I am genuinely trying to understand why someone (anyone) with such a low opinion of an internet forum would waste any time at all on it and not just leave?
It never ceases to amaze that whenever a thread like this comes up, there’s always plenty of people posting how they never come here anymore or think it’s crap.
I am genuinely trying to understand why someone (anyone) with such a low opinion of an internet forum would waste any time at all on it and not just leave?
It never ceases to amaze that whenever a thread like this comes up, there’s always plenty of people posting how they never come here anymore or think it’s crap.
Well imagine how many more there would be posting that they don’t come here anymore if the ads hadn’t kept them all away!
“Mid 50s blokes”
Hi!!
FWIW, when i was in the UK last year, you had a shed load more adverts than i get in Sweden. Sufficient to make me think twice about an idle scroll when i had some spare time in the evening.
There isn't one single unique selling point worth subscribing for in my opinion
If we don't recognise the value/insight/ perspective of both human journalists and a publicised physical magazine, we face a world of AI generated targeted articles - that are not based in any factual world, and a universe of intrusive ads. Personally I value the time I get of a Saturday morning when I can sit and read the magazine with a cup of coffee, and escape for a wee while at least being bombarded by an increasingly hysterical internet that we've all become somehow addicted to despite the fact that we all recognise that it's total and utter arse.
I'm a full subs/coffee member, so probably fairly can be accused of having drunk the Kool-aid, but honestly, if you want something like this to continue, then we have to be prepared to pay for it.
I sort of blacklist the more intrusive advertisers. Both here and on other social media.No-one buys anything advertised by a punishment ad!
It's not an actual list, i just have a mental checklist of annoying and pointless advertisers.
It’s not the paying for it I find objectionable but the user experience if you don’t. Does it really need to be so unpleasant?
I only came here when UK MTB stopped their forum. ;o)
Kinda feels retro here like a forum from 1996, with many of the attitudes too.
mostly mid 50s blokes chatting idle shite or moaning?
I'm late 40's and you're the one moaning.
I look forward to being a moaner in ~4 years time.
(JV, bought paper mag issue 2, subscriber since, helped with bike builds in the past when needed, paid car tax for a year for the car this community donated to a member in significant need...
..got to see Wet Leg before they were famous 😛
There isn't one single unique selling point worth subscribing for in my opinion
The forum is pretty unique. The only other option with enough traffic and variety of (mtb based) topics is mtbr and any critisism of this place can be applied there 3-fold.
The magazine - or from my point of view, the articles read in an online format - is generally more varied and interesting. Not saying I agree with every opinion or like every subject/product... but I do appreciate the coverage, being generally well written and articulate.
What about my burning torch?
Sorry you're going to have to put it out. Heather sorted my refund less than hour after the email landed. Now if the website was that fast 🤣
I am genuinely trying to understand why someone (anyone) with such a low opinion of an internet forum would waste any time at all on it and not just leave?
It never ceases to amaze that whenever a thread like this comes up, there’s always plenty of people posting how they never come here anymore or think it’s crap.
It's the Top Gear thing again. People would turn it on in the early days and it would be funny, irreverent and worth filling an hour on a boring Sunday evening, so you'd sit down every week and watch it. After a few years you realised that any fun that was in the show had gone, none of the ideas were original, and that hour of viewing had become rather boring. Then resentment kicks in that you are wasting your time on such a puerile thing so you tell everyone how crap it is and how good it used to be. It could be better - it could be how it used to be, but it never will.
Ironically, it took my PC almost ten minutes to load this thread.
It’s not the paying for it I find objectionable but the user experience if you don’t. Does it really need to be so unpleasant?
That is a mad argument that I just cannot make sense of.
I travel to Edinburgh 2 - 3 times per month. I can go by train in 1 hour or by bus in 2 hours. I choose the train, despite it being more expensive. I do so as it is a nicer, quicker, experience. I do not spend my time moaning about the bus being slow and smelly.
If you don't find paying for it objectionable, why don't you then just pay, that way you can stop moaning about the free option?
It's the Top Gear thing again. People would turn it on in the early days and it would be funny, irreverent and worth filling an hour on a boring Sunday evening, so you'd sit down every week and watch it. After a few years you realised that any fun that was in the show had gone, none of the ideas were original, and that hour of viewing had become rather boring. Then resentment kicks in that you are wasting your time on such a puerile thing so you tell everyone how crap it is and how good it used to be. It could be better - it could be how it used to be, but it never will.
It's on YouTube these days. The new ones are pretty good from the few I've seen.
There are, of course, those who would say it's a load of shit regardless of what they do. I imagine it's a bit like Scouts collecting badges, the "Top Gear Is Shit" badge probably sits between the "Time Travelling Space Aliens Can't be a Girl or Gay" badge and the "I Know Nothing About Computers, Me" badge.
Then resentment kicks in that you are wasting your time on such a puerile thing so you tell everyone how crap it is and how good it used to be. It could be better - it could be how it used to be, but it never will.
