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Saving DPF

Tokaji

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Considering recent events and the general feeling of betrayal in myself and many other members of this forum, I thought it might be prudent to start a thread to discuss how to get DPF back on track before we lose it entirely. This past year or two has been tough for all of us, and this forum should be a refuge, a place of fun and comfort, not a place where we worry about offense or politics. Here are my thoughts:

Change in Leadership: DPF's mods have been doing this job for a long time, and mostly, they've been okay. Recently, however, they've been more and more stringent, and less and less willing to consider the real needs of this community, stifling its growth. Old feuds and hurt feelings are hard to let go, but if we don't allow the community to move beyond the sins of the past, then that's where we'll be stuck. My proposals:
1) Make moderation more transparent - This means making decisions and changes more public, allowing for periods of discussion, and not silencing dissenters (closing the pervious thread certainly did very little for my confidence in this forum's leadership).
2) Add new folks to the Mod Team - Not only will this bring new ideas and perspectives to the forum, but it will provide better coverage and quicker responses. Our current team can take a while to even remove spam posts, which sit around for days. We all have lives, but allowing for different time zones, different backgrounds and availabilities is best. Life happens to all of us - and I continue to wish the best for the mods/admins who have health problems <3 - but sometimes we need to put our health in front of our pride and let others take the jobs we may not be able to perform as well as we'd want.

Return to Previous Rule: Since all of this started over the posting of outside links, I would suggest returning to the ability to post them, provided that the poster is not just spamming/promoting and is actually getting involved in the community. I will point to @starry_solo's longtime connection to PTDB as the co-founder and runner of the site. For years, she has been allowed not only to advertise for the site, but to appropriate images/information from the forum for her site. This was okay because she is also committed to the community and was using our opinions and suggestions to improve the database, which is what we want. If we are going to sell ourselves as a community, then the database sites are a part of that - they are a necessary scaffold for the hobby. I would rather see the creators/organizers of those sites seeking assistance from the people who use them than being stifled and scorned by us.

What are your thoughts? How do you foresee DPF changing for the better to allow us all the right mix of freedom and safety? Can we still save DPF?

(Mods: I have a copy of this post saved, and will repost if it is closed or deleted.)
 
I am sorry to hear that this is a step the site might be taking.

I was a mod under the very long deceased site (and hobby) Vinylnation (some might remember). The admin made this decision when starting the site and we were to uphold it as staff members. For life and other reasons that I don’t judge, he was not active for even us to reach out to and ask to reconsider his rules tho I wish he did respond. Because of this, I really feel vinylnation declined and became obsolete because we were powerless to allow other sites and resources to come on the site. It’s a shame because we lost good members from all of it too, and I think many assumed all of us were in agreement with the admins decision. I would have much rather reviewed where the nature of the hobby was going rather than exclude outside sites.

I enjoy that DPF hasn’t had that problem even tho I’m not able to post here as often anymore for my own personal reasons (thankfully not bad ones). But because i do appreciate this site for its easy and enjoyable resource - and a lot of great members- I felt I’d be missing an opportunity to help if I didn’t share the cautionary tale

all the best to dpf figuring this one out <3
 
Last edited:
I am sorry to hear that this is a step the site might be taking.

I was a mod under the very long deceased site (and hobby) Vinylnation (some might remember). The admin made this decision when starting the site and we were to uphold it as staff members. For life and other reasons that I don’t judge, he was not active for even us to reach out to and ask to reconsider his rules tho I wish he did respond. Because of this, I really feel vinylnation declined and became obsolete because we were powerless to allow other sites and resources to come on the site. It’s a shame because we lost good members from all of it too, and I think many assumed all of us were in agreement with the admins decision. I would have much rather reviewed where the nature of the hobby was going rather than exclude outside sites.

