but I've read it two days after it arrives so use the webiste to keep me up to speed between issues. MyTri is great and keeps me coming back, the blogs are some of the better on the web but the forum and it's lack of engagement (mostly) caused by spam is letting you down.

    Dustinscott is actually to be commended as he/she/they/it repost previous comments having stuck them through a thesaurus/translater to buy some credibility before flogging their wares - please don't buy the credibility just like I won't buy their product...

    Tom
  • Actually... having read a few more of dustin's posts he may be real but just have a wonderful grasp of the mercurial language that is english - I'm all for cosmopolitan tri discussion.

    I say leave him be (fix the other spam mind), as we may be surging towards comedy gold...

    What say you dustin?
  • He's a spam bot without a doubt
  • sonofsammosonofsammo Posts: 191
    He/she/it seems to have vanished now anyway......
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    I'm back in the mix on this forum and if its spam then I'm nuking it...so be aware!
  • sonofsammosonofsammo Posts: 191
    shadowone1 wrote:
    I'm back in the mix on this forum and if its spam then I'm nuking it...so be aware!
    Good man :-D
  • I have been visiting this site forum for a while now, and I have gained advice on:-

    Training, Injury Rehab, Injury prevention, advice on Bikes, Gears, Wheels even whether to use tuffo tape or jantex on my tubs! and how to keep my toes warm!
    I think this site and forum is an excellent resource of information, where if you have a question you need only ask and some friendly Triathletes will advise you to buy some nice shiny carbon!
    I also enjoy some of the silliness that goes on and the friendly banter!

    So here's my two pence worth:-

    Yes there is some spam....Dose it bother me?....No!....Because of all of the above!
    It has come to my attention though that there may be a worse problem!
    Some members are constantly criticizing this forum saying that it's dying and in the next breath they're sending new members away to other forums!
    isn't this another form of spam

    Question?........If these members were really wanting this forum to thrive, then why send newbies away on they're first post?
  • sonofsammosonofsammo Posts: 191
    I don't want the forum to die, I want it to thrive.
    But I also want new people to get decent answers to their questions in a timely manner.
    That's why, in those circumstances, I'll suggest posting the question in the other place.
    A high percentage of the main contributors on here are from there anyway!
    When I started out tri life, this is where I started- it was a buzzing forum with no spam - the problem is that spam drives away contributors- and then only a stalwart few remain, which then limits the knowledge base.
    And so people seeking knowledge would go elsewhere anyway....
    Anyway triforums aren't like marriages you can be involved with more than one at a time!
  • I want this forum to be like it used to be but this is why it wont :

    The spam is irratating - what makes it so is that its easily sorted by monitoring the requests for membership. the 220 team dont see this - they have failed to reply to my PM despite the fact they say they "monitor this forum daily" .

    if they did then they would be deleteing the posts themselves. Instead they agreed to give admin rights to the likes of me a shaddow. Thats great but it works both ways.

    They need to manage their forum properly. That includes setting up a robust system to stop spam memberships

    The number of posts has dropped massively. The number of rerplies of posts has fallen on its arse.

    Im in no eway saying the BCTTT is better - its jus busier where you get a reply almost instantly 24hrs a day.

    There are posts on this forum that are years old and people are replying to them ?

    Selling a bike in 2009..... someone is 2012 asks if its still for sale!!!! really !!!

    I don't see 220 ( the forum or the magazine) as a source of information for triathletes with a couple of years exposure to the sport. Once you have gleened the basics there are a load of better, more informaive places to look on the web and IMHO magazines that reach out to me as someone who has been in this world for a couple of years.

    tri talk
    BCTTT
    Slow twitch to name a few.

    There is NO banter on here anymore. We used to have 220 forum buddies t shirts printed by gary roberts...... that stopped. there isnt a "community" feel here. People pop in make a post, ask a question, then don't ever pop back to see the answers!!!

    So, I like it here or I wouldnt keep coming back for more. I just hope this picks up again and we can get it back to the way is used to be.

    I'd be very interested in the readership numbers of the magazine - and the correlation of new subscribers to repeat buyers.
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    nigelworvell wrote:

    It has come to my attention though that there may be a worse problem!
    Some members are constantly criticizing this forum saying that it's dying and in the next breath they're sending new members away to other forums!
    isn't this another form of spam

    Question?........If these members were really wanting this forum to thrive, then why send newbies away on they're first post?
    On the surface, a compelling argument.

