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Site is fine, forum people are rude
- Thread starter firestorm
- Start date
First of all the site is crap compared to waht it was.
I was a fan of what they WERE. They WERE not like any other site. Now they are like every other site. We asked them to change and they basically told us that they did not care what we thought, and the site was changed to reach more advertisers. To make more money. We are not paying for the site. They, on the other hand, are being paid to produce a quality product by the advertisers. If we cannot get them to produce a quality product by asking them (and then they actually tell us they dont give a crap what we think) than we will send a message to their advertisers by going to all of the other sites that WERE not like cyclingnews before.
I was a fan of what they WERE. They WERE not like any other site. Now they are like every other site. We asked them to change and they basically told us that they did not care what we thought, and the site was changed to reach more advertisers. To make more money. We are not paying for the site. They, on the other hand, are being paid to produce a quality product by the advertisers. If we cannot get them to produce a quality product by asking them (and then they actually tell us they dont give a crap what we think) than we will send a message to their advertisers by going to all of the other sites that WERE not like cyclingnews before.
firestorm said:
If you like BikeRadar2.0 then that is your opinion.
As to your remark about if we don't like the site now we weren't CN fans in the first place. You are dead wrong, we are not lemmings and are not amused by everything we have put in front us, or are told we should like because the editors say it's better.
The hell we aren't paying for the site! Over the last five years I have spent over $7,000 on cycling products with 75%-80% coming from CN sponsors.
People have a right to complain if they don't like something and there is a forum set up specifically asking for feedback.
In the scheme of things though, it's just a website, it really doesn't seem to me to be as big an issue as people are making out.
What were the best bits on the site before? A news digest, race reports and race results. Are they all there still? Can you get to them easily enough? Yeah, they've clearly ballsed up a bit on the delivery, but they're software developers, what do you expect?
So far as I'm concerned, it's all about content, and the content is still the same. If they start copy and pasting their race reports from Reuters or AP or whatever then it would be different
In the scheme of things though, it's just a website, it really doesn't seem to me to be as big an issue as people are making out.
What were the best bits on the site before? A news digest, race reports and race results. Are they all there still? Can you get to them easily enough? Yeah, they've clearly ballsed up a bit on the delivery, but they're software developers, what do you expect?
So far as I'm concerned, it's all about content, and the content is still the same. If they start copy and pasting their race reports from Reuters or AP or whatever then it would be different
The old site looked like it was being done by meth-heads, but that meant it was hyper-organized and overpopulated with information. Just like manic cycle-heads want it.
The information is still here, maybe, hard to tell for sure. But the site is 1990's tech gone wrong. It looks like an RSS aggregator done in a default Pagemaker format. It composites wrong in common browsers (no, we can't upgrade all of them). It sorts front-page articles randomly ("Features" goes June 2, 10, 9, 19, 18, ...), and it selects them using unknowable rules (the list of old News Editions on the front page goes to June 12, then jumps back to April 15 for a stretch...) Seriously, it's like they didn't even give a thought to back-testing this thing before bringing it live.
I think that sort of implicitly inconsiderate behavior by the developers is what causes the general public to decline a few notches in politeness when making its complaints known.
The least they could do is bring back the WAP link. They froze it on Monday. I used to spend about half my daily CN clicks on my phone. The new format is unreadable on a handheld. If it ever manages to load it's a scrambled, overlay-challenged mess.
As for what value is being transferred, CN depends on ad revenue, which depends on eyeballs being delivered to the webpages. They are not doing something for us for free, they are cultivating us as a crop. If they don't care for our needs, they will lose us, and that will lose them plenty.
P.S. What's the timeout on logins for? I had to re-log-in just to preview this post.
The information is still here, maybe, hard to tell for sure. But the site is 1990's tech gone wrong. It looks like an RSS aggregator done in a default Pagemaker format. It composites wrong in common browsers (no, we can't upgrade all of them). It sorts front-page articles randomly ("Features" goes June 2, 10, 9, 19, 18, ...), and it selects them using unknowable rules (the list of old News Editions on the front page goes to June 12, then jumps back to April 15 for a stretch...) Seriously, it's like they didn't even give a thought to back-testing this thing before bringing it live.
I think that sort of implicitly inconsiderate behavior by the developers is what causes the general public to decline a few notches in politeness when making its complaints known.
The least they could do is bring back the WAP link. They froze it on Monday. I used to spend about half my daily CN clicks on my phone. The new format is unreadable on a handheld. If it ever manages to load it's a scrambled, overlay-challenged mess.
As for what value is being transferred, CN depends on ad revenue, which depends on eyeballs being delivered to the webpages. They are not doing something for us for free, they are cultivating us as a crop. If they don't care for our needs, they will lose us, and that will lose them plenty.
