Website comments (2)

Home Forums General Website comments (2)

This topic contains 704 replies, has 84 voices, and was last updated by  Craig 2 months, 1 week ago.

Viewing 50 posts - 51 through 100 (of 705 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #28984
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Hi all,

    It seems a bot left comments on the site and sent PMs to many, if not all, of you last night containing a supposed link to the first episode.

    Please do not click the link. I have no idea where it takes you and have no inclination to find out. If it is the first episode it will be a rubbish black and white version, covered in watermarks and many unfinished effects. You’ll probably also get assulted by all sorts of pop ups, and nasty things may try to install themselves on your computer.

    I’m very sorry that this has happened. I’ve deleted the comments and the user, and I would urge you to delete any email you received.

    I will look into ways of stopping this happening again.

    #28985
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Just checked the database and it looks like only 20 or so people got sent the PM message. Phew!

    Still really annoying though. Grrrr…

    #28987
    Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip

    @craig – I now can’t get rid of the message notification number next to my name.

     

    Email has been duly deleted. And I echo your ‘Grrrr….’

    #28990
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @bluesqueakpip I think I have fixed that now but let me know if not and I’ll try something else.

    #28991
    Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip

    @craig – fixed! 🙂

    #28995
    janetteB @janetteb

    Glad the spams have been removed. I was grrring this morning when I saw them. Thank’s again for all your hard work @craig.

    Cheers

    Janette

    #28997
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    So I emailed the spammer and got a reply. Am quite amazed.

    Me:

    How dare you spam my website and my users with your dodgy Doctor Who links?

    Never visit (or send your bot to) my site again.

    If you didn’t do it yourself I’d have a word with whatever SEO company
    you’ve employed as they are using disreputable tactics to try and get you
    visitors.

    You are the worst form of scum.

    __________________________________
    Them:

    My apologies, I found a great link and wanted to share
    I shouldn’t have tried to do seo but that is now past
    I will never visit you site ,sorry I offended

    _________________________________

    I hope that’s the end of that one, but I think we’re still going to have to be extra vigilant for the next 40 days. Please email me or PM me whenever you spot something dodgy.

    #29000
    janetteB @janetteb

    Will do though I won’t be expecting an immediate response given the time difference.

    The typos in the reply suggest it was not automated unless they are designer typos. (I don’t know which is sadder, the spam-bot or the person)

    Cheers

    Janette

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    #29007
    PhaseShift @phaseshift
    Time Lord

    Just to add, it looks like someone has been regurgitating spoilers over on the G with abandon. They’ve been deleted, but there are a couple of references still up, so extreme caution advised as ever.

    #29008
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    @phaseshift

    Thanks for the warning. I reaffirm the comments I made a couple of hours ago at #29003 in the On The Sofa thread.

    #29011
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @phaseshift I’ve been on quite a few sites today where the trailer is being discussed and some people are just blatantly blurting out which bit is from which episode, and what the basic plot of that episode is etc. like being able to read somehow makes them special. How small must you feel in real life to have to do that to make yourself feel big? I’m just glad I’m forearmed.

    @blenkinsopthebrave But then you’d never have ‘met’ all of us! And as @scaryb said last week, there is a joy in being able to chat to, and theorise with, like-minded people afterwards, which the internet makes possible. But, yes, the spoiler minority are a problem.

    #29012
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    @craig

    Ah, yes indeed, life is full of ironies! I am certainly no Luddite, but there is a whole generation that has grown up knowing only a world that allows them to say whatever they like while hiding behind a wall of electronic anonymity. Nowdays, they (and not only that generation, of course) never have to be confronted by the expression of pain on the face of the person they have insulted. I am not sure that civility, wimsey, word-play, are really organic to the Internet. It is no surprise that so many people who are attracted to this site tell us that this site is very rare in its commitment to civility and good-natured humor.

    But even as I type these words, I suspect that there are many of my fellow Enthusiasts who will disagree with my assessment, so perhaps I better stop before I talk myself into a hole!

    #29013
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @blenkinsopthebrave I do agree with you and I tried very hard from the outset, as I think all the members/contributors did, to create a place a bit different. I’m happy that we’ve more-or-less achieved that.

    I came across this which I think is very good. I do like Mark Kermode.

    #29014
    PhaseShift @phaseshift
    Time Lord

    @craig

    Yes – it strikes me after looking at a few sites (not at the spoilers, just at relative activity) that I think this has scared people off participating to some extent, because the day after a trailer like that you’d expect a lot more. Of course – it could be the summer holidays as well. 😀

    It’s hard to disagree with Kermode on his points, especially the last. There has always been an element of Who fandom who like to pretend to be “in the know” to impress others. It’s why it’s frustrating when you occasionally do get someone who is “in the know” who can’t keep their mouth shut (about returned material as an example). It’s privileged information, and should be treated as such. Not be used to scream “look at me, aren’t I important”.

