Forums
I Give Up
I can't take it anymore. I think I'm gonna just give up on this place. Not only are 90% of my friends gone, from Chattanooga to Fernley, from Tampa Bay to Boston, but the site continues to be dark, hard to read, hard to navigate, hard on the eyes.
Not a threat.
Or a promise.
Just a thought.
Am I wrong?
Cordially,
Tom
--
Give one heart. Get back two.
That's the paradox of I Love You.
--
Blessed is the believer who knows love is our Redeemer
And the only breath of life for these times in which we live
Replies to This Posting
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RE: I Give Up
I am still here!! do i count? LOL! it's not the same but I don't want to miss anything!
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RE: I Give Up
I won't be leaving but I'm not on here as much as I used to since it's so quite now...
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RE: I Give Up
I feel your pain Tom.Its been pretty depressing around here.Between horrible Shine sales.ticket problems for presales,a website that has dropped in quality,Jennifer leaving,etc...I would love to know the stats as far as traffic is concerned between the old and the new websites.But then again if things continue on this path there might be some good news.I wont need to even look at or use this site anymore.Ill be able to see Martina at the local
beer joint for a couple of bucks on a Saturday night.Ive been a fanclub member for 5 years[only fanclub we have ever joined].I doubt there will be a sixth. -
RE: I Give Up
I haven't left for good (I know, big disappointment to some) but I surely won't be renewing my FC membership, and regret signing up for it again this fall. I thought Team McBride was serious before Christmas, about addressing our concerns, but it ended up with them believing the GC hype and turning against those of us who they'd been asking for feedback- making us sound like we were just whiners. And GC keeps hammering that the membership is WAY up from where it's ever been. That they aren't here... well, that gets brushed off as unimportant, or they try to claim they are here. How many people they will retain, when they can't EVEN manage to get people the presale tickets they paid for or run the contests they were going to.... well, it's no wonder more and more people disappear every week.
Kat -
RE: I Give Up
I haven't left for good (I know, big disappointment to some) but I surely won't be renewing my FC membership, and regret signing up for it again this fall. I thought Team McBride was serious before Christmas, about addressing our concerns, but it ended up with them believing the GC hype and turning against those of us who they'd been asking for feedback- making us sound like we were just whiners. And GC keeps hammering that the membership is WAY up from where it's ever been. That they aren't here... well, that gets brushed off as unimportant, or they try to claim they are here. How many people they will retain, when they can't EVEN manage to get people the presale tickets they paid for or run the contests they were going to.... well, it's no wonder more and more people disappear every week.
Kat
We had two friends who had to cancel their 4 hr trip and plans[sitter,arranging a work schedule,etc] to see Martina at the St Paul,MN show when after checking on our willcall seats at the box office we were informed that they didnt have any listed for us.Grnd control was contacted and they responded 2 hrs later and to their credit got us other seats.It wasnt in time to help our friends out.We called will call because of the posts by other fans of similar problems.Ive had enough.I wont be renewing my membership because of the multiple problems associated with this website. -
RE: I Give Up
Maybe someone should let her or John in on the multiple complaints and the conseqences of inaction.I kinda doubt thats going to happen.What a shame.
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RE: I Give Up
No, it's not the same anymore. But I do still come here almost every day. I will let you all know how it fares for the tickets I am supposed to have mailed to me and should receive them by Feb 5th. Time will tell. And the worst part is if I do get them in time, I don't know if I can make it. Working on that part now.
I agree, I doubt Martina even knows. Hope John has time to read some of these threads and then she will know.
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Happiness is sharing love in someone's heart.
"Loves the Only House" -
RE: I Give Up
The sad thing is Martina probably isn't even aware of all this...
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I wouldn't be so sure. John IS on the site, after all. And a meeting happened in the fall between GC, Darren, Tracy, and Martina and John, where the problems were supposed to be worked out. More things have happened since then, some were thrown under a bus,and the few things that were supposed to be resolved were fixed only temporarily. *shrug* As far as I'm concerned, it's Martina and John's responsibility to make sure that what they were being told initially is true, and to follow up to make sure that issues were resolved, as agreed upon, as well as to see if any new problems have popped up. And to not just accept GC's word that they are handling it.
If they aren't managing to do that... well, it's their bottom line that is going to suffer, and they'll figure it out eventually. I just hope Martina still has loyal fans around when that happens, if even diehards like Tom are at the end of their patience.
Kat -
RE: I Give Up
I agree. I don't visit this site nearly as often as the other one (only log in a few times a week, compared to numerous times a day). It sucks that it's turned into this, but it's just not fun to post anymore.