I enjoy that DPF hasn’t had that problem even tho I’m not able to post here as anymore often for my own personal reasons (thankfully not bad ones). But because i do appreciate this site for its easy and enjoyable resource - and a lot of great members- I felt I’d be missing an opportunity to help if I didn’t share the cautionary tale

all the best to dpf figuring this one out <3

Thank you for the thoughts! I hope all is well with you, Story, and that you're safe with all the fires raging in CA right now. <3 :)
 
I agree, I think we really really need more mods/admins. Being able to cover different time zones, and just generally having at least one mod available at any one time would be a big improvement.
I also agree that less is more, and I feel we don't need arbitrary rules that seemingly come out of out nowhere. I'd like to see more on how mods come to their decisions when adding new rules, and give the community members a chance to voice their opinions, concerns, or feedback to how those rules should be to keep the spirit of the forum moving forward.

I'm someone who was originally a part of Dizpins, then found this community after that forum ended. In the beginning my participation was on and off, but in the last few years I really felt like I became a more prominent member. Now I find myself avoiding even coming on the forum, for a multitude of reasons, but mainly it just doesn't feel like a happy family of collectors lately, and that stinks. My desire to do pins has been waning more and more, and I'm sad that this forum has also contributed to that.
 
Tokaji . . . very well said. Actually, this really hits home as Sis and I have often been discussing this exact thing (just about a different forum). Everything you've laid out so well is something we've discussed, and valid points. For anyone that doesn't know, I am a Mod on the largest US militaria forum online. Last year I was made a full Admin, and inherited a ton of the tech-part of running the site. Not the actual HTML coding, but the nitty-gritty of site maintenance and design/layout. I've been an active member for years before becoming a Mod, so I've experienced it from both sides. (And I've never met a single Admin or Mod on my team, which means I'm not part of the collecting crowd. I think this helps in a lot of ways.)

It takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to run a forum and maintain it. I sooooo appreciate any Mod team, as it is not an easy job. However, if you have more active Mods and Admins, the load gets lighter and daily chores and situations are handled faster and easier. Teamwork is definitely something that forums need. Teamwork among Admins. Teamwork among Mods. Teamwork among staff and members. Forums are a teamwork thing. Period.

While the term "transparency" is a bit of a fad thing right now, I think this is something that many places have dropped or failed to address. With a forum, members work together to have fun and/or informative discussions. Staff are there to make sure that basic rules are followed to maintain a fun and pleasant atmosphere. Let's face it . . . we all have limited "free time" and Disney is a way to build up a lot of happiness points in that free time. We all do Disney because we enjoy it, it's fun and we like it. When I joined this site, it was all happy and I had never seen so many cheerful, friendly, helpful, considerate and downright kind members. Sis and I have been so touched by so many, and DPF has been a refuge from the dark and nasty of the world when we needed a bit of fun hobby time. Don't exactly know why, but we've noticed that this year it has really started to fall apart. Members who used to post often are online and looking, but don't post much. Some are hardly seen at all. Some that are still posting are obviously not the same happy members that they were before. And Sis and I are probably some of those. The joy and fun seems to be draining out, and I can't for the life of me figure out why!

The events of the past year and half? Could impact it, of course. However, a happy place should be used to maintain a bit of the happy frame of mind, and be a good escape, even if only for a few minutes each day. So, sure . . . I can see it would impact a bit of the general mood, but not massively change the whole community. Life happens, and it happens to all of us. The pandemic has hit you, hit me, hit all of us. However, it only strengthens the need for a happy place online, since we can't go and trade in person the same (or even go someplace Disney) the same way we could.

