The Nation And Thaivisa.com Sign Internet Forum Deal

[Boo]

This thread is not a free for all for certain posters to start on about their gripes with moderators/moderating policy. That rule is not new & has not changed due to the new venture. Contact admin if you want to have a pop at moderators but any posts doing so on the forum will continue to be deleted & posters warned.

I hope this clears up any questions of why posts have been deleted

[wileycoyote]

We will just to see how things pan out

Good Luck

Wiley Coyote

[davee58]

I fear this will be used to replace the Nation weblog and drag down the quality and impartiality of ThaiVisa.

Maybe good to have a link to Thai Visa from the Nation website, (and why not on the Bangkok post website as well), but not to hand over editorial control!!

Will George and the other moderators be consigned to history, or merely forgotten.. Your names are not as memorable as Bernard Trink!!

[Boo]

Where has it been said that The Nation will have editorial control of the forum?George & SBK have both posted quite clearly that the paper will have no control over the running of the forum or it's content & that there is no restriction on criticism of The Nation (as long as it is within the general forum rules which has always been the policy of this forum)

Please. Read what has been posted before going off on such fantastical flights of fiction.

[adjan jb]

A rhetorical question: Will our freedoms expand or shrink?

[noahvail]

PRESS RELEASE

29 January 2009

For immediate release

The Nation and ThaiVisa.com sign Internet forum deal

<snipped by me>

"We are very excited about this venture," says Barry Main, marketing director of ThaiVisa.com. This extends the user base for us, and we see synergy effects and marketing possibilities working with a large news organisation. With this growth in the user base we hope to increase the variety of content and reach a wider section of the foreign and Thai community," says Barry Main.

<snipped again>

"Synergy" ???? That is sooooooo 90s.

"Marketing possibilities" ??? So who's supposed to be making the money, Thaivisa or The Nation?

I'm sure the "Thai community" will *really* appreciate the farange take on things...

[kingwillly]

This thread is not a free for all for certain posters to start on about their gripes with moderators/moderating policy. That rule is not new & has not changed due to the new venture. Contact admin if you want to have a pop at moderators but any posts doing so on the forum will continue to be deleted & posters warned.

I hope this clears up any questions of why posts have been deleted

shouldn't need clearing up, really, quite obvious, I would have thought.

Oh and completely fair.

[basjke]

A rhetorical question: Will our freedoms expand or shrink?

You can't be serious about this one.

[Pierrot]

The only thing that you will notice is the re-branding plus an influx of new members/readers. This is called branding/marketing and has nothing to do with management. More Yellows ! Is it really a good news ?

The Nation and Thaivisa has been friends for many years, and now we reflect that in a co-branding and some marketing synergies. Like if we didn't noticed ...

Both The Nation and Thaivisa are separate entities with separate management. We will continue so.

Yes you can disagree with every political opinion. As I have said, The Nation has not, and does not want, to have any influence of the content of this forum. Period.

This is a joint venture / win-win situation for both parties.

Merger Of Equals ? It never worked and will never work. There is always a buyer and a seller, a winner and a loser (the winner is not always the buyer ...). I guess in the coming month we're going to see who's who.

[adjan jb]

such fantastical flights of fiction.

I think you're very naive if you believe that Thaivisa (that I hold dear) can retain its independance after having signed a deal with such a "big noodle" as The Nation.

Why do I have the feeling that we sold our soul?

[satiariyan]

PRESS RELEASE

The Nation and ThaiVisa.com sign Internet forum deal

Not good.

Will they now start asking for moderation of posts that are critical of their crap journalism or political beliefs?

Thanks, mrtoad. Saved me a lot of skimming to see this already as post 4 on first page. Exactly what I thought when reading the OP. Now no need to read any further to check whether it already has been said. Another step towards the nearest drain of the commercial gutter TV has been in for quite a long while - (Yeah, yeah - I know. We all need to make a living somehow).

[Boo]

Suggest you do go back & read the whole thread then instead of bitching about it cause it has been explained several times already.

[bazmlb]

such fantastical flights of fiction.

I think you're very naive if you believe that Thaivisa (that I hold dear) can retain its independance after having signed a deal with such a "big noodle" as The Nation.

Why do I have the feeling that we sold our soul?

