Without warning, without posting, without me doing anything that I am aware of that would be in violation - I seem to have just been removed from that forum.

I said in this forum a couple times that it shouldn't be like this when a couple of you noted being blocked too.... If this is their response to another forum being out there - I do think they'll quickly be driving a lot of people away.

I had seen complaints of censorship over there - but had no idea of what appear to be the lengths they go to.

Very surprised - especially in the way it was done. No e-mail, no private messages, no warning about anything done - or maybe a warning about what they thought I would do? Just adios.

Very professional of them.

OWC Larry, it is curious -- I'm not convinced I'll be spending my time here from now on (testing the waters, so to speak), but... locking users out is certainly not a good way to keep users around. I myself am fairly promiscuous (!) and might actually like to try both places (as well as Tempe's) for awhile. Choices are good.

Are you still advertising over there?

Just curious.

Also... I hope you get this place in your upcoming MacAddict ads! That will work wonders for populating the place.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2005 09:22AM by Jimmypoo.

Larry, THANKS for this forum.

Wow. That really surprises me. It is such a shame that it's come to this.

Yes, before I've forgotten my manners:

THANK YOU, UNCLE LARRY !!!

More than welcome for the forum - we enjoy the format too.. I personally like the 50 threads per page and if people find that too many, can always cut it back. I think with today's internet though - it's still a pretty light load.

all of that said - I am amazed at the action taken against fellow dealchatters related to the forum. Wonder if any one else has gotten kicked off just for being here. As I didn't have any warning or heck - didn't even post anything about this place there - really very surprised.

Still an advertiser there, for the moment at least - but have been a DealChat (when it was just dealchat anyway) contributor since it that forum first started like 7 years ago or thereabouts. Had not planned to stop contributing - but seems for now that decision made for me and without me.

I suppose it's a preemptive strike - remove/block those that someone thinkis might be a problem. Pretty paranoid and/or insecure IMHO.

Interestingly - they never removed posts to other deal sites when people posted those for things dealnews/mac hadn't covered... and deals of course were ok. And other forums in the past like XLR8, etc - never caused a reaction. Guess this is different.

then again - didn't realize the level of censorship that maybe was going on without most people knowing. I really don't know - still shocked they took me out in such an petty, bs way.

It is really a shame, Larry. I found OWC through dealmac. I have been a loyal visitor/member/customer to both since 1998.

What's going on there is over the deep end. If Brian was confident with his business; he would let things initially settle out and then do what he could to make it a success. There will always be those trying out a new place just because it's new. Restaurants for example.

He is doing the exact opposite.

It is just painful to watch because I have spent so much time over the years at dealmac. It was my cyber home away from home. The roots and the feelings run deep.

That's what Brian didn't understand.

---

I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making
him carry me, and yet assure myself and others
that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his
lot by all possible means — except by getting off
his back. - Leo Tolstoy, novelist and Philosopher
(1828-1910)

Don't forget how freaked out they get at a fatwallet link, or even a post.

At one point, I went on a deal posting spree, posted maybe 10 different deals, giving credit to fatwallet by typing their name (no link).

The next day, every post had been remove. I tried again, typing only "FW" but again, every post removed. It's just stupid. If they didn't want to see the fatwallet name, they should have edited the post rather than removing the deal.

The only censorship I observed was conducted within the forum guidelines. Links to other deal sites like fat wallet etc. were not allowed but there was never a cohesive attempt to block other forum sites. Occasionally the AS crossover caused problems, but that was covered under the forum guidelines. This is entirely different. And puzzling to me. I would have thought Dealnews would have just keep an eye on the new forums to see their effect over a long term period. Our community is unhappy but it'll take time to see how things shake out. Reacting this quickly and this severely has really caught me off guard.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2005 08:00PM by Jimmypoo.

Pam, the major things to me were:

1) No notice given of the upcoming change

2) No feedback either encouraged or desired, apparently... instead he just announced the change in a closed thread

3) Not much willingness to reconsider or re-evaluate

OK, this is getting bizarre. Banning members is one thing. That's personal and petty but well within their rights. But to ban someone they actually derive some sort of income from? They do make money from the their links to your sales and the ads you run, right? If I was the CFO of that outfit, I would be tying someone's rump in a knot so tight, they'd be pooping out their ears.

Well, I guess it's their toy so they can do what they please with it.

---

---------
3GHz - The clock is STILL ticking Steve.

The change over there seems so odd. I described it as a bomb in the middle of the community. I never saw the point in splitting everyting up. I mean, let's have a separate forum for G5 PMs and G5 iMacs... <sigh>

And to NEVER even acknowledge te criticism seemed so arrogant.

I really wish I knew the underlying reasons for the changes.

In the end whatever works. Certainly getting me motivated on some other fronts.

I hate to sound like the dealmac apologist but I believe the "underlying reason" is simply commercial. I said it on dealmac and I will say it here: the mac forum had become an insular club with a lot of in-jokes and acronyms known only to us and a sort of "members only" feel to it.

I saw people chastised because they did not clearly explain that they were discussing a deal from dealmac's own front page! An awful lot of the people on the forum didn't seem to realize the rest of the site even existed! I mean, people would post questions like "is there a site that shows what coupons are available for online shopping" and such! dealmac/dealnews is a site with many components. I don't think the powers that be set the forum up way back in whenever-it-was so that we could have a private clubhouse.

I think the two "conversational" type forums were suppposed to be where the bulk of us regulars were intended to hang out, in the hopes that new people would populate and grow the other forums. I'm just speculating, but if you read the things Brian posted objectively instead of through "hurt feelings" I get the message that they didn't think the forum was contributing in the business sense.

I think they have every right to do whatever they want, we have every right to stay or leave as we see fit, and other people have every right to set up new forums. I actually think the new forums are doing them a favor because the truly disenchanted can go to them, and stop posting all the complaints at dealmac, thereby letting more new people try it out without all the negativity flying around.

That said, I am baffled why they are over-reacting to these new forums, since in my mind the new ones are a positive move for all concerned.

My last point is to say, I hope these new forums are not going to be devoted to dissing dealmac and Brian. I can't imagine wanting to come to a forum every day if all it is going to be is a bunch of wailing and moaning and zero actual content. I hope this flood of complaint posts is just birth pains...

Hey $tevie! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

As to your last point, I think it will wane quickly. If not for the banning of some (including OWC Larry), I think it would have died down already. I remember the few times I've check in at AS it seemed to have its fair share of DM bashing as well.

It will subside, I'm sure. Nice to see you here.

Thanks, wurm. I forgot to say that I think this is a really nice idea and hope it goes well!

thanks for starting this Larry. I'm enjoying it thusfar.

$tevie...some good points there. There are always jerks in every forum, and it bugged me too when people were rude to others there. Hopefully, that won't happen here.

Is it OK w/ Larry if we talk about non OWC deals here? I hope so..

kiva

If someone calls out for OWC Larry at DM, and no one responds, does he really exist?

What if he falls in the forest?

Larry, this could be a nice alternative. Thanks for setting it up.

Are we going to be seeing the infamous
OWC Larry signal when someone needs Larry's help?

Oh yeah I almost forgot, Thanks Larry.

Carm

what's the link to Tempe's forum?

You're right - choices ARE good.

I loved it when guys would invoke OWC Larry and complain about service when they did not even contact OWC with their problem.

Anyways, thanks Larry.

---

A man who is of "sound mind" is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key.
(Paul Valery)

Hey STEPHANIE !!!

(Hey $tevie! Hey ka jot!)

Boy, this place is really beginning to remind me of days past...

Btw Larry, how's the kid :^)