Survey for advertising to be seen by MLifers

[Ken Thompson]

Got this today.

Dear BPL Lifetime Member,

I'd like to invite you to participate in a strategic planning survey that is specifically targeted to identify if MLIFE's are either supportive or opposed to seeing third-party advertising when they are logged in at backpackinglight.com with their MLIFE user account.

There is a brief introduction, followed by two questions. Thank you for participating – your feedback is incredibly valuable to me.

Please take the survey online here:

******I did not include the link as it is meant for MLifers only.************

Best Regards,
Ryan Jordan
Founder / CEO
Backpacking Light

It's a 90 day test period. We'll see.

[Curtis B.]

I too received the survey invitation, and this was my response:

I'm sorry, but as a lifetime member, I paid my dues and have received no real return on this investment. You (Ryan) have been utterly and completely absent from the site. Content has been lame to say the least. Complaints, suggestions, and even willing volunteers have been ignored and snubbed. Adding this advertising to MLifers is adding insult to injury. I understand your desire to monetize the site, but first you must rebuild the trust that you've systemically destroyed during the past 3 years that I've been a lifetime member.

—
A far better approach would be to engage customers and visitors in a meaningful dialog about how to share the burden of managing the site, generating new content, welcoming visitors, and generating activity that makes people DESPERATE to join rather than wondering WHY they joined.

There are an huge number of people here who would love to help out, love to participate in many ways, if only their contribution was allowed, valued, and recognized. Find ways to recognize and thank those who've contributed the most, assisted others, generated the most content. Make people feel welcome and valued.

Giffgaff in the UK is a mobile phone company that generated 400k subscribers in 3 years-with a staff of only 25. They key to their success? They let their customers design the company. They have no customer support function–it is all done via their online customer support community. There is a tier-II support for billing and other privacy-related issues, but the customers support each other and do a far better job than US industry call centers. Customers recruit new members, create advertisements, set pricing, create apps, and generate content. All because they care about the product and community.

People here are passionate about the community. Let them loose and enable them to work miracles.

[Ken Thompson]

Thanks Curtis! +1

Did anyone notice that no mention of the survey has been made by Ryan here on BPL in the MLife forum?

I like this last post by him…

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=66311&skip_to_post=570076#570076

Edit: Doh. Let me include it so all can read it. Thanks Jason

Re: Re: Ryan's Email on 08/01/2012 15:49:11 MDT Reply Report Post Print View
MLIFE's have earned the privilege of getting an insiders view into how BPL works. I think it's important for me to start by reinforcing this relationship first.

OK so in the interest of fairness he never states when that would begin. I just didn't think it would be so long.

I'm sure more links to follow.

[Peter S]

+2

[Nick Gatel]

"Did anyone notice that no mention of the survey has been made by Ryan here on BPL in the MLife forum?"

Ryan sent an email link to Survey Monkey. This way he knows who responded and might take comments into consideration based on who made them.

Maybe he will engage members to assist as Curtis suggested. Maybe he won't.

Lets give him some slack. He is doing something. We need to keep in mind that he has a family to support and investing time in supporting BPL has not worked for him, as it apparently does not generate enough income to free him up from his other income producing activities.

Yes, paying members may not have received what has been promised, but it appears Ryan is trying.

Perhaps we should sit back and let him fix things. Ultimately what BPL becomes or does not become is up to Ryan. It is his website.

[BER —]

I am an MLifer and received no such survey invitation. Come to think of it, I never receive any newsletter or other communication from BPL (other than watched thread notifications).

Checked my account preferences and indeed I am signed up for email and newsletters.

[BlackHatGuy]

"I am an MLifer and received no such survey invitation. Come to think of it, I never receive any newsletter or other communication from BPL (other than watched thread notifications)."

Not sure why you didn't get the email (did you check your junk mail folder?), but the newsletter is an option in My Account. You have to 'turn it on.'

[BER —]

Not in the junk folder and my account preference for the newsletter is (and has been) on.

[Nick Gatel]

"Not in the junk folder and my account preference for the newsletter is (and has been) on."

Have you considered the possibility that you don't exist?

:)

[David Ure]

LOL

Nick is on a roll!

[Bob Bankhead]

Unhappy?

[BlackHatGuy]

"Not in the junk folder and my account preference for the newsletter is (and has been) on."

I'm out of ideas…..

I've had my newsletter turned off for a long time, I assumed others might as well. Perhaps something to submit to the new support system?

[Cayenne Redmonk]

+1 zero return on investment.

Ryan has been coasting on reputation for years, while establishing a new reputation as someone that can't follow through. It is time to put BPL up for sale. It really needs someone with more time, less family, and more passion to reinvigorate the BPL brand. The Gossamer gear newsletter is more exciting and fresher than the content here.

I am not convinced that closing the store has led to the generation of better content. Also, the focus on WTS, has brought little to no benefit to the BPL community at large.

