Open letter to expat.com

Hello dgdlaw,

Well, first off some people just aren't happy with any kind of change at all no matter how big or small it may be. So we're not going to be able to please 100% of the members 100% of the time. That's a given. The changeover to the new site has resulted in relatively few complaints as compared with the overwhelming number of cudos, That would tend to indicate that we're on the right track, wouldn't you agree?

Second, and coming from someone who has been here a great deal longer than you have, Expat-blog which is now expat.com has experienced constant change over the years. Any site that remains stagnant dies.

Third, this is just the beginning of the new site and we're all committed to constantly making everything better. If you had been a member of Expat-blog several years ago, then you'd know that the blog that existed at the time of the change to expat.com was nothing like the one that we had in the beginning. It was lightyears different and expat.com will be the same too. Change and improvement takes time, gosh we've just been up and running a few weeks now, it's highly unrealistic to expect total perfection from day one, isn't it?

As far as the complaints about the visibility issues on the new site, I can tell you that as a person with a visual impairment, I was one of the first to bring up the issue with Julien our founder, and that has already been resolved. I'm quite satisfied with those changes and don't see any further issues in that respect.

One thing that I know is that while it is much easier to find faults and criticize, it is much more effective to make suggestions that will resolve your perceived probems. That is why the visibility issues were resolved quickly, because I made constructive suggestions rather than just complaining to Julien. Perhaps you might try taking the same approach yourself.

If you really do have some constructive suggestions then you should direct them to [email protected] where they will be seen more quickly.

Cheers,
James
expat.com Experts Team

Well thank you so much for letting me know that you have been "here" a lot longer then me. I presume you mean on the PR forum, and not other forums in this blog.

I didn't invite your sarcastic response, but so be it, "Expert". Your founder give you that name?

How was the colors issue corrected? I am still seeing light grey against a white background as I type this, and this is still the color scheme in many other parts of the display. Pure genius, wouldn't you agree Expert? If it's not dark in the room, forget it. Nothing was corrected as you say.

And the screen colors was only one of the issues. How about the newly messed up login set up? But you know about all the corrections that  are "making everything better" as you say.

Change is always good if it is good. I highly doubt the "overwhelming kudos", but a few people will blow smoke up yours whenever.  If you measure your change as being successful by how much smoke you've ingested, that's typical for "Experts".

I can count. That's what anyone with common sense would measure it by. If it's such a great success, why are the PR forum numbers down 80%-90% or more since the change? Even experts can count? Right? No? So there's some constructive criticism you prefer.

Thanks for the sarcastic "smarter then you" response.  James the Expert.

And James the Expert:

I see you also list yourself as an "expert" on Canada.  Check the posts on your Canada blog since your super innovative changes. Not one, not a single one today. 4 yesterday, and then only a handful the prior two weeks. And that's CANADA, not 100 mile by 30 mile 3.5 million people and declining PR. And the PR blog has more posts since the great changes then the Canada blog, a pathetically low amount, but more then your huge country.

I agree with the post from James in it's entirety.
There is a choice for those who complain, don't like this, don't like that. Leave the forum.

Maybe it is as you posted that it is dificult to make everyone happy, but I agree with dgdlaw, I do not like the pastel colors and as somebody over 60 I find it a little hard to read with the mostly light colors on everything. I also agree that the PR section is getting a lot less postings than it used to, but that may or may not be related to the new look.

As to those attacking the comments by dgdlaw, one should listen to the customers, maybe even do a poll, not attack the customers. Not cool and very unprofesional.

Also having his replies under review makes it look like his opinion and that of others is not being welcome.

Hello ReyP,

All of our forums experience a significant drop in activity over the Christmas / New Year period every year for as long as I've been here. It really has nothing to do with the new site.

The first few days when the new site came online the issue of visibility was really a problem. I am 66 years of age and am visually impaired. I advised Julien of the problem immediately and that was resolved as soon as he returned from a business trip.

The black and gray text colors are much more visible now. Where these colors appear lighter you will notice that when you mouse over them they gain more contrast. It was particularly a problem in the private message system, where a member was unable to see the text that he/she typed into the reply box when responding to a message. I personally couldn't see it at all and could only respond since I'm a touch typist. God only knows if there were too many typing errors. Those issues have clearly been resolved now and even I with my disability am able to see things clearly.

Nobody attacked the comments, they were clearly misunderstood by dgdlaw. I pointed out how long I've been a member here only to emphasize the ongoing change that has taken place over the years. It was not in any way intended to minimize his membership here. Change is inevitable and as I said any site that remains stagnant dies. There are numerous, now defunct, expat sites that stand as proof to that.

