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BREAKING NEWS: ANDREW ON THE NEW COMMUNITY FORMAT
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BREAKING NEWS: ANDREW ON THE NEW COMMUNITY FORMAT  Below is an exchange of mail between Andrew Conru, the founder of this site, and myself about the new Community format. Yes, my name is Stephen. _______________________________________________________________________ 3/12/2021 6:26 pm Andrew Below is an extract from a recent blog post I wrote - see THE NEW COMMUNITY FORMAT BETA IS NOT BETTER. The new format does not work. I have not come across one blogger who prefers the new beta format over the existing format (even with its many glitches - missing words, mangled apostrophes etc). Other bloggers have posted their concerns. For example, see [post 4426358], THE NEW COMMUNITY PAGE Is THAT Strike Three, [post 4427131] and How Many of You . Many bloggers, including myself, will stop blogging if the new format is rolled out. Other bloggers, perhaps myself, will leave the site. I cannot understand why the site wants to impose something that its members do not want. It does not make good business sense. I understand the site is using old codes, hence the glitches. But I have been told by people far more IT-savvy than me that it is possible to keep the user interface and functionality more or less the same as it is now in the new code. I very much hope you will listen to the site's members and stop the beta format becoming the alpha format. Regards. Stephen ------------------------- I have tried the new beta Community format of this site on several occasions since it was recently re-launched. My view is that it is an unmitigated disaster. At a stroke, it has smashed a virtual community into smithereens. In no way does the new format promote a sense of community in both blogland and groupland. In fact, it does the exact opposite; it has destroyed the existing, albeit far from perfect, sense of community. The new format is slightly better than the new format that was foisted on us a few months back, but only very marginally better. The site had to quickly do a reverse-ferret with that launch. The new format is still one big car crash! I realise change, especially radical change, often meets resistance. But this change stops me doing what I normally do in blogland. Normally I look at and reply to new comments to my blog posts, then I look at replies to my comments on other blog posts, and finally I look at and comment on posts of bloggers I follow. If I have time I may look at recent posts of other bloggers or look at the list of new bloggers. And, a few times a week, I will write a new blog post. With the new format, I cannot easily do what I normally do. Below are 15 examples of how my normal blogland routines are disrupted: - new comments to my blog posts are not easy to find - comments to some of my blog posts have disappeared - my replies to comments posted on my blog posts have vanished - many images uploaded with blog posts do not appear - the description of my blog has been reduced to a few lines - alerts take me back to things that happened a long time ago - each of my saved posts are listed twice - my sticky blog post for members to contact me has vanished - new posts of my followed bloggers can only be found by searching each of their blogs - the opening page of blogland is just a list of random blog posts - recent blog posts cannot be found - new bloggers cannot be easily found - so-called top bloggers cannot be easily found (some may say this is a plus point!) - blocked members are now unblocked - and incredibly, the apostrophe is still mangled As for groups, the new format has just made moderating or participating in groups a fruitless mission. Groups are just a footnote to the community. The site has just atomised our blogland community. The new format needs at least an opening generic page like we have now. Otherwise, we will just be ships in the night occasionally bumping each other! _______________________________________________________________________ 4/12/2021 7:28 pm Hi Stephen - thanks for the feedback! I'll go through the following point by point... then go through the posts you sent and comment there too. Below are 15 examples of how my normal blogland routines are disrupted: - new comments to my blog posts are not easy to find A: Once we move to the new code, every time someone comments on a post or replies to a comment (for both blogs and groups), it will be listed on the "Alerts" page so you can see them all in one place. During the "beta", they do not show up there yet as it's a new feature. - comments to some of my blog posts have disappeared A: One of the blog migration scripts wasn't running for a week... blogs/comments are there again. It's a bit hard to keep the two databases in sync but I can update any missed ones later. - my replies to comments posted on my blog posts have vanished A: Please check again now that the last week data has been copied. - many images uploaded with blog posts do not appear A: I'm investigating this one today... I think it's related to the last week sync issue. - the description of my blog has been reduced to a few lines A: Yes, I'm going to work on this... I was trying to make it do a summary with a link to "view all" but since we have so many customization tags, it's hard to do. The challenge is on mobile where a long description means people have to scroll through it to see the posts. - alerts take me back to things that happened a long time ago A: yep, the alerts will show only new events that happen in the new community... my guess if you have some alerts, they're from August when we were testing things. - each of my saved posts are listed twice A: I'll have to check this one on your account as I see them only once. - my sticky blog post for members to contact me has vanished A: I'll check this one later. The new code also only has sticky on/off and not a sort order for them. It's on the to-do list but we also want to keep things simple. - new posts of my followed bloggers can only be found by searching each of their blogs A: Assuming you're using a computer (not phone), you can see "new posts of followed bloggers" by clicking the "Blogs" button on the left sidebar, then "Followed" button on the upper-right corner