clubstogie purchase and site changes

[Mad Hatter]

I didn't know about this either until Evan the burley man made me aware of it last night. All I can say is roll with the punches, such is life and all that stuff. No matter what they do they can't take away your memories and as long as you have those you'll have something to aspire to. I'm not really expecting huge changes but whatever happens it'll be alright in the end.

[Rolando]

Now that a value has been placed on us that is beyond the initial price of the domain and software it turns us into a business where an ROI is expected. The most important thing will be to get a high membership count and high page views and for that somthing will probably be sacrificed. Nothing wrong with making money from a hobby but with a hobby the passion and heart come first and the profit is a nice reward. With a business the profit is demanded and even though passion and heart might be involved they take a back seat.

I am sure my borderline snarky ways will probably be unappreciated. The new owner must be someone clueless when it comes to cigars or the horrible site name and slogan would not have been chosen. Which leads me back to believe this was all about the numbers.

[Mr.Lordi]

Originally Posted by Rolando

Now that a value has been placed on us that is beyond the initial price of the domain and software it turns us into a business where an ROI is expected. The most important thing will be to get a high membership count and high page views and for that something will probably be sacrificed. Nothing wrong with making money from a hobby but with a hobby the passion and heart come first and the profit is a nice reward. With a business the profit is demanded and even though passion and heart might be involved they take a back seat.

I am sure my borderline snarky ways will probably be unappreciated. The new owner must be someone clueless when it comes to cigars or the horrible site name and slogan would not have been chosen. Which leads me back to believe this was all about the numbers.

To be honest, in my experiences these never work out. One forum, non smoking one, I was a part of was shut down back in April because cost got too high, around May it came back under new ownership, and it wasn't the same. The friendships we had forged on that board got lost and old members didn't return. It sucked. Even the few regulars that came back didn't make the experience better. It had changed and never felt right again.

CS is the best site, bar none. I have lurked on a few other sites, but none have the caliber and quality of CS. It truly is...was? The best.

But if we all work to making the little slice of CS the new owner has said he would install, those clubhouse things, then it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm not a Star Trek fan, much, but now I know what its like to be assimilated by the Borg. lol

[ChronoB]

Originally Posted by Mr.Lordi

The friendships we had forged on that board got lost and old members didn't return. It sucked. Even the few regulars that came back didn't make the experience better. It had changed and never felt right again.

That's what it boils down to - the people. The forum itself is just a gathering place. Granted, it's one we all like, and if we start to dislike it enough then it won't be worth gathering here. Hopefully we can keep it together.

IHT, I'm curious, what happened back in May that drove some people off?

[Mister Moo]

The good thing about CS, for me, is (was) the not-too-commercial aspect. I've not ever been spammed for being here and trading or posting "personal" information.

I also like the fact that sooner, or later, one way or another, someone you know knows everyone else. This eliminates the bolo factor in the ultimate best result of CS, which is personal and in-person relationships with participants of good character.

Mods or no-mods, mouthy, flaming azzozoles (except me), liars, cheaters, moochers and dipsticks get banned or just disappear when they sense they do not fit. With exceptions, many larger boards do not provide such an effective self-correcting system.

Wheat vs. chaff? Too much chaff already (not esp. in the pipe forum) for many well-informed contributors, past and present. Face it - cigar boards draw all kind of juvenile weenies and, while juvenile weenies deserve a place to go, I don't like them in my face. I am amazed how few outbreaks of weenieness actually occur here (tribute: very good mods) but more commercial draw can mean greater opportunity for flamer-weenies and mooching nincompoops. I mean, who'd want to arrange a pass with thier merchandise on board with 10,000 members all wanting to opt in? Pooick.

I've paid my way with cash contributions because the board was not particularly commercial. I would think twice about poof.com if it has a pay-section that is more in keeping with CS but if it is going to turn into one big pig-pen then it wouldn't be for me. The personal and trust aspect of these boards works with a few hundred or so members - thousands just kills it.

Pipe guys don't really have serious privacy worries but I can imagine several contributors in other forums here never thought the range of their posting might be exposed to a bazillion onlookers. That is troublesome.

WTF. I only came to convert Sanka drinkers to the hard stuff (homeroast) anyhow. I never really smoked a cigar anyhow. Yeah - that's it... I was just kidding. Just kidding about ever smoking any cigars. THAT's the ticket.

I give Jon and his cadre every opportunity to make this a better place in his view.

Thus endeth my thoughts.

[Piledriver]

Originally Posted by Rolando

Now that a value has been placed on us that is beyond the initial price of the domain and software it turns us into a business where an ROI is expected. The most important thing will be to get a high membership count and high page views and for that somthing will probably be sacrificed. Nothing wrong with making money from a hobby but with a hobby the passion and heart come first and the profit is a nice reward. With a business the profit is demanded and even though passion and heart might be involved they take a back seat.

I am sure my borderline snarky ways will probably be unappreciated. The new owner must be someone clueless when it comes to cigars or the horrible site name and slogan would not have been chosen. Which leads me back to believe this was all about the numbers.

