A Few Words from a New CM. Happy to Meet You All!

SHaines

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Greetings,

My name is Steve, but I go by AllenTheAlien here on the forums. I’ve recently joined the Community Team here at Future after working as a CM (Community Manager) for several years.

My top priority is to learn as much as I can about your community, so I’m going to start off with lots of reading and listening. Please jump into the discussion to share your thoughts on how I can best serve your community.

I won’t be able to make any promises about specific feedback just yet, but I’m absolutely listening to everyone so we can make decisions with your input in mind.

There are no timelines for any changes yet, but we have plans to update the forum platform once our development team is able to get a game plan in place. Currently, we hope to offer you the Community Team’s help in housekeeping, setting policies, and in helping to drive engagement. We’re very much looking forward to discussing possible interactions between our great forum community and the editorial/news side of things here, and keep an eye peeled for interesting things just around the corner!

Thanks for taking the time to read this over, and for sharing with me anything I should know as a newcomer to your community.

It’s a pleasure to be here!

- Steve
 

Parksy

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Hi Steve / Allen the Alien, welcome to the forum.
We are a generally friendly and helpful online community with an absolute wealth of technical advice and information readily available from the editorial blogs, the massive archive which goes back for years if only the search engine was more user friendly (GIGO) and with real time help from our helpful form members, many of whom are technically qualified in various aspects of engineering.
There are two voluntary forum moderators, Damian and myself, who keep an eye on the forum to keep matters friendly, polite and on an even keel, to rid the website of spam that crops up from time to time and to guide new members through forum navigation when it's needed.
When the forum was owned by Haymarket we used to receive a complimentary Practical Caravan magazine subscription in recompense for our efforts, but this has ceased since Future Publishing bought the website, so although I don't like to complain in a welcome post I think that it's a poor show on the part of Future Publishing who have never communicated with us until your post.
It would be nice if editorial staff did post on to the message boards from time to time, years ago they fought shy of becoming involved because moderators had no software to sort matters out if things became heated, but these days we can instantly resolve matters with the click of a mouse.
Forum members are very helpful in reporting inappropriate material that crops up from time to time, and which we take down very quickly.
It's great that we have a higher authority that we can refer to if need be, and we look forward to working with you and of course sharing the joys and minor setbacks of our pastime as touring caravan owners and users.
Several forum members have met each other as friends, and continue to meet as 'The Woosie Club', open to all forumites.
There is a get together in September in Cheshire (see the Woosie thread) to which you and all forum members are cordially invited.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Welcome to the Forum and hope that your engagement works well for all. It’s a friendly Forum and the Moderators strike a very good balance and apply the rules with tact and friendly offerings, but do come down firmly on those who push the limits.
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Like the rest say hello and welcome to the forum which is great , only thing I would like to see is a timestamp and date on each post on the mobile version :)
 

SHaines

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Thanks very much for the warm welcome, folks! I've been a Community Manager for a long time, so I bring some good experience to the role, but will always have more to learn. I'm excited to get that learning started, so don't hesitate to reach out and point me toward anything you think might be important to keep in mind.
 
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Hi. Welcome to the forum if i have one comment have a look at the various threads re excessive adverts (that show primarily on desktops). Really irritating. Goos luck.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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]Hello Steve.

Since Haymarket sold PC to Future Publishing, the absence of any two way interaction between the members and the forums new owners has been very noticeable. Does Future Publishing direct editorial staff to not get involved with in group forums related to their publications interests?

I sence that our volunteer moderators have felt particularly exposed, as they have had no idea if Future were happy with the way they managing the forums activity. I have to assume that Future must have been generally satisfied with the control, otherwise I'm sure we would have had management intervention sooner. .

We have certainly felt some impact of the new ownership, from the increased quantity of advertising that is being pushed into the page formats, and Future's legal "we value your privacy" notices. Advertising is an almost inevitable consequence of free to use forum, but when the advertising starts to put users off or it gets in the way of the prime reason then its value needs to be reviewed.

There have also been some other technical changes, which are more of an inconvenience, the first is that navigating to the first page of a thread using the page number tabs for some reason the opening thread which sets the scene does not show! And secondly, the last posting in a thread is often duplicated onto the top of a new page. These changes without warning or explanation to the members engendere a feeling of distrust and big brother. How much trouble would it have been for a manager to have posted a quick note àbout the changes or some of the problems members have encountered, even if we're to say it's a low priority?

I do welcome a public appearance of a member of Futures staff, better late than never, but forgive me for some cynicism as to your title. What on earth is a "Community Manager"? I have tried to Google for a definition, but frankly it is far from clear what role you are tasked with in terms of "management"? For example, are you employed within Practical Caravans editorial team or are part of Futures Corporate team? Do you have a personal interest in caravanning, other than a professional responsibility as Community Manager?

Do Future Publishing really see this magazine and or forum to be worth supporting?
 
