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Hoping to clear up the air

LudsLuds MIA
edited March 2011 in General Discussion Posts: 1,986
Hi folks, I'll try to explain some stuff here to clear the air.

Seeing the amount of material which was available to us, being the very best looking and maintained James Bond web site, a very large forum community and a nice magazine, you likely can understand that this wasn't the child of one person. The original site and forum which we loved and were members of (for 8 years in my case and I wasn't in when it started) was owned by a membership group that lasted quite a while, but as things changed over the years, some people joined the core group, others have parted.

The core team which handled the main sites and monitored the forum remains intact and now handles the new main site (http://www.mi6-hq.com), the magazine (http://www.mi6confidential.com/) and the new forums. As has already been explained multiple times, technical issues of having such a large database with defunct software prevented its transition, and is also why the orginal forum was never upgraded, despite the best efforts of all involved. Sadly, it was has not been possible to keep the old domain names and the original registrant is in control of where they point and the forum database.

Unfortunately all attempts so far to resolve this situation have failed. It isn't that the administrators don't care, believe me I know that they do and if they didn't I would have left, most of you know I have before, for 18 months or so before James Page summoned me back.

I know that they care, and that this situation has been the most difficult the admin group has made in their 13 years. Just like you, I am deeply saddened that the old content isn't currently available and hope that a resolution is possible where the "new" admin can take control of the old forum content.

This is all I have right now, I'm not even sure I could come out with this.
Some things you can't talk about prior to resolution...
Please understand that until these issues is resolved, we may not answer further questions.
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Comments

  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    Posts: 1,699
    Thanks for this post, Luds.

    I hope - and trust - the vast majority of the membership appreciate the difficult choices the admins have faced and had to take and the work they've done and care they've taken in producing this 'new' forum, while ensuring the main site and magazine continue...
  • Lazenby.Lazenby.
    Posts: 50
    The issue isn't just about the lost content, though.
  • TubesTubes The Hebrew Hammer
    Posts: 158
    To put this in more precise words, this equates to taking a computer, throwing it out a window, then replacing it with one that looks nicer, runs quieter and cooler, but labors it's way through tasks the old computer could do with ease.
  • JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
    Posts: 1,380
    The old one was about to be switched off for good, so your metaphor really isn't applicable (as nice as it is :) )
  • TrumanLodgeTrumanLodge
    Posts: 18
    Thank you Luds

    The overriding theme appears to me to be that of conflict.

    Conflict between two rival JB websites, the owner of the MI6 website, MI6 forums and the owner of the MI6.co.uk and KTBEU domain names.

    I'm not sure if this is moral, economic or legal conflict, but I think I speak for everybody when I say I sincerely hope this conflict is resolved soon.

    I can't help but feel that once everybody has the opportunity to access and copy previous threads, discussions and features (such as the complete soundtrack sequencing guide) then people will be a lot happier.

    I for one like the new layout, although would implore the admins to creates a few more categories (such as music) and not be a slave to the 'facebook' generation.

    Good night everybody.

    TL.
  • lalala2004lalala2004
    Posts: 162
    My questions:

    1. How much warning was there about this? Could people not have been warned sooner, instead of being kept in the dark?

    2. Why not trade a message board for a message board. Why replace a message board with a social networking site?
  • WillardWhyteWillardWhyte Midnight Society #ProjectMoon
    Posts: 784
    I am much looking forward to those answers too lala.
  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    edited March 2011 Posts: 1,699
    Quoting lalala2004: Why not trade a message board for a message board. Why replace a message board with a social networking site?
    To be fair, I wouldn't exactly call the new MI6 Forums a 'social networking site', lala. It looks different, for sure, and works differently in some respects, but the message boards are most definitely still here. If you want to dicuss in detail points and issues of James Bond (and those of many other things too, of course) then you most certainly still can here.

    If you want to be truly crude, you might describe this an amalgam of a message board and social networking site, but methinks the core functionality of MI6 Forums certainly remains here...
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    Posts: 823
    why is LUDS doing the explaining and not James Page?
  • GeneralGogolGeneralGogol
    Posts: 928
    Quoting lalala2004: 2. Why not trade a message board for a message board. Why replace a message board with a social networking site?
    Everything nowadays is being sucked into this facebook/twitter behemoth, where by logging in just once, you do everything from one account and with one identity... from sharing photos with friends to commenting on news stories to shopping online to taking part in discussion foru... communities. Some people like it, many others don't. For some the Internet and such social networking means freedom, for others it's something completely opposite. If conforming to the current social networking regime was the most viable option for KTBEU, then it's understandable. I hope the issues Luds mentioned will be resolved and access to the old forum content be restored.
  • Fairbairn-SykesFairbairn-Sykes
    Posts: 54
    James Page isn't great with public relations.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    I'm glad something at least has been said on the matter, so thank you very much to all involved for that.

    I just fear how do we know the same thing won't happen again in another nine years?
  • mccabekevmccabekev
    Posts: 8
    Or maybe Jimbo is just smart enough to get a lacky to do it for him while he makes himself busy with out stuff
  • AndrewLucasAndrewLucas
    Posts: 54
    Quoting lalala2004: Why not trade a message board for a message board. Why replace a message board with a social networking site?
    We'd be interested in hearing which features you don't like in this thread. As previously stated, the site will continue to evolve over the coming weeks and months.
  • TubesTubes The Hebrew Hammer
    Posts: 158
    Quoting JamesPage:




