Death to the Indepedent Post?

[Cherry Optical]

..

[optispares]

I recently was informed that some of the comments I have posted on Optiboard have been considered abrasive to others on the message board. I believe I have given an unbiased opinion on products based upon information gathered from more experienced people in the industry and by studying lens return reports.

whats the point of a forum if you can't state an opinion,stick with it.
we can't all agree all the time if we could there would be no need for this or anyother forum.

[QDO1]

the point of a forum is to ping ideas off eachother, and learn. You cant do that if everyone shares the same opinion. that would be friggin boring, so stick around and continue to be the salt in our dish

btw - i cant see what the noise is about - you havent seemed out of order or that contriversial - unless i missed something. whats the beef?

[rsandr]

I recently was informed that some of the comments I have posted on Optiboard have been considered abrasive to others on the message board. I believe I have given an unbiased opinion on products based upon information gathered from more experienced people in the industry and by studying lens return reports.

I think this board is over moderated but some posts clearly have to go.

Whoever removed the Heaven or Hell post, good work, I read that late one evening and it was the first thing I thought of when I woke up, i'm not easily disgusted so well done Flint!:D

There should be a folder where they are removed to so we can all get a look before they go, I guess the removed ones are the most interesting.

[QDO1]

I think this board is over moderated but some posts clearly have to go.

Whoever removed the Heaven or Hell post, good work, I read that late one evening and it was the first thing I thought of when I woke up, i'm not easily disgusted so well done Flint!:D

There should be a folder where they are removed to so we can all get a look before they go, I guess the removed ones are the most interesting.

speaking as a seasoned webmaster, and a person who has set up and moderates a few forums, the moderation issue is a real headache. for evey action you (the board user sees) there was perhaps 5 or 10 actions that took place in the background. Board moderation is very hard work, because besides getting rid of the blatant crap, the rest of it is in shades of grey, and those shades of grey take careful judgement to deal with. On top of that, the slippery types sign in with different names, IP masking and all the other methods for being a on line git, and the moderator has to make sure that whn baning a IP address (for example) legitimate users are not effected

The modrators or forum owners have another more sensitive isse to deal with - advertizing. Advertizing on web forums comes in 3 main giuses 1. paid or - e.g. Transitions at the top of the page.. 2. un-paid for but welcome "hey guys, who wants to buy my old edger"... and 3.. unpaid for and unwanted "buy your ringtone here"

the moderators headache is this.. say XYZ lens Co. is a big contributor, and is getting twitchy on discussions about XYZ.. what should the moderator do?

hopeully the advertizers or "sponsers" are cool enough to let things ride

Trust me - a moderators lot is not an easyone, and they have my support, regardles of how i feel thy make thier decisions

[Optical_1]

[QUOTE=Cherry Optical]I recently was informed that some of the comments I have posted on Optiboard have been considered abrasive to others on the message board.


Screw "everybody else", if they can't deal with your opinion, they should start their own forum and ban you from it.....until the "keep it real"

[SpecialT]

I looked through several of your posts and found them to be pretty much exactly what the board is about. I encourage you to continue to participate, but ultimately do what you want. I did notice that you keep your comments simple and some people will take the oppurtunity to call you out on the lack of detail, but that is just foolish on their part. Just because you don't write a detailed report on a topic doesn't mean you don't know what is going on.

I recommend shrugging it off! Have fun with the board! Some of the opinions could make you money but so what if they don't. If a few people get to you, so what? I personally have appreciated some of your remarks, I see some good experience being applied to your comments.

[OptiJim]

Cherry should stay. If the "sponsors" of this or any other board get "twitchy" about what is being said, then they obviously are sponsoring for self serving reasons. If a sponsor is providing a place for professionals and comsumers to discuss related or non-related issues, then they should do just that. Otherwise just charge a fee to be part of the forum and then go from there. I know moderating could probably be quite a headache and I empathize with our moderators of Optiboard.


I read alot of the posts and if I have something to add, I do. If not, I just read on. ALOT of the same people here talk about the same things over and over and over. Once I have made my observation on a subject, I leave it at that and try not to beat dead dogs.

As far as advertising, I am a for profit company and would be more than happy to provide funds for the forum to operate as long as I could advertise my product within reason.

Most people who sell goods also buy goods and can benefit from knowing about what available to them.

SO......Cherry, I hope you stay. What you have to say can't be any worse than some of the other opinions on here. Mine included.:shiner:

Nuff Said

[ksquared]

Come on Adam, you’ve got to let us know
Will you stay or will you go?
If you leave there will be less trouble
But if you stay it will be double
So won’t you come on and let us know
Will you be stay’n or will you go?

