Forum feedback

[eleanor]

"General Feedback
Use this area to provide general feedback on the PuertoPollensa.com web site. Suggest new sections, tell us what you like and don't like."

OK - this is a category listed on this site and as it is listed on the forum I assume it includes the forum as part of the website.

I am afraid I may not be too popular with what I have to say but feedback is useful if it is constructive and I do hope what I have to say is constructive and I'm not about to make enemies or blacklisted.

Over the past week or so I have felt uncomfortable with some comments especially relating to keeping on track. I of course do agree with keeping order and keeping to the point relating to threads BUT I do feel a couple of comments and a little banter at times is good for building relationships and encouraging a good team feeling. There seems to be a superior school attitude appearing on this forum in my opinion, which I feel is a little upsetting and unnecessary as well as uncomfortable reading. I am beginning to not post quite so much as the feeling of being 'told off' is very real.

The success of this forum is it's members and it's guests and their input. Therefore the building of good relationships between the members is positive and should be encouraged. The evidence of good relationships is the number of friendships which have been formed via this site.

Again I agree that to keep to the thread is relevant and important but for a couple of banter posts thrown in by a couple of members surely isn't that bad for building good solid relationships and therefore a good forum. On looking through past posts covering many topics, I found when this has been the case, posts have very soon returned to topic without reminders. It is quite easy to get back on topic simply by submitting another relevant post. People soon get the basic idea.

Anyway - rant over. I may be the only person who feels as I do but as I said before, I hope I have been constructive and haven't upset anyone with my comments.

 

[JH02JLH]

Hi Eleanor,

As a Moderator on here, I'm sure some of your comments are directed at me. I'm hoping Pollensa will reply to this thread, but in the meantime, perhaps I can explain what the PP forum is about.

It is first and foremost a forum for people to find out information on PP and the surrounding area. It's not a chat forum and that's why we have the Tapas Bar where more general chatty posts are welcomed.

The PP forum costs Pollensa a great deal of money to run and exists to provide information alongside the main website. I don't know how many people simply browse the forum looking for information, but one of my jobs is to make sure they get the information they need without the threads being full of chatter and irrelevant information.

We used to have a separate forum called the Tapas Bar on here which then turned into the Happy Hour but which was closed in December 2006. I then started the new Tapas Bar so members could discuss other topics and which has just celebrated its 3rd Birthday.

I agree that the odd chatty post is acceptable, but from experience (I've been a member here for nearly 6 years now) messages can go way off topic very quickly. This has happened several times in the last few weeks and I have been able to split or merge threads.

I have a feeling you're referring to the weather thread and again, this thread is relevant to PP, not the UK. You're a member of the Tapas Bar, Eleanor, and we have a daily discussion on there about what the weather is doing in the UK.

I don't think there is a "school" mentality here. We're just trying to keep the threads as helpful as possible for new members who are just looking for as much information as possible so they can make the right decision when booking their holiday.

Everyone is welcome to join the Tapas Bar where, as I said, you can have as much banter as you want.

 

[snowy2007]

Everyone is welcome to join the Tapas Bar where, as I said, you can have as much banter as you want.

I wonder

 

[eleanor]

Point taken and understood.
Actually I was referring not only to the weather post but also 3 best restaurants as well as some others and not directed to any one specific person. There have also been comments made by a couple of members which I have felt have been somewhat rude on occasions.
I think perhaps it is not what is said, it is how it is said that can be a little uncomfortable.
Of course this is an information website and forum. Many members return daily to update their knowledge and share experiences of PP and of course this should be encouraged.
Again my apologies if I have offended.

 

[Sun Properties]

I just find the format/server VERY dated and not up to date in respect of other websites (not Pollensa sites) .... just one example .... the lack of facility to include images/live links/video etc within postings is disappointing. I am not aware (and don't want to be) of the income generation however given the amount of advertising I would have thought this should/would be fairly reasonable and perhaps more should be ploughed back into the website ..... IMO.