P.S. What's the timeout on logins for? I had to re-log-in just to preview this post.
No more quick results of stages
I used to prefer CN because of its posting of fast results. I could immediately look up my favorite riders. Now things have changed. I don't care who won Sprint 1 or Mountain 1. I want to see the positions of the riders in the stage and general classification. Before the site was changed, I could check these things almost within an hour of arrival. Now it is late night and I'm still not able to find the information I want and need. It's a great pity!
I used to prefer CN because of its posting of fast results. I could immediately look up my favorite riders. Now things have changed. I don't care who won Sprint 1 or Mountain 1. I want to see the positions of the riders in the stage and general classification. Before the site was changed, I could check these things almost within an hour of arrival. Now it is late night and I'm still not able to find the information I want and need. It's a great pity!
cd_cd_cd said:
I would add race previews, maps, and profiles to your list of the best bits of the previous site. Those are all gone (at least a week into the deployment), and that is what I find annoying.
Apparently today's suisse stage ended in a climb. How long was it? Steep? Cancellara was still there, what might that tell us about his form for the tour? Any similar stages in the tour? What is tomorrow's stage going to be like? TT on Sunday, how long, who might jump up the GC? etc etc. None of these questions can be answered.
Soooooo Disappointing
What has happened to what was once a beautiful site? I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. I am one of the thousands forming the silent majority who must now be so ****ed off.
If I was a paying subscriber I would want my money back!!!
This site is now so amateurish. What web nerd came up with this? It is slow, fonts are almost unreadable and space is wasted.
And, I am enough of a sportsman to want to scroll down the long list of finishes to see how some of my countrymen and favourite riders fared. I hope I don't have to explain that little comment.
Luckily the Official Tour de France site will be up and running for the coming Tour. If changes (for the bloody better) are not made here then this certainly will be my first and only "post".
What has happened to what was once a beautiful site? I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. I am one of the thousands forming the silent majority who must now be so ****ed off.
If I was a paying subscriber I would want my money back!!!
This site is now so amateurish. What web nerd came up with this? It is slow, fonts are almost unreadable and space is wasted.
And, I am enough of a sportsman to want to scroll down the long list of finishes to see how some of my countrymen and favourite riders fared. I hope I don't have to explain that little comment.
Luckily the Official Tour de France site will be up and running for the coming Tour. If changes (for the bloody better) are not made here then this certainly will be my first and only "post".
Only the best will do
I have been a frequent reader of cyclingnews.com for years, and I hold this site as the absolut best - far better than f.i. Daily Peleton, VeloNews and Radsport-News. In the season it is a necessity: How make it through the Tour de France without the facts, maps, analysis and pictures ... from day to day (if not hour to hour)?
We are used to quality in all departments on cyclingnews.com, so it is not to wonder, why the reactions are so critical. - The new setup is not (yet) up to the standard, I (have learned to) expect from cyclingnews. It might turn out good, if the developers makes an extra effort to get hold of the clarity and logic from the recent layout and find a way to present more facts (one example: The Tour de Suisse-covering lacks the stage-maps and -profiles).
Keep movin'
I have been a frequent reader of cyclingnews.com for years, and I hold this site as the absolut best - far better than f.i. Daily Peleton, VeloNews and Radsport-News. In the season it is a necessity: How make it through the Tour de France without the facts, maps, analysis and pictures ... from day to day (if not hour to hour)?
We are used to quality in all departments on cyclingnews.com, so it is not to wonder, why the reactions are so critical. - The new setup is not (yet) up to the standard, I (have learned to) expect from cyclingnews. It might turn out good, if the developers makes an extra effort to get hold of the clarity and logic from the recent layout and find a way to present more facts (one example: The Tour de Suisse-covering lacks the stage-maps and -profiles).
Keep movin'
ok.. the free issue...
it may be free, but cyclingnews need to make money.. the feedback given on this forum, if it was repeated throughout cycling news customers they would cease to be as profitable.. I actually think, despite some of what has been said, CN should be amazed that there readers feel so strongly, and passionately about the site.. I think that is testimony to the readers and the old site personally..
secondly.. on the free thing i will go back to something i said yesterday..
If you come to my house for dinner, you expect to be treated in a certain way.. If i served you brown salad, with old tomatoes, for starter, overseasoned dry chicken, with lumpy mash and cold gravy for main, and stale cake for dinner, what would happen.. you would not come to dinner again.. wether you are paying for the meal , or the meal is free, the quality should make no difference.. you are a customer paying or not, and you have the right to expect a certain quality.. when you dont get it, you have every right to complain..
it may be free, but cyclingnews need to make money.. the feedback given on this forum, if it was repeated throughout cycling news customers they would cease to be as profitable.. I actually think, despite some of what has been said, CN should be amazed that there readers feel so strongly, and passionately about the site.. I think that is testimony to the readers and the old site personally..
secondly.. on the free thing i will go back to something i said yesterday..
