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Digital Spy is being downsized


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Old 17-11-2016, 20:59
JAS84
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I only come here for the forums anyways, the news page is a total joke, full of click bait headlines, and worthless graphics / gifs which in no way relate to the story.
There's definitely far too many animated gifs. The front page usually doesn't fully load for me as a consequence.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:00
JasonWatkins
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I've seen site admins claim nothing was happening before, only for exactly what was being speculated to come to pass. They'll deny it until they're ready to make a formal announcement, even if it is true.
Indeed. If Hearst decide to close the forums, the mods here will be the last to know.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:01
Radiogram
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Ive been coming in here since 2003, I had a real a while back, but if the forums go, I'll have to consign DS to the past.

The main site has not catered for my tastes for a long time. It's all very well going on about ad revenue but when those advertisements are part of what makes the main site so unappealing, then something is really wrong, and the whole site needs to look at what it's trying to do and just how it's doing it.
Pretty much the same here, if the forums go then I won't be visiting the site.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:04
Kargo
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Completely agree with all of this.

I'm sure there are plenty of us who could, and would, come together to form a new forum should DS ever close.

There are plenty of logistical hurdles to overcome, obviously, but I would suggest that we could certainly apply a lot of what has been learnt from how the DS forums have been handled over the years to make something workable.

For starters, It would, of course, have to be able to generate money so ad usage would have to be done in such a way that would encourage people to turn off their adblockers.

I'm certainly up for a brainstorming session if anyone else wants to get involved.
Great idea. I would love to be involved if possible. I've set up a few websites and forums for media related corporations so should the forums close, I would definitely be up in being part of a replacement model.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:05
mashamoto79
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I've seen site admins claim nothing was happening before, only for exactly what was being speculated to come to pass. They'll deny it until they're ready to make a formal announcement, even if it is true.
They are bottom of the food chain and know as much as we do.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:09
Hildaonpluto
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What are AV forums?
They are a host format of self made forums

Awe Wizzy will you miss me if digital spy forums come to pass?! 😉

Their wording suggests to me that eventually the forums will go just not yet.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:14
oathy
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IMHO they just need to remember what DS was about.
the front page needs comments allowed back. And stop with the endless clickbait that once you read the story is nothing like the headline of the article.

And please cut back on the Animated Gifs. Its like homer Simpsons home page he created.. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7otDLzQCug
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:28
JasonWatkins
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Great idea. I would love to be involved if possible. I've set up a few websites and forums for media related corporations so should the forums close, I would definitely be up in being part of a replacement model.
PM'ed you
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:43
The Scout
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The DS forums are probably responsible for a good 70% or more of Digital Spy's audience.
This forum and community is one of the largest on the internet (if not the largest?) and it would be such a great loss to see it go for people who live in the UK IMO.
Agreed. I've never been a member of another forum as active as this. You can make a post and within seconds it can be bottom of the 'new posts' page or even off it altogether.

I also agree with the rest of your post that I didn't quote, James J.
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:00
skp20040
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IMHO they just need to remember what DS was about.
the front page needs comments allowed back. And stop with the endless clickbait that once you read the story is nothing like the headline of the article.

And please cut back on the Animated Gifs. Its like homer Simpsons home page he created.. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7otDLzQCug
I would agree, I think if they allowed comments back on the articles there would be more visitors interested in the main pages, as it stands now they are just articles you can read anywhere.
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:11
Aaron_Scotland
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They only have themselves to blame really. I stopped visiting the homepage after the last redesign and everyone on here saying it was rubbish. They ignored us and now suffer. Oh well.
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:14
Johnr
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I think I've been coming here since 2002-2003! But recently I can't bear to visit the main site as with many others due to the ridiculous articles these days

Was a great site when people like Neil were around, went downhill sharply after! Doesn't help that the forum search has been broken for god knows how long too!
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:45
mike65
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I've never even looked at digitalspy the website - the forums are where the action is,
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:54
Baz_James
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Not long now until the forums are gone then.
Has anyone seen any verification of the story? I can't find anything!
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:59
chinchin
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Has anyone seen any verification of the story? I can't find anything!
It's speculation resulting from a Guardian journalist talking on twitter about cuts by Hearst.
I'll try and find a link for you.
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:02
omnidirectional
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Has anyone seen any verification of the story? I can't find anything!
The only source at present seems to be the tweet from a Media Guardian reporter:

https://twitter.com/marksweney/statu...30735857156096

DS have responded to a topic in the Soaps forum to say there are no "current" plans to close the forum but haven't denied the cutbacks.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...1&postcount=21
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:05
chinchin
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Has anyone seen any verification of the story? I can't find anything!

