PBH / Colombia / Start   Forums▼ (active)   Travelguide   Cheap hostels   Pictures

  

The future of PBH

Hi all,
we've been doing a lot of thinking about the future of PBH, and I also wanted to open a discussion about it. Now that the first 10 years are finished, I want to think about the next 10 years.

First, as for the site in general, I think the magic comes from a meeting of foreigners and locals. From the discussions. So that'll be the main focus. As the homepage says, "a place for travelers and locals". Some ideas:
- right now, the Colombia section is the most active. I'd like to get a few of the other sections going as well.
- More features around your profile page perhaps?
- In the future: more languages. A Spanish version of the site?
- Perhaps let people create "groups" (like forums) themselves, instead of the pre-set forums we have now.

Second, I know that, although we have worked hard on moderating the community, we need to go to the next level. Here are some ideas around that:
- a trustee board: a small group of respected, old time members can form a trustee board. They will discuss things like community rules etc...
- more moderators. I think we need to go to a team of 7 or 8.
- better moderation. More agreement on rules (see the trustee board), not so much deletion of useful posts with a few bad comments (that's really my fault, I'm the worst moderator of all).

Third, the continued evolution of the site. I hope it will get better, faster and more useful over time. Here are some ideas around that:
- more features, like personal travel blogs, maps for the guides, ...
- a "PBH dev" mailing list, where me and others can discuss the technical aspects together and work together on the site. A few people have already volunteered

Let the discussion start! :)

By Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) on Dec 1, 2008, 00:13 in Friendly Talkzone. AddThis Social Bookmark Button

lpdiver says on Dec 1, 2008, 00:26:

How about a chat feature?

ts

"cook some rice!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

capitan_centella says on Dec 1, 2008, 00:33:

yes, a chat would be nice ! don´t you think.

;)

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

capitan_centella says on Dec 1, 2008, 00:35:

althought, chat is ephimere, and the google server last forever !. . . and sometimes you need time to make the right coment,

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

bickerss says on Dec 1, 2008, 01:11:

A personal message function on the site rather than going through to an email, where your personal email is then able to be seen (ie like the thorn tree).

Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Buongone says on Dec 1, 2008, 02:28:

Truthspeaker, If my memory serves me well. Were not you a gringo once upon a time?

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 04:41:

What about making it like a forum??? With sub groups for those who really live in Colombia etc

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Dec 1, 2008, 04:45:

Wow, truthspeaker you would make a perfect PBH moderator!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 04:48:

Truthspeaker has some serious mental issues. No mod material.

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

GringOrion says on Dec 1, 2008, 05:20:

did somebody hack into PBH to write this topic? LOL

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 05:32:

People always have had a lot to say about how to run this forum and the bottom line has been: "This is Peter's sandbox and love it or leave it" Now he has given everybody a chance to chime in, to be part of an open discussion about PBH's future as a site ... so don't be shy , come on out and let your voice be heard.

Cheers,
Desi

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 1 helpful.

medellinlodging (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 1, 2008, 05:50:

Truthspeaker....nice post...not so far off but could have been said nicer and with more thought. jajajaja

I would like to see more input from locals who actually live here in Colombia, whether Colombian or Extranjeros, who can offer good advice or input. Problem is, too many of them are bashed, slammed, ripped and trolled just for having legitimate information which the occasional know-it-all tourist posters tear to shreds. Maybe this takes us back to better moderation and control of content.

Poorbuthappy.com users come from these countries:

United States 38.9%
Colombia 11.7%
India 8.1%
United Kingdom 7.4%
Germany 4.6%
Australia 2.5%
Canada 2.5%
Finland 2.2%
Mexico 2.1%
Italy 1.9%
Spain 1.7%
Peru 1.1%
Venezuela 0.9%
Philippines 0.7%
Argentina 0.5%
Belgium 0.5%
Other countries 12.8%

Medellin Apartment or Medellin Hostel at www.medellinlodging.com! Medellin Hostel at www.apartahostelkatthias.com! Medellin Apartment at www.apartmentkatthias.com!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gringoloid (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 06:17:

hmmm, limit the american participation? who in the world would ever say there is discrimination against americans at pbh?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gringoloid (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 06:20:

the best overall improvement that would make pbh a friendlier site..............is to have the ignore button work both ways. if you put someone on ignore, then that way, the 'ignored' person can't see your comments either.

