DavecUK CFUK is now just an advertisement billboard and cash cow for a corporate that cares nothing about coffee.
The same can be said for the previous owner, in my experience: Not a clue about coffee.
dfk41 Dear me! It looks absolutely terrible! Seems to be 100% aimed at phone users
I checked last night. It feels very cluttered, and doesn’t lend itself well to mobile web either. But like anything, it’s a change and people don’t like it. Eventually users (old or new) will get used to it.
MediumRoastSteam But like anything, it’s a change and people don’t like it. Eventually users (old or new) will get used to it.
I hope not 🤣 unless they love loads of advertising everywhere.
DavecUK - Yeah I noticed that yesterday. The advertising in the middle of threads are unappealing.
OMG! I just checked again, on desktop. Blimey. It’s a lot worse than on mobile web. Adverts everywhere.
PS: Adverts targeted at me: “Floor to Walls”, “AVS Forum” and “Hipster Coffee machines” 🤣
I have not even logged in!!!!!
PS: We should move some of this discussion (which started yesterday) to the “What Corporates do to Forums etc”
https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/83-what-corporates-can-do-when-they-monetise-a-forums-data
(Otherwise looks like we have derailed this thread)
My adbocker reports four blocked ads on every page I have looked at.
Norvin My adbocker reports four blocked ads on every page I have looked at.
I use two adblockers which target different things they show about 7 hits per page, some of those are gifs with rotation. In long threads there are adverts even between the threads, which is fairly awful. It’s also super difficult to navigate on a mobile (even a desktop) as screen space on a smartphone is precious and it’s cluttered with read this and that thread, which is usually complete garbage onlinking.
Obviously it’s not going to be a great experience, because it is not done with that in mind…it’s done to make the most money possible from google and others ad revenue, site referrals (so they own the back and forward links (helps rankings). The recommendation for posts some, over 7 years ago brings those back to the attention of the webcrawlers, raising rankings when people click on them to be greeted with “ooooh that looks fantastic, for something that was obsolete 5 years previous”.
What will be surprising is if any long term members decide to stick with it, especially after public statements about greedy owners, corporate monetisation, freedom of speech, far too many adverts, owners who know nothing about coffee. I guess there are 3 types of people who will stay.
Just had a peep on that site. One is greeted with 360 degrees view of ads. Great job! 😉
At least you are not labelled a hipster DavecUK ! 🤣
MediumRoastSteam I think Dave is a Hipster…..
I just tried to delete my C!@£$% F!@£$% account and it’s not possible. Legally they can’t do that, but I suspect they are betting no one will have the time or resource to be able to pursue the action. Anyway, goodbye to them.
EasyRawlins Anyway, goodbye to them.
Their “improved” software…what a laugh, is only improved for them to monetise the crap out of the forum. Looks terrible now, really busy on the eyes with all the flashing adverts.
It’s quite incredible the way they pitched the forum software update and what it is now. Can’t imagine anyone staying on there now really
dutchy101 It’s quite incredible the way they pitched the forum software update and what it is now. Can’t imagine anyone staying on there now really
You mean, they simply gave it a load of marketing spin which was extremely misleading. Some people will stay, especially some members with a financial interest….
It might do our membership and traffic/posting the world of good though….which then makes it easier to find us in the search engines 🙂
Another dead one here…the life support machine barely beeping.
https://www.newbrunswickhunting.com/
Look familiar?
================================
An interesting viewppoint
https://www.reddit.com/r/4×4/comments/hw1p3a/vertical_scope_forum_killers/
This was a very interesting article by the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15869683
Especially comment 4 and 6 paragraphs down in the section entitled Growing Problem
I think I may have seen something similar recently…
I tried to have my profile deleted on “the other forum” citing GDPR concerns and received this. A very long “no” … welcome to the Hotel California. Never seen anything as aggressive … I speak as someone who owns a 1.1 person database. We always delete if requested.
We are writing to confirm that we have reviewed your GDPR request to delete your account from coffeeforums.co.uk/.
When GDPR applies and the conditions relating to the right of erasure under GDPR are satisfied, we are required to remove personal data about you – in other words, information from which you can be identified and relates to you. As the GDPR sets out, it may be possible to identify you from your name, username/online identifier, and other information about you. We are not required, however, to remove or redact posts that contain information from which, on a stand-alone basis or if combined with other information, you cannot be identified. Your profile data and posts have been anonymized on this basis. If there is other information that you believe could identify you on the basis specified above, please specifically identify the applicable posts or messages by including the post date, time, number, the url linking to the applicable post, and the reason why you believe this information could identify you.
Regards
EasyRawlins This is the email I sent them……got closed within 48 hours, though interestingly enough, I had cause to accidentally try and log on from a different browser which had saved my log on details, and even though my forum name had been changed to 4 numbers, Chrome logged me straight in and I could do everything. I accessed my account, removed my avatar and my control panel allowed me to rename myself as well……so I did!
Dear Sir,
I am currently a member of coffeeforums.co.uk Username dfk41.
I no longer wish to continue my membership and withdraw my consent for you to use or disclose any of my personal information. I therefore require that you delete my account and all of my details from your servers and confirm when this has been completed.
Remember this old Song…I know a forum that’s got plenty! 🤣
Plus the fluffers….
This is an interesting read. https://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1187965
I used to check in regularly to see if anything was happening but honestly, I haven’t seen anything new but spam and blatantly paid for posts from the one-hit wonders. Some of the posts I saw a couple of weeks ago were really bizarre, like weird spam from people just trying to start a fight, and people just posting pictures with thread titles trying to make jokes…..(those are what I assume are paid for posts). I’m surprised people are still posting there genuinely, it’s sad to see it in the state it’s in. There are still, a couple of members there to faithfully answer questions about machines but most threads now get 0 replies and a few dozen views. Now I’m going once a week if that, clicking through the garbage for about two minutes and seeing the same old stuff “my [machine] is leaking after a descale” or “my grinder has stopped working, help!” with no responses.