 

[JH02JLH]

You haven't offended me, Eleanor. This is why we have a feedback forum so we know how people feel. I just wanted to explain why we sometimes have to moderate and I can tell you, it's not always an easy job!

 

[eleanor]

Yes I can understand that Jane. I can also understand it isn't an easy job.
This is a good site with a great forum with many members returning each day. The numbers speak for themselves. As well as a good number of members there are always a greater number of guests at anytime. I'm sure many of the guests later go on to become members and equally their experiences and opinions relating to PP will be valued.

 

[Belladonna]

I am sorry to say that I do agree with the first post that eleanor stated so clearly.
I can see absolutely the point of the forum, and totally understand why it was started and how it is funded. But moderators must understand that a great many of us are NOT children and really do not appreciate being told to keep on track after half a dozen words wander off subject.
We understand the difficulty of keeping this forum on track when it starts becoming too personal, but a bit of leeway would be appreciated.
We do all love this forum and many of us have made many friends off the back of it, but unless we are "allowed" to have a little giggle now and then in full sight of others, we will never get to the point of posting privately.
We all have a lot to give and a lot to receive. If we didnt want to enjoy the personal side of a forum we would just read books.
Again, to quote eleanor - rant over!

 

[debz1]

You just beat me to it Bella!!

I also agree with what eleanor and you have said. If you look back at old posts from a few years ago they usually included friendly banter. Those were the good old days and I'm sure were the type of posts that encouraged new people to join the forum. It was such a welcoming place then! I think a lot of people would be put off from joining the forum now and too scared to post in fear of being told off These days it appears to be if you don't agree with a small minority go and join another forum

My rant over!

 

[sws97sdg]

Well I have to disagree, some people do act childish, and to be honest a lot of the recent trouble has stemmed from a former Tapas Bar member who has chosen to carry over their gripes to this forum, we all know the difference between having a bit of fun and wandering slightly, I myself are one of the offenders, what the difference is that I do it fun, not try and cause a rift or to score points over people, There is space here to have a laugh, but not at the expense of the main theme which is to inform and encourage people to visit the advertisers and spend their holidays in Pollensa.

 

[pollensa]

Actually I was referring not only to the weather post but also 3 best restaurants as well as some others and not directed to any one specific person. There have also been comments made by a couple of members which I have felt have been somewhat rude on occasions.
I think perhaps it is not what is said, it is how it is said that can be a little uncomfortable.
Of course this is an information website and forum. Many members return daily to update their knowledge and share experiences of PP and of course this should be encouraged.
Again my apologies if I have offended.

Eleanor,

I have only just seen this thread - it is a Sunday & it would be nice to have a break occasionally. Anyway, I try to read through as many of the posts as I can in between running the main website which takes up most of the hours of my day - it is a business & provides me with a living. A lot of other forums are run as hobbies by peopole who have other jobs or are retired. But I am one person trying very hard to run a business (the main website). The forum was added as an extra when I couldn't cope with all the emails I received asking for information about Puerto Pollensa - they think I am the tourist office! Fortunately Jane & Sparky have vounteered to help with the moderating & I am very grateful for the help.

With regard to this thread, I'm afraid I'm not completely sure what the issue is. I'm aware that there were some attempts to keep the weather thread on track & we have moderated quite a few 'spammers' recently but I wasn't aware of anything else - I'll have to read through the posts again.

But you have also mentioned 'comments made by other members' & this is often why we do have to moderate - to stop members insutling each other. Basically moderating a forum is often a thankless task & we get criticised when we do moderate & when we don't.

With regard to the other comment on the format being out-of-date & the comment about advertising, I really don't know what to say & honestly feel like screaming here. The advertising that is displayed on the forum (not the main website which is completely separate) brings in very little income - a few pence a day if that. The software we use is Vbulletin which is standard software. If we allowed images & videos etc., it would cost more to host & require even more moderating & I don't even have time to keep upgrading the vBulletin software let alone look into something different

If you would rather have something else...

Well what can I say?