    The old one was about to be switched off for good, so your metaphor really isn't applicable (as nice as it is :-) )
    So, your computer is about to die. Instead of backing up the hard drive for future use, you light the computer on fire. In the meantime, it's replacement is a netbook that can't do any of the things your old one can, but is small and convenient.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    edited March 2011 Posts: 1,986
    Quoting j7wild: why is LUDS doing the explaining and not James Page?
    I've been reading negative comments all day, many people were clearly upset, I took the opportunity to comment about what I know. I'm not sure what James can say or not, as I wrote, the situation isn't resolved entirely as I understand.
    Quoting Tubes: So, your computer is about to die. Instead of backing up the hard drive for future use, you light the computer on fire. In the meantime, it's replacement is a netbook that can't do any of the things your old one can, but is small and convenient.
    That's the problem Tubes, we don't have that old computer...
  • JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
    Posts: 1,380
    Luds is a core member of the team and I trust him to speak on my/our behalf. We have launched two new sites, a magazine and a forum all on the same day - so my time is split four ways right now. So if I'm not here, and Luds or one of the other mods is making a statement or clarifying a position, please consider this the position of the whole team. It's not a dictatorship, believe it or not ;)
  • TrumanLodgeTrumanLodge
    Posts: 18
    Quoting Luds:
    Quoting Tubes: So, your computer is about to die. Instead of backing up the hard drive for future use, you light the computer on fire. In the meantime, it's replacement is a netbook that can't do any of the things your old one can, but is small and convenient.
    That's the problem Tubes, we don't have that old compu
    Is somebody holding the old computer to ransom?!?!

    Boy would I love 10 minutes on the old boards.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited March 2011 Posts: 13,355
    I hope you're holding up OK Mr. Page. I can imagine this is a very difficult time for you and your mod and admin teams.

    The best of luck with the transition - and don't let the naysayers get to you!
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    Good posts Luds! Thanks for the update!
    In the meantime, here in the new Mi6verse Barry007 and others are firing up new fun threads to expound in. And Fae's back in fighting form too.
    Do miss the old form. This one does take some getting used to. The other one was pretty simple with very user friendly features.
    At least now I can put "proficient in HTML" on my resume and not be making it up, at least as far as bold and italics go. That will impress the "I.T." guys at work, next time I holler for help.
  • TheWhiteTuxedoTheWhiteTuxedo
    edited March 2011 Posts: 70
    Will the old content ever be available again? If only in a Read-Only state?

    I get the feeling that, while the core team is working tirelessly, they may not realize how gutting this has been for some of us.

    And I can't understand for the life of me why there was no warning. If there were circumstances that necessitated a sudden change I'd at least like to know that they existed if you guys can't get into what they were.

    And I have to say that I'm getting a "brush off" vibe. Like we shouldn't really care. Just smile and like the new boards and act like nothing happened.

    Barring a real change in the format you've lost me as a regular member. And it's not simply about the format, just you know. It's not a petty or childish.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting TheWhiteTuxedo: Will the old content ever be available again? If only in a Read-Only state?



    I get the feeling that, while the core team is working tirelessly, they may not realize how gutting this has been for some of us.
    We do Tux, it's not physically in our possession.
  • lalala2004lalala2004
    edited March 2011 Posts: 162
    Quoting St_George: To be fair, I wouldn't exactly call the new MI6 Forums a 'social networking
    site', lala. It looks different, for sure, and works differently in some
    respects, but the message boards are most definitely still here. If you want to
    dicuss in detail points and issues of James Bond (and those of many other things
    too, of course) then you most certainly still can here.

    It has walls and a news feed. There aren't even posts, apparently, they are comments...

    This sums up my complaints as far as the message board is concerned: HTML code. It's nothing that other people haven't said already. There are plenty of general things I don't like about the layout, but most of that is personal preference.

    Most of you know I'm the last person to be a naysayer, but this is very jarring, and it feels like the member's input was not wanted. That's enough to make people not feel wanted in general, you know?
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited March 2011 Posts: 13,355
    Quoting lalala2004: it feels like the member's input was not wanted.

    I would say it is, as there is a "Feedback" thread open. In the coming weeks hopefully lots of these improvements are implemented.
  • lalala2004lalala2004
    Posts: 162
    I mean before the change happened.
  • retrokittyretrokitty The Couv
    Posts: 380
    I'd like someone to clear the air about why Samuel is speaking so much on behalf of the admins.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting retrokitty: I'd like someone to clear the air about why Samuel is speaking so much on behalf of the admins.
    He's just expressing his opinion kitty. He seems enthusiastic about the change. Hopefully it'll catch on ;)
  • retrokittyretrokitty The Couv
    Posts: 380
    I thought maybe he'd been made a junior mod or something. Thanks.

  • RussianMummyRussianMummy
    Posts: 17
    Really appreciate you taking the time to clear some things up, Luds. It's clear that if there had been an alternative then those with egg on their hats would have done everything in their power to make it as easy a transition as possible. Afterall, they're doing it for our benefit, not their own.

    Yes, there are unanswered questions about why the change came about so quickly, why there wasn't prior notice, so on and so forth. Personally I completely get that it wasn't a decision taken lightly and there's such a thing as knowing "too much." It isn't deemed necessary that we know all the finer details and I think that's probably good judgement, I'd take their web-leadership knowledge over mine any day.

    As with all website updates it'll take a little while for everything to click into place and for us to get used to the new layout. I for one had been using that same layout almost every day for six years, that's not something to be taken lightly. It's still early days, I'm just hoping people will stick around long enough to see the finished, perfected problem rather than going "This is different. I don't like things that are different. Oh well, goodbye people I've been getting to know for five years. It's not the same now that I can't yet insert a picture with the push of a button."

    I know there's more to it than that, I just don't think people are giving the new setup the chance it deserves.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting RussianMummy: I know there's more to it than that, I just don't think people are giving the new setup the chance it deserves.
    Well I really appreciate your view Mummy, and I understand why people are upset. It's a drastic change, hopefully the core of the community will remain and new veterans emerge from the new user base.
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