With you it’s always a tease tease tease
Would you have us all on our knees
It would be fine, if you weren’t such a hack
But if you want us off your back
Won’t you come on and let us know
Will you cool it or will you blow?

This indecision’s bugging me
Please, baby, please, help set me free
I don’t think we can continue to repel your attacks
So if you want us off your back
Won’t you come on and let me know
Will you cool it or will you blow?

Come on… you’ve got to let us know
Will you stay or will you go?

[hcjilson]

Cherry should stay. If the "sponsors" of this or any other board get "twitchy" about what is being said, then they obviously are sponsoring for self serving reasons. If a sponsor is providing a place for professionals and comsumers to discuss related or non-related issues, then they should do just that. Otherwise just charge a fee to be part of the forum and then go from there. I know moderating could probably be quite a headache and I empathize with our moderators of Optiboard.

Optiboard is not sponsored by anyone. Founded by Steve Machol, Optiboard is, and always has been, independent. There is one forum sponsored and maintained by Transitions and Transitions has never put any editorial pressure on this board or any of its members.Membership is free and always has been, however, from time to time some members will send in a little something to offset the costs involved with this site.

The moderators are all volunteers and their only compensation comes from the compliments paid them by you and others above as in this thread.They will all enjoy reading them. Optiboard is a quality site for eyecare professionals partly because it is moderated by eyecare professionals, and we appreciate the recognition of the considerable time spent in this endevour. It is a labor of love.

Regarding the subject of this thread, I would remind Cherry Optical that no one can be "voted out" of membership, because your membership is voluntary too.Ergo I did not vote. If you think Optiboard is a popularity contest, you have missed our point.

harry j

[OptiJim]

Thats why I said "IF".

[rinselberg]

[hcjilson]

Good Ron.......very good! :)

[Johns]

[QUOTE=Cherry Optical]

Since the Optiboard has never made me a single dollar, in-fact the few jobs I as able to gather from Optiboard members equal a net loss of $87.45, I wonder if I should stay or if I should go. /QUOTE]


Psst...Adam....guess what ? I hate to burst your bubble, but it you're here to make money, there are much better places you can go.

[Cherry Optical]

Psst...Adam....guess what ? I hate to burst your bubble, but it you're here to make money, there are much better places you can go.

Great point. Just tried to help an Optician out; and, well, the Optician didn't want to help me out. Old news.

Another great point is that Optiboard is not a popularity contest. I agree... Especially since I was only able to gather 21 votes.

Anyway... The silence is broken, I believe the people have spoken, and other than the one person that takes exception to some of the things I say and is unwilling to contact me directly; no one cares!

So to put this to rest I will say this. If anyone has a problem with something I say, or if you feel I am slanerding someone, any particual products, or a laboratory group contact me directly at work adamcherry@cherryopticalinc.com so that I can edit or remove the post.

Take care and good luck,

Adam

[rsandr]

I looked through several of your posts and found them to be pretty much exactly what the board is about.

I assume you don't get to see the ones which have been removed.
I would be interested to see what it is which causes offence when I see some of the stuff which remains on here.

I guess if it is just personal tit tat then its one thing but if is commercial then I suppose care must be taken.

[rbaker]

This is a message board on the internet and as such each participant should count themselves. They will find that they ain’t that many. Message boards should come with a warning, clearly posted on each page:

"Caution – Read for amusement purposes only”

In point of fact, I wonder what impression the average “civilian” has of the eyecare business after browsing our board. On a given day he will encounter illiteracy, fascist conservatives, loony liberals, bible throwers, condemned atheists and more rehashed opinions about progressive lenses that anyone ever cared to wade through.

Adam, and all of us should realize that our presence here on OptiBoard doesn’t amount to a pinch of pig poop. The board was here before we came along and it will be here long after we are gone. So, sit back and enjoy. Lurk or run off at the mouth, really doesn’t matter.

But, occasionally you may learn something. Every now and then you may find something to think about. You may find a friend or two here (now that’s a scary concept.) Or maybe not.

[hcjilson]

I would be interested to see what it is which causes offence when I see some of the stuff which remains on here.

I thought you said we were over moderated.....??????????

[Chris Ryser]

Since the Optiboard has never made me a single dollar, in-fact the few jobs I as able to gather from Optiboard members equal a net loss of $87.45, I wonder if I should stay or if I should go.

Relax Adam,............................. I don,t think we participate here to make a buck of the other members...............it might a wishful thinking but we should not dream about it.

