Ever since Google hit the web directories many of the better known members have left the forum and are no longer heard of. This section of Dp has become a graveyard and all you get now is this list and that list of spammy directories that are mainly useless peices of crap. And then once in a blue moon we might if we are lucky get a decent post from a respected member.
They weren't the better members Grouse, they were the main offenders, and its probably because they know this place is watched by google that they can't make the money they were from this place anymore. Good riddance I say as these lot cost most of us who've been in the directory game a couple of years a lot of money, I've done fine as I'm in a niche but I'd still be worried to advertise anything on here for danger of it getting hit. Its like a shooting gallery here these days, you post you get penalized, tell me if I'm wrong. Just my 0.02c
DP has declined. There's no doubt about it. Shawn pretty much fled the scene, leaving admins and moderators without full powers to change the direction the forum was taking and it became overrun with spammers and scammers and text-speak (e.g. "duz ur site listed in goggle?"), rendering many of the threads either unintelligible or just plain irritating. I do see some recent efforts from moderators and admins to clean this up - I hope that trend continues.
yes i agree, DP Admin has to look at most of the threads are repeated and people going to post lots of new thread which is not required... and raised same question answer again... Only Admin can put some restriction for each member...
It does seem that the admins are busier looking for duplicate accounts and evil thread bumpers more so than than are trying to keep threads in the right place and killing the duplicate threads. I would rather come here and see no new discussions for the day than the huge numbers of Directory Annoucements that are being allowed in the main discussion areas. It's also a shame that the folks who keep asking the same tired questions are not simply told to do a search and maybe be provided with links to the old threads. But, for some unknown reason people continue to answer each one and simply continue repeating the same even more tired conversations. And I agree, many of the big players who have left created the problems that Google felt they had to address. There were others who left due to the aggressive and ridiculous script wars - I wish more of those folks would return now that, for a while at least, that has calmed down.
It has nothing to do with scripts or anything like that why this place has fallen apart YMC although that was pretty pathetic, it is all down to petty bullying and paranoia over who earns more than each other and who can get more out of the next newcomer than the other. The ones you call big players aren't big players they were big con artists who messed it up for everyone who came here. You look at everyone who's been penalized by google and you'll see 99% of them frequented this place. This place is like the bronx of the directory industry, sure there are good people dotted here and there but gang rule always tries to muscle in on the action or failing that they'll shoot at you until your either dead or move out. Until this paranoia and desperation of the hoody in protecting what they believe is 'their turf' dissipates this place is never going to recover. A sure sign of something dying is when maggots start showing up in abundance. Equate the maggots to the spammer and the text-speakers to use minstrels words to the maggots and you'll see what I'm saying is right. This place is dying a death, testimony to that is the 1 registered user and one visitor who were on this section for the best part of the night last night just like many other nights. We should have all worked together not against perhaps that would have saved this place. Trying to revive it now is like bolting the stable door after the horse as bolted, too much damage has been done. Just my 0.02c
The thing that I find sad is that this could be a place where we help each other by offering opinions about the directory industry. Instead, all I usually see is a bunch of cat fights when someone offers up some insight. As a result, I stop reading and don't even think about posting because I don't see the benefit.
Proof of why this forum is dying is when you get this kind of red rep from someone anonymous, excuse the language, I've had to quote it just to show how disgusting people on here are who claim to be representatives of the directory industry and of this forum. For whoever it was, the proof I'm in the red and your points were -5 is proof enough that your a fairly 'well established' member, and proof to the World of how poor this forum is getting. Just my 0.02c
And here's another charming little example of the problem with DP - a red rep comment from some "rocket scientist" who apparently doesn't like my opinions: ...whatever the hell that's supposed to mean
100% accurate, but doesn't actually tell us a lot... much in the sense that saying everyone penalized by the commissioner of major league baseball has been seen on the field at Dodger Stadium. They've also been seen on the field at Wrigley Stadium, Shea Stadium, etc.... Baseball players go to baseball fields, webmasters go to webmaster forums. Doubt their presence here had anything to do with Google hitting them, but your concurrent comments about the uselessness of a lot of the current posts is correct... the quality of discussion has diminished, and yes, the bigger players seem less in evidence. I'd credit their absence to the issue that they frequently draw fire from multiple voices working from the same script... seems a probable cause. Hard to blame them for not being eager to stick the head above the parapet if every time they do so a competitor tries to shoot it off from behind cover, and of course it isnt paranoia on their part if it really happens. With that in mind I'll agree with Minstrel (had to happen sometime) and echo his thought that it appears the mods are trying to clean up the problems and that this is a good thing. ADDED: wow, thats what i get for taking so long to type a post. missed some of the more colorful ones while trying to reply. yeah, that's part of the problem here too. the amazingly colorful notes in the rep system do not add to the experience here. fixing that is gonna require some self control, or maybe just scrapping the rep system. that kinda stuff is just ugly
Yeah....gotta love the cowards who are too scared to leave their names there Yesterday I got a great red rep -
Its not so much leaving their name mikey1090, its the awful things that are said. What they posted was pure evil and thats bad. Would a respectable member of this community post such profanities? I doubt it. I never proved my point that people have issues here, they did by posting what they did.
In (almost) the full year you've been here you haven't actually browsed the forums (and past threads) and realised 99% of the old directory generation fled soon after Bloody September '07? Not to be the pessimist here, but the script you are inciting has near as damned been around just as long as these forums. The state this forum is in (note the perceivable absence of a particular Administrator, whom just so happens to have the power to gain control of things here) certainly wouldn't be the most obvious reason why not only directory owners are leaving - but site owners, developers and the like - are all leaving, plus the abundant spam and scam posts floating around, would it? Sure, the moderators can do their best to eradicate the mess, but it certainly ain't one man's job.
Makes me wonder if some of these people are just stirring up trouble. I had a -5 yesterday for this post: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=8734208#post8734208 So this person is agreeing with my post but red repping me. Now I'd think there's only one person who could have taken offence to that post but I know it wasn't him.
From the p.m's I've received recently I'm almost positive that someone is getting people to stir. I can't quite put my finger on why yet but your not far wrong. just my 0.02c
Oh yes, you receive so many PM's, because you're just so very important, Mr. 20 posts! *sigh*... THIS, is why the forums have degraded so badly. When people get banned, they just reregister new accounts and slowly but surely cause the same old crap/trouble.
My o' my someone put their foot in it... I was just reading along with the thread and hit that post - thought the same thing and was going to comment but hit your post an0n... See there are still things that can make you laugh here on dp... Love you post robjones - but alas I can not give you any more green today. Sorry
heheheh... i got one too yesterday!!! why cant people sign, .... are they scared of getting sued or something !!! ok...., banned again! ... was that who i thought it was An0n??? M.