galeforce8 wrote:

So this is where people are hiding, and who thought the internet was a big place

Bugger, he's found us! Where can we hide next?

The Boardseeker forum? Nobody would find you there. <why does it say that I can still use smilies, but they aren't shown - this is worse than the Beards forum - get it sorted Admin >

Anyhoo, I don't think anybody realised how much of Boards was down to Bill. He was a bit of a closet programmer and he pretty much did the web site himself. Of course his design skills were about as good as any Physicist, but he didn't want to relinquish control. He was also pretty good at handling the delicate issues with the trade. The windsurfing world is unbelievably up the arse of the business, and Bill handled all that really well. The result was that Boards was always the thinking man's view of the world of windsurfing. But in the end there were real people, and very skilled people, behind it. I now feel that MPORA have taken a look at Boards and thought it is too amateur. The result will be something more cold and impersonal. I'm afraid the magazine has already shown a bit of that. I also think that some think the forum had become independent of the magazine, which wasn't really the idea from a business point of view. You are supposed to go to the web site, read the "news", buy some stuff off one of the advertisers and then hit the forum. Instead of which everybody just linked to the "active topics" page. LOL.

sadly, I think you've hit the nail on the head Nico. It's a bit depressing really. The forum of old will be sorely missed.

As regards the mag - I had high hopes for Dave White, but I'm not sure it is going in the right direction. It may well end up looking more slick - but at what price?

Nico,

Press reply instead of quick reply - Muppet.

I agree, Bill was a star and is certainly a great loss to the mag and the forum. I don't think anyone would disagree there. But his reign has come to an end and things have changed a lot. I am yet to decide whether they are for the better, worse or just different. Unfortunately in the short term it appears they are loosing some of their respect. Confidence is down with subscribers who feel disgruntled that since August the mag has always been late and now mpora are struggling with the website.

Even the Boards team seem a little miffed by it all. Probably why they are keeping quite. When my username got aquired I droped Duncan an email to ask if he could al least remove the porn link. His Sympathetic response was interesting in that the Boards team don't have the keys to the site and Duncan seemed annoyed about that. I think I would be too.

The last few months must have been tough for the old school. They were all facing redundancy and have had to deal with a lot of change. I don't think all our complaining on the board is really helping them so let's give them a break.

Gotta agree with you..maybe give them a break. Things will hopefully settle down soon.

It certainly doesn't help that we are all going a little stir crazy from the lack of wind. If it had been windy then I am sure people would have just let it slide a bit more.

Gotta feel bad for the Boards team

Yeah, you're probably right there Phill - it must be hugely frustrating for the Boards team to see something they've built up over years be suddenly taken away from them and to have the control removed. I've (more or less) stopped moaning on the Boards forum now. I think enough has probably been said already....