 

[Sun Properties]

With regard to the other comment on the format being out-of-date & the comment about advertising, I really don't know what to say & honestly feel like screaming here. The advertising that is displayed on the forum (not the main website which is completely separate) brings in very little income - a few pence a day if that. The software we use is Vbulletin which is standard software. If we allowed images & videos etc., it would cost more to host & require even more moderating & I don't even have time to keep upgrading the vBulletin software let alone look into something different

Without apology I have to say despite your comment I do feel the forum is 'behind the times' with regard to its format and content. I am unsure of the financial relationship between the forum and the main website ~ I always thought they were interlinked and as there are often references on the forum providing links to the main website whether the forum brings in money or not I would suggest it is often the forum users that refer to the main website which I presume is (or should be) income generating. I am sure that additional moderating is a possibility if more mods were appointed. I have no knowledge of how this website/forum operate (particularly in respect of the financial aspect) however my close involvement with other similar websites has prompted me to pass on these thoughts which I hope can be taken as constructive rather than, what appears from your response to be criticism.

 

[med777]

Maybe the problem is the word 'forum'...

I get the whole info thing and have been very grateful for all the info I have recieved over the years from the posters here. And for the many smiles and giggles that the posts have provoked !
Have to agree with eleanor, Bella & debz. After reading Janes post (39505), I will be thinking twice ...( yes - had a second thought ) before I post.
All things change, but when posters have to include 'apologies' and 'not wishing to offend' etc...I think that this indicates people feeling like they are walking on eggshells... no ?


Miriam
(apologies & lotsa not wishing to offend )

 

[Rosie34]

This all seems to be getting so serious - or am I just too simplistic? I am in no position to comment on the up-to-dateness of a website or how it is financed - all I can say is that IMHO it is a great forum and website and has been so useful to me since I found it - not just for restaurant info but all sorts of useful guidance -accommodation, travel, weather and just general PP help. I pop in most days and nearly always find something useful/entertaining etc. And I am sure a lot of hard work goes into running it - I'd hate the responsibility!

Hope I have not offended anyone.

 

[Sun Properties]

Website & Forum

This all seems to be getting so serious - or am I just too simplistic? I am in no position to comment on the up-to-dateness of a website or how it is financed - all I can say is that IMHO it is a great forum and website and has been so useful to me since I found it - not just for restaurant info but all sorts of useful guidance -accommodation, travel, weather and just general PP help. I pop in most days and nearly always find something useful/entertaining etc. And I am sure a lot of hard work goes into running it - I'd hate the responsibility!
Hope I have not offended anyone.

FULLY AGREE however a lot of hard work and effort goes into running ANY business and website in this day and age and I believe that if you have 'taken on' the mantle of 'representing' the local community, businesses, property owners etc you have a responsibility to support those parties with the best backup. It should not just be the case of take it or leave it because once you establish that domain name you have created what is basically a one stop shop. The heading on this thread is > Suggest new sections, tell us what you like and don't like.
The forum, as far as I can see, is an important part of the website and there is IMO, no way the website would get the visitor numbers it has if the forum did not exist. As an integral part of puertopollensa.com therefore the forum should be up to date, regularly monitored and informative.

 

[JH02JLH]

Heavy hand of moderating?

I took a minute to look back at the moderated threads over the last month this morning and this is what I found:

Me:

5 February - asked for weather thread to stay on track (and a couple of members asked for it to stay that way as well)

2 February - was asked by Med77 to split a thread and start a new one for Barrhead Travel/Glasgow airports.

30 January - first time asking for the weather thread to stay relevant to PP

2 January - closed the thread on the Smoking ban as I felt everything had been covered already on the forum and things were starting to get personal.


Sparky:

7 February - attempt to get Top 3 restaurant thread back on track.

6 February - request to keep weather thread on track.

I would hardly call this heavy moderating! In fact there was quite a bit of banter yesterday from Bonyslad who is out in Australia at the moment and which certainly hasn't been moderated!

If anyone can find any more moderated threads, please let me know!

