please read this. It is very important...

Too true. Maybe Darren should just remove the OT and BT boards.  I suppose it could end up like the old days with the planning boards becoming lost in a sea of posts about post-wedding stuff, though.  Who knows.  I think Darren has annoyed the planners and advertisers too, this time.  Like you say, though, I have little doubt that there will be a whole lot of other fish in the sea as far as he is concerned.  It just seems that not many users leave simply because their wedding is done and dusted.

 

 

For the purposes of clarity going forward, I feel we should rely on the BBC's survey of the most offensive swearwords.  Darren - could you clarify above which word we cannot use? 

P.S.  Whore.

Is anyone else STILL getting problems here? 

I keep getting 20-odd Security Alert  popups I have to click through before I can even scroll the screen.

 

Oh well.  Satin Lovers permanently for me it is then.

Stormfairy, I was paying to advertise but the listings are a tip. I was going to pay again but I shan't and I know several others who will not be renewing. This isn't just about OT, I'm a wedding professional who has spent many hours on WP helping stressed brides. My choice obviously but many planners are only on Hitched WP because of the quality of advice they receive, which will now be sorely lacking (not because I'm not there, I'm not that big headed). I want to advertise on a site that is consistent in quality and functionality and that just isn't Hitched. It's quite frustrating that Darren would be swayed by one new member, a couple of non-paying advertisers and possibly one or two paying ones, when many a paying advertiser have been complaining for months about the speed and reliability of the site and the layout of the advertising space. So to pick up your point, Darren doesn't discriminate between paying or non-paying, he ignores us all equally.

x

p.s OT and BT ARE money spinners, the hits they receive generate advertising revenue for Darren.

Since when has SHAG been a swear word!?!

 

That list is hilarious!

http://www.badscience.net/2006/03/cunt-fuck-wanker/

at baron!

Prick is one of my favourite words.

I'm off to join Mel's forum.

Minx Sauce:

Is anyone else STILL getting problems here? 

 

To be fair, it can take a few days, weeks to sort out problems on a website as big as this. I wouldn't expect a miraculous overnight 100% improvement, 100% working as should be for any project. There are bound to be bugs etc.

 

The common cormorant, or shag,
Lays eggs inside a paper bag.
The reason you can see, no doubt,
It is to keep the lightning out.
But what these unobservant birds
Have failed to notice, is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hide the crumbs.

Right, that's me banned then.  Back to the other place. 

stormfairy:

Ok, I've been on and off these forums for nearly 9 years (just call me very sad).

And to be totally honest very little has changed in Darrens attitude. From things said, he likes the forums BUT they don't bring in anything other than website hits. Website hits means he can sell the website to more advertisers. However advertisers (or potential) getting their knickers in a twist and stirring up bird poo amongst others, is always going to get Darren to side with the money paying folks.

This is how things were back in the olden days and it has not changed. And it never will. The OT folks can move elsewhere as they often do (and this has happened a few times). BUT girls will get married and will still visit the original wedding planning forums (as was the original intention OT and later BT were added as we kept hasseling Darren for them - but they were never going to be money spinners)

I guess what Im trying to say, rant and complain all you like but unless you are paying Darren advertising, then be prepared to be ignored as OT was never going to be his priority. But yes I do understand website functionality is importtant to the Wedding planning side

 

I think the vast majority of us completely understand that Dean does not run these boards as a kind service to Internet weirdoes. It's clearly a means of generating page clicks to get ad revenue and that's fine. What grates slightly - well, a lot - is that we have been highlighting slow sppeds for months and months, pointing out that this harms ad revenue as much as our enjoyment of the site. To get no response, despite many entirely polite queries on the board where they asked for our feedback is frustrating. When all we then get is a telling off for not reallyswearing at someone flouting the advertising rules is verging on insulting. Yes, it's a business, but it's only a business because of the community. WP does not have enough clicks.

stormfairy:

Ok, I've been on and off these forums for nearly 9 years (just call me very sad).