    @blenkinsopthebrave

    I read a comment recently which was on the subject of hate trolls, and whether there were more of them online. One of the most valuable points made was that the internet just means there is more of everything full stop. More hate (such as racism, trolling, etc) but also more compassion, more empathy, more jokes and more support, depending on where you look. Hopefully, we’ll keep maximising the positives and keep the negative sides to a minimum.

    #29016
    ScaryB @scaryb

    @blenkinsopthebrave

    I am not sure that civility, wimsey, word-play, are really organic to the Internet

    On the other hand, thanks to all the contributing members (and the light touch of our ever vigilant mods) those qualities are very much how I think of this Forum. Long may we continue to be perverse!

     

    @craig Thanks for the Mark Kermode link. Nails and heads

    #29018
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    @scaryb

    Long may we continue to be perverse!

    I couldn’t agree more.

    #29020
    midnyt @midnyt

    This is the only Doctor Who related forum where I will actually post on.   The atmosphere here, I think is exactly what you were going for, fun with sometimes crazy outlandish ideas, but no one is insulted and never degenerates into “I’m right and f**k you, you’re wrong”  which seems to be par for the course in all other forums I’ve found so far.    I’m glad to have found this little corner of the internet.  Thanks for that!

    #29021
    janetteB @janetteb

    @craig. Thanks for the link to the Kermode Uncut. As @scaryb so aptly said “Nails and Heads”.

    I don’t really understand why anyone would even want to read scripts before the episode airs. With a Series or film based upon a novel it is entirely different. The written work was first though reading the novel before viewing usually results in disappointment. DR Who episodes are written to be performed to an audience that does not have foreknowlege of what is happening. The leaking of the scripts has made speculation over what will happen almost impossible even for those of us who don’t know which is why the spam posts that were deleted made me so angry.

    Anyways we have our own little Who oasis here. Long may it last..

    Cheers

    Janette

    #29028
    Anonymous @

    Must admit I have read the scripts and was very interested to do so. I’ve got a big interest in screenwriting and like to see the transition and process from page to screen. But anyone who uses that kind of info to big themselves up or spoil it for others is nothing but a dick-ish drashig in my humble opinion….

    Glad the Graun stomped on that guy pretty quickly and effectively….

    Like the Kermode piece too. I’ve really warmed to him over the past few years. Ever since I read The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex….

    #29032
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Just as a side note, if anyone hasn’t heard of Mark Kermode before, he’s a British film reviewer. He’s highly respected and highly vocal, and is a genuine fan rather than a high-brow critic. His reviews on YouTube are all well worth watching and you can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/user/kermodeandmayo

    If nothing else, you should check out his review of Sex and The City 2. It is already legendary.

    #29033
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    @craig.

    I just watched Kermode’s review of Sex and the City 2 on your recommendation…This man is now officially my hero!!

    For the whole 10 minutes of his rant (that was not a rant) you wanted to roar in agreement, but you knew you couldn’t utter a sound because he was talking so fast that you might miss another brilliant comment.

    Wonderful. I am now on a quest to read and hear the collected wisdom of Kermode (Mark, not Frank, that is).

    Which is not to put down Frank Kermode, but, let’s face it, there are not as many laugh-out-loud bits in The Genesis of Secrecy and the Interpretation of Narrative.

     

    #29725
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Hi all, I thought I’d do some quick housekeeping before the new series starts.

    This is basically to say – if you spot anything funny or if anything doesn’t work please let me know ASAP.

    I’ve updated all the plugins – there should be no issues logging in any more – no weird cookies message etc. Hopefully it won’t raise other issues.

    Also I’ve managed to get the Visual editor back on blog posts. They made major changes to it with the new version of WordPress.

    Not quite sure how to put an “Insert image” on it yet but I’ll work it out eventually.

    #31445
    Timeloop @timeloop

    Could we have a @all that links everybody? It’s way more effective than listing each single name when you want a general opinion. Is that a very complicated request?

    BTW how is the traffic?

    And as always thanks to the hard working Mods.

    #31460
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Hi @timeloop

    I think an @all would be a bad idea I’m afraid. Although it would make things easy I think it would leave us all open to abuse. And I think if you post a question, you can be confident the regulars will read it even if you haven’t @’d them. I’ve often posted saying “This is for @ everyone…” and many have responded.