Is the mood change due to the forum hack and subsequent change of software? I sure hope not. I went through this with the militaria forum back in 2020 when they underwent a massive software upgrade (after not changing since 2012). I experienced the change and for a few days was rather miserable about it. Then, I suddenly realised that griping about trivial software changes was ruining my whole experience, and I didn't want to give up everything just because I couldn't accept a change in technology. So, I buckled down, exercised some self control and bit the bullet -- dove in and tried to figure out how to work with the new software and make as much of my past forum experience transfer. Sure, a few changes had to happen, and I lobbied to change some things around, too. But, I pushed on and now realise that a lot wasn't as big as it seemed when it first happened. So, I hope that members on here can acclimate to the change and return -- if they've been put off by any of the change. There's only one major thing with the change that I would lobby to fix up (mentioned later in this post).

Is the mood change due to PinPics having new owners? Again, I sure hope not. Personally, We were shocked with the reaction on the PinPics thread when the new owners announced the changes in management. A lot of DPF seemed to change with that, and it was rather saddening to see the violent negativity that came out against it. And we definitely think a lot of the mood of the forum seemed to either fall silent or drift towards negativity. And DPF has never been like that. If there was one thing DPF could proudly claim it was an abundance of Positivity! We always enjoyed it and loved that it was never negative. Why the very positive PinPics announcement was answered like it was is still a mystery. Sure . . . everyone can disagree with anything. But no reason to post so much negative response. Even if you feel like it, always better to either not say it -- or type it and delete it before posting. There are scores of things I dislike about PTDB, but I'm certainly not going to go on a whine fest! Actually, I've tried to use it and adjust. Just because I prefer something else doesn't mean I have to come on like Eeyore's rain cloud. And sure, PinPics has had issues in the past, and lots of people have had their hopes dashed when plans fell through. But don't lay your previous misery at the door of new owners. Judge their actions later when they've had a chance. And pulling everyone under Eeyore's rain cloud doesn't help the DPF community. Being part of a community like this means that what you post should be helpful to the others involved. Sometimes criticism is good and can be necessary, but sometimes it can also be unnecessary.

I like rules. I think rules have to be there. However, I think that too many super-restricting rules can hamper members, and I think they need to be fully weighed and discussed. Also, discussion often brings to life points that a group of people may not think about. So, often discussing things with members is good.

(continued . . . )
 
(continued . . .)

As a Mod, I understand not wanting to include members in everything. Too often people only complain or post negative/whiny comments. That really drags you down. And this is something that everyone of us - as members - should remember. Don't always post only the dark side of things. A simple note of appreciation or a pat on the back goes a long way, as they tend to be rarer than the negative comments. When proposed ideas or announcements are met with positive or constructive comments, it makes open discussion much better and more likely to be done!

As a member, it does feel sudden and drastic and sometimes stifling when staff makes big decisions without asking for input or just simply announcing it in advance! When the staff actually becomes personal with members, it usually goes farther to keeping a happy atmosphere. There is a balance when it comes to Mods dealing with members - being personal and being authoritative. This is something I balance constantly. But, you have to have both! Posting a dictatorial-style announcement and then leaving -- not responding at all -- only discredits the action. It doesn't help anyone. One big thing . . . If a policy/rule is decided on, then the staff should fall into line before it is posted for public notice. No links allowed? Then, before this is posted, staff should make sure that they are following the new policy. No signature should have still be remaining links (and I'm only using this as an example, since it was addressed - personally, I'd never noticed links in sigs). Staff profiles, sigs, posts . . . anything that could be impacted, should be fixed. If something falls through, fine . . . but if most was fixed, you'd be able to claim forgetfulness. Everyone understands that people are imperfect and Mods/Admins are just people. But -- they have more responsibility. And if they say they needed to remove their link and then leave it there anyway, that's not setting an example for the community. If a rule is in place, then it's a rule -- for everyone. Also, a more personal, friendly announcement about changes and why the decision was made is always good. If you have active members, make sure that you involve them and make them feel like you do consider them part of the community.

Here's something I'm constantly trying to say on the militaria forum (where we have a lot of inactive Mods at the moment). Being a Moderator takes a lot of time, energy and patience . . . something we all don’t have an abundance of in our normal lives. (So, Sis and I want to thank the team here for being willing to take some of their time to work at making and keeping DPF a nice, friendly, and fun place to spend time!)

