Important pre-season message - please read!

[SnowJapan#Andrew 6]

I thought I would just post a message on here before the season gets underway.

 

First of all, I hope you like the updates we have made to the site last month. If you haven’t seen all of the changes and new stuff, you can read more on that here:

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/383775/10_11_Site_Updates_General_inf.html

 

There are still many things for us to do, and we are right now busy working on them, so look out for more on the News section in the coming weeks.

 

---

 

The Serious Bit

 

Anyone who knows us well will be aware of the care and effort that we put into running SnowJapan including, of course, these Forums. This year alone, we have put literally many thousands of hours into improving the site. The Forums are one important part of what we do, and actually one which takes up a dis-proportionately large amount of effort. Of course the Forums would not be what they are without people posting on them. So, a sincere thank you to all the people on here who make this the great friendly community that it is.

 

Sadly, some people seem to think that by signing up for a free account on these Forums or by posting so many posts on the Forums over however many years, we owe them something and they can come onto our Forums and make all amounts of fuss. They seem to think that they have the right to post a free ad. Or post a link to their blog. [After all, 'it's for the good of our readers to read their information', etc]. Or moan about how they can’t do those things. Or persistently have a crack at us - on our own website - because they have come to not like us as much as they used to, for whatever reason. [Often for the reasons I have just mentioned].

 

Well... we don't.

 

We also do not owe a detailed explanation to everyone and anyone for every single thing we do.

 

With our site and Forums continuing to grow, an increase in this kind of situation is probably inevitable and just part of what we do and have to deal with. But that doesn’t mean that we have to like it and put up with it.

 

I don’t expect everyone to agree with how we run the Forums. Thats never going to happen. We always welcome comments and suggestions – as I have said previously, many of the things we do each year is based on comments we have heard from the community. And I think that many people on here will agree that we are usually extremely responsive when they do contact us.

 

But if you come on to us full guns blazing, don’t expect a response or charity from us. And certainly don’t expect your loaded comments to last if you post them publicly on the Forums. We had one situation recently when someone came back to us with a mouthful of pretty strong abuse after we had politely told them that sorry but we don’t allow advertisements on our Forums. I’ve got to admit, it's hard to know where so much anger comes from at times.

 

Some of the accusations thrown around are truly baffling. Lots of this goes on without people actually seeing it happen online. I wish I could go into more detail in public and tell some of the stories but I don't want us to start taking the low road. Because of that, it is sometimes difficult to (for want of a better phrase) ‘defend ourselves’ against outright lies and exaggerations... things we are supposed to have said that we did not say, things that we are supposed to have done that we have not done. There are some shameless liars out there.

 

Agree with how we run our free-to-use website or not, I really do not believe we deserve that.

 

Anyway, I have told my colleagues from now on to simply ignore people who are consistently giving us grief that they think is unreasonable, and to not give any space to people who are obviously pushing agendas. We're not going to put up with it. Sorry, but those people are simply not welcome here and are going to be wasting their time.

 

The main Guidelines can be found here:

 

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/218295/General_Guidelines_and_Forums_.html

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/243164/Links_policy.html

 

They remain unchanged.

 

Just a simple recap on some points that seem to cause the most 'outrage':

 

Don't come on here simply trying to promote your business;

Don’t come on here simply trying to promote your website or your friends website, or indeed any website, however 'useful' it is;

Don’t come on here posting unrelenting sarcasm directed towards us, or indeed other members of the Forums.

If we have deleted something you posted - which I would like to point out is still rare - don't constantly try to repost it and/or then come on making a big fuss about it. The reason we will have done something like that will be covered in our main Guidelines.

 

If you have some problem with our website or Forums, please just don't use them.

If you really feel that you need to bad-mouth us, please do it somewhere else. Not on our Forums.

 

Contrary to what some self-important people seem to believe, we really do not mind if any individual does not use our site.

In fact, if they are giving us hassle, we would actually prefer that they stayed away.

To the people this concerns - please take your anger and bitterness somewhere else or go to somewhere that you actually like.

