The Nation And Thaivisa.com Sign Internet Forum Deal

[george]

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.

The Nation Forum is now redirected to Thaivisa as you have noticed. There is nothing more. The Nation wants us and we want them. You could say it's a traffic barter.

[Boo]

Mr Toad, the thread is only being heavily censored (as you claim it) due to the number of (now deleted) off topic posts relating to thaivisa moderation & the continued posts of "the sky is falling" variety. Neither are the subject at hand.

[george]

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.

No members or topics will be imported from the former The Nation webboard. We welcome all Nation members to join us if they want.

[mrtoad]

Mr Toad, the thread is only being heavily censored (as you claim it) due to the number of (now deleted) off topic posts relating to thaivisa moderation & the continued posts of "the sky is falling" variety. Neither are the subject at hand.

The former is against the rules, the later as far as I understand isn't? Lot's of people here with reservations.

[satiariyan]

... 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.

... and that's the truth, spoken here... I've been a reader since 2003. Whenever I use the search function and pick up some old thread I see that about 30% of the inspiring posters are now banned. Once in a while, when I see that this or that poster, I used to enjoy, is banned I check up on their posts. Usually I fail to see anything in their posts that could have caused the ban. Surely, there might have been good reasons for banning in some unknown deleted post but how would i know- and how would anyone know if e.g. I get banned tnow, that the reason was this post if it gets deleted?

Overall - i fully agree with mobi that TV has detoriated over the years - (but I do appreciate that we all do have to make a living, somehow - so no hard feelings, just a sigh).

[LadyHeather]

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?

I'm sorry, did you actually read what the moderators and george have posted?

[dantilley]

The Nation Forum is now redirected to Thaivisa as you have noticed. There is nothing more.

That's it? Nothing more? Front page news on the Nation's website, email sent round to tens of thousands of ThaiVisa members, all to announce one redirect from a little used forum hidden away in the "Others" section of an English langauge newspaper's web site? Oh, and of course the new logo re-design to include "The Nation" above the familiar ThaiVisa logo. Seems like a lot of fuss over (almost) nothing to me...

Edited January 29, 2009 by dantilley

[george]

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.

Thanks for your kind words. I can guarantee you and all other users that it wouldn't be any change at all of Thaivisa policies or ownership. We are parting up with a media organization that will take us to the next level, and that means a lot in these hard times. We have not been merged or bought up, we are just co-branding to get more members, more traffic, more media exposure.

Yen, yen! Take my word. Thaivisa is my brain child, and nobody will change this operation.

[mrtoad]

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?

I'm sorry, did you actually read what the moderators and george have posted?

I'm sorry you must be pretty new.

[MJo]

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.

This can be actually checked quite easily and is true. Several sites where you can check any web page hits and estimated ads revenue. At the moment thaivisa has more hits than nation. Also slightly bigger ads revenue. Maybe it is Nation who's looking more hits via more popular thaivisa here ?

[Boo]

I'm sorry you must be pretty new.

Why, because they aren't looking for the boogie man behind every word?

[skiman1]

yawn! I have difficulty taking anything seriously when I see the word synergy in the announcement - management bullshit speak - a good forum fuc_ked, Orwellian almost! maybe I am paranoid!

[sriracha john]

I wonder if any info of mine / other members is now available to the nation people in a way that it wasn't previously? Maybe a link between Thaivisa servers & the 'Nation's servers' with some nice tracking sowtware running in the background...

[taxexile]

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.

spot on mobi , well said.

[Ijustwannateach]

Suddenly I feel overzealous, and also mysterious... forceful, in a way...

[taxexile]

and your post ijwt sums up a lot of what we mere posters feel about those that cannot be mentioned.

its ok for these snide comments to appear , but when they come from the other side posts get deleted or posters banned.

a reappraisal of attitudes is , i have to say , long overdue.

[Priceless]

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.

Thank you Mobi, well phrased and I couldn't agree more

/ Priceless

[Ijustwannateach]

and your post ijwt sums up a lot of what we mere posters feel about those that cannot be mentioned.

its ok for these snide comments to appear , but when they come from the other side posts get deleted or posters banned.

a reappraisal of attitudes is , i have to say , long overdue.

Are you sure that you're not taking this just a teensy little bit too seriously?

"It's just an internet forum." - someone else said that first....

[katana]

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.

The Nation Forum is now redirected to Thaivisa as you have noticed. There is nothing more. The Nation wants us and we want them. You could say it's a traffic barter.

May get some more Thai posters coming here from the old Nationmultimedia forum.

[OxfordWill]

poor old george.. surrounded by those who don't want to listen or simply are incapable of it!

GREAT move for thaivisa- many congratulations. Seriously impressed!

[Boo]

It is a free site for a reason. Use it or not, is your choice but slagging it & the admin off will not be tolerated.

[Maestro]

I sincerely hope this won't affect the input of news stories and comment from the Bangkok Post…

It won’t have any effect. As always, Thailand-related news stories, regardless from what publication, can be posted on ThaiVisa.