Of course, we all understand that life events happen, and sometimes the normal routine of life is interrupted. Moderator status is a serious position. A forum runs smoothly when the Moderators are actually moderating, and if you can no longer handle the position for any reason or are no longer interested or in your forum's subject – don’t feel bad! Stepping down will open the spot up for someone who has the time to assume the responsibilities for a while. There is no shame in stepping down, and it is not a slap on the hand in any way. It takes time and energy, and nobody expects a Mod to remain for life! It is a serious commitment! And if there are more active Mods on a forum, then that means all the Mods can share the load -- and the time spent to keep a forum nice becomes less and less for each individual Mod! Also . . .the more Mods there are, the less chance of it becoming a sort of fraternity or a "good old boy/clique" problem, which can so often sprout up between members and staff. That's a sure sign of eventual death to an online community.

All that said . . . I think DPF can be saved. I still see lots of members signed in. That means they're here and checking and reading. Just not posting, for one reason or another. I think it does need some help. I would say it needs more active Mods. There aren't enough. I understand the load and I understand about life coming first. That's why you need more active Mods. It would also bring some fresh outlooks and thoughts into it, as communities do change with the times. I think a bit more personal involvement from the staff would be crucial, too.

Something I'm working on firsthand and experiencing myself on the other forum is the clique problem. Cliques are the fastest way for any community to die. As a Mod, you can't let your own dislike of a another member really impact your outlook. I have members I don't care for, and I have Mods I don't care for. I can't let that make me deal with someone differently. In private, sure . . . I don't have to spend time messaging or socializing with someone I don't personally care for. However, when I publically address or interact with anyone . . . unless they are doing something that needs Mod addressing . . . I have to treat them the same as I would treat someone I liked. Cliques and the "good Old Boy" system are impossible to work around. The staff on my forum suffers from this, and we're working on it. I think having fresh Mods helps, as eliminating inactive Mods and adding new ones makes it a fresh approach. I had a really bad week this past one when two Admins mainly told me (about different things) - "Hey! I thought we didn't have to do certain things" and "Admins can now get demoted? Just call us all Mods and be done with it". Excuse me? Admins and Mods have the responsibility to be more than members. With the privilege come specific obligations. Admins and Mods lead by example. When a Mod posts . . . they have to know that they are setting an example.

Some ideas that I could see improvement on? I could think of an improvement for the Games section, where it seems the Mods are viewed with shaking knees, and Mod replies are often curt. Require that all started threads in the Games board have to be Moderator approved. Allow replies to be posted instantly, but that way any game started would be viewed by a Mod first, who could then request changes, inform the OP and/or save the next reply spots. then the game would be open and fine.

Another would be the Marketplace. I think the new listing way really is --- lousy. I've tried. Again and again, I've tried. I think it is very non-user-friendly and rather puts me off. Also, it is for sales, not trading. DPF is a lot of trading. Let the board be a normal threads board like it was, and get a volunteer who could just Moderate the basic maintenance of the board (closing threads, making sure members have the set amount active and no more, etc.).

To say that all pin discussion has to be done in only the one thread . . . this community is supposed to make pins FUN! How about the Castle Series thread? Or the Minnie Main Attraction thread? Lump those in with all the others? Something loses. Pins are often released as series, and a lot of the fun of these series is sharing the excitement with others and following that series. Not demoting it to another entry in the massive year's release thread and having no place to discuss it. (And I love the yearly thread . . .but a place for everything is needed).

No mentioning pin databases? DPF is not, and (as far as I know) never has been a pin database. That means that we can now no longer share any pin database or anything. The PinPics traders thread needs to be removed. that's a shame. Since PinPics doesn't have references or feedback, I use this for reference all the time.