    Scratch a little deeper...

    Looking at the first 10 or so topics on "General Chat", 40% of the posts are from members of the other place. And only one is a suggestion to visit there.

    So, without the other place this one would really lose a lot. Especially as the posts are the answers to questions, not the questions themselves.

    There have been 8 topics with replies to them this week on "General Chat", while there have been 16 on the "General Discussion" on the the other place.

    There have been two new topics on this forum this week (starting Monday) (one of which is spam/astroturfing), while there have been 9 on the other place.

    More significantly, there has been 3 replies this week, and 66 on the other place.

    You have to remember that the other place was started by people from here, because "here" just wasn't working well (there were other reasons, but that was a significant one).

    Willieverfinish is also correct - there was a really great community here, that was allowed to dissipate because no one stepped up to keep it going. 220's prerogative, mind.

    The reality is that this forum is still being kept propped up by the old hands, who happen to be active on the other place.

    I wonder what would happen if you had your wish and they all stopped posting here?
  • Well only 14 months into Tri so maybe the two years thing has yet to kick in, but there is still some useful info on here.

    One quick question to give this forum a nudge, what will aero bars do for me, a 30kph average, so average in both senses of the word. Some bargains to be had at the moment but want to be sure it's worth the investment. They'd be going on an OK road bike and I'm fairly flexible.

    I'll post this as a question elsewhere to widen the audience, but all views gratefully received.
  • sonofsammosonofsammo Posts: 191
    42 views on your topic and no answer at all........
    Kind of proves the point, I think......
  • gavinpgavinp Posts: 168
    Hi

    I've only been part of the forum for around a year and a half, but in that time i've seen a lot of self promotion for the 'other' site and a general kicking of this forum which has put me off coming back regularly, and I think that that is partly why this forum has died. If I was new to the sport and read the messages then I wouldn't want to hang around if it's already been slated as crap. If you want to stay here and help out new people, then cool that's a good thing, but I don't understand staying and being negative about it. Be positive and lift it up... or just leave and let it die rather than pointing out how crap it is and that the other forum is much better because there is someone there everyday to reply to messages. Sorry. My opinion, but newbies don't always want to be part of a forum. They want a quick answer and move on.

    However, I can understand the frustrations of those that have been around for a lot longer than me, and when you have no control of the site where complaints to the magazine about the forum fall on deaf ears then I don't blame you all for moving on.

    I agree that there are a lot of good informative forums out there, but this is often the first stop for newbies and it's a shame that 220 haven't realised that they need to pull their finger out and employ someone to be looking after it as part of their job as opposed to letting it fall on it's arse. I would say that this is a nice sales tool in keeping their customers. Seems they are happy to let their customers go elsewhere...
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    gavinp wrote:
    Hi

    I've only been part of the forum for around a year and a half, but in that time i've seen a lot of self promotion for the 'other' site and a general kicking of this forum which has put me off coming back regularly, and I think that that is partly why this forum has died.
    I think you are really overstating the issue.
    ...They want a quick answer and move on....
    And ask yourself, who is going to answer these questions?

    No one from 220 takes any part, so it has to be people doing it out of the kindness of their own hearts. You start to get to feel taken advantage of, if no one bothers to chip in and keep things going and give a bit back.

    ...Seems they are happy to let their customers go elsewhere...
    Well, a lot of them did. But still have a sense of loyalty to this place, and put in some effort to keep it going.
  • gavinpgavinp Posts: 168
    Jack Hughes wrote:
    No one from 220 takes any part, so it has to be people doing it out of the kindness of their own hearts. You start to get to feel taken advantage of, if no one bothers to chip in and keep things going and give a bit back.
    Isn't that the point of a forum - for the users to help each other out? Don't you feel the advantage taken on other forums that you take part in and contribute to...?

    ..and I did say about the lack of any kind of response from 220... so I do understand how everyone feels

    If nobody answers the questions then so be it. That's up to 220 to do something about it then isn't it.
  • Hi all

    Thanks for the debate.

    As previously we all know the spam has been a huge problem (and immensely frustrating for the editorial team here that it took so long to sort) but we're hoping - by the lack of spam for the past month or so - that it's now under control. (Although, admittedly, there hasn't been much posting full stop...)

    As Gavinp suggests, we've always seen the forum as a place for users, not for us to sell subs or refer people to page X of the latest issue, so we've stayed largely clear of posting, apart from sorting PDFs, magazine queries etc.