May 7, 2012
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Pleased to see some input now from the owners. Since Future took over the magazine we have seen virtually nothing from them although I would accept that getting the hang of the magazine and its policies was probably a far higher priority than the forum. Look forward to hearing your plans for the future..
 

SHaines

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ProfJohnL said:
I do welcome a public appearance of a member of Futures staff, better late than never, but forgive me for some cynicism as to your title. What on earth is a "Community Manager"? I have tried to Google for a definition, but frankly it is far from clear what role you are tasked with in terms of "management"? For example, are you employed within Practical Caravans editorial team or are part of Futures Corporate team? Do you have a personal interest in caravanning, other than a professional responsibility as Community Manager?

First up, thanks for posting these questions and concerns. We definitely count on the passion and expertise of the community to help shape what the future holds for the site and forums (no pun intended).

As for what a Community Manager does, that gets a little complicated, so the confusion is absolutely justified. It’s something that varies from company to company, but the core of it is the thing that makes me love the career. For me, I see my role as being an advocate for the community. Editorial staff have specialized interests that are shared by our readers. They want to provide you with top quality content that gives you all the opportunity to learn about, and speak about, the things you love.

As a Community Manager (CM), my job is to make sure that we provide the community with the resources and support needed to keep that communication flowing. I’ll work with the volunteer moderators to answer questions, I’ll watch for areas of concern, then share that info with the Editorial team in a concise manner, and will help our dev team keep up to date on how we can provide the best possible tools to support you.

ProfJohnL said:
Since Haymarket sold PC to Future Publishing, the absence of any two way interaction between the members and the forums new owners has been very noticeable. Does Future Publishing direct editorial staff to not get involved with in group forums related to their publications interests?

A fair concern, since silence can definitely be frightening. We absolutely want to do everything we can to keep info flowing, but up until this point, there hasn’t been a lot to share. Our plan is to learn more about the needs of the community so we can take the right steps to help it grow.

We can’t lock in specific details on when specific actions will happen just yet, but we’re exploring what types of existing bugs and points of concern can be fixed on the back-end. These are not steps we’d be taking if we didn’t want to fully support you.

ProfJohnL said:
I sence that our volunteer moderators have felt particularly exposed, as they have had no idea if Future were happy with the way they managing the forums activity. I have to assume that Future must have been generally satisfied with the control, otherwise I'm sure we would have had management intervention sooner.

The volunteer mods stepped up in a big way through these transitions and we genuinely appreciate how they have helped keep this community going. They’ve stepped up and taken on the responsibility because of their passion for caravaning, and this specific community. That level of commitment is hard to replicate, but it’s genuinely magical when it happens.

ProfJohnL said:
There have also been some other technical changes, which are more of an inconvenience, the first is that navigating to the first page of a thread using the page number tabs for some reason the opening thread which sets the scene does not show! And secondly, the last posting in a thread is often duplicated onto the top of a new page. These changes without warning or explanation to the members engendere a feeling of distrust and big brother. How much trouble would it have been for a manager to have posted a quick note àbout the changes or some of the problems members have encountered, even if we're to say it's a low priority?

We’ll be looking into the reported issues we hear from the community. I’m afraid I don’t have answers for specific issues yet, but bringing them to our attention is the best way to help us investigate possible solutions, so thanks for that!.

There are still a lot of moving parts, so we can’t setup a specific timeline of events just yet, but the work is being planned out and we’ll do everything we can to keep you all informed as we move through the process.

Thanks very much!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Anseo said:
https://www.mediabistro.com/climb-t...at-does-a-community-manager-do-anyway/[/quote
Thank you Anseo.

The prospectus you have found seems to suggests its a very fluid definition, so I hope Steve will provide a an insight into his job description and to whom he is responsible, and perhaps what some of his targets are.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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ProfJohnL said:
Anseo said:
https://www.mediabistro.com/climb-t...at-does-a-community-manager-do-anyway/[/quote
Thank you Anseo.

The prospectus you have found seems to suggests its a very fluid definition, so I hope Steve will provide a an insight into his job description and to whom he is responsible, and perhaps what some of his targets are.

Prof
Steve has already given an explanation of his role between the Forum and the other staff within PC. I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask him to spell out his Job Description and Targets. After all we are not his line reports. From my perspective it’s how issues, suggestions etc are handled and the outcomes fed back in communications. It’s early days so why not see how things progress with Steve’s new and welcome inputs.
 
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Hello Steve - Welcome to the forum !

@ProfJohnL - I echo Clive’s sentiments completely.