Ironically, it took my PC almost ten minutes to load this thread.
So you are filled with resentment at the perceived puerility, crapness and time wasting? Why on earth do you still log on? Why do you still post? I don't get it. Surely if all those things are true you'd just quietly leave and never come back?
All free users should have a code in their message inbox that gives you £8 off your first 2 months of digital subscription. So 2 months of Full Membership for £1.
Ive re subbed on a monthly. Just to browse the forum. But i agree its quiet, and if a theads got multiple posts its normally a bunfight. Some people seem to delight in being rude. To the point i will probably can it again.
Not sure if the comunity is the same post covid.
Made some great mates over the years, but vibes certainly gone.
Im back using Pistonheads. Im interested in how thats hosted for free.
I dont like being negative but, i dont think im alone.
Im back using Pistonheads. Im interested in how thats hosted for free.
That's an extreme measure 😀. Not sure I'll ever go back to being a semi-regular poster on there.
(I reckon their classifieds and auctions are what covers any costs PH has - that plus it's get a LOT of users).
I stay in the sub forum, aviod the poltics and other shite.
Think as its split by genre so much you can escape some of the tawttery.
Im back using Pistonheads. Im interested in how thats hosted for free.
Do they still sell cars by auction?
I am genuinely trying to understand why someone (anyone) with such a low opinion of an internet forum would waste any time at all on it and not just leave?
It never ceases to amaze that whenever a thread like this comes up, there’s always plenty of people posting how they never come here anymore or think it’s crap.
TBF, the level of posting is way down. A good few long-standing and frequent posters have just quietly left.
Maybe I just both enjoy this place too much and have a lot of history here to leave.
I don’t post much and aren’t riding at the moment, so thought I’d go free rather than subscribe, just to see.
the ads don’t completely prevent you from using the site and it’s slightly quicker as a free user, but it is a pita, think 70% as bad as any reach page, which is my benchmark for a site completely ruined by a ludicrous amount of ads. It has put me off reading STW, notwithstanding there isn’t quite the volume of content / posting.
I've been here nearly 15 years I'm not just going to vanish. The idea that you should immediately stop visiting rather than post some well deserved criticism of the website is nonsense. Believe it or not I do keep most of my opinions to myself. I'd still rather be helpful whenever I can. I always bow out of disagreements as soon as they get heated because I never come here to argue or hurl insults.
It's bloody frustrating though! The 'New Forum' thread is 14 months old and the place is still a dumpster fire. I preferred the forum when it was basic but functional. Now it's all bells and whistles but looks like a dog's dinner. Even as a full member, because the Ads are not the only issue.
I want STW to survive and thrive but the current gameplan seems to be to keep fixing things until they break.
Where is the next generation of paying users coming from?
The idea that you should immediately stop visiting rather than post some well deserved criticism of the website is nonsense.
I agree with that and I've been critical and frustrated myself and have said so on the new forum thread many times. There are some posts above though, that go way beyond "well deserved criticism" and seem to convey utter disdain, bordering on contempt for every aspect of the site and it's users. Examples:
low quality adds unwillingly spammed all over screen? For access to a forum that's mostly mid 50s blokes chatting idle shite or moaning? Or maybe to get mtb content that's clearly sponsored/biased for a paid review like the cotic ebike, or maybe other content thats usually already covered by mbr, mbuk, vitalmtb or pinkbike?
There isn't one single unique selling point worth subscribing for
resentment kicks in that you are wasting your time on such a puerile thing so you tell everyone how crap it is and how good it used to be. It could be better - it could be how it used to be, but it never will.
It's to those whom I ask my "why do you stay" question. Not to those who actually value the forum but simply want the functionality and UE to improve and say as much with constructive, well meaning criticism.
resentment kicks in that you are wasting your time on such a puerile thing so you tell everyone how crap it is and how good it used to be. It could be better - it could be how it used to be, but it never will.
It's to those whom I ask my "why do you stay" question. Not to those who actually value the forum but simply want the functionality and UE to improve and say as much with constructive, well meaning criticism.
I was actually projecting when I typed that - trying to guess why people do that. (Whether it's STW or Top Gear or anything else that they spend too much time on. Like following a terrible sports team - they could be so good if something was different.)
I've been here since the early days and it's habit to scan through the topics in work. I rarely ever look at STW outside work any more, and rarely look at the home page. I get all my news about bikes from other sites but just occasionally something interesting will pop up on the forum, but because of the lack of users it's getting rarer. I also use a guitar forum that is a much better user experience and rather less ..... I'm trying to work out what the word is.....special? 😀
If people are still here despite how awful it is... And many paying members goad them to leave by saying "why stay?"
How many new members already left without even posting a single reply...