We are here to put in our comments, which very sometimes can be annoying to some members, specially if they dont share your views.............but that is the interesting part.

This is a heck of a better system than what was used in the old day's as the "Letter to the Editor" which then got printed if it suited the editor, and not if he did not like it.

This year it will be four years that I have participated with some serious views and also some othres. I have been getting comments on some of my posts that range from "very nice" to "very nasty".

If we would all agree with each other the Optiboard would probably disapear from cyberspace at double speed. Steeve used to publish the statistics up to a couple of years, but is not doing it anymore. However the Alexa ratings indicate that attendance and visitors have more than doubled over the last 12 month. So the popularity is there to see.

You can also see that a few of the posters advertise other optical forums and I assume they are trying to divert Optiboard members to their forums. That could be another discussion.

All over all, we are having fun here and like the information we can get out of it and tolerate some of the boring or stupid posts or the ones we cant offer any input...............

So, Adam stick around............forget and forgive..........HAPPY NEW YEAR

:cheers:

[Cherry Optical]

I assume you don't get to see the ones which have been removed.
I would be interested to see what it is which causes offence when I see some of the stuff which remains on here.

I guess if it is just personal tit tat then its one thing but if is commercial then I suppose care must be taken.

Rick,

To the best of my knowledge I have not had a single post removed.

Adam

[rsandr]

I thought you said we were over moderated.....??????????

I blow hot and cold Harry!:D

I think its overmoderated and then Chip goes and posts!

Happy new year,

[Johns]

. On a given day he will encounter illiteracy, fascist conservatives, loony liberals, bible throwers, condemned atheists and more rehashed opinions about progressive lenses that anyone ever cared to wade through.

That sounds like a pretty good cross-section of humanity to me, or at the very least, Thanksgiving with my in-laws! :hammer:

[Pete Hanlin]

Over the past 6 years or so, I've posted a couple thousand times here- so I have a bit of experience with being frustrated by something said or implied on OptiBoard. I've also watched Steve and the other moderators deal with scores of issues from the petty to profound (its not a very fun job). Yes, there is a place where deleted posts go- if you want to read a bunch of trivial or mundate (but all too often vile and hate-filled) content, its the place to browse.

Personally, I've made posts that- looking back- would have been better left unsent (in fact, I once had a post I had made 3 years prior come back to confront me during a meeting). On average, I have about 3 posts a year that land me in really hot water with someone or other...

I've only taken issue with a few of your posts- the most memorable one for me concerned something about spiffs (which I believe we discussed within the thread and ended up agreeing). I do also keep an eye out for Essilor-related posts on OptiBoard and do forward them to our sales groups (I'd guess I send a couple posts a week regarding consumers, ECPs, or labs... usually so the salesperson can follow-up and see if there is a problem).

So, if the person who contacted you was from Essilor, their contact with you was probably prompted by a post I forwarded for follow-up, and they were likely trying to find out if there was a problem that needed addressing. If I see a post that I clearly take issue with, I post on-line to try and reach a resolution (cf. the spiff post). If I'm not sure what the poster is aiming at (or if the issue would best be dealt with by the salesperson), I forward it.

For example, recently Essilor did training on a new product for some of our customers. Internally, we have been trying to keep details about the product quiet (its going to be a great product, and we're looking forward to launching it with a bang). When I see details regarding this product on-line (here or anywhere on the Web), I forward the link to the salesperson to follow-up. Regarding this particular issue, the feedback I received indicated the customers were never told they couldn't share the information- therefore, there's really nothing to follow-up!

Another example might be a consumer who is complaining about an Essilor product- I'll forward the info to the Brand Consultant in the area to follow-up and see if a resolution can be reached (I've managed to get a few consumer issues resolved this way- which is always satisfying).

Anyway, if I prove to be the ultimate cause of your frustration on this issue, please accept my apology. In general, I enjoy reading your posts (and enjoyed meeting you last year). From what I understand, you compete with one of our labs up there in the north, so when I see you post something that I think may be expressing some frustration, I do forward the post so your sales manager can follow-up and see what's going on. If you'd prefer, I can just PM you in the future- but I don't have any power to remedy any issues (your salesperson may).

Likewise to anyone on the board- if you have questions, issues, frustrations, (or heaven forbid- some happy observation) about Essilor, please feel free to email me or PM me- my email address is in my signature). There's usually nothing I can personally do, but I do usually know someone who can help.

Pete

[Cherry Optical]

Enough said.

To the powers that be: I would like to have this thread removed.

Adam

[hcjilson]

First, try deleting your first post. If that doesn't work send me a PM.