Nothing Thread

[lllovell]

I just sent an email griping about this and I hope the rest of you will do the same. At least this way, more than just Doc will read it.

My email:

I am terribly upset at the recent changes to the “community board” for the DVC members of the DIS. Many of our threads are totally displaced at this point as they were attempted to be “reclassified” into other areas of the board where they truly don’t belong.

One of our friends lost her dear pet and she came to us, the DVC DISers, the people she wanted comfort from and now her thread is gone.

Our “Nothing Thread” which is similar to many other nothingness threads was created and maintained by many DVC members who want a chance to share our experiences among a small group of us (we combined threads as Robin asked us to when we had 3-4 of them out there on the DVC Community Board).

Several of our members were talking among OURSELVES concerning missing DVC members from the New Orleans area as well as other travel related issues due to the storms which were moved to the Katrina area.

(there are too many other examples of moved threads to list here)

Are we being snobs and don’t want to associate with the rest of the boards? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! We are members of the DIS (many who have supported you financially based on the number of “sponsor” tags I see) who enjoy sharing our experiences, be it in life or other areas, but ultimately dealing with our connection as DVC members of the DIS board.

There was no cause for this change that is clear to those of us that use these boards on a daily basis. We, as users in general, don’t have THAT much trouble determining which board (between the Forum and the Community Board) to post on and that really seems to be all the change that was necessary for a split. If we needed a travel only subsection of our board, how difficult is that to set up? If we need more moderators to keep threads straight, how about just adding more moderators?

The DVC users of the DIS board are NOT so focused a group as to only be interested in DVC. Our love of WDW covers the entire spectrum, and when we are allowed to discuss it among ourselves, that is when the information is the best for US SPECIFICALLY. We are different users of WDW. We are a different breed when it comes to our travel plans and ideas about WDW. You have just split our home into so many different areas that I don’t feel like I have a home here any longer. I am terribly disappointed and my usage will go down after this I am sure – probably to the point that I will no longer desire to be a sponsor of this board when the next “renewal” comes along. I certainly would have thought twice before sponsoring a place that sets rules and then decides on a whim to change them for reasons that don’t make any sense to me as a user.

Laura

TW1 - I am very glad to see you back!!! It sounds like you had a fantastic trip, but I am sorry, it can't be a DVC trip without some gripes mixed in lol We have heard from Toon (through Mar as you finally discovered), and many other DVCers as well, but all those posts got moved to the "Katrina" section.

Mar - I know exactly how you feel. I know I am overly emotional right now and I can blame it on hormones, etc but the truth is this was a crappy thing to do to all of us - especially right now when people are all rather "off- balance" emotionally. I KNOW its a Disney BBS for the love of Nancy, but I also think of it as my home and when I need to vent about things, I want to come to my "friends" here and do so. I care about the people I have come to know here (and as TW1 said - it is rather disturbing when you get a reminded how little we sometimes know about each other....only because it tends to be when we want to help each other out the most!)

GGRRRR

Carrie - come hide in the closet if the VMK community board gets closed. I will protect you! Heck, we won't be able to find this thread much longer anyway I bet (seeing how quickly the CB moves here. )

I know in the overall scheme of things, this isn't major, but it really is a big deal to me right now

Voice your opinions where they will be read people! Send them an email at the DIS main support area and at least you know we aren't just posting on a thread that the only person reading it is the one that moved us to begin with!

Laura

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

I sent this to Pete:


I feel it is a disservice to many of your loyal DIS board members to take away our community board. The board was created originally, as I understood it, because our numbers had grown so large we merited our own community board, separate from the general one. Doc's claim that only the title has changed is silly, because if it was just a title change why bother? And why move the Nothing thread to the General community boards if it was just a title change?

When the DVC community boards first began no one ever said not to put non DVC topics there. In fact my understanding was that the board was created because too many off topic threads were on the one DVC board that existed at the time.

I don't know what caused the powers that be to change their minds, but I am very unhappy with the decision. It's your boards, you can do as you please, but I want to go on record as feeling slighted and upset by the change. And I will not be renewing my sponsorship next year, as I feel like my needs, and the needs of many other DVC-ers, are not being met any more.

 

[lllovell]

I am glad you voiced your opinion beyond the threads here Mar. I think it is the only possible way we will be heard.

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

I am glad you voiced your opinion beyond the threads here Mar. I think it is the only possible way we will be heard.

Your letter was way better Laura, but at least I did say something and I feel good that I did.

 

[TW1]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=905006

 

[wtpclc]

Thanks TW1. I like the thread and will post, but I really do hate giving up this one. It's evolved and been such a fun part of my days. I'd really like to get this one back where it belongs.

 

[jnrrt]

I'm glad you all sent the email.