Nothing has been sold out, the status quo will remain, just the traffic levels will increase, this is a marketing deal and Thaivisa will remain in full control of the forum, the traffic levels for The Nation and Thaivisa are very similar so considering one as a big noodle is not a fair comparison when both are on par.

[pumpuiman]

I see the Nation being unhappy with this in the future. If in fact there will be no censorship of posts, it may be the Nation doesn't like what their reading.

I get a very uneasy feeling though. Being in any way associated with such a politically one sided organization.

I feel a little like I need to take a shower.

[sbk]

A suggestion to all members to read the rules before posting.

I hope this is clear enough .

Thank you "sbk".

Re the following rules:-

13) English language is the only acceptable language on thaivisa.com, except of course in the Thai Language Forum where Thai is encouraged.

18) URL links from public to private forums are not permitted.

Will these be changed due to "The Nation And Thaivisa.com Sign Internet Forum Deal"?

********

Good Luck to "ThaiVisaDotCom" and "The Nation" on this new venture

Looking forward to reading The Nation Forum? Can anyone point me in that direction please?

Yours truly,

Kan Win

The rules remain the same, Thai Visa forum remains an English language forum and URL links will not be permitted to other forums.

I am not sure where all the paranoia is coming from since george has reiterated NUMEROUS times that there will be no effect on content and that The Nation will have zero control over the forum whatsoever. But perhaps its easier to come up with vague conspiracy theories.

Once again, the rules remain the same and if you have difficulty being civil or within the bounds of the exact same rules that were in place before then you will have an equally difficult time now.

[satiariyan]

Suggest you do go back & read the whole thread then instead of bitching about it cause it has been explained several times already.

Sorry, but the gutter I'm referring to is that one has to scroll 2 thirds down a 19 inch screen to get past the commercials - that makes me have no patience for excuses for further moneymaking additions.

[adjan jb]

Once again, the rules remain the same and if you have difficulty being civil or within the bounds of the exact same rules that were in place before then you will have an equally difficult time now.

No one has been uncivil so far.

Best regards,

JB

Reason for edit: It's always better with a Smiley/Emoticon

Edited January 29, 2009 by adjan jb

[pickel]

Any chance on getting the financial details of this merger?

[basjke]

So far 77 reoly's from which are 2 or 3 in favor.For sure the majority of posters is confused.

[chowder]

im surprise to see Thaivisa on the nation site, Thaivisa have gone a long way, i remember the day when Thaivisa have only a dozen or so member, now over 70 thousand register, congratulation George.

[LadyHeather]

So far 77 reoly's from which are 2 or 3 in favor.For sure the majority of posters is confused.

I am not confused, I have read george and the other moderators posts and understand quite clearly what they are saying. I am ignoring the vague mutterings of people who do not really know what is going on in favor of those who do.

Until it is proven otherwise, I will accept at face value that this is a marketing deal.

Also, I must point out that I have seen a link to Thai Visa on The Nation website for some months now.

[adjan jb]

Though The Nation ran an article, it's not neither in the "Top Stories" nor in the "Breaking News". It's somewhat of a disappointment.

[dantilley]

Where has it been said that The Nation will have editorial control of the forum?George & SBK have both posted quite clearly that the paper will have no control over the running of the forum or it's content & that there is no restriction on criticism of The Nation (as long as it is within the general forum rules which has always been the policy of this forum)

Please. Read what has been posted before going off on such fantastical flights of fiction.

OK, so how exactly does it work then? You mention it will increase the membership of Thaivisa, but how exactly? Will you be automatically importing all the users from the old Nation forum, www.nationmultimedia.com/forum into ThaiVisa? And does that include all the old topics from the Nation forum also? I notice that link now comes to this site, by the way, so maybe it's in process already.

Or do you just mean you'll be linking to each other? If so, I can't see how The Nation would benefit from this as ThaiVisa links to the Nation website regularly anyway in the news section.

Or is there more to it? Perhaps explaining more details of what will be happening due to this partnership will help quash some of these "consipracy theories" from being dreamed up. And by that I mean other than just saying "it's a marketing deal" which means nothing.

[basjke]

So far 77 reoly's from which are 2 or 3 in favor.For sure the majority of posters is confused.

I am not confused, I have read george and the other moderators posts and understand quite clearly what they are saying. I am ignoring the vague mutterings of people who do not really know what is going on in favor of those who do.

