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Losing retailers and sites
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Why are sites and retailers leaving Boards.ie (i.e. the topic at hand)? In my opinion it comes down to one thing; cost over gain. Boards.ie charge a fee to advertise, and the sites/retailers do not feel that it is worth the nominal fee + maintenance costs (i.e. their own time to update the thread etc). Why has it happened all of a sudden? Chain reaction - one had the stones to up and leave, and now others are following suit after realising that boards.ie is not that important to their business model.
Why are we not important to their business model? Want to know the real truth of the matter? We, quite simply, are all talk. Out of all the sites, games and events we talk about, how many do we go to? Out of all the new product releases we discuss, how many of us buy the item? A tiny portion of a niche market do, which makes this forum all talk.
The moderators are not the problem, we are. The moderators are there to do their job, and we're here as the community. Sure, we can have a moan, but that just contributes to the negativity, not combating it. Defeatism reigns supreme, while discussion takes a back-seat just so we can get a stab in at someone. Instead if we actually TRY for once, instead of stating things as they are, perhaps there would be room for improvement?
I have been a member on Boards.ie for quite a while, and now I work for an Airsoft retailer. I used to be able to post when I knew Irish stores had stuff in stock, and now I can't. I used to be able to give my opinion on brands etc, and now I can't. I used to be able to post about products I use (BBs, Gas, Batteries, etc), and now I can't. This annoys me beyond belief that I have to restrict my activity so as I do not cross the line between discussion and shilling. I understand the need for protection against shilling, as it is hard to tell the difference between an opinion, and a weighted opinion.
Something that is rather infuriating for me, is when someone posts in the main fora inquiring about a product available in Ireland, I am not able to reply, even though I know there's tonnes of them in the store. What I have proposed to the moderators/admins is to allow retailers to reply to these threads, but with VERY strict rules i.e. if someone asks if a product is available in Ireland, then retailers can reply with "In stock & available - please visit our retailer thread" and NOTHING else. If anything else is said in the same post, then they are infracted or even billed - this is to protect against shilling, whilst simultaneously incentivising retailers to pay to have a retailer thread.
Now why bother mentioning that? Retailers are members of the community too, yet they are excluded from many parts of it. Perhaps it is necessary, but I don't believe so. I think there could very easily be a balance. I hope the moderator and admin team take to my suggestion, and also hope that you, the general airsoft community, like the concept too. But we shall see
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@ Sliabh, Andy never handed a slap to anyone in that thread, he reminded users of the games forum and sub fora - please point out who got "slapped".
Otherwise, leave him the fúck alone - its getting to the point where people are attacking him, not the way he moderates - which may be strict, but it's fair and at least he does it and hasn't backed down like other mods. There are 4 other mods and after Thermo, Andy is the most active. Steve, The Master and kdouglas, don't do very much on the airsoft forum at all compared to Andy and Thermo.
Yes Andy and Thermo are my mates - but that's irrelevant right now, what isn't is the blatant online bullying that people are all too happy to use to air grievances.
As has been said, time and time again - if you have an issue with a mod, take it to feedback, where cmods and admins will deal with it, I'm gonna go ahead and presume you haven't done this, or if you have, no issue was found and you're still not happy - well you don't always get what you want.
If you want to make boards a better place for airsofters - then contribute, help, don't only post when a thread like this comes up and start giving out. That makes you part of the problem and doesn't solve it.
@Kev, of course man, don't worry
@Inari, completely agree with your post regarding giving opinions and all that craic once associated with a retailer.0 -
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FINALLY THIS FORUM IS INTERESTING TO READ AGAIN!
Ok so a number of topics going under the one banner and I want to through a thought on some of them
Retailers and site subforum
When airsoft was small there was only HRTa, MIA and Eirsoft. As the sport grew retailers and sites sprang up like nobodies business wanting a slice of the pie. They all had a thread here. This was the central hub of information for airsoft. The people that run boards.ie arn't silly people. So someone said "Why dont we get a slice of the pie" And lets be honest it was a smart move.
But no one could anticipate it being a longterm plan, it was a short term milk the cash cow incentive. I nearly had a stroke reading that retailers pay €30 a month for a forum here, thats over €300 a year. No wonder so many of you are gone out of business for piss poor decision like that :P
A boards thread offered you a fair bit a few years ago. But nowadays its a dinosaur. Facebook and Twitter are the new internet face of retail and customer support and here is simply why
"Hmm, my rifle is With Shiva waiting to be fixed, lets see if its done"
Boot up PC........log onto internet......www.boards.ie....navigate airsoft.....navigate sites....**** they are split and im in wrong forum back up......navigate retailers....find thread.....post reply..." Tony is my rifle fixed"...send
Now lets look at how technology evolved, and that process now happens.