I think I realized that this bothers me so much because I feel like I posted to a specific group of people, and then did not have the power to keep it where I posted. I realize that it's naive to think that you know who you are posting to, certainly anyone can read anything they wish and there are always lurkers, but it feels like I sent a letter to certain people, and now they're allowing anyone who wants to read it to have access. In fact, they mailed it to them, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Now, I don't think I said anything too embarrassing or terrible, haven't gone back to check, but I don't like that they have the power to change the audience when I obviously thought I was addressing a different one. Nothing wrong with this audience, just not the one I was addressing. And not the people I felt familiar with from their posts.

I'm surprised I feel so strongly about this, but I had come to think of that board as my "home" board. Now it feels really censored to me.

 

[lllovell]

Jnrrt,

That is EXACTLY how I feel. Also a bit like we were "sheltered" in a common knowledge and then tossed out in the general population that wouldn't understand our ramblings (heck - sometimes WE don't understand our ramblings).

I have talked about countless things with you all here that aren't really all that big of a deal, but I do feel a bit over exposed at the moment. My family, the little one coming (and sadly - now I don't even think I am "allowed" to post when she gets here with my friends....I don't have anything AGAINST anyone else, but I don't know them either and wouldn't put a dang sign up at the grocery store on a bulleton board saying my little one has been born! ) and just life in general.

I am not giving up hope....yet.

Laura

 

[wtpclc]

OK, moving teh There's Room in the closet thread was the last straw. Here's my e-mail:

Dear Mr. Werner,

I'd like to start by saying that I have gotten a lot of joy and great information from your boards since I have been a member. So much that I felt compelled to become a Silver sponsor this year. I know that does not amount to much in your overall budget, but it must help.

Today, I discovered that the DVC CB was renamed. Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, but I did like the space to share with fellow DVCers. What has really gotten to me, however, is the threads that have been moved to the regular CB. That, to me, is a scary places where there are a lot of people that I do not know and do not feel overly comfortable there. The DVC area is my main home on the DISBoards. The "Nothing Thread" started when several of us were worried about a fellow DVC/DISer. We kept the thread bumped in the hopes that he would come back or we would find out if he was ok by chit chat and jokes. I do know that some were reminded to keep things clean on occasion, but I believe that everyone has been playing nicely there for quite some time now.

In addition, there were 3 similar threads going at one time and we were asked to keep it to one. This was done within an hour of the request. Although we have become friends on that thread, new posters, and we do get them, have always been welcomed. These posters come from a world in which we are comfortable, though. Most of us tend to stay away from the CB as we hear that things can get ugly there and threads get lost so easily there. I do not get why that one thread on the DVC hurt anything and that has yet to be explained.

In an attempt to make our thread more DVC oriented a "There's Room in the Closet..." thread was started. It was a come lament if you're out of points thread, basically. This was just moved to the regular CB now too. Wonder what points they think we're referring to over there.

Finally, VMK has an "Off-topic Randomness...A Place to Ramble" thread. This has not been moved to the CB. Therefore, rules are not being applied equally. If there is something offensive about the thread or something we need to change, just let us know and we'll make sure we follow the rules. Right now, though, I feel like I have been personally attacked and that someone on your staff is offended by one of us and wants us to go away.

The thread was a place where we'd go to escape from the real world and hang with our DVC DIS friends, aka "The Closet." Now, I don't know that I want to hang out on a board where I feel persecuted.

If you'd like me to go away, let me know. I'll gladly send back the unused visor and pins. You can send my sponsor money back, as I have not used, or have been unable to use (DIS mail), any of the features it was supposed to give me anyway. If not, please explain what is going on and why we are being attacked.

Thank you for your time,

Carrie (wtpclc)

If I get asked to leave, it's been a pleasure knowing you all!

 

[lllovell]

Carrie,

We aren't attacking here, simply showing our displeasure and I can't imagine that anyone associated with the DIS boards would not allow grown people to show displeasure without "banning" them!

I am very glad you sent an email with your concerns. I think without this, those in charge might not even have a clue what has been going on in our little DVC CB room. I think we are right to bring our displeasure to those in charge.

Laura

 

[jnrrt]

Laura,

I know what you mean. I didn't say anything bad, but I wouldn't have come over to the community board and posted, "Hey, I wonder if I should have surgery on my hand. Here's all the pertinent info about my life's work. What do you all think?"

I mean not that it matters, but exposed is a good word.

And I sure hope you tell us when your little one is born! I feel like we've been traveling with you in this, and I'd hate to not know when she shows up!

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

Incredibly well said Jnrrt, thank you so much for expressing exactly what I (and I am sure many others here) have been feeling. If seems like our board has been commandeered for no good reason. No reason at all actually.

The analogy One more try made to The Sound of Music in the other thread on the regular community board is exactly correct also. "Nothing's changed here?" Sure, and I'll bet you're shocked, just shocked that gambling is going on in Casablanca.

