FORUM - TIME TO MAKE A STAND

[MajorFubar]

I see we're under attack from spammers again, this time new user 'williamhawk' and his various posts which look innocuous until you open them and realise they're just disguised spam with embedded links.

Genuine members can't post, or don't see new posts on threads, or have to be added to some kind of approved list before their posts appear, while spammers run free to do whatever they want. But it's not just the spam. That's just a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. I've had enough of this forum being under-resourced and under-managed.

Time to make a stand, gentlemen. And the only way to do it is if we all agree to boycot the forum, effectively withdrawing our freely volunteered services until someone at Haymarket Towers who's actually on the payroll (unlike us) sees fit to supply the appropriate resources to moderate and run this forum properly. Seeing it rot through willful neglect is painful to watch.

In terms of members, this forum has about a dozen core contributors, plus about as many who post irregularly. If at least the core dozen agreed to make a stand, maybe someone with the ability to infuence things for the better would take notice. But it won't work if it's just me.

Who's with me?

(cross posted from the About This Site section on account of few people look there)

 

[drummerman]

I don't think I 'contribute' a lot so don't think I qualify but I love standing ;-)

 

[Al ears]

I don't think I 'contribute' a lot so don't think I qualify but I love standing ;-)

Can I sit this one out? I've done enough standing....

 

[Blacksabbath25]

It's pointless boycotting your only denying your self of the pleasure of coming on here .

i understand that it's frustrating sometimes on here but sure there's much more positive ways of making a point . Email someone that's in charge who ever that is and see what the response is .

 

[insider9]

I probaby don't contribute as much as others but I share the sentiment. Forum is barely functional as it is. I've given up hope that there will be any updates but it would be a shame to lose regular member as there simply isn't that many. And the only reason I even visit is for regular members I got to know over the last year.

I've registered on another forum not so long ago and I must admit so far haven't experienced any of the issues we put up with here.

An interesting aspect of the boycott that further underlines the issues is how would we know when to finish it. It's not like another member can send us a private message to let us know that the issues have been resolved...

 

[Vladimir]

If they don't change anything for say 2 years, I don't think anyone will be coming back anyway. And I doubt it will happen that soon.

 

[spiny norman]

You'll only have all the usual suspects saying stands don't make any difference and doesn't everyone realise that properly designed components have all the vibration resistance required already built-in and anyway if vibration affected electrical components cars and trains would just stop working whenever they went over a bump and that anyone who says they can hear a benefit from a rip-off overpriced stand which you could replicate with three breezeblocks and a lump of scaffold plank is delusional, probably believes in a god and votes Liberal Democrat.

Or something.

 

[insider9]

If they don't change anything for say 2 years, I don't think anyone will be coming back anyway. And I doubt it will happen that soon.

+1

Sadly

 

[avole]

but as others have indicated, self defeating. Boycott = forum closure.

 

[luckylion100]

but I view this forum several times daily on average and have done for years since registering. The main reason I don't contribute much is that the forum software/usability is utter bog standard, I still struggle signing in, can not quote from another post if it's my first reply after logging in, can't paste, the list goes on... I'm not sure if boycotting will achieve anything, most wouldn't notice the difference. How about a well written visable letter of complaint/petition to the powers that be that disgruntled users can add their name to. Even that sounds pretty pointless if the owners of the publication really don't give a toss. A shame really...

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Why not just email your complaint to what hifi or Andy or joe cox I mean there has only been 8 of us so far bothered to say anything on this thread just shows you that some people are not bothered that are members .

there is not meany people who regularly post on this site now and I am only a member on this site and no were else so I would not no what the other sites are like as new posts are a bit slow theses days or anything interesting to talk about .

ones you happy with the setup you have and your not upgrading what do you talk about I mean when I first joined there were interesting subject to talk about about hifi and how it works .

 

[chebby]

...some people are not bothered that are members .

I clicked 'report' on all three 'williamhawk' spam items that the Major mentioned.

However, either the report function doesn't work, or it gets ignored, or it's just there to keep forum members quiet ("give them a little button to push").

If the WHF? forum gets shut down then it gets shut down. (I've been expecting it to close for the last year or so anyway.)

There's always PFM (member since 2008).

 

[newlash09]

Wouldn't let me post when I most wanted to respond to a thread. Most times would ask me to enter a verification code. But apart from that, this is a forum that whathifi has just left it to us to rule.

