SlowWest

[Snowizard]

The simple keys to Snowest 4M Nirvana:
General Snowmobiling
Snowmobiles (Arctic Cat, Polaris, SkiDoo, Yamaha)
Performance/Modified
Mountain/Deep Powder
Racing
Riding Areas
SwapMeet
Fouled Plug

Yes the way it used to be, and it worked just fine, even with 4,000 on line at once.

Here is something else I've noticed since all the recent "improvements"

A little hard to describe, but it seems that the comradship has suffered greatly on the forum as a whole.
("Comradship"meant as a good thing) or:
"camaraderie definition
ca·ma·ra·derie (kam′ə räd′ə rē, käm′-)
noun.
loyalty and warm, friendly feeling among comrades; comradeship."

With so many sub/sub/sub headings, that feeling of "togetherness" or (hate this word) "community" has been lost, IMO.

When there were fewer categories,even though I might have not been interested (as an example) Ski-Doo posts, it was still interesting to me to see what was going on with other people and their machines.

Now information is available in the dozens of sub categories, but it can take several mouse clicks to find answers to specific questions.

If the admin was looking for a way to show advertisers more activity on-site, they surely have found it!
I know some sites count every mouse click as a "hit." Or put another way, even a blind squirrel can find an acorn with enough tries.

So I don't expect admin will change anything based on my comments, but its too bad that the "home-town" kind of "feel" for this site has had a huge setback.

Dunno, does my rant make sense to others?

 

[tudizzle]

Very well put.

This is exactly what a few "vocal" users were trying to say when all the changes first started. But instead of listening to them the new Admin labeled them as troublemakers, and told them to bend over and take it for the good of the site.

It all comes down to $$$$. The new Admin wants to make money by pitching these improvements to Harris Pub. Harris Pub wants to make money by increasing ad revenue. How do they do this? By increasing perceived activity with all the new sub forums and different "cllickable" activites.

What is the end result...the best online snowmobile "community" has been cast aside to make room for the most profitable online "site."


And to make matters worse they have added so much garbage the site seizes up anytime more than a few hundred people try on use it. BRAVO

 

[Ex-Member]

Yes the way it used to be, and it worked just fine, even with 4,000 on line at once.

Here is something else I've noticed since all the recent "improvements"

A little hard to describe, but it seems that the comradship has suffered greatly on the forum as a whole.
("Comradship"meant as a good thing) or:
"camaraderie definition
ca·ma·ra·derie (kam′ə räd′ə rē, käm′-)
noun.
loyalty and warm, friendly feeling among comrades; comradeship."

With so many sub/sub/sub headings, that feeling of "togetherness" or (hate this word) "community" has been lost, IMO.

When there were fewer categories,even though I might have not been interested (as an example) Ski-Doo posts, it was still interesting to me to see what was going on with other people and their machines.

Now information is available in the dozens of sub categories, but it can take several mouse clicks to find answers to specific questions.

If the admin was looking for a way to show advertisers more activity on-site, they surely have found it!
I know some sites count every mouse click as a "hit." Or put another way, even a blind squirrel can find an acorn with enough tries.

So I don't expect admin will change anything based on my comments, but its too bad that the "home-town" kind of "feel" for this site has had a huge setback.

Dunno, does my rant make sense to others?

 

[BIGGDAWG]

Yes the way it used to be, and it worked just fine, even with 4,000 on line at once.

Here is something else I've noticed since all the recent "improvements"

A little hard to describe, but it seems that the comradship has suffered greatly on the forum as a whole.
("Comradship"meant as a good thing) or:
"camaraderie definition
ca·ma·ra·derie (kam′ə räd′ə rē, käm′-)
noun.
loyalty and warm, friendly feeling among comrades; comradeship."

With so many sub/sub/sub headings, that feeling of "togetherness" or (hate this word) "community" has been lost, IMO.

When there were fewer categories,even though I might have not been interested (as an example) Ski-Doo posts, it was still interesting to me to see what was going on with other people and their machines.

Now information is available in the dozens of sub categories, but it can take several mouse clicks to find answers to specific questions.

If the admin was looking for a way to show advertisers more activity on-site, they surely have found it!
I know some sites count every mouse click as a "hit." Or put another way, even a blind squirrel can find an acorn with enough tries.

So I don't expect admin will change anything based on my comments, but its too bad that the "home-town" kind of "feel" for this site has had a huge setback.

Dunno, does my rant make sense to others?

I second that!!

it sucks at night when there are 1900 people on and it takes 1.5 min to load a page. heck i can download movies faster than that.