If DPF wants to throttle pin trading . . . exactly what do we need to come on for? Private messaging old DPF friends? That's about what it is now. And that sure dampens the forum community and experience. I can exchange e-mail addresses to do this -- and that can be done without politics.

Sis and I have been very saddened by this. Actually, since it has become a more negative place this year, we've gotten sadder. Very bummed. I was out mowing the grass yesterday and could hardly think of anything else. This community was the happiest and kindest place I'd ever found online . . . up to earlier this year. What happened? I think it could return. But, I think major change needs to happen . . . and I know everyone regards change as the thin end of the wedge. But, if something doesn't change, I'd say it's sounding the last call. We don't do Facebook or Instagram or social media, so our pin trading and pin fun is done on here! We've never had to discuss finding somewhere else. I really don't want to have to. But, we need a fun and kind and happy place to have the Disney/Pin joy! With the dark clouds of life these days, Disney and pins are one place we can "escape" to and just enjoy for pure happiness points.

There . .. I've said a lot. Hope this is all taken in the constructive frame of mind that it's meant to be. Since I am dealing with many of these exact issues myself, I feel like I can say something. I don't think there is anything that has happened on this forum that I haven't had to deal with or been involved in over on the other. Sometimes, it just takes something to kind of slap you awake to realise that the direction needs to be changed or just to get back on track, so to say. Thanks for reading . . . again, I'm just sharing from my own experience and feelings here and mean this in the most constructive way possible. We've loved DPF and the time spent here. We'd love for it to become the happy place it used to be . . . again.
 
I know I've never been the most active here, but I'm going to say my piece anyways. As someone who lives far from the parks, this forum is one of the only avenues I have to meaningfully attempt to trade pins, and I've been avoiding it more and more lately due to the issues brought up. And, while I'm not going to name names, other people have mentioned similar things to me off forum.

At this point, it almost feels like the mods are following a playbook on how to destroy a community. Making arbitrary, snap decisions to punish the whole forum for a perceived slight from one user is absurd. Especially when the mods are giving themselves a free pass to ignore those rules (the PTDB thread until enough people called them out, and off-site links which are STILL displayed in their signatures). The leadership team should be holding themselves to a higher standard, not flaunting the rules whenever they feel like it.

I have moderated many forums and chats over the years, and it have been very clear that the best approach to moderation is almost always the lightest touch possible. That is clearly not what we've seen here. And locking the last thread with no updates as people started to express their dissent was a terrible move. It seems like they actually expected users to be fully on board with the unneeded rule, and when they didn't happen, they decided to just unilaterally end the discussion.

Beyond all that, PTDB's repeated special treatment is starting to be hard to see as anything more than straight protectionism. This is the Disney Pin Forum, NOT the PTDB Forum. Yea, @starry_solo is involved in both, but if anything that should only cause them to tread more carefully on matters involving pin databases, as they cannot be reasonably expected to make impartial, rational decisions on the topic.

Mods: You have already done damage to this community, likely irreparable. Locking or removing this thread will only make that worse. Keep that in mind. Most users will not bother replying to these sorts of threads, they'll just get fed up with your actions and silently walk away.
 
I have no idea what’s going on but I love this kinda stuff.
giphy.gif



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I am sorry to hear that this is a step the site might be taking.

I was a mod under the very long deceased site (and hobby) Vinylnation (some might remember). The admin made this decision when starting the site and we were to uphold it as staff members. For life and other reasons that I don’t judge, he was not active for even us to reach out to and ask to reconsider his rules tho I wish he did respond. Because of this, I really feel vinylnation declined and became obsolete because we were powerless to allow other sites and resources to come on the site. It’s a shame because we lost good members from all of it too, and I think many assumed all of us were in agreement with the admins decision. I would have much rather reviewed where the nature of the hobby was going rather than exclude outside sites.