    About 1500 people have joined but we really only have a small amount of contributors. I think @whisht said he read that there’s a 90:9:1 split on forums. 1 person starts a topic (me) and for every 9 people who comment another 90 are quite happy just to read it. I don’t think 1500 people would be happy to get a general question email from a site they may have joined last year and never visited again or only visit occasionally.

    My hosts would also not be very happy to have to send out 1500 emails every time someone used @all. It would be a drain on their servers.

    Traffic is good. We had our biggest number of visits for the first episode – over the weekend it was about 3000 people. It’s been less for the other episodes. But I don’t really worry too much about it. Am very happy that we are attracting some really good quality new members.

    And thanks for the thanks =)

    #31627
    Timeloop @timeloop

    @craig Hi, I see your point. That would be bad.

    How about an @Mods and an @all which just refers to regular posters? Where you can opt in if you want to.

    Just an idea, but I do understand if you don’t think it necessary.

    I also found something regarding the traffic, just a few extra snippets of information, but maybe some are interested.
    http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorwhoforum.com

    #31897
    JasperCoyle @jaspercoyle

    Hello there, can someone point me to where I actually start a forum post? 😀

    #31900
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @jaspercoyle Hi there, and welcome. I’m afraid we’re not that kind of forum. The topics are set by the moderators, but a lot of them are general enough to accommodate most questions/enquiries.

    If you have a specific topic you’d like to start, please let me know and it will be considered.

    #32251
    Davros @davros

    Hi, I just joined.

    Is there any way for me to start new threads?

    #32273
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @davros, please see my reply above.

    #32611
    Davros @davros

    Alrighty … Basically I wanted to make comments on specific Classic stories such as The Five Doctors, The Dalek Invasion of Earth etc.

    #32908
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    Has anybody else been having problems getting the embedded youtube clips to respond when they are using portable devices? Up until a few days ago I could always access the clips when reading the site on my iPad (or Mrs Blenkinsop’s nifty new iPad mini) but since then there is no response.

    I thought someone more tech-savy than me (which includes pretty much the entire planet) might know if apple or youtube have recently changed their settings.

    #32909
    Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip

    @blenkinsopthebrave

    Apple has updated its operating system. The first iteration, iOS 8.0, was the Update From Hell. That may well be the problem; everything crashes (or so I’m told – I have everything set to ‘ask me first before updating’, and my answer was ‘not until you’ve got the bugs out’.)

    If your iOS is 8.0, they’ve rushed out a newer version with lots of fixes. That’s iOS 8.02 – if, and only if, you have iOS 8.0 I’d strongly suggest you update to 8.02

    #32918
    blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave

    Many thanks @bluesqueakpip. I’ll give it a go.

    #32923
    Anonymous @

    (29012#) @blenkinsopthebrave  I just said your wonderful post and how right you are and how …just…errrrr totally on the dot you were. I’m trying to pump my arm with enthusiasm, verbally (aint working). I have loved this place, and funny, but my tolerance has changed. I read other forums and see the sort of immediately nasty verbiage that crops up like Hep C. Ick. It’s like road rage, I think. Occasionally, I’ve been upset here at the odd comment but then I’ve made the mistake of not ignoring it and just pressing back a bit myself.

    I’m training myself to ‘ignore ignore’ and ‘delete’ but then be a pushover? No way, not that either! A balance, she breathes.

    Kindest, purofilion

    #34826
    Devilishrobby @devilishrobby

    @craig have you considered adding an auto refresh option. Say refreshing the page every 10 mins on the forum page or is that on of those things that a big company would only be able to do because they have thier own servers and humongus computers to process the data.

    #34984
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @devilishrobby I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what you mean, what issue you are having. If you could provide a bit more info that’d be great.

    At present, for non-logged in users, the pages are cached for 5 minutes to reduce CPU load. However, if there is an update the cache of that page should be refreshed. If you are logged in you get the latest version of the page, not the cached version. Is it something to do with that?

    Automatic refreshing could cause problems, especially if someone is in the middle of writing a long post.

    But if you let me know what problem you are having I can maybe fiddle with the caching settings to see if I can solve it, if that is the issue.

    #35161
    Devilishrobby @devilishrobby

    @craig there is no problem as such I was just wondering if there was was a way for the pages to auto refresh without affecting members ability to write thier responses, but from what you’ve said I take it isn’t an option.lol

    #35820
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    @ Everyone

    Just to let you know that the server company are going to move this site to a new server. We’re moving from Germany to Bulgaria! The move will take place sometime between 5am and 9am UK time next Sunday morning (the 30th).