At a guess I'd say... Probably all of them
I see Mark has offered yet another incentive to be mugged into subscribing... The funniest part is. With all the ads and terrible UI I have absolutely no idea how to even find my "inbox" to find his 'kind' offer
Excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes... Thesrs constant ads in the way of everything as I type.
... And surprise su.
It's completely broken... Takes 3 tries to open the messages
And there's no message there when I finally do.
I stay in the sub forum, aviod the poltics and other shite.
TBF apart from Ukraine and Trump, the other long running politics threads have all dropped off the front page, and lots of the folks that kept them running aren't posting nearly as frequently any more.
So eatmorepizza your solution is for the site to be entirely funded by the subscribers like me, whilst you browse for free?
Subscribers should get benefits. Non-subscribers shouldn't be punished/put off from visiting the site full stop.
I am a scumbag free user. Ads aren't an issue at all. Content is a bit dull, but it takes two to tango there. Not entirely sure Forums in general are any good, and this one does seem to have more than its fair share of negative users. Sadly I find AI more useful for info now than this place. It more or less replicates these sites; funny that, wonder how it was trained. This week I asked AI about saving weight on my bike v cost effectiveness. The AI must have found me boring, natch, as it eventually pointed out that I could shave 200g at no cost by not being such a chunk myself.
As pointed out earlier, why come here then? Boredom and habit, sorry.
I'm all out of ideas to help you @gaah
We are here to offer a subscription service for mountainbikers who want to read the content we create and publish - there's a forum that anyone can use too. The business is not based around the forum. It's a part of the business for sure but it's not the focus of what we do and it's not and never has been the primary revenue driver. If you are here just for the forum, then I'll agree that there are better forums out there. This is ours. It is what it is. It's part of the Singletrack brand but it's not the core - at least not as far as we are concerned. That's not to diminish anyone's value or what they personally get or prioritise as important to them, if it's just the forum you are interested in and you are happy to use it with ads then that's just fine. If you see no more value in than that then nothing we do in terms of content, benefits or magazine journalism is going to be important to you and I don't expect anyone to subscribe if they don't think it's worth it. You are still welcome to make whatever use you can of what we offer for free. The deal is still as it has always been though, that we are a paid for service and you can pay yourself or you can accept the ads and have them pay for your use. Pick whichever is right for you - you are still very much welcome here whenever you like.
just came to add i have zero issues with the forum/website. works go as always,
I could shave 200g at no cost by not being such a chunk myself.
Quite disarming how it learns all this stuff about you eh! 🤣
Only 200 grams? Bloody show off, AI is suggesting I divide your 200 by 10 but change the grams to kilograms!!!
I am a scumbag free user. Ads aren't an issue at all. Content is a bit dull, but it takes two to tango there. Not entirely sure Forums in general are any good, and this one does seem to have more than its fair share of negative users. Sadly I find AI more useful for info now than this place. It more or less replicates these sites; funny that, wonder how it was trained. This week I asked AI about saving weight on my bike v cost effectiveness. The AI must have found me boring, natch, as it eventually pointed out that I could shave 200g at no cost by not being such a chunk myself.
As pointed out earlier, why come here then? Boredom and habit, sorry.
I think if you're using AI to get what you want from forums then you've kinda missed the point. Forums are communities, albeit this one is a slightly dysfunctional one at the minute.
Cougar. With the utmost respect. As you're a full member. You'll have no real idea just how bad the ads make using this place. And it's not as if the ads aren't even the only problem with the site for free members.
I don't think anyone is calling Mark "bloody stupid" but I'd go as far as to suggest a level of naivety and ignorance here.
Thank you for your reply and taking the time to try and help
You'll have no real idea just how bad the ads make using this place. And it's not as if the ads aren't even the only problem with the site for free members.
Pretty much every media site I visit now has the 'Accept Ads or Pay' Pop Up. Some still allow ad-blockers but it's decreasing.
Singling out STW for this isn't really fair.
I have noticed that the Daily Mail has dropped it's over the top approach to ad-blocking though. Seems visitor volume beats ad revenue there.
I am a scumbag free user. Ads aren't an issue at all. Content is a bit dull, but it takes two to tango there. Not entirely sure Forums in general are any good, and this one does seem to have more than its fair share of negative users. Sadly I find AI more useful for info now than this place. It more or less replicates these sites; funny that, wonder how it was trained. This week I asked AI about saving weight on my bike v cost effectiveness. The AI must have found me boring, natch, as it eventually pointed out that I could shave 200g at no cost by not being such a chunk myself.
As pointed out earlier, why come here then? Boredom and habit, sorry.
I think if you're using AI to get what you want from forums then you've kinda missed the point. Forums are communities, albeit this one is a slightly dysfunctional one at the minute.
Agreed. AI is ripping the soul out of online for me, and distracting at every corner for work.
I don’t really understand the reluctance to pay under 10p a day to support this place.
I think if you're using AI to get what you want from forums then you've kinda missed the point
You'll be amazed when you find out about AI girlfriends.. !