of the page. - the opening page of blogland is just a list of random blog posts A: It currently shows the newest blogs (note again, the last week's blogs were missing). - recent blog posts cannot be found A: yes, they're there now. - new bloggers cannot be easily found A: click "Blogs" in left sidebar, then "New" button at the top. However, since most new bloggers - so-called top bloggers cannot be easily found (some may say this is a plus point!) A: yeah... we're going to get rid of the "contest" posts. If you go to /community/members you can see some leaderboards and sorts but it's kind of hidden on purpose until we see if it's useful. - blocked members are now unblocked A: Aha... I see what happened here. I will update it today. - and incredibly, the apostrophe is still mangled A: yeah... I worked on this a bit last week. The problem is the old/current blog database mangles apostrophe's and so only new posts will not have that problem. It's actually worse for non-English posts. The new blogs has a way to fix apostrophes in old posts for English. _______________________________________________________________________ 4/12/2021 8:05 pm Andrew Many thanks for your reply; it is much appreciated. My only observation, assuming that everything is working as intended, is that the new format breaks the golden rule - at least it is golden here in the UK - of having to click many times to get what you want rather than seeing a generic blogland page, a generic my blog page, a generic groupland page etc as a menu page to click from. These generic pages are the ones that create the sense of community. The new format is a bit like having a smartphone. Since I mailed you, two other bloggers have posted negatively about the new format - see COMMUNITY IS BEYOND FUCKED UP and The Time39s they are a changing and so is the community. The troops are not happy. Regards. Stephen _______________________________________________________________________ 4/12/2021 8:22 pm Andrew Just a rejoinder, I hope you roll out this new format when all the issues are fixed. I've raised only a few issues; other bloggers have raised more issues. If the issues aren't fixed, then, it's just going to alienate members further. They, myself included, want a new format that is better rather than work-in-progress. Regards. Stephen _______________________________________________________________________  |
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I'm just putting facts, or at least a version of the facts, in the public domain! 
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12/4/2021 2:31 pm |
That was nice of you to share.
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I haven't even tried the new "community" because I've seen comments saying it's just as screwed up and difficult to navigate as the old attempt at the "new" blog pages that Andrew tried. I really do enjoy the blogs, but if he continues to fuck them up like he has in the past, I'll be passing on the blogging. It's too damn difficult and frustrating to try to navigate. Pagan  Hmmmm....I know I left that wand around here somewhere!
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Thank you so much my friend for sharing this post with us. I am a bit disheartened I have to say about Andrews comment about getting rid of the Contest Posts. I do NOT DO THIS TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT GOD AWFUL TOP BLOGGERS LIST. I have my games and contests to HELP MEMBERS ESPECIALLY STANDARD MEMBERS TO reward them with points so that they can enjoy the site. As NOW EVERYTHING YOU DO TAKES POINTS to navigate the site. This has been truly an injustice to the members trying to communicate with others here. When I joined this site some twenty plus years ago everything was free like emailing, IM's and watching cams that is no longer the case!! This is a very interesting look into the future of the site, and I am sure many will not like these new changes, as many bloggers have said already how much they dislike the NEW BETA COMMUNITY!!! I hope your enjoying your Saturday.. Seduce the mind and see what a wonderful adventure the body will take you on.. 
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I am going to pimp your blog out my friend as I think members need to see this conversation you had with Andrew.. Seduce the mind and see what a wonderful adventure the body will take you on..
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Lucid and well-presented thoughts and observations. 👍🤔 I won't speculate on what may or may not change on that 'beta' site, but I think you hit the key point; it doesn't feel like a community anymore... we're like ships at sea. I took a late-summer cruise on the rough Atlantic one year. As a small ship — 400 or so passengers — she faced a stiff challenge as we charged those ocean waves in a gale. Her bow would rise high into the darkened sky, then come crashing and splashing down— like all those clichés you'd ever seen in movies. I was on the top deck enjoying the spectacle. It was fabulous! 😎❗❗ ... is there another way to look at it Going Too Fucking Far NEW Blog Features RevealeD O O A Foolproof Method Posted Over on that NEW site O O
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Two further messages from Andrew. How shoud I reply? _______________ When you refer to "generic pages", you mean the main "blog" and "group" page on current FriendFinder-x? When I wrote those pages in 2004, I was just trying to fill up space with little tables. What part of the current blog page would you like replicated on the new one? 4/12/2021 10:35 pm Could you check your block list to see if you see 2 people there? It will only show blocked people who have visited the new community or have been migrated. About 80% of people who posted in the blogs/etc in the last 15 years have not logged in recently so this way they're excluded. 4/12/2021 10:47 pm
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"A: yeah... we're going to get rid of the "contest" posts. If you go to /community/members you can see some leaderboards and sorts but it's kind of hidden on purpose until we see if it's useful." This seems like a lot of work just to get rid of the points giveaways, which really didn't hurt anybody, you just scrolled past them if you didn't want to look.
