137 replies to this topic

[Bondian]

Looks like I've worn the wrong aftershave tonight!.

DARREN, pm me and don't be another Bondian.


All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[Bondian]

Well, I have to say that I haven't ever seen Darren so annoyed!.

All I can say is that he has had some excellent support by some of you Guy's, but he's suffering from the Bondian's'!.



All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[Dunph]

Right, now I'm being honest.

I've had enough of this. No more pleading to stay, no more pandering to members' every whim. If you want to go, then go, those that want to stay on the ship, then you're more then welcome to. Being a staff member is a thankless task, and although I'm not asking for a medal, or even thanks, some suggestions as to how we can improve the site wouldn't go amiss. Most of us staff members break our bloody backs to expand this site and help it grow, providing news, content, competitions, new forums, new graphics, funding to name but a few areas. Bring out the violins.

This isn't a personal attack, it's a post driven through weeks of frustration at complaints and backbiting that has led us nowhere. Where are the PMs to all staff members outlining changes you would like made? Where are the suggestions? In the past changes have been made and members have accepted them with no fuss. We've asked for input after most of you told us you wanted to be informed should we make any changes, and I'm all for that. I think it's a brilliant idea, but I'm sick to the teeth of petty posts asking people to beg them to stay, it's a community, and those who don't want to be a part of it aren't forced to be. I love CBn, I love working behind the scenes, so to speak, I've been here since the days of CMGN (though compared to some that isn't long) and I want to be here until my personal life doesn't permit it any more.

I'm most probably posting WAY above my station as a mere CBn team member when I say this, but those that want to leave, leave. Or please stay and suggest ways that you think that we've made decisions detrimental to the future of the site, we will take every single suggestion on board, as we all have common interests (the expansion of the community and the discussion of Bond and non-Bond stuff).

We are a community,and it's one community I want to see last for a VERY long time.

P

[Xenobia]

I have to say I COMPLETELY AGREE with Paul on this.

We get messages, sometimes from folks saying they get PMs from other people complaining about this site, but we never find out who those silent others are, or what their problems are.

Folks, we can't fix things unless you give us a straight answer as to what the problem is, and what you would like us to try and do.

That's all we ask.

-- Xenobia

[Bondian]

Well said Paul!.

Please could you answer me this. Why do you think that we've had so many Members leaving recently. Aslo, we say that we have 2000 plus Members but 90% of them never post?. Ok, it may be down to idiots like me posting certain things that keep them awayt, but I doubt it!.

As for my two consecutive outbursts in the last week or so was down to...

1). Why were we never told about Daniel ( although it has now been perfectly explained ).

2). The lack of interest with posts. Also as you may of read in my tongue-in-cheek Bond 21 post I am suffering from depression. I know I should'nt bring this behaviour to this site, but I'm afraid that I tend to say what's on my mind and leave my brain at home.

3). Why can't we say in 'public' what we really think instead of this 'pm' cover-up?.

I really do not want to leave CBn, I have so many Friends here, but when it becomes unpleasurable then you get in two minds about it!.



All the best Paul,

Cheers,


Ian

[Qwerty]

I 100% fully support every single detail by Paul and Xenobia.

[Qwerty]

I think we all need to accept the way things are run on here, I enjoy talking to every single person on here, but I love the way CBn is run and I think all the staff do a damn fine way of running it.

[Dunph]

Hey Ian, I don't think "so many members" have left recently, I'm not aware of many more dropping off, communities evolve, and those who want to leave are more than welcome to, though obviously it wouldn't be a community without them. Why there are so many members and not many post is a tricky yet HOT issue among staffers, some of us are of the opinion that members who haven't posted within a certain time frame should be deleted, and others believe that a good community doesn't shut out members, most of the members we have only come back every few months or every time a bond film comes out, and we don't want to turn them away. Does that make sense? Hope so!

1.) Already explained, but for a combination of reasons, but primarily because we thought Dan would want a low-key exit, but i now realise that was a mistake.

2.) With regard to lack of interest in posts, you might notice that I don't have the world record of successful threads, but I deal with it, in all honesty happens, and I just try to post stuff for people who may be interested in the same sorta things.

3.) My point exactly, mate.

P

[Bondian]

Thanks Paul!.

I sincerely hope that Members know that Darren made this decision himself an that I did'nt 'goed' him into leaving!.

If I knew that Darren was that annoyed tonight I wouldn't of been so honest to express my feelings to him.