Unlock phone....open seesmic(twitter app)...type @Eirsoft Where is my ****ing gun....wait 10 minutes....reply sent @eirsoft haha funny story bout that
The process itself, at a base level, has been changed into simplistic easy to use media. The world has changed, we dont buy papers and watch the news, we need short burst of information, and we get them through Twitter,Facebook and RSS feeds.
With the recession, and there being 50 million retailers, its not worth anyones while keeping a thread open. Now I'm not saying I can run a business, no way, but what I do have is some business savvy and a bit of cop on. And I know that the traffic that comes to my thread currently on boards.ie and the potential revenue from it is nigh on piss poor nothing. I'm loosing money.
However with a free Facebook or Twitter account, the cost to run is zero and the return from it is much higher cause I can genuinely create revenue. Pictures, announcements, polls and competitions.
So in summary, its not boards fault. They say an opportunity to make a pretty penny during the 6mm boom like every redundant sucker did and now the gravy train has hit its last stop. Anyone still paying €300 annually for a thread here needs their head examined.
Moderation issue
Sigh. I've given up on this because in my view the procedure for having a mod put under review doesnt really work. If your hear aslong as me , there have been about 4-5 major topics to appear in feedback / helpdesk in relation to a serious opinion and feeling.
Here is how that process goes
1) I don't agree with that, that was poor moderation, I'm going to PM that mod and suss out the sotry
2) Wow, I was an idiot there, best go through the procedure
3) Thread created, I best make the posters on the forum aware there is a feedback thread they should take a look at an express their feelings
4) hu, weird, I'm not allowed talk about the feedback thread outside of feedback.....o...kkkk
5) Well my points were pretty valid and I put some evidence there and was pretty calm, that should be taken seriously enough
6) Well that mod isnt even in our forum, why is he getting involved, he just blanked defended the Airsoft mod without reading my post
7) And there's another
8) Did I just walk into Wimbledon, whats with the quote tennis?
9) What has me being part of a team or having friends who have the same feelings got to do with a witch hunt?
10) A **** this ****
There you have it. I think there was like ONE succesfull feedback thread where a The Master afaik admitted there was a bit of OTT from himself, but that we ( myself included) werent being the easiest to manage. Tipped our hats, and we all got along fine after that and everyones happy.
My point being feedback threads generally, dont work. And they are perceived a waste of time. Its usually seen as a game of quote tennis by mods trying to simply prove you so utterly wrong when the evidence you have is compelling. I know this is a private forum etc, but dont shove **** procedures and avenues of complaint down my throat when its a glorified joke for moderators.
Now to also address Leftys point. There isn't a personal vendetta against Andy as a person, nor any Moderator as a person, its on the moderation. Now to be fair I'm not sure there has been anything loltastic happening lately cause I simply could...not...give...a..bollox. But you'd be absolutely nieve to deny there has been epic **** moderation here in the past.
Most people take Gerrowadat as being elitist, a dick and riding on a very very high horse. And to be fair, your probably mostly right. Personally, I dont think his horse is high enough. And I like him on his horse, cause he calls the bull**** out that most of you cower to call straight because your afraid to hurt someones feelings or get an letter on a McDonalds burger wrap from a tinfoil hat lawyer.
There are a few people on this forum, that basically deserve respect. Wether you know them or not. Ironically alot happen to be my mates, but they have an Airsoft CV to make their opinion worth their weight in gold. Most of them will try to play coy and say " a stop" but I genuinelly think their opinions are worth their weight in gold because they are the pillar stone of this community.
I'm going to outline those people now, don't get offended if your not on the list, your just not a boss yet.
Gerrowadat
Head of the IAA , acting, for about a year. In the commitees most turbulant year where there was the threat of a new organisation, there was bad press and there was the threat of an outright ban.
Lead the IAA and airsoft in general into acceptance, organised mass epic positive PR and with his no BS attitude called people up on their ****. The result was airsoft was made legal and you can crack of your guns wtihout fear on a site.
Has being to pretty much every major event going and always conducts himself tops in games.
Fayer
Pretty much similar as above, expect he did SOOO much legal work and articles and writing the lad probably had about 4 heart attacks. I don't think there is anyone that doesn't like this guy in person. Very outgoing, provides advice to people for free you'd otherwise pay €1,000's for. Created a serious network of contacts abroad and is THE perfect example of how to conduct yourself playing airsoft
Hivemind & Taz
Not really posting much anymore, these guys put down the building blocks for your game being legal. Absolute brash as ****, tremendous articulation and writing ability. ****ed up alot of relationships with people, but its what every organisation needs. No bollox in your face getting **** done, dont like it, suck my kiss. Tried to lift milsim of its decrepit floor and it just didnt happen for them. Without these guys and their assosiates youd probably not have heard of the game imo.