0 funny, 1 helpful.

vicshere says on Dec 1, 2008, 06:29:

to me a nice feature would be to have the number of deleted posts a members has had posted next to the number of total posts.....this would tell us how reputable the members is

listo

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 06:39:

i always think the emoticons feature is important, those little faces makes a bit difference to a sentence :))

I agree with GL and ingnore button who works both ways, we will definetely have lots of less fightsIF people use it. Porque algunos les gusta la pelea :))

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Chriscan says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:13:

I wouldn't change too much in the way of moderation. I'm always for less. I like to know what people really think. I don't like personal attacks but people feel sheltered on the internet and can be jerks (like in cars in North America). People can attack me all they want and it just won't bother me. My ego is way too big to be damaged by a few words.

I find some of the disputes are cultural as well. Latinos don't get sarcasm for the most part and get offended by gringo's jokes.

Personally, I wouldn't make too many broad changes. Some more features would be good. If you want more users in other groups than Colombia, it will take some marketing. A facebook group would be cool but I don't know how it would work.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Chriscan says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:24:

I find the site navigation a little weak. A small but expanding menu bar on every page that includes all off the categories would encourage people to use more of the site.

Below the comment window, a simple "back" link would be nice and if it isn't too complicated, anchor it to the same post to save needless scrolling.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pavo says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:25:

I think it's time for you to cash in Peter. Take advantage of the movement on your Colombia sight and bolster advertisements. Maybe start selling stuff from the sight. A PBH store? A line of Colombian products Fed Exed to your door. Flowers, Coffee, Tourism, Artesania, ect....

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Chriscan says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:31:

Yes, I'm surprised you don't make better use of your traffic. I like the lack of adds but some google text adds wouldn't bother me. Maybe a deal with a flight booking site would work well for you. I feel guilty making suggestions sometimes because I don't see how you are making much money for this service that you do for us all.
If you want to keep the site clean, a small donation button might be a good alternative to ads given the number of long term users.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:34:

Peter, those are all good ideas worth doing.

Increasing the number of moderators should have a noticeable effect. Not that more stuff will be deleted, but it will be done quicker. "A stitch in time saves nine" etc.

Please give pow wow protected status. Maybe even his own sub-forum, where he gets to hold court and if anyone visits, they're doing so voluntarily.

On that note, if you do make new "interest group" forums, maybe a panel with check boxes where you can check each forum on/off and you end up with an overview of all the forums you wanted to subscribe to and none of the ones you don't.

Either that, or people could just stop bitching about reading posts they afterwards decided they didn't want to read.

que nota!

0 funny, 1 helpful.

roloenNJ says on Dec 1, 2008, 07:40:

CHAT ROOM for user on-line

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gringoloid (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 08:09:

if the ignore button worked both ways then everyone would be a moderator. YOU could delete anyone you wanted. as it stands now, i don't have anyone on ignore because of the one sided nature of the ignore button.

there would not be this arguing with the mods either over how they moderate........in fact, i think their workload would be cut in half.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gringoloid (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 08:19:

also, peters rule about no discussion of dating colombian women i think is outdated now.

love makes the world go around!

can't pictures and discussion be put into a separate tab? it would liven things up around here also.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Elmin says on Dec 1, 2008, 09:08:

Some ideas i would like:

- For the bloggers, it might be nice to be able to input your blog's rss feed in the profile page
- A sort of PBH "digging" feature for genuine informative travel threads
- Integration of google maps of cities, for tips on restaurants, dining, sightseeing tours etc.

kind regards

0 funny, 0 helpful.

whitewidow says on Dec 1, 2008, 09:30:

Establish an "anything goes" section in which people can say what they want without fear of deletion. I would bet this section would become one of the most popular areas of the site much in the way Jerry Springer achieves its success.

