It seems like more and more everyday this site has become the bashing grounds for everyone that visits. Im sure I will be next just for posting this but I just had to express my sadness in what WHT has become. I dont post here nearly as frequent as I used too, mostly because the bashing threads are so large that by the time im done reading them I dont have the energy to post. Well thats all, just a concern for WHT. nothing more.

I agree 100% I am having thoughts of just not coming back this has got unreal.

This place when I first started visiting it was people helping each other now it has turned in to a bash fest.

are just a distraction from the real value of the site.
Those of us with money to spend for reliable, cost effective, feature filled, and service oriented hosting and reselling services have a usefull tool to aid us in our
search for the best web hosts.

After we choose a host, we can post our experiences on
these threads to inform other members and readers. The
hosts who receive positive feedback will be encouraged to
continue to provide a high level of reliable service as
they gain new customers because of what we post here about
them.

The hosts who receive negative feedback will have an
incentive to try harder to provide value and service to
their customers if they want to improve their reputations
and grow their businesses.

Customers deserve to get what they pay for. If you use the
search feature in the upper right corner of each page on
this site, you will find helpful information quickly.

:agree: :agree:

Where's my post?

If you are asking that, I deleted it. Why? Because it contained a flame (bash, insult, whatever you want to call it) for another member. If your post contains a flame of any kind (if you aren't sure, please consult a moderator *before* posting the message), your post will be deleted. The whole thing. Yep, good points and all.

In other words, if you have something valid to say, don't include flames in the message. Editing every other line just looks terrible and makes me look like I'm a censor freak, which I'm not contrary to popular belief.

One of the problems is that by the time I see it, the thread gets peppered with flames and my new policy will be to just delete the whole message and warn the user (once).

Jag's concerns are valid, and yellowed makes perhaps the most reasonable assessment of the situation. one that I happen to share. But, like I said, I'll be killing off flame (bash, insult, whatever you want to call it) posts as soon as I see them. I can't do it faster than that so hang in there if you see it.

Danke.

Guest,

I'm not sure it was valid to post that response three times (that I've seen so far). Chicken's point is simple. Discussion of a host is an important facet of this board and for the most part it is a productive way to find a new webhost. When a thread degenerates into name calling and trolling (by both hosts and general posters it appears these days), the relevant information being passed on is lost. If a host reacts poorly, you don't have to retaliate - the proof of their lack of tack will be self evident instantly. If they react that way to enough people it builds a database that appears when other use the search function at the top of the board. A few hosting companies seem to forget that their responses are logged into that search function and will come back to bite them on the ass eventually.

To the same end deletion of threads lowers this search functions power, so increasing the response of these hosts within a single thread until it gets to the childish name calling (no reference to yourself by the way) I've seen here lately - at which point the Mods have to step in and kill the thread.

When I signed up here in September of last year it seemed to me that this forum was 'host heavy' with too few people looking for new hosts. Now it appears to have been corrected somewhat, which makes me a lot happier as it gives people a chance to discuss hosting options in a way I could only dream of myself when I was looking around as a consumer. Not only do they have a chance to chat together as users but they can directly contact companies and talk on the same playing field. Also some of us have ideas we're happy to share with anybody regardless of client, co-company or whoever - Shopping Cart options, redirection scripts, domain registration, etc etc...

If a company ticks you off, just scratch their name of your list and keep looking. Rest assured there's others doing the same thing as you when they see hosts react that way. The best satisfaction you can gain is knowing someone more deserving of your money will get it. Walking away from a thread just in time to have it left undeleted is your best weapon. :) It'll show everyone else who the hot-heads are.

Greg Moore

I agree with guest totally. This board is getting more and more useless each day. Everyone starting to think that host who hang around here (this board) = good support = good host. Guess what, I signed up with one the "regulars" here and instead of replying to my email queries, they chose to reply to posts here. I got no response to my email, but see new posts from my host here everyday. Hah.

And every other day on WHT, long threads filled with useless comments and childish behavior will result in "thread deleted". Usually, these are the threads which involved hosts who are regulars here. Whenever somebody post something negative about one of the "regulars", the latter would step in to defend himself and the other "regulars" would then join forces to defend their dear friend in trouble. The original post would then be greatly discredited, and the poster ridiculed.

Well, as one of Don Mclean's songs goes..

"Ah, it ain't so easy is it? You almost lost your place. And perhaps you're wondering how you're going to cope with your disgrace. Well your wealth is well established and your friends were never few, And all the things they told you of you're finding to be true. Well if truth can free the guilty while the innocent must die, Then I respect the coldest lie..."