Carrie, your letter was fantastic. And if you go I'm going with you. Seriously. There have to be other message boards, and if we all have to privately contact one another we will do so and find another place where we are welcome. A place that doesn't take posts made MONTHS ago and put them elsewhere, seemingly on a whim. We can leave and take our sponsorships with us.

 

[wtpclc]

Laura - He won't even have to ban me. I told him that if he wants me to leave, I will just go away. I mean it. Don't want to be anywhere where the owner doesn't want me. You're right, though, he may not have any idea how much we have been trampled on, though.... BTW - How'd your visit with Grandma go this weekend. Not an easy thing. I lost my grandma to alzheimers a few years ago. Thankfully, she did not suffer long, but it's still not easy.

FYI - We could always make our own Yahoo group. Not the same, but....

 

[lllovell]

Jnrrt,

I will tell you! I was just kinda looking forward to a little thread about PJ (maybe with a little squished up face first born picture) to share with all my DVC friends! Now, I am sure it would be moved immediately.

I haven't surfed the other forums. Has anyone else? Is the monorail drinking thread gone from the Theme Park page? How about the DisneyWorld Snake thread? (neither of which are theme park planning related) I am just curious if this happened across the boards or just to "our" part of the board.

*sigh*

Laura

 

[lllovell]

Laura - He won't even have to ban me. I told him that if he wants me to leave, I will just go away. I mean it. Don't want to be anywhere where the owner doesn't want me. You're right, though, he may not have any idea how much we have been trampled on, though.... BTW - How'd your visit with Grandma go this weekend. Not an easy thing. I lost my grandma to alzheimers a few years ago. Thankfully, she did not suffer long, but it's still not easy.

FYI - We could always make our own Yahoo group. Not the same, but....

We will work it out - but I am with you and Mar. I am really hoping for some positive resolution to this.

My grandmother is about the same on the outside. We have been going through this for a long long time with her. My uncle has taken such good care of her that its kind of a Catch-22. She is starting to have trouble swallowing and they believe she is having some internal issues, so the doctor at the hospice (where she was for a few days recently but back home again now) said its just a matter of time. She slept almost the whole time I was there, but I was able to rest my cheek against her forehead...to hold her hand....to talk to her even if she isn't talking back. Its really a nasty disease ins't it?

Laura

 

[wtpclc]

Horrible disease. If my grandmother had seen herself, she woudl have wanted to die. I am glad she went relatively quickly, but still very hard. She did have one last good day about a week befoer she died, though. SHe recognized us all and it was great. Almost made me forget the time I took her "home" from my db's where we had a birthday party and she forgot she had moved. She insisted that she lived in another city and she was terrified of where I was taking her. It was awful. I hope that your time with her helped you get a little closure. So very hard.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Ok, I am posting here on the nothing thread, and I am making a copy of my post, minus this heading, and posting on the NEW PLANNING thread. I will start by talking about how my PLANS to come to WDW have been derailed by a crooked judge who gets to decide my fate due to a divorce trial. I haven't been posting because of this #(%*^*$*($( judge's recent ruling, BUT I was never PLANNING on talking about it here anyway. I do come here to get away from the daytoday gunk I deal with in real time. What I am suggesting is that we simply use passive resistance for a bit. I will start a new thread on the planning thread which will really be a continuation (if you all concur) of this thread. All we need to change is the first line of our post to reflect our planning a trip to WDW ....but WOW, Llovell had her baby instead!!!!

At the same time, I think we could consider moving the same thread (take 2) to the UK community board (if they will have us.)

You know....after having some disgusting judge tell me what I can or can't do for the rest of my life....I can't just stand by and watch some mods play games with the community board and justify their motivations with semantics.
NO NO NO NO NO

So...'Have to Cancel PLANNED WDW TRIP' will be the title of the subtrefuge nothing thread...Whatcha think?

 

[wtpclc]

CB1 - That's a good idea. The there's room in the closet thread got moved although it did talk about DVC. I don't know if just the title will work. Rash's word of the week thread supoposedly got moved even with DVC planning in the title. Right now, I just want this one back where it beleongs. There's history to this thread and I really do not want it to go away or be over here. No offense to the wonderful people here who have been very kind, but it's not the same.

So sorry to hear that things are not going well, to say the least. I just don't understand what judges think sometimes. Sounds like your soon-to-be X has too much influence in your area. If you feel the need to vent, that's what we're here for. (Or you can always pm)

 

[wtpclc]

I fear the closet will be closing it's doors soon. I'm hoping in to hide. I'm thinking Irish Coffee this morning. Anyone care to join me?

 

[jnrrt]

Mmmmm, Irish coffee. That's sounding really good.

I'm married to a really great guy, but one of his major flaws is that he has a hatred for *gasp* coffee! So we don't have much of that around here. I'm happy to sponge off you!