I enjoy that DPF hasn’t had that problem even tho I’m not able to post here as often anymore for my own personal reasons (thankfully not bad ones). But because i do appreciate this site for its easy and enjoyable resource - and a lot of great members- I felt I’d be missing an opportunity to help if I didn’t share the cautionary tale

all the best to dpf figuring this one out <3
Thank you for saying this.

I posted my public comments in the other thread. I know there are conflict-adverse members of this forum who are reading and wishing that we could just not have drama, the moderators made a decision, can't we just play nice. But this is the risk of trying to just close the door to the conflict, like closing the other thread. Good members will leave. And because they recognize the community's desire for avoiding unpleasantness... they will just disappear.
 
So. Pretty new to what's happening here. I'll be the first to admit my own use of the forum has waned in the last year+, for any number of reason. But as @stratasfan so elegantly put it, there's be a tonal shift.

I have always been so proud of DPF as a harbinger of the pin trading community. Social media pin trading can get sooooo nasty. But we've never been like that. Because it's always been a community.

But this rather draconian throttle is breaking that spirit. The forum has always been about helping each other. Heck, I did my at-cost pickups because I saw someone else doing it for DLR on here first and I wanted to help! So many others have picked up the torch. We are all trying to help each other.

I at least wouldn't know hardly anything about Disney pins if it were for the wealth of information on this forum. Not just people sharing their experience, but as a collective of info, links, reminders, and helpful tips! Our beloved Bot @DisneyJ is amazing at providing links from across the pin collection spectrum. My recent collection additions are almost exclusively thanks to people sharing links on this forum. I deliberately avoid FB and the like for that info because that space is so toxic to me. Don't throw us to the sharks.

And everyone is database shopping right now, for better or worse. I get it. Things have deteriorated in that regard and it's frustrating as consumers to feel like we have to piecemeal collections - - on this site if it's old, on this site if it's new, on this site if it's not from the parks... But to throttle access to those things goes so against what this forum is all about.

My heart breaks for DPF. I may not be as active all over it like I used to be, but the wizard watches. I've made lifelong friends here, and I'm dying at the thought of the space turning sour.

I agree with most that additional mods would alleviate a lot of problems. Not replacing mods--I'm not arguing for that. Just adding more. There are some incredible, gifted, vibrant people on this forum who would be great additions.

I so hope things get sorted out. I love this place. And I love all of you.

Don't throw us to the sharks.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk
 
So. Pretty new to what's happening here. I'll be the first to admit my own use of the forum has waned in the last year+, for any number of reason. But as @stratasfan so elegantly put it, there's be a tonal shift.

I have always been so proud of DPF as a harbinger of the pin trading community. Social media pin trading can get sooooo nasty. But we've never been like that. Because it's always been a community.

But this rather draconian throttle is breaking that spirit. The forum has always been about helping each other. Heck, I did my at-cost pickups because I saw someone else doing it for DLR on here first and I wanted to help! So many others have picked up the torch. We are all trying to help each other.

I at least wouldn't know hardly anything about Disney pins if it were for the wealth of information on this forum. Not just people sharing their experience, but as a collective of info, links, reminders, and helpful tips! Our beloved Bot @DisneyJ is amazing at providing links from across the pin collection spectrum. My recent collection additions are almost exclusively thanks to people sharing links on this forum. I deliberately avoid FB and the like for that info because that space is so toxic to me. Don't throw us to the sharks.

And everyone is database shopping right now, for better or worse. I get it. Things have deteriorated in that regard and it's frustrating as consumers to feel like we have to piecemeal collections - - on this site if it's old, on this site if it's new, on this site if it's not from the parks... But to throttle access to those things goes so against what this forum is all about.

My heart breaks for DPF. I may not be as active all over it like I used to be, but the wizard watches. I've made lifelong friends here, and I'm dying at the thought of the space turning sour.

I agree with most that additional mods would alleviate a lot of problems. Not replacing mods--I'm not arguing for that. Just adding more. There are some incredible, gifted, vibrant people on this forum who would be great additions.

