Lady Anna's Updates

[ropeslave]

Sorry to ask wouldn't this topic be better placed in the discussions of interests forum rather than in the suggestions box ???

Ropeslave

I am a member of both UKM and PDUK - and post on both...

I am also a Twitterer and belong to Fetlife...

...and Facebook

...and IC (although that place really does get up my nose)

In the end, if UKM remains an interesting forum then it will keep people posting on it - if it doesn't, then people will drift away. There is nothing divisive in providing more options for people to indulge their interests.

The more I write though, the more I wonder whether I am a sad shallow git with no life in the real world...

Hmmmm

Steve

[JimBeam]

<Warning-- long post - sorry>

Originally Posted by Peter

Very sad. I feel that UKM has been a wonderful resource over the years. It has provided advice and support for many hundreds of members and raised funds for deserving causes.

I am certain that this is true, and indeed I have found much that is useful and helpful in the vast archive of material.

However, as a relatively new member I see it for what it is now, not what it has been in the past.

I found the site sometime last year and lurked for a while. Eventually i wished to contribute so I registered. At least, i attempted to do so. The confirmation mail came.. I clicked on the link and the profile was created.
Would it let me post? or PM? or in fact do anythng, even edit my own profile?

No.

I tried again under another name. Same result.

I couldn't PM anyone for help, so I emailed the Lady Owner.

No reply.

I resigned myself to not having any access at all, until some months later I actually had a session with one of the more prominent Lady members here and mentioned my difficulties. She very kindly spoke to or PM'd somebody and suddenly my account was active.

Now I don't mind too much for myself, but that may well be why the membership was almost static. Nobody could join even if they wanted to.

I quickly found that the listings were years out of date, that the classified ads (if they ever existed) had disappeared long ago and that although the membership was huge there were only relatively few members actively posting.

The site was slow and the search was appalling.

However, it had something. There was that hard core of active members, many of whom had much to offer in the way of insight, understanding and information. There was an active mod.. Lisal, who was clearly doing his best to stimulate debate and keep the sight active. There were a number of Ladies who had not yet lost faith and were still active and contributing.

Eventually, the much promised but long delayed new site arrived... but, apparently almost by a takeover rather than a launch. Enough of the members started posting on it that it became a 'done deal' and the old site was closed to new posts.

Many of us hoped that this would lead to a new beginning, and further developments, but instead after the first few days nothing seemed to be happening.

The owner has only posted a very few times on the new board since it became active, and regrettably her assistant has stated very publically that he will never respond to anything on the public site or to any personal messages either. Hardly encouraging words and actions and not conducive to problem resolution of any kind, whether it be technical or related to content posted.

I know myself from running an internet service in another forum and format, that if the owners are not actively involved, the membership will gradually decline.

I was pleased to be invited to join the new site and was glad to do so. This does not mean that I have ceased reading or posting on this one and nor do I intend to cease (unless of course this post gets me banned)

I see no reason why both sites cannot co-exist peacefully, and indeed I hope that they will do so. I strongly suspect however, that if one becomes active, and regularly updated with useful and relevant information and contributions from those in the scene, and the other does not, then, over time, natural forces will prevail.

Just my observations and opinions.. honestly stated.

jb

Okay

Firstly - and, perhaps, most importantly, Peter please reconsider. You are a good guy and a sensitive and intelligent poster - and wherever that posting happens that will be good for the PD BDSM community and, (and I hope you don't mind me saying this), for you yourself.

Secondly, I was at a munch today with people who are (I can't be bothered about being too sensitive right now) "staying with UKM" and "not staying with UKM" and, mostly, doing both. We all got on famously (thank you hugely jL and your chef) - had a chat about what had happened - and saw each others point of view. I think it's a shame that some of those who said they were coming didn't but, on the other hand, there was more food for the rest of us



This stuff happens and whatever (perceived or otherwise) injustices occur it's best if we all get on and deal with it.

I reckon the best that can happen now is to let the whole damn thing lie - both here and on PDUK...

A rather sad Lisal

Originally Posted by ropeslave

Sorry to ask wouldn't this topic be better placed in the discussions of interests forum rather than in the suggestions box ???

Ropeslave

Honestly

Does it matter?

[subtle]

Originally Posted by Ms_Tytania

and what makes you think that PDUK will have "less room for doubts, problems, scepticism (mutual support) to be expressed"? What makes you think that?

Nothing more than an initial impression, really. My own relationship with sessioning tends to be pretty volatile - up one day, down the next. I have a notion that I'd be more likely to post about some of the negative stuff in a less actively managed environment. But as I said, these are early days, initial impressions.

[mikeyports]

Originally Posted by Lisal

Okay

Firstly - and, perhaps, most importantly, Peter please reconsider. You are a good guy and a sensitive and intelligent poster - and wherever that posting happens that will be good for the PD BDSM community and, (and I hope you don't mind me saying this), for you yourself.

[numquata]

I have mixed feelings on this. I think the PDUK development was inevitable sooner or later and I can fully appreciate the reasons why the promoters set it up and why people will support it. That being said, I have some vestigial affection for UKM – I’ve met a lot of people through the various social events over the years – and two of the mods here are friends (and in my view the mods here have been treated with at least as much contempt as the membership at large by the owners). I hope UKM survives; the members deserve a better deal that we’ve had over the past few years. If it doesn’t survive though I won’t be as sorry as I might have been a few years ago.

I suspect that, at the end of the day, all this means is that the same small group of people will be talking about the same subjects to each other. UKM is stagnant, the PD forum on IC is a joke, the breakaway PD group on IC had a good start but is also drying up. There’s only a limited number of subjects and only so much you can say about the professional scene. Bit like the LFF and LAM – competition may be good but there’s only room for so much. I actually can’t see that another board will add any value to the commercial BDSM scene, but that’s not to say I don’t think the people have a perfect right to set one up.

Personally I intend to remain a member of all the fora above but concentrate on maintaining non-cyber relationships more than any message board relationships.

[Alan_1]

Just stumbled on this thread.
I think it would be a shame if UKM did fold, however I'm afraid that the way it has been run for the last few years, it would only have itself to blame.
The transfer to the new board was a shambles, everyone waiting until the old board could be migrated across, which has never happened.
It just seems to me that the owners aren't that interersted in keeping it going.
I hope I'm wrong as I've met some very good people on here and it would be a sad day if it did.
Bang goes my reputation!!!!!!!!!

[uc-ColiN]

UKM wont fold due to people reading another board. As others have said we all go to other 'Mistress' type boards, it has never been an issue.

The reason for the pduk from what i can see is more control over certain aspects and as the 'main' forum maker left, it does seem that the mistress listing and other parts people were waiting for, will not be completed, they had no choice but to make their own.

As for ukm V pduk, grow up. I though i was a little childish at times but give over, its just another board with information on it. I highly doubt anyone of us is going to stop coming here for a good debate. So please, less of this us and them. We all want the same thing and we all go to other boards to get the info we want.

Reason im not posting much, 1 dont have much to say and 2, just changed shift to 4pm - midnight and getting us to the new hours. 3, no one reads my posts anyway lol..

For the records, im on pduk and ukm and about 500 other sites too...

ColiN