Until it is proven otherwise, I will accept at face value that this is a marketing deal.

Also, I must point out that I have seen a link to Thai Visa on The Nation website for some months now.

If you read between the lines you would understand that my remarks were not regarding value of the agreement.

[JimsKnight]

Will watch this intently. I have serious misgivings about this and i doubt that this will have no impact on the lack of bias on this forum no matter how good the intentions are.

Simple fact is that the forum is now allied with a news outlet that is not free from political leanings.

The political leanings being what exactly? Left? Right? Up or down?

Get a grip man, we're here still posting our things afterall!

TV is already allied with various factions and elements within Thailand as it is, being with the Nation people isn't going to change the idealogy as it stands

[JacknDanny]

Its a shame that the remarkable spelling feats that The Nation is renowned for, has followed them onto this site.

I just saw their advert at the top of one of TV pages......... The Nation/Thai Visa........We Know Througout Thailand

Not only does it not make sense, but when I was at school we spelt througout as throughout

[Mobi]

I first started reading ThaiVisa in 2005, and joined in January 2006. It was a very different animal 3-4 years ago, and we used to have lively discussions, with many amusing, annoying and erudite members contributing to our daily read. Some threads were highly intellectual, others were very political, and still others were comical and informative in equal doses. In my view, the general ethos of the forum was that of a large family – sometimes squabbling, sometimes loving, occasionally mean and outrageous, but mostly tolerant and forgiving - as with most large families. By and large the ebb and flow of postings was allowed to continue unchecked, and TV gained a reputation for being entertaining, very informative and having considerable independence and integrity.

I have observed the sad deterioration of ThaiVisa , probably in direct proportion to the vast increase in the number of members , and corresponding jump in advertising revenue. Most, if not all, the best posters and genuine characters have faded into the ether; either voluntarily, with their hands wringing in disillusion and despair, or more often, assisted down the path to oblivion by an over zealous, mysterious force.

Such is the fate of all organizations which rise above their humble origins and seek riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Time will tell, but I do agree that ThaiVisa has sold it’s soul for a mess of pottage, and it won’t be long before the only debates remaining on the forum will be bland, mind numbing discussions on the ‘Weather’, ‘Why are there so many lady boys in Pattaya ‘Every farang is married to a whore except me’, and the ‘Times of buses from Bangkok to Pattaya’.

So you sow, so may you reap.

[satiariyan]

I am not confused, I have read george and the other moderators posts and understand quite clearly what they are saying. I am ignoring the vague mutterings of people who do not really know what is going on in favor of those who do.

Until it is proven otherwise, I will accept at face value that this is a marketing deal.

Congratulations! - You've accepted what noone has disputed. - What does "marketing deal" mean by the way?

[basjke]

I first started reading ThaiVisa in 2005, and joined in January 2006. It was a very different animal 3-4 years ago, and we used to have lively discussions, with many amusing, annoying and erudite members contributing to our daily read. Some threads were highly intellectual, others were very political, and still others were comical and informative in equal doses. In my view, the general ethos of the forum was that of a large family – sometimes squabbling, sometimes loving, occasionally mean and outrageous, but mostly tolerant and forgiving - as with most large families. By and large the ebb and flow of postings was allowed to continue unchecked, and TV gained a reputation for being entertaining, very informative and having considerable independence and integrity.

I have observed the sad deterioration of ThaiVisa , probably in direct proportion to the vast increase in the number of members , and corresponding jump in advertising revenue. Most, if not all, the best posters and genuine characters have faded into the ether; either voluntarily, with their hands wringing in disillusion and despair, or more often, assisted down the path to oblivion by an over zealous, mysterious force.

Such is the fate of all organizations which rise above their humble origins and seek riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Time will tell, but I do agree that ThaiVisa has sold it’s soul for a mess of pottage, and it won’t be long before the only debates remaining on the forum will be bland, mind numbing discussions on the ‘Weather’, ‘Why are there so many lady boys in Pattaya ‘Every farang is married to a whore except me’, and the ‘Times of buses from Bangkok to Pattaya’.

So you sow, so may you reap.

[mrtoad]

The fact that this thread seems to have been so heavily cesored, doesn't bode well.