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Haha! I know!
I'm away to work out what it is I'm now agreeing to everytime I post.
Glad Sift make things so easy for us </sarcasm>
Sift Board: "Right, how can we ar5e around with the forums today to make it really difficult and annoying for our regular members to use the forums?"
Sift Monkey 1: "Why don't we stick an annoying disclaimer on the bottom of the quick reply box so that people think they're signing their life away every time they post?"
Sift Board: "Love it! Get that sh1t in there now! Put it in RED to scare the crap out of them too!"
Sift Monkey 2: "What about an annoying advert after every first post as well?"
Sift Board: "Love it! That'll be incredibly annoying and will make our members want to sign up for full-membership without a doubt!"
Sift Monkey 2: "But what if we make it appear for all our members - even the fully paid up ones? Wont that be even more annoying?"
Sift Board: "Well done Monkey2! Here's your bonus!!"
P.S. New York was amazing!
P.P.S. Wont be posting again until I fully understand what the f*ck is going on with all these terms and conditions popping up all over the shop.
I'm away to work out what it is I'm now agreeing to everytime I post.
Glad Sift make things so easy for us </sarcasm>
Sift Board: "Right, how can we ar5e around with the forums today to make it really difficult and annoying for our regular members to use the forums?"
Sift Monkey 1: "Why don't we stick an annoying disclaimer on the bottom of the quick reply box so that people think they're signing their life away every time they post?"
Sift Board: "Love it! Get that sh1t in there now! Put it in RED to scare the crap out of them too!"
Sift Monkey 2: "What about an annoying advert after every first post as well?"
Sift Board: "Love it! That'll be incredibly annoying and will make our members want to sign up for full-membership without a doubt!"
Sift Monkey 2: "But what if we make it appear for all our members - even the fully paid up ones? Wont that be even more annoying?"
Sift Board: "Well done Monkey2! Here's your bonus!!"
P.S. New York was amazing!
P.P.S. Wont be posting again until I fully understand what the f*ck is going on with all these terms and conditions popping up all over the shop.
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Yeah that advert is REALLY annoying. Kind of makes Sift look naive if they think they can slide that advert in every thread and no one will bat an eyelid.
Get rid of it.
Get rid of it.
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"Posts: 5"
Perhaps it would have been an idea to run it past the community first Steve? As you're clearly not an active member of the community.
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T
The Wholesale Forums
- Original Poster
- #208
Steve,
As a fellow community admin, it is my opinion (and clearly a whole lot of others) that you have put your advertisers revenue well ahead of your "community members", which for a forum, is a cardinal sin. To be honest, whoever came up with this utterly ludicrous campaign deserves to be handed a redundancy package. They clearly have some creative marketing ideas but are not looking out for the best interests of your community or your £250k's worth of investment.
Oh and this made me chuckle: (quoted from the siftmedia.co.uk website).
I hope you realise what a complete farce this has turned into. No offence, but you can't run a community from a board room!
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The button isn't that big, it just means a little extra scrolling. I don't see what all the fuss is about. :|
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If it was stealth advertising, you wouldn't be seeing it would you? I think the issue here is that it *wasn't* stealth.
Actually, you're not - but it's not been worded very well so I can see how you might think that.
As clarified by someone @ Sift above. That's not how it works. Selected "winner" will be contacted first. If they want no part of it then they'll select another.
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Sorry! I'll let you get back to the storm in the teacup.
But I reserve the right to butt in if there's another post made that has a truth:hyperbole ratio like your last one.
But I reserve the right to butt in if there's another post made that has a truth:hyperbole ratio like your last one.
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S
Steve Roth
- Original Poster
- #215
I admit that until now I have not been very active, but as Darren Falkingham has passed the chairman's hat to me you will start to see more of me. We try very hard to take members views into consideration and will certainly learn from this experience. Nevertheless, without advertisers we could not afford to run UKBF. Realistically, we cannot check every campaign with the community. No details are being passed to Vodafone - only the winner will be named and then only if they agree. Otherwise, there is absolutely no difference in the functionality of the site. The only difference is that now, if you give thanks, the nominated member stands the chance of winning a prize.
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Hello Steve, the fact Sift paid a lotta money for UKBF and now wishes to make a profit from it, is completely different to be being able to afford to run UKBF.
This bit at the bottom of the page is bothering me Steve, perhaps you please could clarify;
Vodafone prize draw: Members' questions or contributions may be nominated and entered into the Vodafone prize draw. See the competition terms and conditions here.
Does this leave me with two choices;
1. Every time I post, my post may be entered into a prize draw??
Or if I don't like that.......
2. Stop making posts and leave UKBF??
Is there a third option Steve??
This bit at the bottom of the page is bothering me Steve, perhaps you please could clarify;
Vodafone prize draw: Members' questions or contributions may be nominated and entered into the Vodafone prize draw. See the competition terms and conditions here.
Does this leave me with two choices;
1. Every time I post, my post may be entered into a prize draw??
Or if I don't like that.......
2. Stop making posts and leave UKBF??
Is there a third option Steve??