Drama can be fun, especially after hearing the same ole - same ole about Colombia over and over and over, and over, and over, and over ....

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gatogris says on Dec 1, 2008, 09:43:

The Colombia section is the most active for a reason. Although some of what gets said is offensive, it can also be provocative, and after the clowns stand down, real, meaty debates can (sometimes) ensue. The mods know this, which is why (despite the whining from the peanut gallery) they are pretty loose when it comes to censuring.

Peter's main point here is about organization. People post with real questions or comments about Colombia, and then others weigh in during the course of the thread, blustering and bloviating and salivating, swilling guaro with their hands in their trousers. He is (I think) wondering if there is a way to disentangle these threads to some degree, to segregate out those distinct reasons for posting.

But the worry is of course that in doing so you would make an English garden out of a jungle thicket, and lose the wild-and-woolly vibrancy of this site. Don't kill us with kindness.

More mods might be good to distribute the workload more evenly. But if it ain't broke...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Bill Turley (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 1, 2008, 10:18:

I think that several points made above are good ones. If we had a chat room,with an assigned moderator on board 24/7 or when the chat room was open would minimize the bashing on the posts. I had a simular post on AOL where I hosted a feature called the Scholar's Hall. Any improper uses could easily be blocked
Peter I also would like to see you make a few bucks from this site, certainly people have taken value from us.
To restrict the membership is a poor idea. Now many people ask questions and we answer them. If a newbie couldn't post, how could we give an answer.
We do have a good thing her and to be aware of problems and to try to shortcircuit problems is always a good idea.

Mr. Bill Somondoco

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 10:43:

Its just a suggestion but why not have a travel reviews section? Users can basically review a town or city that they have travelled to. Should the reader be interested in visiting, a search can be made for price, accommodation etc etc to that city?

You could also set up user travel blogs should anyone wish to blog their trips round Colombia/South America.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

twmcm says on Dec 1, 2008, 10:47:

Please please please avoid having separate languages . . . that is nothing more than a way to speedily dilute content and value to readers.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 11:09:

It really depends on where you want to take the site. Do you want this site to start generating income, or is this site 'keeping it real'?

This site could effectively become an interactive bookings site specialising in South America...as I say though, its really all about where you want to take it.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pavo says on Dec 1, 2008, 11:52:

Travel Review is a great idea Shoriao. Perhaps a section on hotels where people can put up pictures and reviews of the hotel. Hotels seems to be an area of great interest on this site and perhaps you could make $$$ on the link to go to reservations. I keep coming back to money don't I? I want you to bank some cash peter!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pavo says on Dec 1, 2008, 11:55:

Poor but Happy! Rich and Estatic!!!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pavo says on Dec 1, 2008, 12:22:

The trust fund kicked in, didn't it!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 1, 2008, 13:18:

Here are my thoughts/suggestions:

“right now, the Colombia section is the most active. I'd like to get a few of the other sections going as well.”
Well, you can’t really control that! These other sections will become “active” whenever posters use them (and have anything to say/share).

“More features around your profile page perhaps?”
What did you have in mind? As long as posters carry on stating they live in “Afghanistan”, any voluntary information doesn’t mean much…

“In the future: more languages. A Spanish version of the site?”
Absolutely NOT!. Whether we like it or not, English is the “international” language… Furthermore, (at least in the Colombia section), posters can already write in Spanish… Offering options is nice, but the more options you offer, the more “diluted” PBH will become…

“a trustee board: a small group of respected, old time members can form a trustee board. They will discuss things like community rules etc”.
Not really needed… Just create a mods private forum to discuss things between you… We don’t need yet another level of moderation… Because, at the end of the day, “trustees” will be considered as “Mods” – keep things simple...