 

[cascadesnowjunky]

Its bad when you need to check one thing and it takes 10 minutes, then the wife is saying sure your just checking one thing, you have been on there forever. It can make a guy look like a liar! Please fix it, its pretty much not usable in the evenings.

 

[BossRev]

Its bad when you need to check one thing and it takes 10 minutes, then the wife is saying sure your just checking one thing, you have been on there forever. It can make a guy look like a liar! Please fix it, its pretty much not usable in the evenings.

Damn, first admin comes in here and screws up the format, then comes the slowest site on the internet. Now Admin is responsible for marital issues.

How can you look at yourself in the mirror christopher, knowing you are responsible for all these things??

 

[MtnDoo]

If the point of 10,000 forums was to prove something to current/prospective advertisers. The intention is lost on the implementation.

SW 4M is a great resource, but if you can't use it, why would anyone advertise here?



MD.

 

[tudizzle]

I am hoping to pin corporate down this weekend on a final solution to the server issue. One way or the other I will try to get it resolve by early next week.

feeling alot like the middle of the week?

 

[hilinerider]

almost unuseable nowadays

now i just go to other sites that a person can use,

to bad this use to be a fun place

 

[Woodstock]

So what is it now? 248 sub catagories? With an average of 3 minutes to switch between each one. I think they divided it up way to much. Sorry if I'm repeating something here but it would take far to long to switch between pages on this thread to read the whole thing.

 

[skibreeze]

almost unuseable nowadays

now i just go to other sites that a person can use,

to bad this use to be a fun place

I agree, this is ridiculous!

 

[tudizzle]

nope your all wrong

 

[03rmking]

Very well put.

This is exactly what a few "vocal" users were trying to say when all the changes first started. But instead of listening to them the new Admin labeled them as troublemakers, and told them to bend over and take it for the good of the site.

It all comes down to $$$$. The new Admin wants to make money by pitching these improvements to Harris Pub. Harris Pub wants to make money by increasing ad revenue. How do they do this? By increasing perceived activity with all the new sub forums and different "cllickable" activites.

What is the end result...the best online snowmobile "community" has been cast aside to make room for the most profitable online "site."


And to make matters worse they have added so much garbage the site seizes up anytime more than a few hundred people try on use it. BRAVO

If this was all about increasing ad revenue, they have significantly missed their mark. As an advertiser, I can tell you sales generated from Snowest have SIGNIFICANTLY dropped since this "change".

I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher face to face. While I believe he has good intentions, and his enthusiasm is second to none, I must say he's very set in his ways and I was a bit taken back how user (and advertiser) feedback seems to fall by the wayside.

If Snowest wants to turn this ship around and save face, they need to listen to the voice of the common user. Right now, we are being silenced and cast aside.

But so be it, there's always another forum waiting in the wings.

 

[jpxp154]

right on you guys give them hell

 

[MtnDoo]

I've been active on this site for almost 9 years.
I generally like the facility and the community, and of course the content.

But over the last year, the environment and the tenor of the site has changed and not for the better. The format is in complete disarray, and the application is largely un-useable.

Is time for the users create a new forum site, that performs well, is community maintained, responds to users, and invite advertisers to join in - including magazine publishers, vendors, dealers, events, etc..?

Should we legitimately open-source Snowest? SnoFAST.com ?

The only thing that keeps this place meaningful is the users & advertisers.
If they're not being taken care of, the rest is just running out the clock.

If AL Gore created the Internet, I'm sure a handful of us can collaborate to put together the hardware and software to improve or re-create this forum in a way that serves the community. I've got a gigabit Internet connection and colo space available if there is interest behind exploring this route.

MD.

 

[skidooer1]

I use to log on here often. but after hitler took over and changed this place around, I really only log on once or twice a week. used to be a couple times a day.

 

[BIGGDAWG]

What was wrong with the old site???
only thing most of us wanted changed was feedback in the swap section and for swapers to have to put where they were located.

i think it has totally got out of hand and to say the changes haven't slowed the site down he is full of $$$$. it could handle 4000 users online before the changes and now when it gets to 1500 you are a snail pace.

come on already listen to the people that use the site and get off your high horse!!

 

[dmkhnr]

SLOOOOW.
Can't even browse the swap this morning. It took 3 minutes to get over to this section.

 

[diamonddave]

Slow Worst???

Can't we just have back what we already had???

 

[BIGGDAWG]

Slow Worst???

Can't we just have back what we already had???

I second that!!!