[quote]g’em wrote:
Aragorn wrote:
some great stuff…
Pretty much everything that Aragorn wrote is how I always perceived T-Nation to be. It was hardcore, it was tough, it was somewhere that I lurked until I’d absorbed enough information and put it into practice that I felt I could come into the forum and hold my own in.
And that was primarily what I enjoyed about this site. I appreciated the lack of BS, and the fact that the authors and posters interacted with each other provoking (for the most part) intelligent and thoughtful discussions.
Sure, everyone didn’t get along all the time, but often the disagreements led to articulate debates and maybe the occasional flame war (still highly entertaining in itw own right!).
But now… well, it’s different. Really different. Long-time posters are visibly (and in my mind understandably) frustrated. Tired of giving the same, inevitably ignored advice, you just don’t see them contributing to the “I’m 160lb and I want to cut - what’s the best way??” threads even though they’re probably in the best position to give advice at all.
And I don’t blame them. There’s only so many times you can say the same thing over and over again without getting mightily pissed off that no-one seems to have the sense to use the search function or even listen to what you’re saying at all.
I’ve been watching the recent changes with very mixed feelings, and I’m honestly still at a loss trying to figure out exactly who the target audience is as the changes are being made.
Is it a marketing move aimed at reaching a wider audience to promote Biotest to? Is it a genuine attempt to “evolve” T-Nation to the next level but maintain its integrity and “Bodybuilding Think Tank” essence?
Well, only you guys know that. But please bear one thing in mind - there are a number of long-standing members on this thread and around the board who’ve expressed their opinions about the changes. Please bare those opinions in mind.
Your article contributors are absolutely fantastic, that’s not being questioned. But let’s face it, they’re paid. Who takes that information and passes it on? The forum posters. And that’s the difference between the “real” T-Nationers and the passers-by. It’s these long-standing members who’ve consistently gone out of their way to continue the cycle of learning by referencing articles, quoting information, putting programs into practice and giving the very feedback that allows the site to grow at all.
I sometimes regret not thanking these members openly, because the truth is I have learnt as much, if not more, from reading about their experiences as well as reading the formal articles.
This really is about survival of the fittest. If someone wants a pat on the back for doing 250lb quarter squats, let them go to Men’s Health. By creating an environment that filters out the do-ers from the want-to-but-won’t-bother-my-arse crowd you’re creating the very kind of home for lifters that the T-Nation front page purports itself to be:
“Testosterone Nation is a philosophy, a way of life. It’s where there are no excuses and no apologies; where men are free to be men. It’s where the noble aspects of Testosterone rule.”
There are long-standing men and women on this site who live by this ideal. Don’t ignore them. They make T-Nation what it is. [/quote]
All I’m asking–and it’s a lot–is that you trust me (us) for the time being.
I promise you, there are no grand schemes to change the tone of the site.
Many of the new authors I approached didn’t like the fact that we allowed attacks on the author.
So we changed that. Isn’t it better in the long run that we get more authors and more information?
Besides, I have an idea where we can still have that reader-author interaction that most of you seem to like.
The “Rate my Physique” thing is just an experiment.
If it turns out to be weenie, we’ll get rid of it.
And you’re still welcome to be pissy to newcomers when they deserve it, but let’s not drive away all newcomers. You and I were newcomers once and we didn’t know a damn thing.