Is the site perfect? Heck no, far from it and things will continue to change and improve. As I pointed out to dgdlaw that is best done by making creative suggestions as to how those changes and improvements should take place. Otherwise it is just like saying "I don't like this, so fix it" but not suggesting how it should be fixed. Also the most effective means of doing that is by sending your suggestions to [email protected] where they are dealt with in a more timely fashion.

As to the color choices, that was Julien's decision to completely get away from the same visual as the old Expat-blog, and to give the new site a newer and much more contemporary look.

Regarding postings under review, if you take the time to read the PUERTO RICO FORUM CODE OF CONDUCT, then I think you can figure out for yourself exactly what happened there.

Cheers,
James
expat.com Experts Team

James said: "Regarding postings under review, if you take the time to read the PUERTO RICO FORUM CODE OF CONDUCT, then I think you can figure out for yourself exactly what happened there."

How do you know 'what happened there'? 

Which is essentially another attack insinuating a violation of the code of conduct.

But you do so freely.

And incidentally, the posts began declining right after the changes went into effect, weeks ago, not during Christmas which is a week away. Look at your country, Canada. No posts today and few the last two weeks

I am droping from this conversation, we do not seem to be able to communicate

Thanks

James - I have examined PUERTO RICO FORUM CODE OF CONDUCT and see nothing in dgdlaw's post that violates said code of conduct. All would appreciate if you would provide a post linking any part of dgdlaw's post to specific parts of said code of conduct that are allegedly violated. This would clarify "exactly what happened here." Don't get me wrong, my personal opinion is that dgdlaw should have contacted the appropriate person using a private communication instead of a public thread. No matter how you feel about the post it is also inappropriate to denigrate it because you don't agree with the poster. And please don't tell me that "no one attacked the comments." It would have been best to just let the post fade quickly away by ignoring it instead of stirring things up with two longish monologues. By the way ReyP and I have been active and serious contributors to the Puerto Rico Forum for some time. If we both feel that something has gone awry here we both can't be wrong.

I agree with Rey. There is a way to speak to a customer that is not condesending and the responses dgdlaw and ReyP received were unnecessary, disrespectful and unbecoming of a website looking to enhance their image.

Hi everyone,

hope you are well. Thanks for your letter. I will concentrate on the initial post.

We are working everyday on improvements, which you will regularly notice in the coming days & weeks. It is only a matter of time, and we do care about your opinion. You are important to us. We've already started improving the topic list page, as you may have noticed these last 2 days.

We are currently designing a new version of the thread pages (such as this one) which will be online next week.  You shouldn't be disappointed.

Then we'll concentrate on the private message system, which also deserves a few improvements.

Have you checked the other sections of the website ? Aren't they looking good, compared to the previous version ? Aren't the biggest issues on the forum pages ?

Now, regarding the activity drop, well, that's due to our friend google. When you transfer a website from domain name A to domain name B, Google has to recalculate everything before updating its search results pages, which results in a traffic drop. From what they more or less clearly announce, it takes a couple of month to recover search engine results positions & the associated organic trafic from them.

In the meantime, I thank you for your positive comments and feedback which are helping us to improve everything here. As I said, it is just a matter of time.

I will just ask you a "little something" : the situation is complicated for everyone, so please, please, avoid tensions on the  forum. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, tensions are just disturbing my nights as I sincerely would like to please everyone as fast as possible, but our engineers need time to improve everything.

Thanks everyone for your support,

Julien

Thank you, Julien and all your hardwork.  I really appreciate your efforts!

I am happy with the forum, as it was and as it is.  I have met some great folks and made some good friends, so for me it rates a gold star.
I do agree that the contrast between the words and the background could be made greater.  The words appear to be more grey than black. Maybe switch to a bold font.

i liked the old format

Julien - dgdlaw's comment is appropriate and inappropriate. Let me explain.
Software development methodology often includes a formal modification request (MR) procedure wherein any user finding a  (potential) bug/error/malfunction/design flaw is able to report it in a systematic manner and for the software team to deal with it in a systematic and organized manner. don't get me wrong. This does not read that you and your software team are not doing this or making efforts in this direction.

Back to dglaw's comment. I'll parse in terms of how it could be handled as an MR:

1. It belongs in a single MR thread, or better yet in an MR form filled out by the user. It does not belong in a forum thread. In this case the user can be directed to fill out a form (better yet a message sent to all users about the existence of an MR procedure and how to submit an MR).