“more and better moderators. I think we need to go to a team of 7 or 8.”
More, yes – DEFINITEVELY. Mods aren’t censors (only “plonkers” and trouble-makers believe that). Mods SIMPLY enforce the rules.

IMAO, one of the weakest points of PBH has been how whole threads are deleted (or even locked) just because a few trolls post a few nasty comments…

But, as ColombianoGringo has already written, Mods also have a life and simply don’t have the time to review ALL the comments. THIS SHOULD CHANGE.

The more Mods you have, the more time they’ll have to “clean up” the threads… Deleting whole threads is NOT the answer- cleaning them is (and this does indeed require time, hence more Mods).

Mods should then rely more on the FLAG feature to deleted obnoxious or rule-breaking comments (as opposed to deleting the entire thread). Similarly (to balance the situation) any posters abusing the FLAG feature should be warned (and eventually deleted). Thus, Mods would know exactly which comments to delete… (and that will save them time too).

“Better Mods?”.
Well, as long as they don’t act as censors, but simply enforce the rules, they get my vote and my unconditional support…

“more features, like personal travel blogs”. Perhaps… If PBH wants to host blogs – why not… Personally, I already keep a blog on my Website and wouldn’t want to duplicate it on PBH… Travel reports/accounts might be more appropriate…

A real-time CHAT feature sounds VERY interesting. Gawd knows where it will lead, but it could be experimented for a few months… (and it might provide for some very convivial chats – as long as it is permanently moderated).

As Kat wrote, a full set of emoticons (whether in chat or in comments) would be nice and convivial…

As I have already stated: 1 or 2% of posters seriously manage to ruin the enjoyment of the remaining 98-99% genuine posters. We don’t indeed need more censorship, we need more Mods SIMPLY enforcing the existing rules. “Be nice” sums it up… “By all means argue with me as long as it doesn’t get personal”. And any additional convivial features (such as chat or emoticons) will be the icing on the cake so that we can share a more genuine exchange of views.

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tabla says on Dec 1, 2008, 13:24:

A) Let's have a Wiki

I think we should have a Wiki. We have an ever growing database of archived posts, which we are supposed to search (Google) before asking the same old questions. You can spend hours on your search, hampered by (1) the off-topic/adversarial payload; (2) repetition; (3) trying to understand what people mean (eg US-speak for non-US folk, a presumption that "here" means the USA, etc) and (4) it's probably out of date but you have to make a new post anyway to find out.

In other words, the database is inefficient for reference purposes. A Wiki would solve this by having pages on each subject (chosen and written by members). Each page would be updated so the various topics should always be up-to-date. Good bits of existing posts could form a basis for new pages. Many posts would be superseded by the Wiki, leaving a more manageable pile of archives on less popular or less categorisable topics.

Experienced members might choose to start a few pages on subjects about which they are knowledgeable, but I imagine certain newbies who are motivated to research their particular question might do the best work. Anyone making a new post could choose to make it a Wiki page, and any post could be moved to a Wiki page if more appropriate.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Dec 1, 2008, 13:34:

I second the emoticons feature, I'm so used to using them in other places that I miss them terribly when I get here.

Also, the Spanish version of the forum is an excellent idea. I've known a few people who stay away from it mainly because it's in English.

I also had an idea of starting a yellow page book with addresses and phone numbers of the most requested sites. Some people may think of it as advertising but I see it more of a guide since people keep asking about pizza places, government buildings, places to stay, plastic surgeons, etc.

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jonas says on Dec 1, 2008, 13:51:

the wiki idea gets my full support! Nice one, tabla!

Mi alma se la dejo al diablo

0 funny, 0 helpful.

wwwhitey says on Dec 1, 2008, 14:02:

My big three:

1. Delete the bad posts, not the whole thread. This is a must otherwise the trolls and fools will always win.

2. More mods to enforce the rules ... not more rules. No more moronic personal attacks that are probably preventing a lot of people from posting.