That is exactly how I feel. I came here mainly for the pipe section, since the one on my old board is rather inactive(6-7 posts a week). I have learned so much from these boards, would hate to see them die due to new ownership. And with the name choices, like Rolando mentioned, the new owner does seem to be more interested with the "business" side then the hobby one.

[Mennald]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Wheat vs. chaff? Too much chaff already (not esp. in the pipe forum) for many well-informed contributors, past and present. Face it - cigar boards draw all kind of juvenile weenies and, while juvenile weenies deserve a place to go, I don't like them in my face. I am amazed how few outbreaks of weenieness actually occur here...

I had a slight outbreak of weenieness this morning. Fortunately it was able to be controlled.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Mennald

I had a slight outbreak of weenieness this morning. Fortunately it was able to be controlled.

Chicago. It figures. Where's the relish and jalapenos?

[Mennald]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Chicago. It figures. Where's the relish and jalapenos?

That would be: relish, celery salt, and sport peppers.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Mennald

That would be: relish...

Correction. You meant glow-in-dark-only-in-Chi-too-weird-a-shade-of-green relish.

Didn't you, you pest?

[Mennald]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Correction. You meant glow-in-dark-only-in-Chi-too-weird-a-shade-of-green relish.

Didn't you, you pest?

I stand corrected.

[clampdown]

Puff.com is perhaps the dumbest name for a website I have seen. Simply typing it in to this message was painful for me to do. I really don't care about the buyout, its part of capitalism. I hope some things change about the site (ie RG is pretty lame attempt to make people feel important, and the repatitious threads that seem to pop every few weeks), however I still enjoy coming here and reading and sharing. Unfortunately when money comes into play and you start looking at this as a business and not a place to come together and learn and share then this place will be doomed. I think we know how this will all turn out.

[Hydrated]

I wanted to come down here with my pipe folks before I posted my views. I see no reason to post about it to the cigar-only guys when I can talk to people who understand me better. Other Pipe guys.

I joined CS initially to learn more about enjoying cigars... the hobby. And I stumbled upon CS really on accident... and that was a very fortunate accident. This message board is unlike ANY other in that I've ever seen... trust and respect for others is not a goal. It is the order of the day.

Where else can you send a box pass with $$$ worth of cigars around to people whom you've never met, and have absolutely zero worries hat you'll get ripped off? These people are friends and comrades. I've traveled all over the U.S. and visited people from these boards in person. They have, without fail, invited me into their homes and shared their time with me while I was away from my home. I treasure that time.

Now... the reason that I'm not happy about the big buyout:

We always operated in a minimally commercial environment. We had some ads that we see on the screen, but for the most part the boards were visited by smaller vendors who really cared if we were happy and taken care of. .. and I bought from several of them. It was not intrusive at all.

But then our little community was identified as profitable. Jon spent a ton of cash to buy the site along with several others. He also spent large dollars to get a 4-letter domain name for the new site (many people don't have a clue as to how scarce and expensive those are). And he did it for one single reason: He purchased an established customer base and mailing list. Period.

His business plan is to roll all of his newly acquired forums into one large group... why? So that he can send his sales weasels out to sell my presence to his advertisers. So I was basically sold as a commodity to a new owner who wants to use me to make money. I'm calling on his "love and passion for cigars". You don't spend that kind of coin because you have a "passion for cigars"... you spend that kind of coin on an investment.

So I expect to see him make the annoying changes that will force us to see the ads that he sold to his vendors. Advertisers want to be guaranteed that our eyes can't bypass those advertisements... so look forward to banners... popups... and those nifty embedded hotlinks that appear as you mouse over them. You can also bank on the fact that you will be herded onto those parts of the site that are profitable for Jon.

This all means that our little group is doomed. I'm not sending trades or passes out into the world of puff.com... I don't know those people. And we lose our close knit group to an influx of new blood and endless lists of new threads every day.

Now... that said... lemme tell you something else. I have absolutely NO RIGHT to ask Paul not to sell this site. He's done more work than I ever would have done for as little money and appreciation. And I thank him for letting me enjoy my time here. But time marches on.

[SIZE="4"]One question for the Moo-Mod (Mooderator?):[/SIZE]

Will Mrs. FloydP's rolodex be erased or thrown in the fireplace? There must be thousands of names and addresses in that thing, and I do not want my name and address to fall into the hands of some ass-hat marketing prick.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Hydrated

[SIZE=4]One question for the Moo-Mod (Mooderator?):[/SIZE]

Will Mrs. FloydP's rolodex be erased or thrown in the fireplace?

Far as I know the Keeper of the Rolodex considers it her private property and has always treated it that way. A trust thing. I would be more concerned about the security of the Crown Jewels than the rolodex. This, at least, is my speculation until someone sez otherwise.

[uncballzer]

Originally Posted by Hydrated

Will Mrs. FloydP's rolodex be erased or thrown in the fireplace? There must be thousands of names and addresses in that thing, and I do not want my name and address to fall into the hands of some ass-hat marketing prick.

That will not happen. As I can't say 100% sure, I'm certain that she WILL NOT give out our addresses, even if asked by the new owner to do so. I trust her and trust her in keeping mine safe.