posted on October 25, 2001 07:22:57 PM
Im sorry Joice.
My ponderment kinda flopped, too, and I did it just for you...for old times. When is your last day here? I will post some dumb tests and maybe that will catch some interest, and you can take it too, lol. Right now, everyone just wants to visit with friends they have made, until they decide what to do. But tell me what your last day is, so I know when to post the Stupid Test thread.
posted on October 25, 2001 07:31:33 PMModerator: Do those of us that have a CC on file for the AWPro have to retister a second time for the Message Boards?
posted on October 25, 2001 07:52:04 PM
This is sad, it "feels" clear these boards will quickly drop below a critical mass of certified posters and stagnate.
I think it's likely much more about AW and its business situation than anything involving the boards in particular.
Fewer employees, bigger pieces of the pie for others if there's a buyout by Ebay. I predict Ebay owns AW within four months and immediately "disappears" the board functions since pink clashes so much with pale blue,
right after they kill the universal search.
posted on October 25, 2001 08:48:05 PM
Diana,
Whatever the reason for choosing to validate identity via credit card, please don't imply that it's due to a technical limitation.
The coding changes involved in passing a name which has been rejected through the primary (credit card on file) validation process on to a secondary (check grandfather list) validation process are trivial. I've got at least one housepet who could probably manage to implement it on a good day.
Say y'all are doing it this way because you can; say it's because you genuinely think it's the best approach; say it's really the first step to a by-the-word fee; or don't say anything at all, and let us speculate. But to imply that it's the only technically feasable way to do it just can't be believed.
-gaffan-
posted on October 25, 2001 08:49:34 PM
Ditto to what Gaffan said.
I won't be providing a CC either.
If you don't know me by now, you never will.
Victoria
posted on October 25, 2001 09:02:53 PM The moderators got six figures, trips to the company vacation site in Bermuda, profit sharing, and a host of benefits in a package worth apporx. $500K each, depending on seniority.
posted on October 25, 2001 09:10:34 PM
Well it's goodbye from me.
I'm afraid I have never been asked to enter a credit card number and not been charged for something eventually down the line.
I would be very surprised if you were not eventually going to have to pay a yearly or monthly fee to be a member of AW which would give you all the privlages that we once enjoyed free.
Oh well it has been nice , it has been real and at times even real nice.
I fear without the moderators the lunatics will take over the asylum anyway.I get enough of those mean nasty foulmouthed people on the
art boards.
Thanks for the support, kind words and all the wonderful information I have learned on this board.
Tegan
posted on October 25, 2001 10:40:10 PM
They sure do! I think they've been fair with all of us, even going that extra mile sometimes.
I'll even jump out of the cake for my favorite mod. How bout it Pat? Wasn't it just last week you told us you weren't going anywhere?
I hope the mods didn't find out about this right before we did.
posted on October 25, 2001 11:26:52 PM
Just wanted to say how much I'm gonna miss it here. I don't post a lot, but I read almost everything. Y'all are a great bunch of people...
A special thanks to the Canadians here who have always helped me out with my weird little facination with your country!
Thanks for the laughs, tears, ponderments, and all around grand time!
Connie
[ edited by ConnieM on Oct 25, 2001 11:27 PM ]
posted on October 25, 2001 11:47:38 PM
Julesy - 'fraid not. Although I do have one which, while watching me install motherboards or commit other acts of computer geekery, keeps asking me "What'cha doin? Huh?". It's adorable at first, but after a while I'm ready to strangle his first owner for teaching him that.
jt - We all have our off days.
edited to add: Come to think of it, same to you.
(I just exceeded my annual smiley quota)
-gaffan-
[ edited by gaffan on Oct 25, 2001 11:51 PM ]
posted on October 25, 2001 11:52:49 PM
When I told the tom about this, he blinked, incredulous. "You mean they're gonna alienate their user base AND decrease their traffic and hits? What kind of business decision is THAT?"
posted on October 26, 2001 12:01:27 AM
And ya gotta love the sheer quantity of angular momentum stored up in:
To allow our users greater freedom in posting messages and interacting with others
...Hmmm. Never seemed to be a consideration before. And of course the cost reduction resulting from eliminating the moderation staff has nothing to do with it.
Don't get me wrong. It's an outstanding example of the craft; remarkable it doesn't spin right off the page.
-gaffan-
posted on October 26, 2001 09:35:02 AM
Hey krs, I'm confused. Is it Chickens or Egyptians? Come on...which is it?
Maybe it's the Spin that Gaffan mentioned. It's got me all dizzy. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to receive greater freedom in posting and interacting with others by registering my CC here.
posted on October 26, 2001 09:55:09 AM
Time to face reality, folks. AW is in deep financial doo-doo. They are laying off all their moderators in an effort to cut costs. At best, their decision to require credit card verification is a misguided attempt to keep an unmoderated board from sinking to the level of a troll-infested sleaze-o-rama. At worst, they are planning to eventually start charging for the privilege of posting here, and this is just the first step.
As an aside, I can't help wondering what affect, if any, all our collective griping about pop-up and banner ads had on this situation. Not to mention the advice that has been freely given about getting ad blocking software. Many [if not most] dot-com companies that depended on ad revenues have disappeared entirely, and I can't help wondering if we are partly to blame in this case.
Yes, it would be nice if AW would "grandfather" all existing posters. Even if that happened, however, I suspect the attrition level would still be horrendous, and the influx of new posters would dwindle to a trickle. I don't have a CC on file with AW, nor do I wish to have one, so I guess I will soon be gone....
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
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