If you come to my house for dinner, you expect to be treated in a certain way.. If i served you brown salad, with old tomatoes, for starter, overseasoned dry chicken, with lumpy mash and cold gravy for main, and stale cake for dinner, what would happen.. you would not come to dinner again.. wether you are paying for the meal , or the meal is free, the quality should make no difference.. you are a customer paying or not, and you have the right to expect a certain quality.. when you dont get it, you have every right to complain..
firestorm said:
Don't worry I will. Cyclingnews will only generate a profit for it's owner though if people actually view the website.
Visitors will decrease I'm sure.
firestorm said:
Evidence, please!
Complaimers the minority?
"100's of thousands that are fine with it"? LOL
You state these things as Gospel. Please back them up. Otherwise, thery're nothing more than your own random conjectures, and as such, totally useless to anyone but yourself.
Although I agree with a lot of the complaints, I have to say the nature of them has veered off into comedy for me. I have not seen anything so brutal since the great chipmunk fire of '79.. I would not want to be CN staff reading this stuff.
powerste said:Evidence, please!
Complaimers the minority?
"100's of thousands that are fine with it"? LOL
You state these things as Gospel. Please back them up. Otherwise, thery're nothing more than your own random conjectures, and as such, totally useless to anyone but yourself.
i agree. if i don't agree with someones business decision i take my business elswhere silently. Rarely do i give my reasons. I would say people are far more likely to be vocal in support.
think if you need petrol and there are two competing stations and one is quite dearer, do you drive there and complain about the price?
No you go across the street fill up and tell the manager he is smarter than the other guy and drive away.
In which alternate universe. We have just be treated to the old corporate trick of presenting a change made for the company's convience/profitablity as an improvement for the user.firestorm said:
The Tour de Suisse coverage is very poor, and the information is displayed appallingly, but this website now runs off the same platform as every other Future Publishing webite, so that's all right then.
Prefer the old site for ease of use and quality of information, the lack of maps and profiles irritates me. I think these issues will be rectified. I hate the spoilers and the speed the of the site, but can live with them. I like the fact other users are giving advice on where to go for other cycling news, it helps me vote with my wallet, feet whatever that saying is.
That's called "passive aggressive behavior", and it doesn't improve your world or theirs. Telling them what you think of their changes before you leave is the only way they'll figure out why you're leaving. Then leaving will not be passive-aggressive, it will be walking the talk. They will be much quicker to fix it, and more certain to satisfy your desires instead of making random changes trying to find what works. In the end is their business is making you happy, and your voice is the intelligence they need to collect in order to do that efficiently. If your voice has an edge to it, that's fine, because they'll know how seriously they failed and how serious it will be if they fail again.
Only registerd to add to the comment about the wed site restyle : Its a total disgrace/ awfull. I for one will not be revisiting.
Sorry pal, the new website is a step backwards.
Hey, I'm looking at the Tour de Suisse live, I go to see the map of the stage .... 404 not found.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/73rd-tour-de-suisse-2009-upt/stages/stage-8/map
Blanco.
Nice.
Where can I find stage maps of the TDF here? Where is any map of past or future races?
Blanco.
Nice.
Free? Define free. OTA TV is "free" too, as you're bombarded with advertising every 8 minutes.
I can agree with you here though .. . take it or leave it.
Hey, I'm looking at the Tour de Suisse live, I go to see the map of the stage .... 404 not found.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/73rd-tour-de-suisse-2009-upt/stages/stage-8/map
Blanco.
Nice.
Where can I find stage maps of the TDF here? Where is any map of past or future races?
Blanco.
Nice.
Free? Define free. OTA TV is "free" too, as you're bombarded with advertising every 8 minutes.
I can agree with you here though .. . take it or leave it.
I'm fine with the new site ......... if
....if I can find the TDF team lists. I knew exactly where to find them on the old site........ Stated "Coming soon" or something like that.
For the life of me I can't locate that heading on the new site.
Any ideas, or has that been deleted?
....if I can find the TDF team lists. I knew exactly where to find them on the old site........ Stated "Coming soon" or something like that.
For the life of me I can't locate that heading on the new site.
Any ideas, or has that been deleted?
forums suck by design
This is just a symptom of what's gone wrong with CN in general.
Sorry, but it's true
This is just a symptom of what's gone wrong with CN in general.
Sorry, but it's true
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