Regarding Bangkok Post, the rule that not the whole article may be posted, only a few lines and a link to the rest of the story, remains unchanged. This is not because ThaiVisa wants it so, but Bangkok Post, for copyright reasons, whereas The Nation has already for the past many years allowed posting of the full article from their newspaper.

In other words, continue as before.

--

Maestro

[dinthailand]

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

Does this mean that the rules now state we must use the same standard of English that The Nation uses.

Only joking, their English is superb. crawl, crawl

[Boo]

maybe they'll start looking for proof readers from the tv membership

[OlRedEyes]

Let's hope TV doesn't drift further towards the 'harmonious society' idea with this hookup. Thailand is undergoing a strong drive to regain total control, a hookup such as this does not inspire confidence, and as someone said, produces the feeling that one needs a shower....

[Bizz]

As a long time member I welcome this.

At times l read the bull*** the moans the groans.

This will give Thai visa members access to a much wider audience where there is scope for editorial comment and a place where your majority views are heard and maybe finally listened to.

Well we are always complaining no one listens.

[kingwillly]

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.

Thanks for your kind words. I can guarantee you and all other users that it wouldn't be any change at all of Thaivisa policies or ownership. We are parting up with a media organization that will take us to the next level, and that means a lot in these hard times. We have not been merged or bought up, we are just co-branding to get more members, more traffic, more media exposure.

Yen, yen! Take my word. Thaivisa is my brain child, and nobody will change this operation.

Yeah yeah, exactly, a natural progreession to the next level,

personaly i am excited. This is gonnna be huge.

I mean, thaivisa is already big exposure media wise online, Nation is already big exposure media wise paper wise, so for the two to cobrand (will we have t-shirts, btw) is just a natural synergy.

I;m lovign the posibbilites.

Slogans, "Get a ThaiVisa to the Nation that you Love!"

[Martin]

I am sorry to have to say this to 'George' and 'Boo', but the more I think about this, the more I think that you have got yourselves, and us, and the Nation, into a 'lose-lose-lose' situation.

I won't repeat post #87 from 'mobi' as that has already been done several times, but I thoroughly agree with it.

'Merangue', in post #16, said

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

'Merangue' is right and puts his typing finger right on the point.

Whether we agree with those leanings, or not, is irrelevant.

Thai Visa had a moral duty to us not to tie us in so that we are all seen as having an affiliation with a particular news outlet (since every nws outlet has its political leaning----that is why its proprietor bought it, usually).

Because ThaiVisa, by its very success in bringing together so many farangs, got itself to be seen as the voice of the farangs, it brought upon itself a moral duty to, at least, discuss any such move as this openly with its members before it committed itself.

'George' and 'Boo' saying that it is "only a marketing/branding exercise" is not good enough.

Like all the rest of us, they cannot serve Good and Mammon.

The whole point of 'establishing a brand' is to develop customer loyalty, which is bias towards the slant of the brand. And then those who consume the brand 'brand' themselves.

Well, I am a maverick. There is no brand on my rump.

(For any who don't understand the allusion, I should explain that Mr Maverick was a Texan rancher who was too busy with other things to have time to brand his calves.)

I am trying to think how we can limit the damage that ThaiVisa has caused to the whole farang community by this move.

The best would be for this tie-up to be untied immediately.

I wonder if this person 'George' is man enough to say:

"Sorry. ThaiVisa is my brainchild and I 'threw the baby out with the (commercial) bathwater'.

I am going to get it back by negotiating ThaiVisa out of this deal.

That will make it clear that all farangs are not in the Nation's pocket."

I await your reply, 'George'.

(Since my e-mail notifications from Thai Visa still don't work, despite having PMed 'George' about it, I won't know immediately that 'George' has answered, but I will look back at the thread periodically.)

[kingwillly]

Thai Visa had a moral duty to us not to tie us in

Because ThaiVisa, by its very success in bringing together so many farangs,

the voice of the farangs,

a moral duty to, at least, discuss any such move as this openly with its members before it committed itself.and 'brand' themselves.

I am trying to think how we can limit the damage that ThaiVisa has caused to the whole farang community by this move.

The best would be for this tie-up to be untied immediately.

I wonder if this person 'George' is man enough to say:

"Sorry. ThaiVisa is my brainchild and I 'threw the baby out with the (commercial) bathwater'.

I am going to get it back by negotiating ThaiVisa out of this deal.

That will make it clear that all farangs are not in the Nation's pocket."

get a grip. what absolute piffle.

[OlRedEyes]

As a long time member I welcome this.

At times l read the bull*** the moans the groans.

This will give Thai visa members access to a much wider audience where there is scope for editorial comment and a place where your majority views are heard and maybe finally listened to.

Well we are always complaining no one listens.

If you think that farang views will be listened to you live in fantasy, I'm afraid. More likely those views will raise hackles, and will be 'edited'.