I believe this to be a big mistake. Many people browsing the forums see some great plans offered by different hosts, and sign-up to these plans. They don't have to post a topic requesting hosting, and thus generating them far more work, going through all of the replies and choosing a suitable one.

I have no problem with messages such as "email sent" etc., as it does not harm anyone.

Just my opinion.

Matt

Spam doesn't harm anyone, but it is annoying and people will do everything in their power to stop it.

I guess it doesn't bother you (easy to say) because you don't start threads in the request forums.

We get a lot of annoyed users complaining that they receive several e-mail notifications (not all at once) that someone has replied to their thread, they visit the thread only to see "e-mail sent", they repeat this several times at seperate occasins and start getting a little pissed at pointless replies. Only a minority of users have fast connections, and unfortunately not everyone can afford a new computer every 24 months so for some every firing up their web browser takes forever.

We tried loads of options to stop the pointless replies, I even hacked newreply.php to try to filter out most of them, but people just reworded it. Warnings and annoucements were posted several times. Yet dozens of new and old members continued to post the pointless replies.

Generally if people are looking for an offer they will visit the special offers forum rather than the requests, unless they are posting their own requirements.

Sorry unfortunately that's the way it is (for now).

Ok, I see the situation, I didn't realise quite how bad it was so sorry for my previous post. Good luck in trying to find a solution, if I think of any, I'll let you know...

i agree a lot of hosts just did not give it up

i can see some good reasons to reply but i do see there was a problem too

I posted this in the admin forum...

I already don't miss the reports about PM/Email sent...

Heh, well not that I minded them (some really helpful members here who keep a keen eye out), but I also don't mind if everything is going well and there's nothing to report on either. It was really getting to be a bit too much.

So if you are looking to place a request, you cannot see offers as you could before. Hosts also can't see previous offers, so it would be interesting to see what the true bid type offers, are like.

I hope people will choose to use the requests forum if they need something, or if they are thinking about switching off another host (especially one that *isn't* a member!).

Hosts need to keep on it too and send some offers. I suppose it would be helpful to ask the thread starters to report their post if their needs have been satisfied (so it can be removed).

Well,

I still think it is bad to lock down the request forum like that for several reasons:

1. The number people posting for request could go down.
2. Pricing will also be uncompetitive because everything is kept in background.
3. If a customer has found his solution, he won't be able to post it in the thread, resulting in much more spams to the PM and emails.
4. No one can reply and give suggestions on what is the better plan, hosts or if the webhosting request is unreasonable. (i.e: I want unlimitted b/w for $99)
5. New members or potential new members might not understand the policy and WILL shift to other forums to post for webhosting request.
6. The thread order will not be sorted by most viewed anymore. People who started the thread last week and wanted to make the same request will be forced to post a new topic. (Redundant requests)

I do not condemn your decision. I know it must be hard for you guys to moderate a board with so much traffic. Kudos to the moderators first of all :)

If people do not want to receive notifications, they should turn it off in their preferences or not to subscribe to the thread. I don't see how it can hurt you to regularly check WHT forum :)

Anyway, I support all your decision and we certainly appreciate all your effort to make WHT a better forum for everyone.

Thanks ! :)

eD

Well, here's how I envisioned the requests forum working...

1. Person posts request.
2. Hosts reply and post offers.

Often that didn't happen. Some threads were like that, but too mant threads were like...

1. Person posts request.
2. I'm PM'ed you
3. Email sent
4. Contact me
5. See our site http://hostblah.com
6. I've PM'ed you.
7. etc.

This is just *not* how I thought it would all go, and not what we want (a whole thread filled with, "PM sent" or "I've emailed ya"). In order for the forum to be useful to others, offers were to be posted. Since it wasn't useful to others, we just turned off replies.

As far as 'the Pricing will also be uncompetitive', I'm not so sure that is true or not. I have no information on that either way. Now it is more of a bid type situation, and hosts may send private bids (specials). In bidding type situations, one must price accordingly in order if they hope to win the bid.

I will post a sticky outlining a few things (like that there will be no replies, etc.), and ask that people report their thread when they have chosen a host.

To be honest, as I said, this isn't what we had originally wanted either. We tried other methods of eliminating the useless PM sent posts, but people still did it and got around the filters set up to prevent it.

We'll try this for a bit and see if it works.