3. Remove the censorship of threads pertaining to relationships. There's a world of difference between sex and sex tourism, and pursuing/discussing monogamous relationships. I'm sure many of us on the site are in relationships or want to be. Mods can ensure the rules are followed. I'm not advocating the site become a foreign bride guide ... just don't censor. It's a valid topic ... just one of hundreds.

Whitey

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 14:22:

I would like it to be more a forum format.

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:09:

This is a public board, with a mix of people. Some questions seem to be asked 125234234 thousand times so easily turn into chat threads.

OTOH if you are on the street and ask a q to 10 ppl, would you trust their answers?

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Noelito40 says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:10:

There is so much great info repeated (and often misquoted or misinterpreted!!) that I think a set of FAQ's would be invaluable. For example how many people have asked for info on
1. Getting my visa
2. Transferring money to Colombia (and Registering with B de la R)
3. Buying/selling property

??

Noelito

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:13:

4. Is my novia for real?
5. Does s/he really love me?
6. Am I her ATM/visa supplier?
7. How do I get (or:what do I need for) a workvisa?
8. Is Cali safe?
9. My novia is for real - 25 yrs younger asking me money, hanging out w/ her primo everyday but no matter what you say I KNOW SHE LOVES ME because I love her!
10. Looking for something to do in bogota?

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:15:

The FAQ idea is good. We could set up a separate section for that, then allow members to submit content and consolidate the best posts into FAQs for various topics. It might be good to have a few editors in charge of the FAQ section.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:23:

Also another direction for PBH is to make it an Information portal. Like the person a few posts up says, giving valuable information on settling or working in Colombia..such as visas...setting up gas/elec, laws, marriage, divorce, leaving colombia, enrolling kids to school on and on.

When I lived in Nice I always planned to set up an infoenespanol site for people...but given the different visa requirements for each spanish speaking nation, it was going to be a lot of time and expense, which I didn't have.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:25:

...and of course...you could make a stack on advertising Peter!

apologies, I can't seem to kick out of the marketing mode.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:26:

We should also make an automized quiz for: does she love me for real / should I stay with her, one that you choose answers multiple choice, click on send and it gives you your answers. Saves 50% of the posts (50% of the posts other than posted newspaper articles about something super amazing, socially bad or uribe bashing).

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:28:

There should be IP banning for people continually typing crap also

*cough cough* above post.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:28:

I like that. No joke, 10-20 questions with points associated with them. Then at the bottom explain, if you received 5-10 points it means this; 11-15, it means this, etc. That would save at least 25% of most posts.

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:28:

Ha Ha Monita. Maybe that topic should be one of the FAQs ;)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:32:

I am not kidding. We see this passing by way to often. It can be easily solved with a short quiz. Saves a lot of posts.

There should be one big banner on this website though: USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:34:

Darloup - is this not on dial up modems though?

my IP stays the same no matter what..

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:37:

It would be so boring with only Real Moral Friendly Wise People (e.g. Darloup) on this board...

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:38:

Shortiao,

Even on most broadband connections, you typically get an ip address from a DHCP server. You get a "lease" on an ip for a certain amount of time. It is true that you usually get the same ip again when your router renews your lease, but this is not guaranteed.

Also, blocking IPs has limited effectiveness as people can use proxy servers to appear as if they are coming from another location. Also, it is possible to spoof IP addresses and change a connection's apparent IP address.

Consequently, IP blocking has limited effectiveness.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:46:

I dont think so dear gringo married to a colombiana.

Don't you see how much fun it is to press some of your buttons?? :)

I am living in colombia and if ppl are serious, so am I.

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:54:

ah...for example though, lots of websites will not allow unrecognised IPs..ie. ghosting or proxy sites.