    Unlike web only triathlon outlets, we also have a magazine to produce every 3/4 weeks (and the rest of the website to maintain) so if we don't reply to every PM then apologies.

    Cheers, Matt Baird/DVB (220)
  • Thank you gavinp my you see exactly where I'm coming from!
    I wonder what would happen if you had your wish and they all stopped posting here?
    When did I wish for that??????........I'm not sending anyone anywhere!.......and I'm not telling anyone to go away!
    I was merely stating that today the biggest problem this forum has is the constant negative posts being made about this forum, and sending other members away!
    People are free to go where they want! and post where they want!
    I like many choose to post here as well as other places! It broadens the number of views and your likely to get more replies!
    I'm grateful to anyone who takes the time to reply to my posts!
    by sonofsammo » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:29 am

    42 views on your topic and no answer at all........
    Kind of proves the point, I think......
    I havn't replied sooner because I don't spend 24hrs of the day on my laptop, like many other members I have a family, job (4 jobs @ that) and try to find time to train! so only log on every now and then when I have five minutes and if I post a question e.t.c on a forum I don't expect an immediate answer!
    And when everyone is sent away from here you are not going to get the number of views/replies on the posts!!!........That is the point!!!

    It would be nice if everyone could stop attacking the forum with the negative posts, they are more tiresome than any spam! ......."My Opinion"
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Spam is an annoying problem.

    DVB says that action has been taken. Well done.

    I made the assumption that NigelW doesn't want spammers. And he strongly suggests that people who also have accounts on BCTTT.com are spammers. The simple conclusion is either that NigelW wants spammers or doesn't want bcttt on the forum.

    Anyway, rhetoric aside, I bit because while it's easy to type these things without thinking too hard, it was a pretty offensive statement. I don't like being labelled a spammer.

    What i really think:

    The moaning may have resulted in action. Time to stop until the results can be seen.

    Banging on about bcttt.com is understandable if you know the historical context. But poor taste if you don't. And it's the people without the historical context that i suspect are being wooed. It's probably not working, so shouldn't be done.

    Don't see a problem with a link to a site with a pertinent answer, whatever that site happens to be

    On the historical context: there is a world of difference between a community and a free support service. Community sites thrive. Free support services don't, unless they have a properly resourced pool of expertise.

    Don't knock people so hard who are missing that community.

    But polite suggestions that they are going on about it too much are fine. Which is possibly true at the moment.
  • Jack Hughes wrote:


    I made the assumption that NigelW doesn't want spammers. And he strongly suggests that people who also have accounts on BCTTT.com are spammers. The simple conclusion is either that NigelW wants spammers or doesn't want bcttt on the forum.

    Anyway, rhetoric aside, I bit because while it's easy to type these things without thinking too hard, it was a pretty offensive statement. I don't like being labelled a spammer.
    I'm sorry that you have taken this personally! even though I wasn't pointing the finger at anyone in-particularly! or even stating any other individual or website in my posts!

    It seams to me that you just don't get my point at all! :roll: and instead you are trying to twist the subject by making up things and implying that I don't want other forum members here! sorry to rain on your parade but this isn't true again! :roll:

    I was merely attempting to point out that some people are so focused at pointing out the small shortfalls of this site, that all they are doing is bombarding the forum constantly with a negativity and creating a negative atmosphere within it.
    If you can't step back for one minute and see this then it is a lost cause trying to communicate this to you!
  • Spam isn't a "small shortfall"

    In fact I'd say it's the main reason why this forum is flagging!!! A prime example is the post in the gd folder about AVI files !!!

    Why hasn't this been jumped on by the moderators ? And I do see your point and what your trying to say - its just that I don't agree with you. Is that ok ?
  • Your quite welcome to disagree with me!.......You will defend your actions of course!

    It's just I disagree with you!
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    I'm sitting back in sheer amazement - Jack Hughes actually bit and got hammered in! The political officer set out his stall.

    The difference between this place and the "other place" is that bcttt is a club who actively seek members, what they don't do is promote gucci or the old adversery NikeGoogle...ffs I can still remember him fondly

    At the end of the day, the only thing that keeps the forum going is promoting debate/ discussion on the forum. So well done...it has been achieved!

    This forum will continue as some of us will flirt in and out of triathlon, new members will appear.

    I still maintain this forum has a better place in the 220 mag than it currently has tho.
Sign In or Register to comment.