 

The Happy Bit

 

Sorry for the nature of this post but it being here means that a lot of people, including the ones that it is really directed to, will read it.

 

Of course the above only applies to a relatively tiny number of people, though they are often very vocal about it.

 

Hopefully the reason that most of you are here is because you do actually like these Forums and enjoy using them. And we welcome you.

 

If you do like it here, and the community that is on here, we very much hope that you continue to use and take part.

 

And lastly, I hope that all our friends have a really great winter season.

After all, that’s what it’s all about.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

[Thundercat 60]

Cheers for the info. I'm happy to see that you care so much about this site these forums. Over the years it has become a pretty invaluable source for me. Keep up the good work!

[RobBright 35]

ten four!

[Jynxx 4]

ten ten ...

 

 

let´s have a shame list.

[RobBright 35]

i dropped my trousers at the station the other day in front of some commuters.

 

oh not THAT kind of shame list.

[SnowJapan#Andrew 6]

No, no shame lists or anything like that. I'm not hoping for any awards or accolades or anything, other than people who want to give us grief stay away.

That's all really.

 

I do appreciate the comments (and mails), thank you. That's not why I posted this, but it is always good to hear some positive feedback in between dealing with some of the other nonsense.

 

Thanks again.

[r45 4]

Originally Posted By: SJ-Andrew

I’ve got to admit, it's hard to know where so much anger comes from at times.

In some cases, pure jealousy of what you guys have achieved with this website, I would imagine - which I think is really pretty amazing actually.

You should really take some of it as a compliment in a way.
Keep up the really great work.

[Slippery Jim 65]

As one who has (inadvertently) transgressed in the past, I've certainly appreciated your hard work on the site, the tremendous value provided and your readiness to hear and act on suggestions. Nothing wrong with a good argument, but never any need to put up with fools.

[Mick Rich 78]

That's a useful reminder for both older and newer members alike. As one of the latter, I've found the forum to be not only an invaluable source of useful information but also a fun and friendly place, so much so that I find myself logging on before checking anything else online. I'd hate for that to change, so keep doing what you're doing! Cheers!

[SnowJapan#Andrew 6]

Thanks again.

 

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

As one who has (inadvertently) transgressed in the past, I've certainly appreciated your hard work on the site, the tremendous value provided and your readiness to hear and act on suggestions. Nothing wrong with a good argument, but never any need to put up with fools.

 

That was just a small thing, you weren't intending to cause an issue and you totally understood our reasons when we contacted you --- totally the opposite of the kind of response I was talking about in the original post of course. We have no problem at all with that kind of thing. Thanks.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Originally Posted By: r45

Originally Posted By: SJ-Andrew

I’ve got to admit, it's hard to know where so much anger comes from at times.

In some cases, pure jealousy of what you guys have achieved with this website, I would imagine - which I think is really pretty amazing actually.

You should really take some of it as a compliment in a way.
Keep up the really great work.

There is also a new phenomenon of 'entitlement' pervasive in our community. People who think they are entitled to 'x' just because they live, breathe and want it. Umm,....sorry - not necessarily so.

I for one much appreciate Snow Japan, the forums, the moderators and the forum members. It was the place I first learned to crawl (metaphorically speaking), and with the fabulous support I received I have gone on to be a repeat visitor off and running.

I often wonder why people don't just walk away if they don't like the rules ... but they don't. Right PITA.

[SKI 15]

Agree with what people are saying.

 

Personally I think you at times show remarkable constraint dealing with some people. There must be a lot of biting of tongues going on when you really likely want to tell someone to sod off!

And I don't even know half of what goes on behind the scenes so to speak.

 

I wouldn't come down to take that low road, stay where you are.

 

[iiyamadude 6]

Good for you.

No need at all to put up with people who give you endless hassle.

[nashiman 0]

I can't believe how people seem to get so wound up / angry / bad-mannered / turn into a **** so easily online.

 

Hard to see how someone can justify blasting off at a free service, especially one as excellent as this one.

 

Keep up the good work.