Hopefully things will get noticed by Martina and John, and hopefully something gets done about it.
But I'll keep renewing my FC membership. Martina will remain my favorite and I will continue to show my support. Just not through this forum.
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"One of my favorite feelings in the whole world is to wake up - and then go back to sleep." - Martina McBride
David will always be my Doctor. -
Moderator
RE: I Give Up
Hey everyone,
I would like to chime in here and ask what are some things we could do to make the site better. I can address a couple of the issues outlined here like the tickets, we did have the issue back in October with the server and worked hard to resolve it. Issues like that are the LAST thing we want to have. The last couple of presales have kept me up the entire night before due to stressing out, I want them to go perfectly and well the last couple have (knocks on wood). As far as the colors of the site, I agree, we need to and are going to be making some changes on that.
I am looking for creative criticism about the site meaning what you would like to see and what you would like to see gone. I am not looking for mean or negative comments, just want to work with you to make a list of improvements. Oh, and one last thing. A website is never done. Changes should happen as technology continues to move forward. This list should be a nice long one.
Have a nice evening!
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Eddie - ground(ctrl) - support@groundctrl.com -
RE: I Give Up
I give up also! This site is too difficult to use on a daily basis. Visiting will be a few times a few times a week now. I cannot read the text on this site not to mention the eye strain. This is the only website that I have difficulties seeing. I can only see the replies that are posted. What used to be a fun place to go and support Martina with other fans is no longer here because of the drastic changes. The ticket cart issues were upsetting, especially if you take off work to purchase tickets. If you don't create a user friendly site you will have less fans visiting and joining the fan club instead of more.
You asked for feedback and I am usually pretty quiet. The site needs to be easy to READ! Please visit the link below and take note of the color contrast and the font being used.
This is a link to my favorite NASCAR driver and there is not a problem with being able to read the text and it has a black background.
http://www.ronhornaday.com/
When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly.--Patrick Overton -
RE: I Give Up
The fact that you even have to ask your first sentence is ludicrous. We've been telling ground ctrl, in constructive and as you've termed 'creative' (which has so many issue in itself but that aside) manners, what we want / what would make the site better since the launch of the new site with ground ctrl running it. It's been 4 months and we still feel like were talking to a steel wall. Any positive changes, if one might notice is buried and over shadowed by the many issues that frustrate us. On that note, thanks for making the images in the store viewable larger. Additionally you're worried that the list of improvements should be a long one, well it already is and in reality the list should be getting shorter not longer, yes having consistent additions to improvements is good but should not be a requirement. It should include updates but if everything is set up right you're enhancing what already is not coming up with loads of issues.Technology changes shouldn't be something that we view and come across that's your job to know what's new in technology and keep the site working and functioning in unity with technology changes.
This list is in no way inclusive off all the things that need changing. Also see the feedback forum for additions to this list.
What we would like to see:
-Easy to read font, in size, and color!!
-A system that marks the threads on the forum so that we can see which threads have new posts in them since we last visited
-Clear text on any anything that is fanclub exclusive this includes news updates.
-Lyrics, its been four months and there is still no lyrics on the site most of which I'd assume could be copied over from the previous setup. The songwriters listed as well would be wonderful!
- being able to see who's online
- having a search feature
- the ability for everyone to accept friend requests or at the very least be consistent and not allow friend invites to those that can't accept them.
- pm's kept open for everyone to use
- photos/links to open in a new window
What we would like to see gone:
-fan club restrictions on merchandise that is for charity
-Organize better!! ex. why do you have a live fan club exclusive photo album and a fan club exclusive album. the exclusive live one can go under the main fan club exclusive album. not to mention that the photo numbering system for what album
- OUR frustration with the new set up of the site
Perhaps you find these simple things or preferences but it is functions like these that make ALL the difference.
Hey everyone,
I would like to chime in here and ask what are some things we could do to make the site better. I can address a couple of the issues outlined here like the tickets, we did have the issue back in October with the server and worked hard to resolve it. Issues like that are the LAST thing we want to have. The last couple of presales have kept me up the entire night before due to stressing out, I want them to go perfectly and well the last couple have (knocks on wood). As far as the colors of the site, I agree, we need to and are going to be making some changes on that.
I am looking for creative criticism about the site meaning what you would like to see and what you would like to see gone. I am not looking for mean or negative comments, just want to work with you to make a list of improvements. Oh, and one last thing. A website is never done. Changes should happen as technology continues to move forward. This list should be a nice long one.