I so hope things get sorted out. I love this place. And I love all of you.

Don't throw us to the sharks.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

That's perfectly put, Merlin! I couldn't agree more with everything you said. Good words.
 
Just another thought in case this hasn’t been addressed

I know Cicada expressed that the forum is expensive to keep running. Is the adverse to other sites a fear regarding future funding for the forum? (I don’t know a lot about it but does it have to do with ads or something?)

members have done forum games before that were for the benefit of donating to keep the site running. Rather than make a rule without discussion that changes the flow and feel of the site, can there be an open discussion if that is the case? There may be members willing to run fundraiser games again, but you won’t have a chance at that at all if the site people enjoy is taken away or altered to be too restrictive in regards to sharing Disney fun topics.


there are a LOT of good constructive and honest points in this thread. It’s evident DPF has some great members that care about it! I hope it’s appreciated <3
 
Thank you for your comments. Every single one of them has been read and given full consideration. Kristina and I have been discussing options since everything ... shall we say ... went pear shaped. We have been listening (reading) your comments closely and we hope to have this situation sorted soon. Quite a few of you have brought up valid points that deserve to be addressed. I don't want you to think we're ignoring them, we're not. If any of those points remain unaddressed once this situation is sorted, we will address them then. I just don't want to answer the same points more than once any more than I think you want to read the same answers multiple times.

I appreciate your passion and enthusiasm for this site and habit ... er ... hobby. We're very lucky to have such amazing people as members; you're what make DPF the fantastic pin community and online family that it is.
 
So. Pretty new to what's happening here. I'll be the first to admit my own use of the forum has waned in the last year+, for any number of reason. But as @stratasfan so elegantly put it, there's be a tonal shift.

I have always been so proud of DPF as a harbinger of the pin trading community. Social media pin trading can get sooooo nasty. But we've never been like that. Because it's always been a community.

But this rather draconian throttle is breaking that spirit. The forum has always been about helping each other. Heck, I did my at-cost pickups because I saw someone else doing it for DLR on here first and I wanted to help! So many others have picked up the torch. We are all trying to help each other.

I at least wouldn't know hardly anything about Disney pins if it were for the wealth of information on this forum. Not just people sharing their experience, but as a collective of info, links, reminders, and helpful tips! Our beloved Bot @DisneyJ is amazing at providing links from across the pin collection spectrum. My recent collection additions are almost exclusively thanks to people sharing links on this forum. I deliberately avoid FB and the like for that info because that space is so toxic to me. Don't throw us to the sharks.

And everyone is database shopping right now, for better or worse. I get it. Things have deteriorated in that regard and it's frustrating as consumers to feel like we have to piecemeal collections - - on this site if it's old, on this site if it's new, on this site if it's not from the parks... But to throttle access to those things goes so against what this forum is all about.

My heart breaks for DPF. I may not be as active all over it like I used to be, but the wizard watches. I've made lifelong friends here, and I'm dying at the thought of the space turning sour.

I agree with most that additional mods would alleviate a lot of problems. Not replacing mods--I'm not arguing for that. Just adding more. There are some incredible, gifted, vibrant people on this forum who would be great additions.

I so hope things get sorted out. I love this place. And I love all of you.

Don't throw us to the sharks.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk
One can always count on our Master Wizard for insight and direction.

Adding more mods and admins, would be helpful, for all.

(@dancecats @Ksnuggles @starry_solo = sending you a truck load of pixie dust for all the volunteer hours you've put in).

You all know how much I love this forum. .

It's all about Spreading-the-Magic.

This will work out.

I Believe.



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Working has kept me away from the forum, but I am forever grateful for the friendships I've made and the support I've received, (including when I was interviewing to go back to work). I'm not on social media and am an incurable homebody, I'm not sure what's been going on but I don't know what I'd do without this community!