    The site will be down for around 2 hours within those hours, they expect. I’m guessing that will really only effect our Antipodean members unless you’re an early bird in the UK or a night owl in the US.

    I’ll obviously back up everything beforehand, although I assume they will too.

    I’ll repost this next weekend to remind everyone again.

    #35931

    @craig

    I notice the Rose 7 Crown is hitting that 20 page level that seems to cause all sorts of oddness. Perhaps it is time to refurbish and open as The Wetherspoons Rose & Crown Experience.

    #35936
    ScaryB @scaryb

    @pedant Well spotted. But W*therspoons is even more evil than shipping 😉 I always pictured us as more of a Leaky Cauldron, with a hint of the Bronze on special celebration nights.

    #35939
    janetteB @janetteb

    @scaryb and @pedant. I would vote for the Leaky Couldron too though maybe that is unfair as I am not familiar with Wetherspoons but I think the Doctor would feel quite at home in the “Couldron” relaxing over a pint or two of pumpkin ale and reminiscing about times past. Well actually, Does the Doctor ever relax or reminsce?

    Cheers

    Janette

    #35956
    PhaseShift @phaseshift
    Time Lord

    @pedant @scaryb @janetteb

    I must admit, I quite like the idea of renaming the Pub each time. Why stick with one pub when you can have a pub crawl through genre fiction? Instead of saying “on one of the previous threads I linked to ….” You can say well, “back in the Rose and Crown, etc. “

    So genre themed pubs. I like The Leaky Cauldron. You get a better class of weirdo in it. Like this obvious Monkey Boy Wizard reading a Brief History of Time.

    Or as possible alternatives:

    Perhaps in honour that Nick Frost is in the Chrimble special we should decamp to The Winchester to sit out the inevitable Zombie apocalypse?

    More directly related to Doctor Who, we could relocate to The Cloven Hoof, where you are always assured of a warm welcome. Especially if you happen to be accused of being a witch.

    We could head North of the border to Bonnie Scotland to take a tipple in the delightfully named (as I think @juniperfish will agree) The Fox Goes Free. Then realise that due to an extreme Timey-wimey Spacey-wacey event, it’s now located in Sussex, rather than by Loch Ness.

    The more mundanely named Fleur-de-Lys is the scene of Tom Baker finally giving in to the temptation that the crew put him under and consume two pints on screen. It was Ginger Beer, mind. He says.

    The World’s End. Not the Simon Pegg version, but Neil Gaiman’s vision from a decade earlier. The ultimate hostelry to sit out reality storms and tell tall tales.

    The Mended Drum.

    The more Trollish element may lower the tone, but the drink flows freely. Just remember the difference between a Monkey and an Ape, and bring your own cutlery (Axe, Sword, etc.)

    And the evidence that the Discworld – World and Mirror of Worlds, deserves to be mirrored itself sometimes 😀

    More recommendations if any occur, and a popular consensus for a next venue if possible.

    #35957

    I think the only solution to establish the principle is The Slaughtered Lamb (I think The Leaky Cauldron is a bit too populist ands aiming for culty (I said CULTy) would be better as a first stop on the crawl.

    @scaryb

    Nothing is more evil than shipping.

    #35958
    JimTheFish @jimthefish
    Time Lord

    It surely has to be The Cloven Hoof….

    #35960
    Pufferfish @pufferfish

    Nomination for the Fitzroy Tavern?

    #35961
    Devilishrobby @devilishrobby

    What about TransDimension Alley.

    #35964
    Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip

    In honour of both The First Scottish Doctor and the last appearance of the Brig (well, the last appearance as played by Nicholas Courtney) in the main series, how about decamping to a hotel?

    Gore Crow

    The Gore Crow Hotel. Has its own microbrewery on site, rooms available for overnight stays, be careful of any stray swords lying around. 🙂

    #35969
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    Oh choices. So many wonderful ones. @phaseshift @jimthefish @fatmaninabox I’m quite happy for you to start a new “pub”. I do kinda like The Cloven Hoof though.

    #35970
    Anonymous @

    I wasn’t reading this properly and assumed you were actually going to the place for an actual visit!  I get it now. Good idea- this re-naming.  But in Oz we have no pubs and inns really -in Brisbane there’s one in this area of about 25 square km. One has to go to a restaurant and a proper café but then they rarely have anything except Chardonnay -no beer

    #35977
    Juniperfish @juniperfish

    I will definitely also vote for The Cloven Hoof joining @craig and @jimthefish , The Beast Below would also work, although I do like The Fox Goes Free very much @phaseshift 🙂

Viewing 50 posts - 51 through 100 (of 705 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.