I wasn't really being serious anyway.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:55:

i'm relatively new Monita...but you do come across as a troll

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:00:

I am not... sorry......... living and rolling happily in colombia. I am in fact very friendly and nice to be around with.. but can't stand a lot of the gringo bs on here

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Brians says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:03:

I like the Wiki idea. Best idea of the thread except for letting people discuss sex in Colombia. They are the threads that are the most fun!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:04:

i'm just saying...you do come across as a troll.

especially with the use of the word Gringo.

Last night, some black woman in our street walks up and says "yo gringo...gimmes some plata" I just laughed and said - I would have done if you adn't called me gringo.

then my wife laughed and said - no you wouldn't have you tight ass.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:06:

You should NEVER give money to people asking it on the street, especially NOT to children.

Not even a monedita.

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sloopskipper says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:08:

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) says on Dec 1, 2008, 15:38 (today): flag

"Shortiao,

Even on most broadband connections, you typically get an ip address from a DHCP server. You get a "lease" on an ip for a certain amount of time. It is true that you usually get the same ip again when your router renews your lease, but this is not guaranteed.

Also, blocking IPs has limited effectiveness as people can use proxy servers to appear as if they are coming from another location. Also, it is possible to spoof IP addresses and change a connection's apparent IP address.

Consequently, IP blocking has limited effectiveness."

On cable modem, my IP address lasts until I disconnect the modem for more than 10 minutes, BUT the domain remains.

JD on colonianblog seems to have figured it out, probably with IPs, e-mail addresses, and whatever. But, they don't seem to have a troll problem.

It ain't exactly rocket science if you really want to solve the problem, at least for the most part.

You can claim that this, or that, doesn't work, and do NOTHING, but whine!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:17:

Sloop, There are a variety of ways to approach blocking, however, there are usually ways around them for a tenacious troll. There are some methods implemented at PBH, but I am not at liberty to specifically discuss them. You are correct that the domain remains the same, but it is dangerous to block entire domains. For example, we have a lot of people coming in from ETM broadband. If we were to block the entire domain, we would keep out lots of legitimate potential members along with the trolls. However, I will discuss potential ways to improve the registration security with Peter. If you have any specific suggestions, please PM me.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Brians says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:17:

I like trolls.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sloopskipper says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:20:

No, of course, you don't block a whole domain, but is a red flag.

But it appears that nothing is done here, but complaining.

Not even an email verification.

It seems they don't need a "way around".

And I'd probably bet a reasonable sum that most of the trolls here wouldn't know how to do it.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sloopskipper says on Dec 1, 2008, 16:28:

jaja, Brians

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monita Linda says on Dec 1, 2008, 17:24:

Instead of trying to ban people and feel better about yourself, be a better human.

Poor but Preppy ______Colombia: the only risk is wanting to lay.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jay007 says on Dec 1, 2008, 17:46:

i enjoy reading personal travel blogs...so long as theres pics :)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Dec 1, 2008, 17:49:

wwwhitey said:
........."There's a world of difference between sex and sex tourism, and pursuing/discussing monogamous relationships. I'm sure many of us on the site are in relationships or want to be."

yep... brings to mind, a not-so-long-ago-deleted post.

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

0 funny, 1 helpful.

cocoloco says on Dec 1, 2008, 18:37:

chat room def would be nice

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Dec 1, 2008, 21:27:

and, Mandarin 'Orange' Chinese ;)

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

lpdiver says on Dec 1, 2008, 22:50:

Howabout a stringently enforced one handle per poster rule?

ts

"cook some rice!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

lpdiver says on Dec 1, 2008, 23:37:

I am not a techno weenie so I cannot answer that. However I do know it can be done. It is done in an immigrations forum in which I participate. Perhaps a very modest fee?