Just to let you know that I have sent Darren an e-mail to talk him into coming back. He's a fine Member to CBn and I ALSO do not want his to leav!.

Thanks for your attention.



All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[Bondian]

Hi Paul,

I'm presuming that some Members who have left, resign in with a different 'codename', but I'm not saying that this is always the case. We really do have a lot of Members and I've often wondered how we coul get them involved with posts. I suppose threaten their Families would be a start!. LOL.

I'm sure we're going to see Darren back soon. He's gone through hell and back recently, but if he doesn't I'm sure he'll offer his avatar to the nearest bidder.


All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[jwheels]

I just want to say that I love this site, and I appreciate everything the members do to maintain and continuing to make this site the best on the net. And if some do not feel this way, then (with no offence) I do not mind them leaving.

[Qwerty]

I just want to say that I love this site, and I appreciate everything the members do to maintain and continuing to make this site the best on the net.

I couldn't agree more.

[Bondian]

Guy's you've said some very important things!.

I know that I could of left on two several occassions, but hey, who's counting?.

I know we have a lot of young Members here, and I'm not trying to make yur future sound dim, but when you reach 40, your life seems to make a u-turn.

Wait, 43, that's not old, but when you have so many problems whether they'd be physical or family, they do not go away. In fact they get worse!.

They say that "beauty is only skin deep", if that's the case my 'fiancee' was born inside out!.

But, lets not get morbid, how about looking forward to Mole II. I trust your all going to do it?.



All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[Qwerty]

But, lets not get morbid, how about looking forward to Mole II. I trust your all going to do it?.



Ian

I am the MOLE!!!!

[Bondian]

ROLFLMAO!.

You'd be good at the mole, but it'd mean that we're going to have to learm more four-letter words!.



All the best,

Cheers,


Ian

[Blofeld's Cat]

Yeah....wll get ready to really miss me because CBn is p*ssing me off so much right now I may just quit the site outright!

Holly cow!

I've only been away a short time so I'm not too sure what you're getting at Darren.

What exactly is pissing you off in CBn?

Please respond as I'd like to try and keep you here, mate.

[Loomis]

Eh, nobody's said their leaving

Er, they have.

I am suffering from depression. ... He's gone through hell and back recently

Noted, but without wishing to appear unsympathetic, CBn should be here for us to leave our worries behind and relax. We all have our away-from-the-board lives and our away-from-the-board troubles, but while we're here we should just try to, well, chill.

I'm presuming that some Members who have left, resign in with a different 'codename'

What's the point of that?

[Q-Zar]

I already have you tangled in intrigue.....or do I. HA! ;)elmo

Damn that ticklish bastard !
About that whole "the board is going bad". Well I'm just a recent member, but I signed up because after seeing the topics I just HAD to participate.
I like spending time here, and at other boards, when I get too tired of one, I just take a break from it, and come back when I feel better about it.
Otherwise it becomes hell with fights, etc...
Anyway, back on topic, like I said I like those additions in the profile. It's always interesting to read and that way the same kind of topics don't get created over and over again each week.

[Jim]

Posts like that aren't exactly helping guys.

Personally I don't care! Its just that CBn has gone to the dogs leaving Bond fans having to look elsewhere to chat about 007.

CBn was a great site. Now it's a joke!

How?

Tell people.

This is part of the problem here.

That the site has a large amount of members who don't post - that may be the responsibility of the team (although all members are part of a team; this is a public website), but completely unreasoned comments like this one (inter alia) must also be part of the problem. New member, signs up, reads something like this from someone with a lot of posts, isn't going to post. Collective responsibility; you're not helping.

Help us, that's all we ask.

Now I'm not saying there's a ban on debate about the future of the site, but for the same reasons members want changes explained to them, team want criticism explained to them. Throw us a bone, here.

The (obvious) suspicion that CBn is a dictatorship (find me the dictator, then) is only going to be exacerbated if longstanding members persist in throwing out wild, completely unreasoned accusations that give them an outlet for their frustrations about things other than CBn. This site is not here to mop up the dung of your life. Perhaps that's the danger in having too much "General Discussion", but that's a personal peeve.

Arguably, "General Discussion" has meant we lost the plot; we all became too tied together, and if too tied together it's so much worse when we split. But note: that's a personal view

If you have reasons for comments like this, give them. If not, the assumption will fester that you're using this site as a sounding board for everything that's currently amiss with your three score years and ten. Which is not what CBn is here for. It is here to discuss the James Bond series of books and films and associated merchandise. If you want to bleat about personal hard luck, buy a frickin' diary but don't labour everyone else with it.