I have no problem with the No I've-E-mailed-You-Type posts rule. As soon as I saw a request from Chicken to stop I did, no problem... but I did like being able to post them. The reason being that it helps me keep track of who I've responded to and who I haven't. I suppose I can just rely on my memory from now on.... LOL

One reason I don't like the new system is; maybe someone makes a request that I would like to hear the answers to.
There is no way to receive "Updates to the thread.'
What's the alternative; post the exact same request?

I guess that doesn't require an answer. As it is the answer. :rolleyes:

And what about requests where the poster doesn't include near enough information?
It would be unreasonable to suggest that every host email the requestor with, "What are you talking about?"
Some hosts really are much too busy for that.
The thread was posted because the person wanted some help.
Now noone can help him by saying, "Please clarify what you need."
:rolleyes:

Well, neither way is going to be 100% perfect. We realize this, but this is better than how it was before, and if you think of another way, feel free to suggest it.

We've tried:
Thread with guidelines (later made clearer, and asking it to be read).
Filters which wouldn't allow those posts (they got around 'em).
No replies.

Anyone have an option 4?

We still have problems with the other requests forum :( Someone posts a request asking to be emailed, inevitably someone else will post, "I'm interested, email me at ican'tread@domain.com !" I wish the thread starters would post another again, saying, "No, you email me..." so that it would go up and back a few pages.

Originally posted by Chicken
. . . .Anyone have an option 4?. . . . .Put the "Read before posting" or whatever it was called back up.
Explain that exclusive "Email sent" and "Check your PM" type posts will not be tolerated.
Warn the user the first time he breaks the rule.
Ban the username the second time he breaks the rule.
I don't think you'll have to ban very many hosts before they get the idea.

Originally posted by SoftWareRevue
Put the "Read before posting" or whatever it was called back up.
Explain that exclusive "Email sent" and "Check your PM" type posts will not be tolerated.
Warn the user the first time he breaks the rule.
Ban the username the second time he breaks the rule.
I don't think you'll have to ban very many hosts before they get the idea.

I second this. Just be strict with them.

Actually, I think teck tried that as well. New people all the time. The aim isn't to ban, as that somewhat defeats the point of a forum, and although I feel those messages are irritating, I'm not quite certain it is something to ban people for.

Like I said though, it was new people all the time. I don't think I had to email someone more than once, but we were just having to email people all the time, or edit messages. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Chicken
Actually, I think teck tried that as well. New people all the time. The aim isn't to ban, as that somewhat defeats the point of a forum, and although I feel those messages are irritating, I'm not quite certain it is something to ban people for.

Like I said though, it was new people all the time. I don't think I had to email someone more than once, but we were just having to email people all the time, or edit messages. :rolleyes:

Oh, that is sort of a differnt problem then.

Well.... far few requests for webhosting, so I take it that the changes haven't gone down especially well....?

reflexhost is right.... not only fewer post but there are redundant posts like these:

Post 1: http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22660
Post 2: http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22637
Post 3: http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22706

I think a better solution is to let "senior posters" notify the offenders that they are violating the forum's rule. This way, everyone can read about the rules and understand it better. (but the downside is that the posters will get more mails :().

This method is working extremely well in anandtech's forum (http://forums.anandtech.com) (especially the hotdeal forum)
. People start notifying the offender and now there are less irrelavent topics.

I also agree banning the offenders. Give 1st warning, 2nd warning and ban on the 3rd offense.

I just hope this will be a better place for all of us.

I agree with the above post, and that it just seems more "dead" to me. Even though I didn't post offers in there, it seems dead without it, I liked it much better before. Or atleast let the original poster make additional replies, to tell us what they have found etc... Maybe even turning off email notifications of replies under a certain size, or turning them off all together. Just going back to the forum and checking works fine for me. One more idea... turn email notifications off just in the requests forum. This way anyone can reply, noone gets a lot of unwanted emails, and a few don't get wanted emails.

it does seem dead in there...

i did post some offers in there but lately I have not responded to them.

i have also been swamped lately as well however. so swamped this is not even my regular workstation.

I think that is needed!
How could somebody tell to this people that what their are looking for is just imposible?
Or give them an advise?
http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23295
20 GB Month $75/year

http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23279
Adult hosting, 30 GB, $30/month

I think that the only one loosing is the guy that is looking for hosting with this action of not replies on Request Forum

Here's another reason we need to be able to reply in the Requests forum.

What if I have knowledge that someone seeking hosting has been involved in some illegal activity?
Whether it be as spamming ,or warez, or any number of things that could put a server's admin at risk.
We have no way to warn the host of the possible trouble they could run into.

There needs to be a way to address this.