I for one would be very happy to pay say ten buck per year for the improved status. Have a limited membership for free which limits your ability to interact to let people try before they buy.
ts

"cook some rice!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Yellapage says on Dec 2, 2008, 04:58:

* Emotions
* More advanced text posting features, font size, colour, balh blah blah.
* Chatroom (web based IRC perhaps?)
* Improved photo section with more sections/better upload tool
* More advanced search feature to stop repeat topics,
* Profile section improvements,
* Add features to friends (to see more information peoples profile maybe?)

Things I like:
One area under the countries for all postings, means the whole community sees all posts and can give opinions even if the forum moves quickly, it works well, it's important not to dilute the community.

The simplicity of posting.

and of course all you wonderful people above that make PBH such a nice place to read/discuss topics.

Viva la vida

0 funny, 0 helpful.

medellinlodging (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 2, 2008, 05:28:

Peter,

I think advertising would also be a good thing. You could make some $$$ while promoting local business here in Colombia, or business associated to this. How often are people asking for references to services around here - from shipping, to hotels, hostels, travel agencies, airlines, bus lines, surgeons, etc, etc....

I also like the idea of two-way ignore, as the current one just doesn't really fix the issue at hand.

Personal blog sections - absolutely - where people can promote themselves, their beliefs and their experiences as they want with minimal moderation.

Medellin Apartment or Medellin Hostel at www.medellinlodging.com! Medellin Hostel at www.apartahostelkatthias.com! Medellin Apartment at www.apartmentkatthias.com!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 2, 2008, 06:43:

may I add that the chat room function is a terrible idea.

Shortiao says : a/s/l?
Monita Linda says: lol....your wife is so using you for a visa
dwnte7 says : your mum is sooo gay. i fought in Vietnam.


seriously, like some of the posts arent tedious enough without putting them into real time.

I have a pretentious sign off now!

3 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 2, 2008, 07:02:

I love the idea of a chat room but understand fully why Peter does not want to set it up. I would SO NOT be willing to moderate that one!

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.

nine inch nails says on Dec 2, 2008, 07:04:

I recently made many posts on the Peru side. Another really neat country worth discovering.

The Hedge funds have all gone wild on us!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 2, 2008, 07:15:

I see the need for more moderators (like gatogris already stated) for more even workload and better time zone coverage. That's one of the reasons we wanted CG on and may be needing more people from that specific time zone but let's take one step at a time.

I'm all for a trustee board; it widens the base and enables people who care about this board to contribute to its further development. The techie group would also be good; Peter would definitely appreciate help indeveloping new features and maintaining the site bug-free. (I 'm not saying that he isn't perfectly CAPABLE of doing the whole job by himself, but it's good to delegate. He is a BUSY guy.

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 2, 2008, 07:16:

Oh, and yes, smilies, like mine!

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Dec 2, 2008, 08:01:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://poorbuthappy.com&sl=aut...

Then click on Colombia (ofertas)

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

robi666 (Trustee board) says on Dec 2, 2008, 18:07:

#4 Moderators with some sense of humor

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Dec 2, 2008, 18:27:

When Moderators and Peter are sure about someone with a new handle it should be make public in the forum, not exceptions. (lease bien, cuando esten seguros y solamente entonces.)


aka

fulanito former menganito just next to the lattest handle

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

robi666 (Trustee board) says on Dec 2, 2008, 18:37:

Good idea

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

0 funny, 0 helpful.

vicshere says on Dec 2, 2008, 19:17:

how about a feature that tells us if the mods are online...that way we can miss behave when they aren't here

listo

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Chriscan says on Dec 3, 2008, 07:01:

I have a pbh google gadget and a box pops up with the content of a post on hover. That might be a nice feature on the PBH pages to make for quicker browsing. It could make things look to busy but may be worth a try.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

twmcm says on Dec 3, 2008, 07:17:

The future should look kinda like this:

http://www.colombianblog.com/phpBB2/index.php

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Chriscan says on Dec 3, 2008, 07:40:

I disagree, twmcm
I like the PBH design. I don't care if some topics get redundant I like how things always feel new even if they aren't