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S
Steve Roth
- Original Poster
- #218
I realise that some members may not like the ad, but it has not compromised the functionality of the site or members' interests. Unfortunately, we need advertising revenue to keep the site running and to cater for the recent huge influx of members. Yes, that does require some degree of creativity, but there is no way we can fund and develop the site by selling unnoticeable ads.
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Thats not really the only difference, its changed the whole tone regarding appreciating members advice etc and being able to thank them. I would have thought the majority of the time (before this thread) the thanks were sincere; I sincerely doubt they will be in the future, so you see, its a lot more than just and ad.
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They can't of been that sincere Maria, look how much toddle I talk and how many thanks I have!!
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What a bunch of whiners, i dont get the fuss, big deal, dry your eyes, in the words of jimmy nail 'soft southere ********'
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They can't of been that sincere Maria, look how much toddle I talk and how many thanks I have!!
That's true Petal...
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S
Steve Roth
- Original Poster
- #223
True. But I think we all realise that Sift is a commercial organisation and requires some return on investment. Re the competition. If you post and receive thanks you will be put forward for the draw. If you are not chosen as a winner you will hear no more. If you are chosen, we will call you and aks if we can publish your name. If you say no we will draw again. If you say yes, you will receive your prize and your name will be announced.
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O
Officebird
- Original Poster
- #228
What I'm still confused about is why there can't be a sticky in the general section explaining to everyone the details of the competition. Then the horrid red invader can be moved to the side of the screen with the other adverts.
As a revenue generation exercise, taking into account your huge recent rise in members, maybe you could come up with ideas to convert free members into paid members?
You could also publish the advertising rate card so that people can find out how much it costs to stick up an advert. I suspect there are people that would like an ad on here but either presume it'll be too expensive or are worried that if they ask how much they will get bombarded by sales calls.
Just an idea
As a revenue generation exercise, taking into account your huge recent rise in members, maybe you could come up with ideas to convert free members into paid members?
You could also publish the advertising rate card so that people can find out how much it costs to stick up an advert. I suspect there are people that would like an ad on here but either presume it'll be too expensive or are worried that if they ask how much they will get bombarded by sales calls.
Just an idea
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What big red invader?? I aint got one!!
Anyone would think this forum was riddled with ads or something!! Pah!!
Anyone would think this forum was riddled with ads or something!! Pah!!
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Thanks for your reply Steve, I was unaware that Darren was no longer around/passed the chairman hat on.
I wasn't suggesting every campaign, but this campaign is slightly different to a normal ad running on the sidebar, in that it steps between replies in threads, and interacts with one of the community features in the form of the thanks button. I'm guessing the overall reaction would have been negative but there may have been some compromise in having the Vodafone ad in the sidebar whilst keeping the thanks link to the competition? and thus keeping everyone/majority happy from the outset?
Thanks,
Greg
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I find it riling that someone with only 420 posts, thinks they have earned the right to have advertising campaigns run past them.
Its a public forum owned by someone else, we all participate cause its fun and beneficial, the red ad is not as big a deal as its become.
Its a public forum owned by someone else, we all participate cause its fun and beneficial, the red ad is not as big a deal as its become.
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I believe the membership fee justifies some form of communication between community and the owners. After all without the members what is a forum?!
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O
Officebird
- Original Poster
- #235
This is true and no doubt what SIFT are thinking at the moment, however... it is a forum where we can all express an opinion. I started the thread as I found it soooo annoying I had to ask why it was there. You may not find it annoying and that's fine.
I'm not sure the forum members needed to be consulted but I think there was a certain amount of disregard for the forum members in the positioning of the ad. When other competitions have been on here there hasn't been an ad disrupting threads so I'm not sure why this one needs to. As you rightly say though this forum is a business and none of the members here would appreciate being told how to run their businesses.
I still hate it though
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Sara it exists already me dear, hence me saying I NEVER see any ads on this place ... adblock on firefox is such a handy tool!
The only way I know half of what you are on about is that there is some small reference when you reply to a post at the bottom about some draw or other!
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"4. By entering the competition, the winner consents to take part in any publicity accompanying or resulting from this promotion, and for his/her name to be used for publicity purposes by Sift Media."
This needs changed. It's not the winner who enters the competition - the people who thank them are the ones entering them. This term makes no sense.
The terms state: "end of each round of the competition." Yet, they don't mention when these rounds commence or end.
"8. The prizes are non-transferable" But if Vodafone signal in my area is crap, what use is the prize to me? Surely a suitable alternative should be offered in this case?
I don't mind being told to read terms and conditions every single time I post here, but can we at least get some terms and conditions that hold some sort of legal weight and actually make sense?
This needs changed. It's not the winner who enters the competition - the people who thank them are the ones entering them. This term makes no sense.
The terms state: "end of each round of the competition." Yet, they don't mention when these rounds commence or end.
"8. The prizes are non-transferable" But if Vodafone signal in my area is crap, what use is the prize to me? Surely a suitable alternative should be offered in this case?
I don't mind being told to read terms and conditions every single time I post here, but can we at least get some terms and conditions that hold some sort of legal weight and actually make sense?
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