Mark Sweney‏ @marksweney.@CosmopolitanUK publisher Hearst to make cuts incl shutting youth site Sugarscape + (link: http://Reveal.co.uk) Reveal.co.uk and downsizing @digitalspy 1/2







Mark Sweney‏ @marksweneyI'm hearing that the cuts @HearstUK are in the region of 60-plus jobs at risk, with hope of many redeployed. Not confirmed
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:11
carl.waring
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Sadly the connection between the forums and the main site is all but gone with no more commenting allowed under articles or contributions from DS members (I remember an article by carl waring defending the licence fee attracting considerable debate )
I think I was the guinea-pig for the idea. No wonder it was dropped

I would have included a link to it, but with the comments no-longer there it's not as much fun
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:14
skp20040
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Mark Sweney‏ @marksweney.@CosmopolitanUK publisher Hearst to make cuts incl shutting youth site Sugarscape + (link: http://Reveal.co.uk) Reveal.co.uk and downsizing @digitalspy 1/2







Mark Sweney‏ @marksweneyI'm hearing that the cuts @HearstUK are in the region of 60-plus jobs at risk, with hope of many redeployed. Not confirmed
That appears to be the only thing about it no news story anywhere
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:17
daisy_johns
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I would be very interested in helping a new forum if the need arises
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:43
hyperstarsponge
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The only source at present seems to be the tweet from a Media Guardian reporter:

https://twitter.com/marksweney/statu...30735857156096

DS have responded to a topic in the Soaps forum to say there are no "current" plans to close the forum but haven't denied the cutbacks.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...1&postcount=21
With all due respect DS Forum Support is just happy to have his or her job at the moment, With all of those staff cuts.
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:57
popeye13
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The central site was a great news site for many years but then it got redesigned and redesigned and redesigned, re-tasked and re-tasked and re-tasked, making it a site to avoid.
It became the home sensationalist nonsensical 'celeb' tripe and not what the site was founded upon and did well at.
The forums have declined in recent years too. Too many let through the flood gates creating silly and childish threads and looking for any excuse to be offended, or to BBC-bash for the 601st time this week or bemoan Clarkson or whinge over some news story on TV because it was second and not first or.....whatever!
And, too many trolls, who bait, actively and get away with it.

When i first joined DS Forums, it was an awesome place. Now, im here once a day at most. Made a few friends here and love the Sat Weekly thread, F1 thread and thats about it.
Makes me kinda sad when i read that back before posting....!
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Old 18-11-2016, 00:10
THOMO
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The central site was a great news site for many years but then it got redesigned and redesigned and redesigned, re-tasked and re-tasked and re-tasked, making it a site to avoid.
It became the home sensationalist nonsensical 'celeb' tripe and not what the site was founded upon and did well at.
The forums have declined in recent years too. Too many let through the flood gates creating silly and childish threads and looking for any excuse to be offended, or to BBC-bash for the 601st time this week or bemoan Clarkson or whinge over some news story on TV because it was second and not first or.....whatever!
And, too many trolls, who bait, actively and get away with it.

When i first joined DS Forums, it was an awesome place. Now, im here once a day at most. Made a few friends here and love the Sat Weekly thread, F1 thread and thats about it.
Makes me kinda sad when i read that back before posting....!
I agree, I very rarely post here now, there's so much baiting by trolls who like you said get away with it for years and nothing's done about it. The times I've reported certain members and nothing ever happens to them.
Ian.
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Old 18-11-2016, 00:19
xeo
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A couple of years back I would browse the main site all the time. It used to be brilliant. Gone down the drain. Now I only visit the forums.
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Old 18-11-2016, 00:24
THOMO
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When the major changes took place here on Digital Spy, there where lots of complaints on these forums, Facebook, and Twitter. But those at the top took no notice and the changes on the homepage and on the forums took place, despite the changes been very unpopular.
Ian.
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