One month later-a follow up on SDMB progress

[Agent_Foxtrot]

@ntucker

Do you think it’s more likely that the administration is a bunch of money grubbing bastards, sitting around plotting ways to string us along and get more subscriptions out of us while lying about improvements they’re going to make, or that they honestly want to make the improvements and are simply over-optimistic about their ability to deliver with the resources they’re given?

Because if it’s the latter (and I suspect it is), complaining that they aren’t as good at this as they think they are isn’t getting you anywhere. You’re fooling yourself if you’re counting on it getting better because of optimistic predictions. I know “take it or leave it” isn’t your favorite answer, but those are the only realistic options you’ve got, short of bestowing superpowers on the server and the admins. Personally, I’ll take it, because I still think the board’s a good deal.

Like I said, if they’re over-optimistic, fine. The world won’t end. But they should at least own up to it.

[Fear_Itself]

@Agent Foxtrot

But they should at least own up to it.

Give one reason it is in their interest to do so.

[chappachula]

@Fear Itself

Give one reason it is in their interest to do so.

umm…maybe because they would be… fighting ignorance?

.

Dear Mr Ed : This board isn’t just a typical business…it’s a special place that many of us love.
You obviously need to make a profit, and we Dopers are smart enough to understand that. But we are also smart enough to get irritated by broken promises and being kept in the dark.

[danceswithcats]

@Fear Itself

Give one reason it is in their interest to do so.

Honesty.

[CarnalK]

@danceswithcats

Honesty.

Give one reason it is in their interest to be honest.

[Agent_Foxtrot]

@CarnalK

Give one reason it is in their interest to be honest.

It would prevent the creation of threads like this one, and it may well just save them a few subscribers.

[Scissorjack]

@ntucker

Do you think it’s more likely that the administration is a bunch of money grubbing bastards, sitting around plotting ways to string us along and get more subscriptions out of us while lying about improvements they’re going to make, or that they honestly want to make the improvements and are simply over-optimistic about their ability to deliver with the resources they’re given?

I don’t think they’re lying, I think they’re making these statements in good faith, albeit with a naivety that’s long past incompetence. The management here genuinely believes, despite the evidence of the past four years, that great things are just around the corner: we just need that final little tweak which is always just around the corner. They’ve been peddling the same line for so long that they’ve convinced themselves: then when Creative Loofahs come in with sweeping promises about new hardware and better service, it just gets repeated to us verbatim with an air of injured vindication: “See, we told you better things were coming.” Of course CL don’t follow up, and we’re back doing the same old dance, with the great changes always dangling just out of reach, if we’d only be a bit more patient for another couple of months. I think I’d have a little more sympathy if they simply came out and said “Sorry, we have no clue about how to run a business and you can expect the service to be shitty until the sun goes cold and dies.”

[catsix]

Agent Foxtrot said:
Every so often, someone asks TPTB to deliver on their promises. Immediately, the same folks step up to denounce the poster as a whiner.

Sometimes they call you a liar and make veiled threats.

Rick Jay said:
Everything Zotti claimed was bullshit. All lies, up and down. I base that on the fact that it is my universal experience, and indeed has been the universal experience of pretty much all human beings since the dawn of time, that when people keep making and breaking bullshit promises, the next vague promise is going to be bullshit, too.

This observation has been made before, and like Agent Foxtrot said, those who made it were denounced immediately. Always the promises, never the delivery.

[Fear_Itself]

@Agent Foxtrot

It would prevent the creation of threads like this one, and it may well just save them a few subscribers.

Or not.

[MacTech]

@FarmerChick

I hate ads, and I think the money is well worth the price of no ads.

Agreed, I’ll happily pay the renewal fee to remain ad-free, I logged onto the board from a customer machine I was testing this afternoon, and Holy Frakking Belgium were the ads ANNOYING, it looks like they were going for the “As obtrusive as possible” setting, incredibly irritating

plus, since TPTB want me to let my subscription lapse so they can assault me with ads, that’s exactly why I WILL pay the $7ish renewal fee, the ads can go fuck themselves for all I care…

(happily pats his edited Hosts file) who’s a good little Hosts file, yes you are, aren’t you!