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Thanks for the update. So for some of these issues, we’re supposed to just trust that it’s going to work right when it actually goes live? My major issue is that this morning a friend was nice enough to let me know that all of the comments, and all of my replies, on my private message post, were visible to him. So I’ve been busy all day with deleting anything that seems sensitive or private (not an easy exercise when you have 300+ comments).   
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That's a whole lot to digest. Thanks for the info. I may need to come back time and time again to fully digest all of this. THE NEW COMMUNITY PAGE Is THAT Strike Three Festive, on HNW She is BAAACK [post 3312759] My Private Post - Tell Me ALL Your Secrets – Anything you write here is just between us
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Little Tables A simplified list of blogs and titles. A clean table of who you're following with a highlight of who's posted. A simple point of view would be perfect. But that Beta Site is geared towards cell phones. It's a too large and clumpy for a quick SCROLL down. Little Tables would help a LOT! 👍 ❗❗❗ ... is there another way to look at it Going Too Fucking Far NEW Blog Features RevealeD O O A Foolproof Method Posted Over on that NEW site O O
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Quoting COPY & PAST..Andrew:A: "yeah... we're going to get rid of the "contest" posts. If you go to /community/members you can see some leaderboards and sorts but it's kind of hidden on purpose until we see if it's useful." Just what is the issue, I myself have given away literally thousands of points.. some through what some would consider a contest.. some because I seen an immediate need for some one to have some, just the other evening ; a nice blogger stated that her points count was at 666, this is not a good number, I sent her some ASAP. Others I have gifted points so as to be able to message them as the site is so tight that we lost all of our normal privileges.. These points gifting by bloggers serve a purpose that YOU , the SITE, seem to have lost sight of.. The ability for it's members to communicate..... If some one has extra points, let them use them as they fit, I will.. I win them and just pass them about, I have no need for them.. If I see some one on CAM that I may like to watch, How many times are you going to charge me 28 points and one min later the site freez? It is In my opinion a joke!!! You want another 28 points.. You gotta be kidding me, Not just me , a lot of people depend on the gift forwarding of points by any means to try to enjoy the site. I like a lot of other people would gladly pay a reasonable fee to have a properly run site, one that is dependable, reliable and shows its worth. As of now the site does not meet any of this critia.. I was a paid member for many years, and turned down GOLD at $3.95 a month because of the two bit operation you show us you present. and now you want to put up on us something that is , to be nice, NOT USER FRIENDLY IN ANY MANNER,,, You, Andrew, need some bean counter training. It (the product) has to be worth something before people will pay for the service, and at this time YOU DONT have it or any thing that looks promissing.............. ***********Now back to normal programming. my George Dickel & Ice is melting, and nothingdisturbes me more than to be disturbed when I am with a good Tennessee Whisky & ice that is getting to room temp!!! QUOTING Andrew.....A: yeah... we're going to get rid of the "contest" posts. If you go to /community/members you can see some leaderboards and sorts but it's kind of hidden on purpose until we see if it's useful. Stop by at lonlyforlove2 also see Lunch with Lonly , we get snow tomorrow Check my blog on New Community, "A photo of my big Pecker" also, " My Sunday afternoon with the kids'
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MYMan, I apologize for the unprofessional statement that I may have or not have made here within your forum. Andrew is a figment of some body imagination, just as his efforts to just fix a few real glitches on these sites.. Digital coding is limited by only one thing, The mind of man.. If he doesn't have the proper manpower to fix it why doesn't he say so? We went to the moon with the computer power of an outdated 2g "Nokia" cell phone.. Although I used one world wide for many years, actually a better phone than my new Samsung!!!! Andrew, Just get with the program. You can do it.. I'll even donate a bottle of Tennessee's finest for your next work session if it will help.... Stop by at lonlyforlove2 also see Lunch with Lonly , we get snow tomorrow Check my blog on New Community, "A photo of my big Pecker" also, " My Sunday afternoon with the kids'
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Thanks for the update. So for some of these issues, we’re supposed to just trust that it’s going to work right when it actually goes live? My major issue is that this morning a friend was nice enough to let me know that all of the comments, and all of my replies, on my private message post, were visible to him. So I’ve been busy all day with deleting anything that seems sensitive or private (not an easy exercise when you have 300+ comments). Stop by at lonlyforlove2 also see Lunch with Lonly , we get snow tomorrow Check my blog on New Community, "A photo of my big Pecker" also, " My Sunday afternoon with the kids'
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I am going to pimp your blog out my friend as I think members need to see this conversation you had with Andrew..