So - what changes?

New team members: a call for transparency in the process. Hm. This site is maintained and paid for by those proposing staff. No taxation without representation? Well, the members haven't been taxed, have they? No-one is forced to join, no-one is forced to stay. No membership fee is charged. This is a collective; nobody refuses to listen (and posts like the above suggest to new members that they won't be heard, which is horrible misrepresentation). But there is a core group of members to whom suggestions are put and who put them into effect. This is not a dictatorship; if anything, it is a soviet. And there's a politburo. Live with it. This has always been the case. Nothing new there.

What the team are trying to work on is improving the content of the site. Well aware that most members see the message board as the main thing, and we want to make the "factual" content stronger too, so this can be a Bond resource as much as it is Bond opinion. Perhaps if some of the more vocal members were to look at the rest of the site, and not just the message boards to deliver of some personal bleat, they would come up with constructive ideas. I invite you to do so.

The warn feature: part of the software package. Removed. But give the team a chance to get used to the new software too. Go on; humour us there.

Daniel leaving: didn't like the games fora; seems to be the reason. Now, those who are most vociferous about wanting to know why he left, and think there's been a cover up or some sort of coup; these are generally (and horribly ironically) the same folk who are starting threads which are effectively "press releases" threatening to leave themselves. I liked DD, and I respect him even more for the panache with which he simply drifted away, without tedious threads about "I am leaving, I am leaving, make me stay, make me stay, lovemelovemeloveme" which (rather inconsistently) those who advocate him most indulge themselves in. Take a leaf out of Daniel's book. If you want to go, just go. Forcing folk to genuflect to you might be a salvation to your wounded personalities (and without reasoning, wounded for reasons other than anything to do with this website) but it suggests to the rest of the world that the board is lucky to still have you. Ugh. How charmless. Where is your style? When tempted - think - WWDDDo?

Personal messages: Have been a feature of the boards for as long as I've been here.

Jim being a staff member: I abrogate any moderation responsibility, if any thinks I am power crazed and will stamp down on folk. To moderate others would be shockingly hypocritical. I have been on the receiving end of a moderation or seven in the past (not the threads you might think) and the reason you don't know about it is because I have not made a public song and dance about it and said "right, that's it, I'm off". Just accept it and move on. This is a public message board that I can and do turn off. You are not my family. I am trying to work on content ideas. That's it.

The layout of the new boards: Does it clash with your shirt? Please don't be so superficial. Lacks class.

In a nutshell...

It's a quid pro quo; transparency on both sides. Tell the team what's wrong rather than just saying it is wrong. If the reasons are there, give them. Why should the team have to guess? If the reasons aren't there, deal with your trauma elsewhere; why should it unfairly rebound on the rest of the membership? Why should a James Bond site indulge an individual's unrelated personal problems? If there is a dictatorship, it is by those who do that, not the team.

[Jim]

Really....there is far too much wrong with the site, and although Bondian may stick around it's au revoir from me!

Goodbye and good luck....If CBn turns around Bondian send me an email!

Thank you for your press release and constructive comment upon how the site can be turned around (sic)

[marktmurphy]

Okay then; I'd like to see some 'what could have been' articles. I remember when I first popped on here there was someone (long forgotten who I'm afraid) who had a first draft of GoldenEye (when it was still starring Tim and had the train teaser sequence). Perhaps that could be dug out? I'd be happy to try and make my long-abandoned GoldenEye'94 poster work..
I like the sound of the car articles Zencat is doing too: if he needs a hand at all...

Incidentally, I left for a while...popped back occasionally to shout at a few of the more moronic statements on here....and sometimes I feel like posting sensibly. Having a bit of a 'sensible' turn at the mo: can't guarantee it'll last

[Athena007]

In a nutshell...

It's a quid pro quo; transparency on both sides. Tell the team what's wrong rather than just saying it is wrong. If the reasons are there, give them. Why should the team have to guess? If the reasons aren't there, deal with your trauma elsewhere; why should it unfairly rebound on the rest of the membership? Why should a James Bond site indulge an individual's unrelated personal problems? If there is a dictatorship, it is by those who do that, not the team.

Jim

[zencat]

I like the sound of the car articles Zencat is doing too: if he needs a hand at all...