And to be totally honest very little has changed in Darrens attitude. From things said, he likes the forums BUT they don't bring in anything other than website hits. Website hits means he can sell the website to more advertisers. However advertisers (or potential) getting their knickers in a twist and stirring up bird poo amongst others, is always going to get Darren to side with the money paying folks.

This is how things were back in the olden days and it has not changed. And it never will. The OT folks can move elsewhere as they often do (and this has happened a few times). BUT girls will get married and will still visit the original wedding planning forums (as was the original intention OT and later BT were added as we kept hasseling Darren for them - but they were never going to be money spinners)

I guess what Im trying to say, rant and complain all you like but unless you are paying Darren advertising, then be prepared to be ignored as OT was never going to be his priority. But yes I do understand website functionality is importtant to the Wedding planning side

 

I think the vast majority of us completely understand that Dean does not run these boards as a kind service to Internet weirdoes. It's clearly a means of generating page clicks to get ad revenue and that's fine. What grates slightly - well, a lot - is that we have been highlighting slow sppeds for months and months, pointing out that this harms ad revenue as much as our enjoyment of the site. To get no response, despite many entirely polite queries on the board where they asked for our feedback is frustrating. When all we then get is a telling off for not reallyswearing at someone flouting the advertising rules is verging on insulting. Yes, it's a business, but it's only a business because of the community. WP does not have enough clicks.

Zebra:

Minx Sauce:

Is anyone else STILL getting problems here? 

 

To be fair, it can take a few days, weeks to sort out problems on a website as big as this. I wouldn't expect a miraculous overnight 100% improvement, 100% working as should be for any project. There are bound to be bugs etc.

 

The site speed isn't the point for me.. It's been slow for ages & they have taken far too long to get it fixed. Also there is a higher quality of poster on the other forum

 

stormfairy:

Ok, I've been on and off these forums for nearly 9 years (just call me very sad).

And to be totally honest very little has changed in Darrens attitude. From things said, he likes the forums BUT they don't bring in anything other than website hits. Website hits means he can sell the website to more advertisers. However advertisers (or potential) getting their knickers in a twist and stirring up bird poo amongst others, is always going to get Darren to side with the money paying folks.

This is how things were back in the olden days and it has not changed. And it never will. The OT folks can move elsewhere as they often do (and this has happened a few times). BUT girls will get married and will still visit the original wedding planning forums (as was the original intention OT and later BT were added as we kept hasseling Darren for them - but they were never going to be money spinners)

I guess what Im trying to say, rant and complain all you like but unless you are paying Darren advertising, then be prepared to be ignored as OT was never going to be his priority. But yes I do understand website functionality is importtant to the Wedding planning side

 

I think the vast majority of us completely understand that Dean does not run these boards as a kind service to Internet weirdoes. It's clearly a means of generating page clicks to get ad revenue and that's fine. What grates slightly - well, a lot - is that we have been highlighting slow sppeds for months and months, pointing out that this harms ad revenue as much as our enjoyment of the site. To get no response, despite many entirely polite queries on the board where they asked for our feedback is frustrating. When all we then get is a telling off for not reallyswearing at someone flouting the advertising rules is verging on insulting. Yes, it's a business, but it's only a business because of the community. WP does not have enough clicks.

Sigh. I can't believe one doughball whinging abouf a non swear word has prompted this, meantime the foru is dying on its arse due to the speed/errors. I have been having to access the net on my ipod and it keeps timing out when I try to access hitched, I've all but given up tbh. Which after 7 years and having been a regular at some point on all the forums is a bit of a shame.

Braw Wee Chanter - Im well aware of how bad the listings are - I've listed there myself in the past but did not renew. I don't believe I got a single click through from here according to my stats. I think I should have made it clearer that Darren isnt really in the habit of listening to anyone who isnt offering him big bucks advertising.

Hazel - Im well aware WP doesnt have anywhere near the clicks that OT / BT have. But having seen this very row several times over the years, and then watched many people leave, there were many more that filled the gaps. Next time Hitched gets its overhaul and changes colour yet again, new people will arrive and wonder what all our fuss was about.