Have a nice evening!
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Eddie - ground(ctrl) - support@groundctrl.com -
Moderator
RE: I Give Up
Hey everyone,
I would like to chime in here and ask what are some things we could do to make the site better. I can address a couple of the issues outlined here like the tickets, we did have the issue back in October with the server and worked hard to resolve it. Issues like that are the LAST thing we want to have. The last couple of presales have kept me up the entire night before due to stressing out, I want them to go perfectly and well the last couple have (knocks on wood). As far as the colors of the site, I agree, we need to and are going to be making some changes on that.
I am looking for creative criticism about the site meaning what you would like to see and what you would like to see gone. I am not looking for mean or negative comments, just want to work with you to make a list of improvements. Oh, and one last thing. A website is never done. Changes should happen as technology continues to move forward. This list should be a nice long one.
Have a nice evening!
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Eddie - ground(ctrl) - support@groundctrl.com
Eddie, I hope I can be very honest here without seeming too harsh. First of all there's a whole room of feedback where you will see most of the problems listed.
To start, the board seems to have become a secondary issue--at least for me. I don't know exactly how things work, or who is in charge of what anymore...but I see a myriad of problems that didn't exist before this switchover. I haven't been around as long as some, but I've been around quite a while.
As I see it ticket problems top the list. I'm seeing people going to will call only to find their tickets aren't there, I'm seeing double selling of seats and FC members getting bumped back several rows.
The constant changes in pre-sales dates have also been causing a lot of problems. If you look at the comments under the Pittsburgh concert alone, you'll see a lot of folks aren't happy. My personal experience for this tour had me planning on attending three concerts. Now, I'll only be attending one. *Every* show I planned on going to had a pre-sale change. People weren't prepared for that, because in the past was a date was set--it was set.
It's also starting to look like for some shows we're not getting nearly as good seats as we used to.
These things are occurring frequently. Having been around a while, I can tell you for a fact there have been more problems with this tour than the previous three combined. In fact, the only problems I remember where once or twice on the last tour with a few people having seats double sold. This was very quickly fixed and did not happen again.
So obviously, something has changed in a big way since October.
I'm also reading about people's inability to sign up for meet and greets. That's also something that never happened before.
While the die hard fans will stick with the FC, folks who sign up for the perks won't. I'm also sensing that FC members feel they are being pushed aside or ignored. To be blunt, for a lot people it comes down to wanting what you paid for.
Sometimes we get answers to our question and concerns, but most often we don't. There are issues brought up in the feedback room that have never been addressed, or it's taken a very long time to get any sort of reply or resolution. When people try other routes to get answers (Emails or calls to you guys) these are often dead ends as well. I will say I have seen some improvement lately in communication.
Obviously, the forum is extremely hard to read.
These are my primary concerns at this time.
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In loving memory of my dad, Gene Hegner.
April 1924-- Jan 2000 -
RE: I Give Up
We've made lists before- Tracy specifically asked me to give her a list of 5 things I liked about the new board and 5 things I thought could be improved. There's an entire room full of our questions and concerns. Asking for another list is just a stalling tactic, trying to get us to think that you're actually interested in what we have to say. It worked the first couple times, but that trick is worn out by now.
And I'm sorry, but the ticket issue is a HUGE problem. Yes, being a FC member does not guarantee you a ticket. However, people, funnily enough, expect to actually get the tickets they paid for. They don't want to be told the tickets will be mailed, only to be told later that no, the tickets have to be picked up at Will Call. They don't like to get to or call Will Call and be told that there aren't any tickets for them. They don't like to be told that tickets were double sold and that their new seats are several rows further back than the ones they paid for, especially when BETTER SEATS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON TICKETMASTER!!!! They like to know that a presale is going to be held on Jan 20th, and have the sale actually held on January 20th- not log in to find out the sale was moved to the 19th and they should have known.
And no matter what happens, it's always the fault of the promoter, or the server farm, or the venue, or whomever- never the fault of GC. But Heidi is 100% right in saying that just in presale problems alone, there have already been more problems than we had in the 5+ years I was a member on the other site. And when you add in technical problems, it's not even a contest. Why is that, if it has nothing to do with GC? Yes, things change as technology advances, but technological advances are supposed to improve Martina's business and the fan experience. This has just been change for the sake of change, with a definite degradation in everything else.