MLifers funding a leveraged buyout to put BPL under Ryan control has not led to any noticeable improvements in the last 5 years.

Instead of engaging the people who wanted to volunteer to make the site better, Ryan snubbed the MLIFE strategic planning and brought in a "pro". So far, the pro has introduced ads in various ways.

I think the idea at this point is to suck as much ad revenue as the site can generate, coasting on old content driving visitors through search engines.

[David Ure]

It is one of the reasons that I am only an F now. A really annoying F, but an F all the same.

[BER —]

"Have you considered the possibility that you don't exist?"

This is certainly a possibility. I guess that any complaints I might have in regards to BPL are equally nonexistent. I will go back and crawl under my imaginary rock. At least I can amuse myself with the nonexistent improvements at BPL.

:)

[Jerry Adams]

"It is time to put BPL up for sale"

Or maybe member owned

Sort of like the Green Bay Packers

But that's up to Ryan…

I voted yes to both questions, and left the following message in one of the textfields, in the rare chance RJ is actually going to read any of this.

I have answered yes to both of these, however I would like to share on my thoughts.

I make my living from subscription based internet services. While I am in support of BMG generating revenue via third party advertisements, I personally believe that *all* paying members of a web-based service should have the *option* to turn off advertisements.

IF somebody is willing to come forward and say "yep, here are a few bucks a month/year/whatever" they should have the right to turn off advertisement – and we as Service Providers (because that is what you and I are, in owning website like this) should be respectful of those individuals willing to support us, by giving them all the ability to turn off advertisements.

This whole MLIFE only gets to turn off advertisements I am just not a fan of. I am a MLIFE member, but I still think all financially supporting members of BMG/BPL should have the option to turn off advertisements. Turn them on by default, but let *all* those who pay have the option to turn them off.

+John Abela

[Ken Thompson]

Nick says "Lets give him some slack"

I think we've paid out enough rope already. Who's going to cut him down? He's left us swinging.

Some are tired of my comments. I appreciate the opportunity to leave comments on the survey. I'm willing to discuss any comments I have made now, in the past and in the future with anyone.

I just cannot stand anyone behaving as Ryan has. Sorry.

[Nick Gatel]

"I think we've paid out enough rope already. Who's going to cut him down? He's left us swinging."

Has he? I have posted repeatedly that I purchased a M-Life with the obvious fact that BPL was strapped for cash.

My motivation for shelling out the money was my enjoyment of the forums and an occasional article.

I also weighed the realistic probability that BPL could fold, and was willing to lose my investment. I don't feel I was left swinging, because there wasn't a lot of value in BPL other than the forums.

Caveat emptor if anyone feels they did not get what they paid for.

[Ian]

"My motivation for shelling out the money was my enjoyment of the forums and an occasional article."

This is kind of where I am at with BPL. I'm up for renewal next month and plan on renewing as a life member. Articles have been hit and miss but I enjoy these forums and realize that it costs money and time to run them.

[Jason Elsworth]

I like this last post by him…

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=66311&skip_to_post=570076#570076

The specified forum thread no longer exists or never existed.

Fantastically Orwellian :).

I thought that the concept of asking members for a one off contribution to BPL, as a way of raising capital, was a good one. I even suggested it in a couple of threads. However, it looks like MLIFERs got little in return and the money raised wasn't used to upgrade the site and improve the user experience.

I still get value from BPL and will continue to be a member, despite some frustrations. I don't expect things to change much.

[Jerry Adams]

it must be chaff Ian : )

[Mary D]

Jason, that post (and the forum it's in) is accessible to MLifers only. Does seem like a bizarre message, but that's why you can't see it! Of course something like "this forum is accessible only to MLife members" would be far better, but that probably isn't programmed into the primitive forum software.

[Ken Thompson]

OK so how much slack do we agree to give and for how long?

15 months without an update does feel to me like being left out to dry. It's great that we still have the forums to discuss our differences in what we think is acceptable and ethical behavior. Everyone here has a valuable opinion. Just like in all areas of life we won't all agree. I had a few PM's disagreeing with me. I've had way more that agree with what I've said. I'm willing to discuss any point that I bring up.

Ken's Morals and Ethics™ Have gotten me into hot water plenty. I sleep well at night.

I'm frustrated and disappointed.

Thanks again Curtis for sharing your included survey comments.

I went back and added in the text from that link that only MLifers could see.

[Nick Gatel]

"OK so how much slack do we agree to give and for how long?"

Maybe we should just let Ryan move forward. Obviously there is movement on the administrative side of my screen — perhaps not enough for some folks here.

I guess at the end of the day we have to recognize that Ryan owns this site, not us. We can b*tch and moan, but that doesn't get anything accomplished.

Posting solutions help, as some folks have been doing for a while. Perhaps Ryan now has some time to catch up and use the good ideas that appeal to him.

If we all stay positive it will probably become contagious :)

[Author]

Posts