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Working has kept me away from the forum, but I am forever grateful to the friendships I've made and the support I've received, (including when I was interviewing to go back to work). I'm not on social media and am an incurable homebody, I'm not sure what's been going on but I don't know what I'd do without this community!

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This is all in response to this announcement thread:
 
I honestly don’t care what happens so I’m very impartial. But why not involve the community in which this forum is built on? Just a suggestion, like a town meeting. Or if you want less complaint do a poll. Forums take polls all the time.

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In case anyone else is subscribed to this thread and hasn’t seen them (I know I for one often overlook the announcements forum), dancecats has posted some updates:


 
Not to be “that guy”, but nothing really came of any of that, huh?
I promise, nothing has been forgotten. We still are discussing the points that have been raised. We understand how important these answers are to everyone and we want to make sure that every 'I' is dotted and 'T' is crossed before we post any answers. We are taking our time to carefully and thoroughly discuss - and then write - the articulate and thoughtful responses you deserve. Your patience is appreciated.
 
I promise, nothing has been forgotten. We still are discussing the points that have been raised. We understand how important these answers are to everyone and we want to make sure that every 'I' is dotted and 'T' is crossed before we post any answers. We are taking our time to carefully and thoroughly discuss - and then write - the articulate and thoughtful responses you deserve. Your patience is appreciated.
Honestly, @dancecats, your post summarily dismissed all of the concerns that the forum community raised.

You say "No rule or decision has ever been implemented without speaking with the forum." Bull - there have been multiple times (this last time being just the tip of the iceberg that sank the ship) rules have been put in place without consulting the populace. This is just the first time we've been irritated enough to speak up about it in this way. And you say that moderation "cannot be conducted in public." Also bull. I think it's becoming more and more obvious that you all just don't want to relinquish any power or consider that anyone other than yourselves can be right. We're not asking to moderate the forum ourselves, we're just asking to have a say in it, to be allowed a little tiny bit of a voice. That neither takes that long, nor is it that difficult. You don't even have to do it for every decision - that would be ridiculous - but allowing the community as a whole to discuss proposed changes that will greatly affect the entire forum? Yeah, that needs to be transparent.

"We don't own the forum. We just work here." Well, maybe it's time that changes. We, as a community, have donated to fund this forum over the years. And I can say for a fact that you definitely have the power to at least make people Staff Members. If not, then there needs to be a whole different conversation about taking some control from Cicada, because we all know how active he is around here :rolleyes:. I honestly don't believe that y'all want to add anyone into the team. I've asked about this, brought it up numerous times, over the years, and I've always been given the same answer: "I'll ask" with no follow-up. I've seen Cicada make changes that y'all request in less time, and I have to assume that he listens to and trusts you.

Honestly, I would advise everyone reading this (if it doesn't get taken down) to search for a new home. I don't know where that will be, but if DPF isn't willing to change, then a new community should be started. One that actually listens to its members. *Quick Edit* I will say that I will not be eagerly returning to DPF. It has gone so far off-base, become more and more toxic, and honestly, I don't think at this rate that the fun, family, and feeling of this forum can be salvaged at this point. Not for me, anyway.

Once again, I have made a copy of this and will repost if it's deleted.
 
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I agree that it is incredibly tiring to see issues perpetually brushed off with blame placed alternatively at “the forum software” or Cicada. If the forum is as limited as we are often led to believe (I have some doubts, but am largely unfamiliar with XenForo), it should be migrated to different software. And if Cicada is actually the roadblock, then some deal should be worked out with them to transfer ownership and allow the forum to change as needed.

Also, the most shocking thing was that inactive mod accounts still haven’t had their permissions stripped, after that is what almost brought the forum down for good a few months back. What’s the point of being an admin on the site if you are lack authority to even make a simple change to plug an ongoing security issue?



Oh, and if people do leave for a new place, I hope we can all find it. I’m not on Facebook or anything, so I’m likely to miss the memo.
 
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