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It would be good to be able to say "the blogs are dead, long live the community". However, there are a couple of salient points from this exchange which merit summarising: 1. The blogs need to be modernised to align with other social media platforms and to broaden their appeal, and of course to make a profit for the site. While I agree in general with the principle, the main problem is the manner in which it is being done - haphazardly, with as little resource input as is possible, using the customer base as the test sample, and focussing on misguided aims. 2. The site appears to be devoid of any sort of regard for the wishes of the majority of its membership. This is painfully apparent in some of the responses. Fundamentally, the site needs to make money. This principle is not at issue. To do so requires change, and positive change is always good. If the vision for the end result was something fresh, new and exciting, then despite misgivings the outcome would likely be something good, something to look forward to. Unfortunately however, two of the main aims of the changes are negative - to do away with the popularity list (or replace it with something that can be manipulated by the site rather than by the members), and to stop the points giveaways - and negative drivers lead to negative changes. One individual holds significant influence over the site ownership and is playing a major part in this saga. It is unfortunate therefore that said person is motivated by an alarming level of hatred and a disturbing need for revenge against anyone who is perceived to have made a personal attack. I am not making this up, I have factual evidence of the astonishing level of animosity this one person holds against a few bloggers. Playing at being Swiss only appeases. Sadly though, experience indicates that any attempt at getting to the heart of the problem leads to ridicule and scorn. The parasite has eaten away at the host, there is nothing much more than bones left to pick over. Doom, gloom, despondency. "The blogs are dead........."
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When I first started here on the site, the site used to send us SURVEYS to ask all of the members what we would like to see, what kind of changes need to be made and how much do you think the site should charge for the site. The site used to have free emails, and IM's and cam watching. Now standard members need to use points for everything they do. I did a poll in one of the groups where I am one of the MODS and I asked members what they thought about a TEN DOLLAR FEE per month to pay for the site. I got an over whelming approval for this, but the members also said they site needs to work and function better than it does now. The function of this site is awful to say the least, and I am going to tell you what I have seen over the years. The site when it says it's going to UPGRADE the SITE, well it doesn't it always seems to affect other areas of the site, making them almost unusable. I hope Andrew pays attention to what the members have said here because the members are the ones that use the site. And please bring back those SURVEYS so that the members can once again have some input. Thank you Tmptrzz Seduce the mind and see what a wonderful adventure the body will take you on..
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BUT right in the middle ( of The NEW COMMUNITY) is the most outlandish popularity list imaginable. and one that at all glances is manageable by the member in question. no checks and balances.. The data itself appears to have collected is input from the mentioned profile.. If you had any idea that the list we have, is bad wait till you see the workings, of the new one.. I have not found any one that has any faith in the site, each day it looks worse than the day before,, Stop by at lonlyforlove2 also see Lunch with Lonly , we get snow tomorrow Check my blog on New Community, "A photo of my big Pecker" also, " My Sunday afternoon with the kids'
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If they go to the new format, I will probably leave again. The blogs are the only thing I enjoy here and the only thing I can do here without using points of upgrading. I use to be a full member, but didn't use enough of the site to justify the cost. I looked at the new format and don't feel like it will make my stay worth my time.
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Thanks for the update. I hope Andrew really incorporates what the bloggers want and need before he unleashes the new format. I also hope that the new format has rhyme and reason to it.
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As if to emphasise the points I made earlier......... There's but one person that I can see so far who is positive about the proposals for the new Community. You need to ask yourself why that would be? The new Community has nothing whatsoever to do with representing what the majority of members of the current blogging community want.
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That was nice of you to share.
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I think the new Community format may be more New World Disorder!
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You make a very good point about revenue generation (or non-revenue generation in the case of blogland). I know the site intends to separate the dating side from the Community side and allow non-members join the new Community. I'm not sure whether it means the Community side will be left marooned or whether it will inject new life into it.
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