2. "if it ain't broke don't fix it, because you may break it." Julien you are right about software naturally evolving. And it normal for previous functionally to become broken and and new bugs to be created, but then (through an MR system) eventually fixed (or deemed a "feature", haha!). By the way an MR system readable allows users to become aware of what changes/bugs have already been submitted.

3. "I hatet it" This a big DUH! Phrasing this as an MR: I hate what you've done and I request that you change it so I no longer hate it. Stamp this MR "rejected out of hand".

4. "Can't see it, for one. Bad choice of foreground and background colors." A reasonable MR to be addressed.

5. "And an objective analysis of the "new and improved" site will show posts in the PR forum are down 80%? or more since you "improved" it." Not an MR but responded well by you, and perhaps sent as a personal message to dgdlaw or just ignored because you don't have time. Or perhaps food for thought.

6. "No longer a reliable source of new information or questions that result in informative replies from experienced boots on the ground". This not an MR and perhaps not worthy enough for a follow up. I don't think the membership has of the PR Forum has changed (probably it is increasing) nor the number of boots on the ground has changed (mine are still firmly on the ground in Rincon and I will continue to provide comments, information, and advice in threads).

In closing, an MR system could more effective funnel real bugs to your team. For example here's one I found today: I looked at my profile and my date of birth is now one day off (an "off by one" bug). The workaround is to increase the day of the month by one day. For example my day of the month is 6 had changed 5. So I entered 7 and now it is displayed as 6. Okay this functionally got broken, so it'll be fixed eventually. Moreover, if an MR database existed I would have scanned for it and if I found it I wouldn't have wasted your time by submitting a duplicate.

Hope this helps. By the way your site functions reasonable well. Compared to the Obamacare site yours is superlative. Those software teams didn't understand that software development breaks down to 20% designing and writing code and %80 testing.

dgdlaw wrote:

And an objective analysis of the "new and improved" site will show posts in the PR forum are down 80%? or more since you "improved" it..

In school maths tests, you are asked to show your working out.
It would help posters a lot if you did do here.

Thank you for your help in this matter.

are we testing a beta product?

In the spirit of the founder of this website's post last night asking for a little patience, I will refrain from responding as I should to another childish sarcastic comment. In my professional life of 34 years, I deal with far, far better composed snarky remarks then your attempt,  approx 5x a day. Comes with the job description. So that crap doesn't bother me, because I usually respond in kind x10 as is TOTALLY appropriate and that ends it.  Not this time. I am going to respect the founder's request.

But, this is the last time. I don't care if you think you're an expert because of 2,000 posts from a speck of an Asian country with a total board count of 2,300 posts; a cohort; or you are a regular contributor to the PR forum and think that adds some credibility or authority to areas that are beyond your PR life experiences, which are very very valuable to me/members.  I am not running for mayor.

Like the highly sarcastic, know it all expert of last night who said the very low post count was due to the Christmas season, and it happens every year, and ASSURED that it had "nothing to do with the changes".  But then the founder posts and says the low post count is due to the changes and the interplay with Google. If that "expert" posts again without an apology to the members, he's got big ones. So, best to take posts by "auto nombrado expertos" as he as pablum.

So, up to you from this minute on out. I am not saying don't disagree with me, or not to post your disagreement. It's a blog. Go for it.  But.

And know this. I am new to the PR forum, am moving there as soon as I close my practice. Soon. Groundwork in place. But I have been on this site's Costa Rican forum for years, since day one or so. I am as familiar with CR as anyone after 22 years of constant travel there. But I never posted it that way. 

And I was a regular on two other gringo CR boards. I saw one eventually "blown up" by know it all and/or snarky posts. Starts off with a crappy post, returned, heats up, escalates to vulgarity, personal threats, promises to meet at a particular bar, even a libel lawsuit one time.  From thriving with tons of advertisements to the founder being unable to sell it for $5,000. Never recovered, everyone bailed to the other board, owner returned to Florida. If any of you know CR, you know of which I refer.

I wish you all peace and love and great holidays with every intention of good will here.

dgdlaw

as they said when I was in Texas...y'all need to cool your jets!

What ever happened to freedom of speach?
You are still controlling what dgdlaw can say by putting all his post under review. To my knowledge he has not used any form of bad language or anything else prohibited in the bylaws.

Lift his "under Review setting" or do the same for EVERYONE.

Are you aware he is a lawyer?

It's starting to feel a little chilly in here,  like the gulag archipelago here..."under review"...that's the second time recently that the secret police have censored his posts. 