But I know my posts are always just taken as being "mean and negative"
Kat -
Moderator
RE: I Give Up
We've made lists before- Tracy specifically asked me to give her a list of 5 things I liked about the new board and 5 things I thought could be improved. There's an entire room full of our questions and concerns. Asking for another list is just a stalling tactic, trying to get us to think that you're actually interested in what we have to say. It worked the first couple times, but that trick is worn out by now.
And I'm sorry, but the ticket issue is a HUGE problem. Yes, being a FC member does not guarantee you a ticket. However, people, funnily enough, expect to actually get the tickets they paid for. They don't want to be told the tickets will be mailed, only to be told later that no, the tickets have to be picked up at Will Call. They don't like to get to or call Will Call and be told that there aren't any tickets for them. They don't like to be told that tickets were double sold and that their new seats are several rows further back than the ones they paid for, especially when BETTER SEATS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON TICKETMASTER!!!! They like to know that a presale is going to be held on Jan 20th, and have the sale actually held on January 20th- not log in to find out the sale was moved to the 19th and they should have known.
And no matter what happens, it's always the fault of the promoter, or the server farm, or the venue, or whomever- never the fault of GC. But Heidi is 100% right in saying that just in presale problems alone, there have already been more problems than we had in the 5+ years I was a member on the other site. And when you add in technical problems, it's not even a contest. Why is that, if it has nothing to do with GC? Yes, things change as technology advances, but technological advances are supposed to improve Martina's business and the fan experience. This has just been change for the sake of change, with a definite degradation in everything else.
But I know my posts are always just taken as being "mean and negative"
Kat
Heidi and Martina=breathtaking, I am making a list to address with management and my team and will let you know the plan in a speedy manner.
Kat, I agree and I AM taking fault for the ticketing issues as I am the one who hired the company to host the site. I know about the list Tracy asked for and we have been making changes based off of that. Everything from defining what is free and what is paid to emoticons and signatures to browser issues to 404 pages and now the issues of the forums being too dark. I guess what I am asking for now is even more feedback, not "stalling".
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Eddie - ground(ctrl) - support@groundctrl.com -
RE: I Give Up
I think maybe Pearl had mentioned this at an earlier time, but i cannot just click on a FRIGGIN thread topic...i have to float over it and then get perfectly alligned before it will allow me to click on it and see it...WHAT A FRIGGN PAIN IN MY GLUTEOUS MAXIMUS!!!!!
I still would like to be able to see what my last posts were and others last posts....
All the other issues have been discussed and talked about ad nauseum...
* OBNOXIOUS, ANNOYING & occasionally AMUSING -
RE: I Give Up
Oh yeah, and it is GREAT to see one of my fave girls, KATENIGMA, posting again. Nobody, and i mean nobody, does "MEAN & NEGATIVE" quite as brilliantly as ENIGMA!!!! Miss ya girl!!!
* OBNOXIOUS, ANNOYING & occasionally AMUSING -
Moderator
RE: I Give Up
I think maybe Pearl had mentioned this at an earlier time, but i cannot just click on a FRIGGIN thread topic...i have to float over it and then get perfectly alligned before it will allow me to click on it and see it...WHAT A FRIGGN PAIN IN MY GLUTEOUS MAXIMUS!!!!!
I still would like to be able to see what my last posts were and others last posts....
All the other issues have been discussed and talked about ad nauseum...
* OBNOXIOUS, ANNOYING & occasionally AMUSING
I read into this that we need
- Search Feature
- New posts since last visit
- Posts linked by user (maybe on profile page and in account)?
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Eddie - ground(ctrl) - support@groundctrl.com -
RE: I Give Up
I must have missed something. You're asking us for ideas to make the site better???? Wasn't that the whole purpose of the "Site Feedback" room? And weren't most of those requests met with the response "well that's personal preferance"....or "we'll look into it" if they were met with any response at all. The forum traffic has dropped considerably and its no coincidence in my opinion. We had all kinds of features on the old BBS that I would think would not be that hard to integrate into the new forum. I may be wrong in that respect because I'm not privy to that aspect of the technical issues. I do know that people were happy before and now they are not.
As far as ticket issues, thats an entirely different ball of wax. I can't really comment on that except that if I thought I had bought tickets and figured they were at will call and they weren't there when I got there, I'd be pretty ticked off especially if I had traveled any kind of distance (which we all know many of us do) to see a show.
Now I'm not one of those people who post all the time on every thread. I never was and never will be. But I do like to chime in in cases like this where I know many people as well as myself are extremely frustrated and I see no light at the end of this tunnel.
Mikey
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"I've got the pistols, so I'll keep the pesos.....yeah that seems fair."
