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Alan,
Would it be possible to introduce some kind of "ignore" button or a "black out option" or something like that? Every forum member would have the opportunity to select other members and click that button and put them on their "black out list". In that way you won't be forced to look at (or read) all the "contributions" of certain forum members because they are on your list and the forum doesn't show you anything they posted. It would clean this place up nicely :)
I do not control the format or the operations of the Forum. The Forum is operated by a third party contractor and I pay them a fee each month. What you see is what we get in their service. I can't make any changes.
Ah that's unfortunate but so be it. Thank you for your reply.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
Alan, how much do you pay this third party company?
If you don't want to say publicly, can you tell me privately?
I ask this because I might be able to do better for you, and for less money.
I run the forum at http://pokerfraudalert.com
I did 100% of the technical work myself.
Being a programmer, I was able to make many modifications to the software, including a chat room, radio show, ability to embed MP3s into posts, ability to embed CNN videos into posts, ability to embed scribd documents into posts, easier-to-use search feature, anonymous posting feature, ability to post to forum through Twitter, Facebook-like IM system, and many other items.
While not all of these features are needed on here, I stated them just so you can see I can make modifications as needed.
Let me know if you're interested. I also have my own server and could host it.
Even if you just want to go with the existing forum without any modifications, I bet I could do everything cheaper and better.
Dan a question: If I switched forum companies, could I carry over all of the previous content to the new forum?
Yes. There are two elements to maintaining a forum:
1) The sever itself hosting the forum. This is essentially the provider of the computer running the forum and internet connection.
2) The vBulletin software. This is the forum software.
Is this third party company doing everything, or are you just paying for them to maintain the forum, and paying for a server separately?
Anyway, the short answer is YES.
I could make an identical copy of your forum and move it over to my server. There would be a 2-3 day lag for some people for the new IP to be "recognized", but after that, it would look as if nothing changed.
And if you want to stay with the same server, I could maintain the vBulletin instead of this company you're currently hiring.
Alan, you can ask. Most forum software has the "ignore" function. They may just have it turned off and simply need to flip a switch to turn it on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
There's also a way to avoid the downtime, by getting a temporary URL and using that for the 2-3 days it takes the new URL to propagate.
Anyway, let me know.
Or you could just ban that washed up irrelevant A-hole..... Oh never mind.
I have been banning, on a daily basis, about three to four posters per day from India who have been coming here to post links to watch movies online. For some strange reason, this site is one of the most popular sites in India and in the Philippines. I don't know why. Besides the Forum, I now have more than 330 pages of other content. Twice a day I have to go through the trouble not only of banning these spammers, but I also have to delete their posts which are simply commercial posts violating US copyright laws.
So interested in my offer, or not?
Dan, I am going to contact my current forum company and find out what they can do.
I also have a problem with people who want to join but are blocked from joining for some mysterious reasons. Their IP addresses are not blocked and it could be a problem with their own ISPs. One of those being blocked is a regular at Rincon and we speak frequently -- as recently as last week. She reads the forums but is unable to post. My last suggestion to her was to use Firefox instead of the cable-TV Internet service she was using.
I participate in another forum which has an "ignore" feature, and I use it on those selective few who have earned the honor. Problem is, whenever someone else quotes them, I end up seeing the very same drivel I am trying to avoid.
Actually, I think the "ignore" button or feature is childish. Each of us comes packaged at the factory with an ignore feature between our ears.
Alan, I am not understanding what you are looking into with your current company.
The cost? Their ability to change things on the forum?
I'm pretty sure I could offer a better experience for cheaper -- maybe even get the spam thing under control (no promises on that, though).
I don't do this for a living. I just have additional space/bandwidth on my server that I'm not using, and figured we could both benefit from it.
Your call, obviously. If you're getting a bargain with this company, you're probably better off not messing with it, but if you are paying a good deal of money per month to keep this running, I'm sure this could save you some cash and run just as well.
Dan, I don't do this website for a living either. I do a weekly TV show and manage a half dozen Infomercial clients plus their TV and radio commercial needs. It's on my list of things to do.
I happen to agree with arci on how an "ignore" feature is simply activated with the push of a button. Just like the Double Down option on all IGT vp machines. A programmer should know this. But I also agree that using "ignore" is childish and used mostly by those who react with weakness in the face of hardball questions, answers, and comments--especially if they are in disagreement with their own opinions or beliefs.
As such, all Dan's doing is soliciting business. Maybe those shameless online gambling ads aren't cuttin' it.
And again, our village idiot is back. I've posted 3 new threads recently. Look at the latest wonderful contribution in those 3 threads from our residential blow hole? As always all 3 responses have one purpose: to provoke or insult people. Well, I have no no problem with being childish if that's what an ignore button is. Alan since you don't want to ban people (and I get your point of view) the ignore button at least gives your participants the option to "turn off" the tunes of certain forum members. So people can decide for themselves what they want to see/read and what not.
Do you really need a button to help you decide what to read and what to dismiss?Quote:
Originally Posted by Vegas_lover
On a philosophical basis, I think ignore buttons are dangerous to a free society. Think about that. Ignore buttons and banning posters is the 1930s equivalent of burning books. Except for the spammers who continuously post links to watching illegal copies of first run movies, I actually regret banning two members of the Forum (one was in the Media forum who made personal attacks -- but this was right after I started this forum to replace the TV forum on another website that was destroyed by personal attacks).
No but when somebody basically infests almost every thread with garbage it's hard to "shovel all that shit". Putting a filter on that with an ignore button would work like a charm. You don't have to sensor anything but you could give your readers the opportunity to clean up this forum for themselves. Doesn't harm anybodyQuote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
You are just as sensitive to personal attacks as anybody else. You've banned me because I was on your case too much and you've had several clashes with Singer as well. You didn't ignore those personal attacks either and responded to it all. Surprise: your human just like the rest of us :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
When you think somebody is going too far (in the department of personal attacks directed at you) you have the opportunity to ban them. And you use that feature. Other posters don't have that opportunity so they just have to take all the insults a certain forum member is constantly shooting from the hip. Because you choose not to intervine (no argument here just reality). You can at least give your forum members the opportunity to "shut somebody off" when a certain member's only purpose in life appears to be making as many enemies as possible.
But an ignore button will not stop a critic from making personal attacks... all the ignore button will do is stop you from seeing them.
Good enough for me :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
At least it will be my choice if I want to see those remarks or not. Nobody can force me into seeing them with an ignore button. At this point a certain member is just investing all his energy in personally attacking almost everybody around here for kicks. I don't get a kick out of that, I just don't want to go through all the BS anymore. Therefor: an ignore button.
Here's how I treat those personal attacks: the guy is only hurting himself. And this is how he will be remembered.
Great answer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
Not really. As I said earlier, if I choose to ignore member "A", every time someone else quotes "A", (Originally Posted by "A") I'll see it. The only true and effective "ignore feature" is a banishment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson
VL, portraying weakness isn't helping your point. If you don't like what you see, do what people do when IMAX begins to overwhelm their senses: Look Away.
Yawn.... thank you for your insight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob.Singer