I wonder if any other members on this blog feel the censorship?

guys, when several members report a specific post, the post is automatically hidden until an admin reviews it. That's not censorship, but a simple security system.

And as it is Sunday today (and Xmas in a few days), I just don't spend my afternoon in front of my computer. I know you'll understand.

Now, please avoid tensions on the forum or yes, I will have to moderate.  The only aim of Expat.com / expat.com is to help each other, and nothing else.

We really appreciate your feedback & we really need it to improve things, but creating tensions don't help the team and I to understand your feelings & improve the new platform. Let's be constructive now.

Thanks

By the way thanks for reporting bugs to [email protected] (we've got an MR list indeed)

"when several members report a specific post"? ...hmm.     I wonder who is reporting the posts??

Do we need to police each other here?  or are the censors on duty 24/7?  Watching out for us and protecting us from each other?  or preventing sedition among the readers?

Julien wrote:

guys, when several members report a specific post, the post is automatically hidden until an admin reviews it. That's not censorship, but a simple security system.

And as it is Sunday today (and Xmas in a few days), I just don't spend my afternoon in front of my computer. I know you'll understand.

Please add a "Contact US" to the site menu where you list ways to contact you without creating a forum entry, this way people can inform you of things, wishes and desires.

Clarification on the "Tension": This whole thing started when the people monitoring were less than polite to a member, as such others joined in in the defense of the member, a simple "Thank you" to his post would have avoided the whole thing. I wonder ...... I bet it was not a PR regular that reported his post. If the monitors are less sensitive to peoples opinions about the site, we will do the same.
Thanks and lets put this to bed!
Rey.

@ReyP you will find the contact us link at the bottom of every page of the website

Thanks for your suggestions

You guys don"t want to hear it... deleated

But apparently that doesn't mean it posted.

Because I read my posts are "under review".

I posted last night app 23:00 and my screen shows it posted. Nothing that would rattle any feathers. That was the last I posted before I read this morning about mine being "under review". 

If there are more posts from dgdlaw, something really is amiss because I don't drink or sleep walk and my significant, who posts in the CR section, would not do that under my screen name.

Did the 2300 hours post not show up on your screens?

Not hard to figure out who's beefing. Three from the experts team, the two from Asia who sarcastically posted in support of the "misinforming"  James the Expert. All with a sudden interest in the PR forum.  James the Expert's posted with authority to post "facts" as a representative of the board.  That was the inescapable conclusion. And they chimed in.

In any event, I have not posted other then the two mentioned above.

Slippery slope Julian. Obviously these are your guys so I appreciate your loyalty, I appreciate loyalty as a character trait. Especially blind loyalty because of the possible repercussions. Those were the guys I wanted in my foxhole back in the day.

I have 21 friends on the CR section of this board who I got to know very well in person.  Very loyal also.

Slippery slope.

As an aside Julian, I sent a message to your office early yesterday morning asking for help in posting my foto where the avatar goes because I was not having success. I was criticized in this thread, perhaps correctly, for not putting my seminal post in this thread in the round hole. Mea culpa.
So Julian, before you go out of your way and post a "like", as you did, in this critique of my "misplaced" post,  please note that I tried going into the round hole.

I scrolled through this and didn't read .However my complaint would be to have the new replies at the top instead of having to scroll down

Good Idea Sandra,
Having to always go to the last page and scrolling all the way down, then having to scroll up again because the bottom is not the end, there are also a list of other posts "Questions and Answers about ....", followed by the ad blocks.
Would be nice if the newest post were at the top would speed up the process.

If you click on the "New" by the post topic it will take you to your last unread post. Pretty sure you have to be logged in for it to work.

chopola wrote:

You guys don"t want to hear it... deleated

Sometimes, yes.

Most hidden/deleted posts are spam, racist, hidden for the poster's own protection (contact details), illegal in the country concerned, or nasty in some other way. Reasonable people don't want to hear those things.
Politics and religions are commonly removed because they cause arguments.
Posts are not removed because they have a go at the forum, but a thread such as this could go if arguments start because of it.

In my iphone I see no NEW link, maybe it only shows in the computer. The only NEW link is the one that tells me a particular set of posts have been updated, but that takes me to the begining of the thread, not the the new posted entry.
I also do not get the Quote on my iPhone, so I am unable to quote someone before I entrr my response. This is only on the Iphone, the quote is there ehen I use the computer.

I use extra large fonts so maybe that causes the display on the Iphone to not display correctly.