|
Post by rockymountaineer on Feb 10, 2022 13:56:44 GMT
I may be wrong but I believe I read over on OGR they also delete inactive members. This was a few months ago.
Nope… keyword in their TOS states they “may” remove accounts that are inactive for an unspecified period of time. Whether they actually do it or not is an entirely different ballgame. As of this post, my account is still on their roster, yet I haven’t signed on there since early 2018. So they’re still selling ad space and sponsorship with inflated numbers.
|
|
|
Post by quietman on Feb 10, 2022 14:01:04 GMT
And then there are those of us whose accounts were made inactive, because we took issue with the manner in which a forum was moderated and managed. I am proudly a member of that category "over there". My account is still "defined"; my avatar is still there; but I cannot sign on anymore -- not that I really care. However, I don't doubt that my account is counted as "active" for the purposes of selling ad space and sponsorship over there. Ironically, on that same forum, unless you sign on you can't navigate the site too well, because even the basic search function isn't available unless you sign on. Nor can you see a member's profile to contact them, if you wanna respond to a buy/sell post. So that doesn't bode well for those people who stop in but don't sign on.
Same here. It was because of a paypal screw up, but they refused to let me correct the situation, even after contacting them 3 times, even with the proof it wasn't my mistake on the final contact.
|
|
|
Post by ptc on Feb 10, 2022 14:36:33 GMT
"Nope… keyword in their TOS states they “may” remove accounts that are inactive for an unspecified period of time. Whether they actually do it or not is an entirely different ballgame. As of this post, my account is still on their roster, yet I haven’t signed on there since early 2018. So they’re still selling ad space and sponsorship with inflated numbers."
Sure terrific that we don't have to employ an air pump with compressor to pump up our numbers.They reflect reality and when you come down to it, isn't that what is really important.
|
|
|
Post by dlagrua on Feb 10, 2022 15:55:20 GMT
If you have had the misfortune to join the other forum, I would say that as long as your email address in valid, it is included in the mailing list price that they charge. Outfits like that sell old stale email addresses and personal information of their members for profit. If they have 10,000 names they can sell that personal info for about $500 (5 cents per address) maybe higher. From prior involvement over there my email inbox is now flooded with junk mail ads from people selling trains, but now easily taken care of with an email filter. Nothing goes on over there unless it relates to the owner making a buck off of the membership.
|
|
|
Post by scalerail on Feb 10, 2022 16:15:15 GMT
rockymountaineer, I had the gall not only quit the other forum but to ask to be taken off. You should have seen the hate notices I got. I got tired of seeing their heavy handed ways. When I quit I got a letter from them asking why I quit and what a valuable member I was, but never responded. Don
|
|
|
Post by ptc on Feb 10, 2022 21:16:37 GMT
Don is a huge resource to the entire O-Gauge hobby and we are delighted to have him as part of our wonderful Forum family.
|
|
|
Post by jlzman on Feb 10, 2022 21:31:40 GMT
I was on there since 2000 and got booted for simply reposting a closed post offering tips to save money on lumber after the prices skyrocketed. The first time I started seeing those ad banners I thought it was a crash and burn scenario going on. And then came the "you can't bash our advertisers", and it was game over.
|
|
|
Post by scalerail on Feb 10, 2022 22:03:00 GMT
Thank you but there are many folks with better skills than me. I bet the "other" forum would be surprised if they knew how many private E-mails I got complaining about the moderator on the dark side. I couldn't help them but they were really frustrated with his fast trigger finger. Don
|
|
|
Post by david1 on Feb 10, 2022 23:31:48 GMT
I have gotten emails from some the members wondering what happened to me. They can't believe I got booted when some others who are friends of the chiefs in charge allow Them to do almost anything.
Once a great forum has been turned into a place very few trust or go to for information. A sorry state of affairs.
Dave
|
|
|
Post by JDaddy on Feb 10, 2022 23:48:37 GMT
And then there was I that was threatened with extorsion for posting a copy righted photo before they were a commercial forum. I had no gain in said photo but they seemed to think I did it deliberately and had banned me unless I offered a large sum of money for there out of court settlement. Sorry but I have been promoting the hobby for 20 years on your forum with tons of layout photos. I say if you are inactive and time out, just re-up. Don't get your panties all bunched up !!!
|
|
|
Post by RFCTrainGarden on Feb 11, 2022 1:44:09 GMT
And then there was I that was threatened with extorsion for posting a copy righted photo before they were a commercial forum. I had no gain in said photo but they seemed to think I did it deliberately and had banned me unless I offered a large sum of money for there out of court settlement. Sorry but I have been promoting the hobby for 20 years on your forum with tons of layout photos. I say if you are inactive and time out, just re-up. Don't get your panties all bunched up !!! Posting a photo as part of a discussion would seem to be fair use. They were (are) crazy.
|
|
|
Post by joeh on Feb 11, 2022 17:24:11 GMT
.... It seems there can be value beyond simply inflating membership numbers with inactive users. There is no rule that they will always remain inactive. And then there are those of us whose accounts were made inactive, because we took issue with the manner in which a forum was moderated and managed. I am proudly a member of that category "over there". My account is still "defined"; my avatar is still there; but I cannot sign on anymore -- not that I really care. However, I don't doubt that my account is counted as "active" for the purposes of selling ad space and sponsorship over there. Ironically, on that same forum, unless you sign on you can't navigate the site too well, because even the basic search function isn't available unless you sign on. Nor can you see a member's profile to contact them, if you wanna respond to a buy/sell post. So that doesn't bode well for those people who stop in but don't sign on.
Same here. I went on a few days ago to see who is going to the Allentown Meet breakfast. My info was still there, but I cannot post.
|
|
gef
New Member
Posts: 16
|
Post by gef on Feb 11, 2022 17:54:56 GMT
I was removed from OGR forum as well. I sent an email asking why and they told me was due to inactivity. I see their point, but I was out of the hobby for about a year and just recently got back in. In my opinion, social media groups is such an easier to share your layout or information about the hobby. I am a member of many facebook groups and subscribe to many modelers Youtube channels.
I do enjoy the buy/sell forum and occasionally buy items. However, as one person pointed out it doesn't work out to well when you can't obtain an email address from the seller. LOL .
|
|
|
Post by scalerail on Feb 11, 2022 19:45:44 GMT
I was threatened by OGR for showing Shorpy photos. All their photographs are from government negative we all paid for. Shorpy does a great job in cleaning them up but they can't copyright them. I have been buying Shorpy prints as gifts for years. I happened to go to the same grade school as the guy that owns Shorpy. I wrote him and asked if I could use them and why. He told me it was fine, but please don't use the full res versions. I told him that would be fine and let my old forum know it was OK to use them. They wanted a copy of his letter to me. I just figured if you don't trust me, I don't trust them. That was the last strew. Never went back. Don
|
|
PRR
Junior Member
Posts: 61
|
Post by PRR on Feb 11, 2022 20:40:55 GMT
Since we are NOT caught up in this nonsense, carrying inactive members is a real cost to us as on-line storage. Our rule #7 has saved us big bucks and since we pride ourselves as a well run cost conscious business model, it makes perfect sense. I'm curious what your storage costs are and what all from peoples profiles are taking up so much space. I work in IT for my day job and if your paying that much for storage that user profiles are of a concern, I could probably save you a lot of money by finding a new hosting provider.
|
|