Dex
You literally have an wikipedia of information at your fingertips, except its not bollox. No question goes unanswered as he answers your questions wether your new or veteran, and smashes your ideas for airsoft cannons with his mad skills in physics. If Barney Stenson is the king of ****ing woman, Dex is the god of ****ing your brain full of knowledge
Puding
I've never seen someone go to so much lengths to answer the same questions over and over again and do so much in terms of community stuff without even taking a bow. News thread, pics threads, community websites, gun information you name it this guy will help answer your question. That sort of selflessness is just scary and he pretty much jsut keeps this place ticking over most of the time.
Masada and Shiva
Shiva still posts here, Masada unfortunately to this airsofting world doesn't. Essentially my bosses, but I literally learned everything I could about airsoft from them. Regarded as probably the best tech in country, still probably is, if he is arsed and a gent to talk with. No tolerance for bollox but I've seen him do stupid amounts of favours and stuff for people he doesnt even know.
And Shiva needs to explanation, anything serious goes on here, he has a straight as an arrow response and provides more then enough insights into the business model of airsoft.
Lemming and Firekitten
Had more then our fair share of run ins, and to be honest there is probably alot of people going to freak seeing me even listing this, but in fairness I'm just over it at this stage. When you break it down these two do provide a wealth of information and help to alot of people new or vet on many a thread. Yeah it might contraversial sometimes, yeah there might be plenty of rows. But these two have travelled far and wide and bring a new dimension of thought process playing weekly in a country where airsoft is in existence alot longer.
I'm sure there is many more tbh. There is alot more people who I simply skip their posts when I see them written, I wasnt going to list the whole forum posters to say if I
them or hate them. But thats a sample of the people who when I read their posts I'm like "oooOOOooo" and sit up and take notice.
Thats was tbh was too lengthy but I hope I made my point. There is too much bollox that if someone calls someone up on something or calls something pony or bollox, they are being elitist, being on a witch hunt etc etc.
And to be honest I know best, why? Cause there used to be a little team called the Hawks. And that team didnt like reading or hearing bollox, and typically called people on that bollox. And what did we get for it? Labelled elitists among all names under the sun and what came off it?
Half of the lads just quit the game, sick of dealing with the rubbish that goes on and the labels they received for their assosiation and being cast outside for simply telling the truth and questioning. The rest of us still play, badge less and still good friends enjoying games, but taking things alot less serious and having alot more fun.
Why?
Because simply put this sport is going to go a certain way and there is nobody that can change it, there is no organisation that can steer it and no forum will amend it. Its just going to evolve and evolve into different forms and shapes. So instead of getting me knickers into a twist I'm just enjoying the game.
So there is my, offcially, longest post ever. It was wildly offtopic in a parts, but put a thought process behind someone like me who went through the process of coming in here as a noob, getting ok at the game, posting here alot, stirring **** cauldrons, then loosing interst in the game and loosing interest in here.0 -
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Firekitten wrote: »Johnny Cash wants his lyric back. Unbastardised please.
I think he stole it first.
And mine has a nicer ring to it 0 -
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Which ones? The ones that do this for free? Those ones? I can't see it happening tbh if you use threats. If you used cause, went through the Feedback and/or Helpdesk route, and then made your case about the mods, maybe something will be said, but if you just go and say "I want X mod removed or I leave", they'll allow you to leave, and the Airsoft section will still be the same. If you b|tch about them personally, you'll get mods back up the mods. If you show threads where they fucked up, and say how they fucked up, changes are usually made.Airsoft Reloded wrote: »with the stipulation that certain mods are kicked
Hrm... I'd say it's a lot more than €30 a month, but they don't get to mod the forums there. If they did mod the forums, I doubt the multi-page thread b|tching about Three would be in the Three forumIf you want to mod your own forum I believe it's in the "talk to" section. And I understand its a hell of a lot more than €30 a month.
For those demanding the toys be thrown out of the forum, compared to the Blacknight, Currys/PC World, Eircom, Elara.ie, ESB, Gamesnash, Komplett, O2, QuoteDevil, richersounds, TheCostumeShop, Three, Vodafone forums, how much is the Airsoft forum bringing in?
I like this idea.What I have proposed to the moderators/admins is to allow retailers to reply to these threads, but with VERY strict rules i.e. if someone asks if a product is available in Ireland, then retailers can reply with "In stock & available - please visit our retailer thread" and NOTHING else. If anything else is said in the same post, then they are infracted or even billed - this is to protect against shilling, whilst simultaneously incentivising retailers to pay to have a retailer thread.
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It'll be sad to see the Airsoft forum quiten down, but boards.ie lives on, and random people will come on to it
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