Better would be to start a new forum for ourselves , with a slight twist in the name. Not too difficult these days. Most companies will sell a ready made platform for not too much.

 

[jonathanRD]

Earlier this month in the About the Site/Still having problems with this site https://www.whathifi.com/forum/about-site/still-having-problems-site

'It's frustrating in the extreme, I realise. It's a cache issue (as has been pointed out) and it's something our development team is aware of. In the meantime, refreshing the cache more than is ideal is the best work-around I can suggest. Less than optimal, I'll be the first to admit.

I would like it resolved asap and I am trying to get it resolved asap. My apologies for the annoyance in the meantime.

Editor of whathifi.com'

But shift/refresh does appear to work if I can remember it

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I haven't seen any spam for weeks....but when I do....just ignore it and go about my business.It would be a shame to leave this forum to rot apart from the naim hi-fi corner it's the only other one I visit.

 

[drummerman]

I haven't seen any spam for weeks....but when I do....just ignore it and go about my business.It would be a shame to leave this forum to rot apart from the naim hi-fi corner it's the only other one I visit.

Why on earth would you go to the Naim forum?

 

[jjbomber]

Why on earth would you go to the Naim forum?

He was just Naim-dropping.

 

[Al ears]

Why on earth would you go to the Naim forum?

He was just Naim-dropping.

Which can be an expensive exercise.....

 

[Vladimir]

I haven't seen any spam for weeks....but when I do....just ignore it and go about my business.It would be a shame to leave this forum to rot apart from the naim hi-fi corner it's the only other one I visit.

Why on flat earth would you go to the Naim forum?

*wink*

 

[friendly_ghost]

I have been lurking around here for some time now, trying to make helpful comments within my (rather limited) knowledge. But I have learned a lot here and would hate to see the forum go.
What surprises me is that I do not seem to have the same issues other users are complaining about. Some times the forum asks for a security key, but that's about it.
What I do sympathise with is the need for some moderation around here. Trolls and fake subjects go unpunished.

If it would happen, where would I be able to keep myself informed except for this forum?
AVF? others?

 

[Pedro2]

but I still I read it quite regularly. The mechanics of posting can be a total pain and I'm sure there's no one at WHF doing anything with it (maybe an annual nod in this direction to see if anyone is still posting/breathing). I've just noticed that I joined in 2010 so I'm quite ancient on here. Don't post that regularly but find that most folk are generally responsive, helpful and I'm sure are very decent people. I would not have discovered the Nord amplifier so easily if Colin hadn't used this forum regularly at one time so it's done me a big favour. I tend to agree with those that feel a boycott would achieve little. I'm sure that the Wizard of WHF (Oz) would eventually ask that the last person remaining should leave after turning the lights off.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I haven't seen any spam for weeks....but when I do....just ignore it and go about my business.It would be a shame to leave this forum to rot apart from the naim hi-fi corner it's the only other one I visit.

Why on earth would you go to the Naim forum?

I like naim kit and am interested in what other people are up to with it.....though some are very much out there and in deep within the cult.lol.

 

[chris_bates1974]

I don't think I've really experience some of th eissues the others are referring to. There has been the odd time I have had to type the characters to post, but generally it's ok.

i read a lot on the Hi-Fi and turntable sections, looking in now and again at the "any other business" bit. I'd be disappointed if everyone left!

hopefully someone will take on board the criticisms and sort things so people are a little more happy...

 

[insider9]

Ok, I can see that majority is not in favour of a boycott. But let me tell you what we should have for this forum to be anywhere near other forums standard

- relevant and concise categories (let's face it out of many max 5 are being used on a regular basis)

- private message ability (so we don't have to jump through hoops every time we want to get someone elses email or contact number)

- classifieds (we're forced to use eBay and are unable to trade/exchange goods easily within forum)

- regular moderation (no comment)

- improve way to quote and reply (some are still having issue with that and it's clearly badly designed, an option to be notified of replies to our posts should also be available)

- WHF editors / staff interaction (probably the biggest hint we're not that welcome)

- growing community (as a result of lack of interest from WHF we have the opposite)

Extras could include

- exclusive discounts for regular forum members

- invites to HQ to take part in bake offs / reviews

- previews of newly reviewed / released gear or some kind of exclusive content

Have you any "should have" and "could have" to add to list?

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Great ideas and would very much like the idea of pm other forum members and a classifieds section would be very welcome I would think.