I'm taking a slightly different approach to this now, marktmurphy. I may indeed contact you next week for some help.

Re the topic: If members are really THAT unhappy with CBn, they should leave (but know they are welcome back whenever they want). There are very good forums at Absolutely James Bond and now MKKBB that I highly recommend. There's no reason to stay here if you're not getting what you want. Me...I want to spend my time writing articles and coming up with good threads instead of dealing with all the personal muck and mire. That just keeps me from doing what I do best, writing about Bond. That's what I do to keep myself and the members "happy", and I've really been busting my hump lately. Everyone is welcome to do the same thing. As Athena and Jim said, this is a completely open site. Anyone can post anything (Bond related) on our main page. You'd be surprised at how much better you feel about CBn (and about yourself) when you actually contribute something.

[Loomis]

This site is not here to mop up the dung of your life.

The standout line in a superb post, Jim.

Still, I'm not sure that "that's the danger in having too much "General Discussion"". General Discussion ain't the problem - bluntly, some members are. I find this an amazingly tolerant site: many's the time I've created threads on films and filmmakers that are, at very best, of interest to perhaps two or three other people. Yet not once have I been reprimanded by either staff or fellow members for doing so. Which is very nice, since this is, after all, a Bond site. I wouldn't try that caper at MI6 or AJB.

I'm a Bond fan, yes, but I'm first and foremost a movie buff, and - stunningly - CBn seems to meet pretty much all my film-related needs as far as discussion boards are concerned. I love the fact that we allow each other to talk about more or less anything here. It's what keeps me coming back.

I'm careful, though, not to abuse the privilege afforded by General Discussion (and by the attitudes of those who run this site). No subject should be automatically out of bounds, and if we feel the need to ask each other for advice or support on various matters we ought to consider ourselves free to go right ahead. At the same time, though, we should ask ourselves: does this really belong on the boards, or is it more appropriate to PMs?

Anyhow....

If members have the balls (not that it takes balls at all, but you get my drift) to create or contribute to threads with posts claiming that CBn is going downhill, that they've had it up to here and are leaving, and so on, they should also have the spunk (not to mention the common courtesy) to explain themselves when staffers/other members ask why.

Vague mutterings about dictatorships, serial killers and the like just don't cut it.

[Dunph]

I took no liberty in cutting out some of the unneccessary posts in this thread. Siegheil!

Jim, thanks for having the time and acerbic wit to delve into each topic in such depth and with such clarity. When I posted, frustration and anger were my main emotions, so my post may not have come across quite as I would have wanted it to. I think we've come to a crossroads in CBn's life online, and it's time to air those festering wounds here.

Those that want to leave know you can, there are some excellent forums out there as John said; AJB, MI6 forums, Cinescape, MKKBB for instance, and if things grate to such an extent that you find yourself moving away from CBn, then you're more than welcome to move there, or take a break.

[DLibrasnow]

The (obvious) suspicion that CBn is a dictatorship (find me the dictator, then) is only going to be exacerbated if longstanding members persist in throwing out wild, completely unreasoned accusations that give them an outlet for their frustrations about things other than CBn. This site is not here to mop up the dung of your life. Perhaps that's the danger in having too much "General Discussion", but that's a personal peeve.

Nothing to do with my life.....the blame lies with Righty!!

Your post is just another example of how CBn staff do not listem....Guess I was wrong to give CBn another chance....


GOODBYE!

[Qwerty]

Snow, you're a great person, but Righty has done nothing wrong for creating those profile updates.

I will defend him and them very well. I don't think their bad at all.

[DLibrasnow]

If members have the balls (not that it takes balls at all, but you get my drift) to create or contribute to threads with posts claiming that CBn is going downhill, that they've had it up to here and are leaving, and so on, they should also have the spunk (not to mention the common courtesy) to explain themselves when staffers/other members ask why

I think I explained myself quite clearly to three CBn staff members on MSN last night!

[Loomis]

I think I explained myself quite clearly to three CBn staff members on CBn last night!

You mean via PM? My point is that you didn't confine your remarks to private messages - you aired your views publicly, on the board, or at least you started to do so. You didn't follow through, though. You started something, but didn't finish it.

Those outside your PM circle know that you're unhappy with CBn, but we don't know why. This is your fault, not ours.

[Johnboy007]

Later homes

I fail to see how Righty's updating in profiles causes this spark. He hasn't done anything wrong, and you know it.