Guest, my aim isn't to favor any host or member on the board. At the same time, I cannot allow another member to attack another member or company in the middle of an active thread just because they feel like it.

This is really the issue.

Tangents are one thing, they do in fact, happen all the time. But I cannot allow tangents such as, someone starting on about SickofAds working for HM in the middle of a, "What hosts have good support docs" thread, nor personal attacks on Daniel and Venturesonline in the middle of a, "Please give me a quote for a server" thread.

I realize (am am asking you to realize) that there is a grey line when it comes to deciding if someone is trolling, bashing, flaming, etc. Sometimes one little comment sets people off. The end result is a thread that goes off the deep end. This isn't always apparent at the beginning (knowing what is *going* to happen).

All in all, I don't think there is *enough* constructive criticism that hosts can use being discussed here. I think it could only be good for everyone (hosts to improve their services, and for consumers as well).

-But, there is a time and a place for this. Generally, it should be posted as a new thread. It seem that too often someone takes a reply, and decides to tear the member apart (might be a host, might not).

So again, I will not kill any discussion that is appropriate, nor any that are being discussed in the proper place. (Appropriate meaning one that isn't just ripping the member a new one for no good reason).

I don't want a happy go lucky board any more than you do, but I can't allow member bashing and as long as everyone tries to avoid that, everything should be fine. I just noticed that this is getting really long. If you have any questions, post or email me, or email the mods.

Originally posted by schweiz
I agree with guest totally. This board is getting more and more useless each day. Everyone starting to think that host who hang around here (this board) = good support = good host. Guess what, I signed up with one the "regulars" here and instead of replying to my email queries, they chose to reply to posts here. I got no response to my email, but see new posts from my host here everyday. Hah.

Schweiz, I don't agree with that. I see lots of questions posted and most posts are answered quickly and honestly (I say *most* posts). If you have a hosting related question/problem, you are almost guaranteed a response within a few hours (on most topics).

You need to post that you signed up with blahblahhost and that you were not satisified with the email response times. Don't stew... let us know!

And every other day on WHT, long threads filled with useless comments and childish behavior will result in "thread deleted". Usually, these are the threads which involved hosts who are regulars here. Whenever somebody post something negative about one of the "regulars", the latter would step in to defend himself and the other "regulars" would then join forces to defend their dear friend in trouble. The original post would then be greatly discredited, and the poster ridiculed.

Yes, long threads fille with childish behavior wil result in thread deleted. Like I said above, if you have something negative to say, please start a new thread. Too often the negative comment is posted within an active thread which forces us to close/move/edit the thread.

We need member's cooperation to realize that they can start a new thread, even quote from a different post or refer to a URL if they need to. I'll only ask that it isn't a personal or unjustified attack of sorts and that the discussion be kept as civil as possible. Keep it constructive, and we will watch out for hosts bashing members as well.

It will not be tolerated from either side. That's the best i can offer at the moment.

I beleive everyone is correct so far, I was just stating that is all I see nowadays. bash ,bash, bash... Now I will be the first to agree that most of it may have been warranted. Being a veteran host here does not exclude anyone from being attacked nor should it. Im just saying it seems like the WHT community as a whole seems to be quite negative lately, thats all. I think chicken, sickofads, and guest all have very valid points. Lets cheer this place up , shall we :)

guest, what post are you referring to above? Is it still around?

Oh yes , that one. I would have to agree on that, it should be restored . The poor guy just wanted to know his options.

After much meditation on the issue in a culmination of three reflective techniques, I have drawn from the depths of my subconscious "Lawrence's four reforms for WHT" (read: I just thought up these in about a minute):

1. Chicken - by the sounds of your above posts you could do with some help. Perhaps we need a couple more moderators floating around here?
2. When the mods delete/edit posts and feel obliged to explain their actions (as Chicken above), they should probably post as Administrator rather than under their own names. That way they won't get as much flak from people, because it will be seen as a "Moderator decision" rather than a personal BC/kunal/Chicken decision.
3. Perhaps the subject matter of the entire board should be expanded a bit to include other Internet topics? That way if the webhosting discussions descend into bash wars as they seem to have lately, there's more than likely a lot more substance around to counter.
4. We need etLux back.

Originally posted by Lawrence
4. We need etLux back.



YES YES YES :D


Thanx for the 4 reforms.. they sound good. But its not something we can change alone. We need help from you guys too.