Please read through and then do what I fail to do, but what all emotionally sound people achieve... walk away for a few minutes, do something else, and then come back and see if you still want to respond as you may initially have been motivated to ...if you do, go ahead.
This is not meant to be a dig at the way the forum is being run, but it is honest feedback and an honest restatement of observations and questions that have already been made by myself and others but not been addressed. I hope it prompts some self reflection by the owners.
There have been an increasing number of bans and edited posts when the 440 team has not liked the tone of a post. At times recently I've found myself whole heartedly agreeing with posts by others. I'll copy a few of them here.
Edwardo wrote:Why....why.,....WHY on GOD'S GREEN EARTH would you not want this lunkhead to continue posting again? Are you actively seeking to eliminate page views? Fucking hell you admin lot are dumb. Unless the wacko is making some valid points you want to hide. Maybe CEO can pick up on it. Might as well give them the few posters you have left here.GregoryMichaelBlake wrote:Nobody here with American / British Chambers of Commerce i see. Everybody knows this now.
(mod edit) The good Dr has been given a break until his meth high has subsided.
the tech problem reported by a poster here...
http://www.khmer440.com/chat_forum/view ... hp?t=62130
... that received the response from Migs that it was a strange complaint (which seems to imply it is not being taken seriously and in stead is being dismissed as a wind up ... seems to imply, and taken that way by others not only me).
... and prompted this response on the other forum by GM, and I have circled the points that resonated strongly with me.Miguelito wrote:If you posted this two months ago when we were dealing with the DDoS attacks and we had to up our counter measures I would understand it, but now, it seems a strange complaint. As logos said, hopefully you can just reset your browser and things will be ok. It’s also good to click the “always log in” box when signing in.
Members are being told that what they want on the forum is not ok. A forum.... "medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged"
The ideas and views of the people who post here... are being shut down by two people.
You are driving away the ones who are posting.... but we are not appearing to see their numbers being replaced as you had hoped. Why buy a forum only to chase off the posters? That is what you are doing with the 'small and hopefully unnoticeable changes' Migs has made since buying the forum. You have probably stated that you are just ridding the forum of the ones who stop all the others from posting. Correct me if I am wrong. There has been no upturn in posting figures. Any attempted discussion or complaint is shut down/deleted or edited and posters are banned. That smacks of dictatorship, where two people are deciding for an entire forum (granted we are probably down to 16 readers by now ... he he he... humour) what can and cannot be spoken about.
When any voice against the management is quietened, people stop talking altogether. Some people won't speak honestly because they don't want to be banned, or because they are simply tired of the battle to have their voice heard. It might not be voices you like to listen to, but they are the only voices you had and they were voice enough for years. Dissent increases. Management clamps down further. There is no opposing voice. Management comes to believe they were right all along. [edit] look at the harmony we have brought to the forum. [/edit]
I can understand Migs and TTM wanting something different for the forum. I can understand them hoping to attract a different crowd. However, I'm finding the choices of management and the messages being relayed here a little like the type the country might receive...
we are doing what is best for you. leave it to those of us who know what we are doing to make the decisions - you don't need to understand why; in fact you aren't capable of understanding. you prove it with all your complaints. we are doing this to make the forum you post on a better place for you. you can't possibly know what you want or what is best for you. you'll see, you'll thank us if you'll only give us a chance. <<< artistic liberty taken.
Times have indeed changed. Forums have been replaced by other forms of social media. There is sound competition from another forum now. K440 needed a shakeup.... not a shake so violent as to dislodge all remaining posters though. Listen to the people who still post here... they are telling you the truth... the forum is dying and two of the owners have heavily contributed to its rapid recent decline. To fail to hear that and accept that will not help the situation. It has been stated before (I don't recall if it was offline or online) that it may not be possible for K440 to recover in any form. That is a very real concern that should be looked at in the cold light of day. I am not sure anyone can breathe life back into a forum where all the posters have been pushed to the other forum, and where there really is slim chance of there being any sizeable crowd of people pushing in from behind the stage to assume position.
Perhaps if there was some work going on behind the scenes to have the forum somehow partially fill the socks of Cambodia Daily, then there may be hope.
Can we have an open discussion of people's grievances that does not result in people throwing toys out of prams and spitting dummies (bans and deletions)?
It may be that no one cares to comment anymore. Many are self-banning themselves... me too (yes, again) after a recent ban of a poster who replied in traditional (tongue in cheek rude) style to a post by GMB (I think it was).
K440 was hated and loved. People really did hate to love it and love to hate it. The two main owners have failed to grasp that and have not understood the banter of people from different cultures. For goodness sake, I have misunderstood it myself for years until recently. But what is life if all we have is what we know and are comfortable with? This forum was unique ... very unique. Almost every one of the people who made it that way no longer posts here. Why buy something to destroy it, without voicing the vision you have for it and bringing people along with you in your vision?
Do you have a vision? Or is the only vision you had to stop what was and hope that something else came along to fill the gap ... without really understanding how that would happen?
Or was your vision simply to shut down K440?
Yes, I complain about actions taken. Quite frankly I always have, but before I was in a minority of complainers. Now I seem to be among a chorus.