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass. www.independentbanff.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 3, 2008, 09:55:

True. In some cases, it is certainly appropriate to provide a link to a previous thread where a particular topic has been discussed. It is even OK to suggest that they use the Google search on the site. However, I don't see the need to tear a new one for some newbie that asks a question just because it has been covered before. Bill is right. A major purpose of the site is to help people out.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Dec 3, 2008, 10:26:

I agree in helping people out with the questions that they may have AFTER they've searched the site thoroughly and can't find an answer or a specific answer. But there are way too many lazy people out there who think it's more comfortable and convenient to ask the question instead of looking for the answers. Same goes for Visa Journey, it drives me crazy.

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tabla says on Dec 3, 2008, 10:52:

This is why we need a Wiki. It would be more reliably up-to-date and more efficient as a reference system, as I described earlier. Then there would be no excuse for repeating all the old questions. It's about user-friendliness. You don't get points for good service if you think your users are lazy. It's not that. It's that they don't find the system user-friendly. Hence all the folk who don't stay with the site.

I think creating a Wiki would be an exciting project. I can't wait to start editing it. Let's have a Wiki - on PBH or not.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 3, 2008, 11:40:

"Remember when you where a newbie! Newbies don't know all the history, and might think their question is being asked for the first time, so wouldn't use the search. Let's be nice to them :) If you don't want to answer a question, just skip it :)"

Absolutely!

Furthermore, things change very quickly in Colombia... I always found that, even if the topics were already covered, a new thread usually provided more up-to-date info...

As as Peter said:

- You're always free to ignore the question...
- You're also free to refer the OP to a past (pertinent) thread...

Still, a FAQ section covering the more "static" kind of info might be usueful. Although the "Travel Guide" (constanttly updated) might fill in this role... (the Travel guide IS a Wiki).

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Shortiao says on Dec 3, 2008, 11:45:

It really seems like we're crying out for PBH to be an information portal......

without turning back to my marketing BS again - think of the stack in advertising again Peter....I might be willing to invest in this......

I have a pretentious sign off now!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tabla says on Dec 3, 2008, 12:41:

Two problems with the FAQ idea:

1) FAQs are normally questions with short answers
2) they are normally questions with fixed answers that don't change

That's why a wiki is better.

I'm not suggesting that PBH becomes a wiki. Just that it has one as part of the mix. Wiki software is now readily available.

It's all explained here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Strobers says on Dec 3, 2008, 13:09:

Images are a lot more powerful than text. If we want to give people good information, we should also include a section with just videos and photos, which would include some basic information. People could do a search on lets say Mongui and it would take them to videos and photos of Mongui. If they wanted more information they could do a general text search.

And/or have all the cities listed/linked in alphabetical order so people could scroll right to the city they wanted, click, and get a graphic representation of what the city is like. It could include some basic information about the city, with corresponding links to other images and videos to make it easier to view videos/photographs that were germain to their interest, (In other words a person wouldn't have to go through every single photo to find what they wanted. The photo(s) would be linked) and links to travel bogs and other threads/posts on the person's area of interest.

I like to read about places, but I always appreciate something more tangible that gives me a better glimpse into my area of interest.

This is an example of what I am envisioning, but with really good information, video and photos. http://www.epictrip.com/Cities-in-Colombia-places-l118.html

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kalder says on Dec 3, 2008, 13:35:

Bill- agreed! I hate it when someone attacks a newcomer just for asking a question. It's churlish and downright rotten.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Strobers says on Dec 4, 2008, 11:11:

I commend you on your use of the word "churlish," Kalder. ( :

I agree with both you and Bill, the whole point of this site is to help people by providing information that will help them in their travels. It's lazy and wrong to just tell someone to "do a search." We really need to try to do our utmost to make people feel comfortable when they come here. Otherwise, we are just going to be left with a bunch of smartasses.

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 4, 2008, 12:3