 

[jjacks]

I'm a relative newcomer to the forum. I haven't posted for a few weeks - not had anything to say. However, I read the posts everything day - especially Sparky's weather report. Sometimes we all tend to meander a bit and go off topic. If we do, the Moderator's job is just to get us back on track. It's not what you say but how you say it. Don't take it personally. I love this forum. Over the years it has given me a wealth of information and each year before I get to PP I have a list of new restaurants to try and places to go.

My view - you can't please all the people all of the time.

Jan

 

[Bean Counter]

I’m a relative newcomer to both PP and the Forum and have been reading the feedback discussion with great interest – so here is my “take” on the forum.

I discovered the PP website in 2007 when I was planning a holiday with husband, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. We’d been to Majorca a few times when the kids were young, but never stayed in PP. I found a great apartment on the website for June 2008 and then became an avid reader of the forum (still am!). I found the information and tips absolutely invaluable – car hire, best way to get from the airport, restaurants, public transport, everything.

Without the forum, we wouldn’t have “hit the ground running” in terms of making the most of our week – came home and booked straightaway for 2 weeks in 2009 – I’m sure that there are a lot of users like me.

I like the way everyone answers all the questions that us “newbies” put – even though the same things get asked over and over again.

I like the way the “regulars” respond to and encourage new posters.

I like the inside knowledge that comes from those of you who either live in PP or have been going from many years.

I like the detailed information of what is going on, what is open and closed, what is changing hands, what is changing with airlines,etc.

I like the friendly banter, and the descriptions of people’s experiences – eating and travel. Jane, we never would have done the PP-Palma-Soller trip on public transport if your post hadn’t sounded so tempting.

I loved the saga of Miriam’s husband’s car journey from Scotland to PP.

Where I think the difficulties arise is when there are strong feelings about certain issues; it’s much easier to give or take offence when all that you have are the words on a page; when you can’t see the body language or hear the tone of voice - particularly if you don’t actually know the person.

And sometimes, as with the smoking discussion, threads can go on for too long saying the same thing.

When threads start to “wander” it can make it a bit harder to tell from the title which thread had a particular gem of information – and I’m not good at “searching”!

Sorry, this is so rambling. I think what I’m saying is that I find the forum an entertaining mine of information; I think the moderating is “moderate” – there is room for dissension but, at the end of the day, it is a forum not a chat room.

Ann

 

[LK1960]

I agree with all you say jjacks and beancounter.

Like others, I too have become reluctant to post of late, not because of any fear of the wrath of the moderators, but rather fear of unhelpful and sometimes rude comments from certain members, posting comments which can bear no relevance to Puerto Pollensa at all. I may be wrong, but I feel valuable members with useful contributions to make have been lost in the recent past for this very reason.

I too love the forum and have learned a great deal about PP from it, but it is not a chat room and I think it is important to keep things on track rather than loose all all the valuable information it contains. I can't understand why anyone would be offended for being asked, always politely, to do so.

 

[Belladonna]

Some relevant points are being made in the last few posts.
jJacks, your point about its not what is said but the way it is said, is very true, and that goes for all of us. I do feel that some threads will continue to ramble on season after season, as new members join and inadvertently open the can of worms up again ie good old Bonys debate and the smoking debate. Yes, this is tedious repetition and certainly worth the moderators - or anyone else with sense surely - worth mentioning that all discussions can be viewed as posted before.
Moderators definately come into their own on sorting out the more "strange" posts that often occur that many of us never, thankfully, get to see, so good on them for that.

There will also be threads that go off track. Here I think is where the bone of contention is. Yes, Bean Counter, you are absolutely right, it IS a forum and not a chat room, but many of us "oldies" still like the occassional friendly dig or memory at or with someone we have met over the years - through the forum -and this can go for perhaps 3 or 4 posts before the thread gets back on track itself. It is here that many of us feel the moderators do not need to trouble themselves.
You made some extremely good points on what you like BC - and so say all of us!
I feel all of us should be able to self moderate, but realise that others may feel the need to step in sometimes.
This forum has brilliant members and growing all the time. Because of this there will be times of stress but we all actually want exactly the same thing.
Lets not get caught up in inconsequential detail please.