I, like the vast majority of forum members value your contributions and appreciate your time spent in advising others. However, your rather frosty welcome to Steve, not to mention your repeated requests for him to vailidate and justify his position within this free-to-use service and to answer to you are not particularly endearing. I just hope he doesn’t think that everone’s comments will be composed with such hubris and disappear off into the sunset as quickly as he arrived. :woohoo:
 
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I agree totally with the last 2 comments posted, let’s give the new contributor a chance to explore the forum and find out what’s needed going forward, ripping him from the beginning of him posting will achieve little or nothing at all.
I’m pleased just to find out our forum has attracted attention from the owners of the site so good luck in what happens from here on.

BP
 

Damian

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First of all Welcome to Steve, glad you are now taking the Forum and its concerns on as part of your brief.
It is a welcome addition to have a point of contact for myself and Parksy so that we can raise issues as and when they need to be.

Secondly I find it completely in bad taste for "Prof JohnL" to demand what role in the company that Steve has, it is of no concern to anyone but Steves' employers and most certainly not "The Prof" and I apologise on his behalf, whether or not he likes it, and would remind him to stick to things that concern him in future.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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A warm welcome Steve aka Alllen the Alien!
Great to hear from the company’s interested person. Since the departure of Haymarket we have been in a limbo, not sure how long this Forum would last.
Practical Caravan and its sister mag Practical Motor Caravan have been a major journalistic enjoyment for many of us for a good number of years. The gathering at Stowford lead to the formation of The Woosies as mentioned by Parksy.
We meet twice a year. We come from all quarters of the UK, travelling far afield for Woosie Fests.
Please feel free to join us. It would be a great opportunity to encompass a Fest and maybe allow us Woosies to help in your assessments of new caravans and accessories!
Good luck . DD.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Thank you to all contributors and moderators who have questioned my motives for my postings.

If we are to interact productively with a new site owner and their officers, it helps to know the lie of the land.

I have courteously asked or suggested that it would be helpful to have answers I have not "demand" answers.

I do not need others to appologise for me in this thread. I will do so my self if necessary.
 

Damian

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Lets just take some excerpts from your posting:
1. "I do welcome a public appearance of a member of Futures staff, better late than never,"

How rude is that !!!

2. " forgive me for some cynicism as to your title. What on earth is a "Community Manager"? I have tried to Google for a definition, but frankly it is far from clear what role you are tasked with in terms of "management"?"

Just because you have never heard of the title, or been able to use Google to find out, despite others being able to link to the information, what has his position got to do with you~??

3. " I sence that our volunteer moderators have felt particularly exposed, "

Do not ever "sense" what I or Parksy have felt, you have no idea what we are or are not thinking, and just for your information we have had a point of contact throughout, so your "sense" is way off course.

4. "The prospectus you have found seems to suggests its a very fluid definition, so I hope Steve will provide a an insight into his job description and to whom he is responsible,"

Why do you need to know? it is of no concern to you whatsoever, and he has no reason to tell you who he is responsible to. His job is very fluid in what he does, which fits very nicely with the link given, what else is there to say ????

You act as if everyone owes you some kind of explanation for what they do, and give people the impression that you have some input to the running and Moderating of the Forum, when in fact you do not, you are like everyone else a contributor to topics .
 

SHaines

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Just to weigh in again and alleviate any concerns, I have learned many lessons in my time on earth, and one of the most important is that tone and intention are not the same thing. With text, it can be really tough to convey your concerns with context, so people may take things more personally than intended.

I have a thick skin and a a strong desire to learn more about how I can be of service. It's really tough to hurt my feelings, so we're all clear here. Things have been very quiet on our side of things for too long, so a bit of frustration is understandable.

This is a marathon, not a sprint, so bear with me and we'll get where we want to go, together. Thanks again to everyone for chiming in and sharing your thoughts.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Let me first say thank you to Steve AKA AllenTheAlien for his long reply. I had not seen this reply earlier, because the way forum works; you don’t see posts that arise whilst you are composing a response so often intermediate responses are posted before you post your own new comment.

It was my fopar not to actually welcome Steve. I should have done and I do appologise for that. It was not my intention to cause upset to anyone.

However I still believe it is acceptable to ask the questions I have, to enable me and perhaps others to get to know Steve better, and what his position allows him to do in respect of continuing and hopefully improving the forum.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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ProfJohnL said:
Let me first say thank you to Steve AKA AllenTheAlien for his long reply. I had not seen this reply earlier, because the way forum works; you don’t see posts that arise whilst you are composing a response so often intermediate responses are posted before you post your own new comment.

It was my fopar not to actually welcome Steve. I should have done and I do appologise for that. It :woohoo: was not my intention to cause upset to anyone.

However I still believe it is acceptable to ask the questions I have, to enable me and perhaps others to get to know Steve better, and what his position allows him to do in respect of continuing and hopefully improving the forum.
Priceless :whistle:
 
Nov 16, 2015
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Prof, as before said, type, preview, think and then post. . At times we are all failing to do this.

Yet again.

Allen the Alien , welcome to this friendly forum. .
Honestly we do get on. .

Hutch.
 

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