There is for the most important members, the end user who has access to fast, local forum that provides them with all the information they need about hosting.

You're both wrong. It hasn't been that way for years. It may have seemed like it was, but it wasn't. We've had overseas users on the forum since the early days, and we've had overseas advertisers on the forum since 2004 (both banner advertisers and those who post threads on the forum).

You must mean WHT-US only for US based providers?

What about the thousands of Australian members on WHT-US (providers, and those who simply don't know (*yet*) that WHT-AU exists? Following your plan, they're all to be kicked off WHT-US. Good luck with that!

G

You have used WHT-US to advertise AU hosting:

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=212391

What's the go with that!

Because there's a huge market here for US based services. You, me, and a huge percentage of the registered providers on WHT-AU have used it/still use/continue to use it and many of us/them wouldn't have gotten anywhere near where we/they are today without it.

If the local industry had nothing to do with overseas providers, wanted nothing to do with overseas providers, US and elsewhere, then maybe it could be as clear cut as you'd like and WHT-AU would still be the circa-2003 "Aussie Boyz" club. But we've all moved on from there, and we've all benefited from those moves, except now you want to turn back the clock?

G

I must have just managed to click the US users when they signed up and missed the AUS users in between.


Everyone else doesn't seam to have difficulties following what I'm getting at.
Must just be you :P

Gary, you started WHT AU as an alternative to WHT as a place where Australian providers could meet and chat - what you now choose to call your Aussie boys club circa 2003

What I don't understand is when you owned the forum it was a pally boys club call it what you like and to me and a lot of others you and the members were quite happy with it like that and it appeared it was as it was intended

You then sold it

Jon bought it and obviously thought - well I paid money for it I may as well get some back - I don't believe Jon originally bought it with profit in mind but after a while he obviously thought I may as well make some money if I have it and fair enough

So, at this stage he gets a new skin put on (which breaks view first unread and yes I am fascinated to see if inet fix that lol)

Then there is an overseas providers section added - yes some Australians do want to purchase services directly from overseas

Then he takes some ads out to promote it and get more members and within a couple of months it is sold

I am trying to work out exactly what you are saying should happen now. Do you think it should just be another version of WHT but with .au on the end where anyone and everyone from all over the world bombards it OR should it retain its Australian focus

My point is that inet is a network of sites and as such they have the luxury/ability to direct people to the area which concerns them such as WHT AU for those providing/seeking services in Australia or Australian based businesses providing services anywhere

Yes I posted something in WHT years ago so what does that prove???

That I used it as it is meant to be used as an international forum with people from all over the world

That's what it is for it's not a US forum it's an international one

So. lets face it in reality if inet have their heads screwed on properly they should just close this forum down and point the domain name to an Aussie section of WHT

Really what is the point in having an independent forum which will only serve to confuse people unless it retains a purely Australian focus

What I find particularly sad is there has been no post from anyone in inet to say hi let alone give an idea of what they have in mind

No disrespect but I really don't think the mods are the ones who should be defending what is planned as we don't even know what is planned and while I am sure that during the purchase there were discussions about what "may" happen it is really down to inet to come here and tell us where we and the forum stand

Do the mods know exactly what they have in mind?

If so please post and tell us so all this speculation can be put to bed and we can deal in facts

If not then how can they defend something when they don't even know what is going to happen themselves

Although not an advertiser myself there have already been posts from some who do not appear happy about what they are now to be receiving compared to what they signed up for in regards to advertising

Someone needs to clear the air with some FACTS

Ok I think that should be enough to keep the blood moving

Cheers
Angus

Seems you Angus, should of bought the forum as you seem to know how it should be run better then everyone else does. Actually, that goes for anything related to the webhosting industry.. Can i bow now allmighty one?

Actually, i do understand what your saying and agree. Here we are with a WHT and WHTAU. What is the point in having both these forums run and owned by the same company if they are essentially advertising the same services from each others region?

In my view any International offers should go over to WHT and any Australian offers should remain here, that goes hand in hand whether the host is Australian or not.

If international offers are to be published in WHTAU then you might as well close down this forum and start a new Australian Hosting section over on WHT as the exclusivity to AU offers are no longer an attraction here.

Now thats my take on it, so you proclaimed "experts" deal with it how you want.

You missed the irony surrounding that comment (aka inverted commas). That's what the forum has been seen as by many who have wanted to participate but have seen it as an old boys club in the past. We've all moved from there, I hope.

Because you're only seeing/recalling what you want and in the order you want, when in reality the forum was making money and from overseas advertisers as well, for quite some time before I initially sold it (and I applied many different themes that broke parts of the forum, as well).

(it's not the theme that broke those links, it was the SEO optimisation which I am sure if a good compromise, but yes it would be nice to get all those little bugs ironed out and I am fairly confident iNet's team will do that)

It's business as usual as far as a discussion forum for hosting goes. The look will change, and if there are free advertising slots in the rotations then they may very well be opened up to overseas providers who target the same market, and I see nothing wrong with that.

That you should see nothing wrong in overseas providers advertising on WHT-AU. Beat them to the advertising space if you're so inclined, otherwise why complain?

Perhaps we'll see some followup posts now that the confusion has been sorted, about dates and what they will be receiving, and again after seeing some of the long term results.

Gary

Curiosity of the human mind drew them here, and the expensive bandwidth drew them out of here... lol

Including the constant hacking of a certain members account?

Makes for enjoyable reading.

Looks like much ado about nothing here

Thanks for adding to this "Ado about nothing here"

I would give you the wrap for bagder posting but WHTAU has lost it's meaning now so meh.