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Thread: What is up with FPN?

  1. #61
    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    I am reading this and just I am reluctant to even post over there now. The admins here are not in the habit of banning people or deleting threads unless there is a real problem. It's in the rules.
    Last edited by KrazyIvan; April 11th, 2013 at 07:42 PM.
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    Senior Member 79spitfire's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Quote Originally Posted by KrazyIvan View Post
    I am reading this and just I am reluctant to even post over there now. The admins here are not in the habit of banning people or deleting threads unless there is a real problem. It's in the rules.
    +1, I can see where some of the posts might have been a bit aggravating to a mod, but banning??? That's just a bit over the top.
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    Senior Member tandaina's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Quote Originally Posted by david i View Post
    Hi Guys,

    This is old news for FPN. They truly will never forget me, as I gave them an unforgettable good-bye (story for another day). You should have more fun here. Too, if you have a particular interest in old pens, do drop by FPnuts.com (Fountainpenboard.com), where old pens tend to be our focus and where nearly no moderation is present. FPN never held particular respect for its members, and was run like a cranky corporation going way back. Just look at all the "rules" references on the front page. Invite your friends instead to play in places that are more about the pens and people.

    regards

    David
    I am an old pen fan, specifically WWII and 50s era German piston fillers. I've made an account under my real name (Josephine) and look forward to having a bit of fun once I'm approved!
    ---
    Current pen rotation: way too many!

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    Senior Member david i's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Josephine, you are cleared to post. While I am partial to FBP, I also like quite well FPgeeks. There is plenty of room out there for good pen discussion, in setting less judgemental than FPN.

    regards

    david
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  5. #65
    Senior Member gweddig's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Thanks to the hubbub I have registered here as well. I want to have my bases covered... I was thinking we might post a note of support for the banned in our FPN status. See what happens.

  6. #66
    Junior Member Roger3's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    I have to concur with you that FPN is concerned about the increased commercialization of the site. This is not a perceived trend, the number of posts in "classified" section clearly exceeds posts in other forums, and recent change is second such change (that I'm aware of) to limit sellers from dominating the site. I believe that the volunteers who administer FPN are moving to limit professional sellers, some of whom are located on a popular auction site, and receive some of professionals' profits. This seems an equitable approach as sellers do not pay any fees to FPN as they would for the use of other sites.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon07 View Post
    KI, maybe you should approach the Administrators about that as their wording could do with some clarification. You are not selling stationery but sharing knowledge which I assume is the whole point of the FPN & FPG forums.

    I find FPN very sloooooooow on any PC or iPad which limits my enthusiasm for visiting.

    I think I can sort of see the Admin's reasoning behind these new rules. They seem to have become concerned about a perceived trend towards commercialisation away from a community forum.
    Also their ruling on appraisals indicates there were some complaints about that aspect as well. There appears to have been a resurgence of interest in stationery and fountain pens in particular which is going to attract purely business orientated individuals who are trying to use these sites as free advertising after all they have a ready made audience of potential buyers.
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    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Quote Originally Posted by reprieve View Post
    I was banned also, I think, without warning. I don't yet know whether or not it's temporary. I have asked Admin and one of the moderators but have not yet received a response. I'm very sad and disappointed. I didn't think any of my posts were negative or broke any rules.
    I'm stunned.

    This is just plain WRONG.

    When I first came aboard FPN things were not like this. Not at all. It was smaller, people seemed friendly and so willing to help a newbie that the pay-it-forward motif has stayed with me until today.

    Something bad is going on, but I have no idea what or how, much less why.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

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  8. #68
    Senior Member reprieve's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Although I was told that my suspension is probably temporary, I still cannot post, nor have I been given an explanation or told which rule(s) I supposedly broke.
    Last edited by reprieve; April 12th, 2013 at 08:59 AM.

  9. #69
    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Still not good. I know of no other forum where they shoot first and ask questions later.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

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  10. #70
    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    I can understand wanting to limit/control the commercialization of the board. If it helps to pay the bills, that's fine with me.

    I am concerned about limiting those folks, like myself, that have no commercial intent (this looks to be resolved now, blog links allowed in signatures as long as not commercial) or the low volume sellers that have more volume than the current limits. That's where the percentage off the top works better because:

    1. It is not an upfront fee.
    2. Taking the percentage off the top makes it so that the fee is almost not felt since it comes right out of the payment received.

    Then again, the seller accounts do not affect me. I have placed two classified adds on that board since 2010 and I did not even sell my items there. One sold here and the other is pending expiration in the classifieds in a few days. I won't be re-listing there.

    When you just start pushing the ban button like Kim Jong Un playing his X-box fantasy games, it starts to get a bit crazy. I saw where admin seemed to have lost his temper and by the forums own rules should have deleted his own posts. (The threads are gone now). Yes, a bit concerning indeed.

    I am very turned off by these turn of events. My posts there will definitely be limited. I might be wrong but I think I understand why there is such a large subscriber base but not as large of a participant base, relatively speaking. The long list of rules make it a minefield and a headache to manage a post.

    I just looked at my post count here, and post count on FPN. While I have been a member here for just over a year and on FPN since 2010, my count here is much higher. Hmmmm. Any correlation? Maybe.
    Last edited by KrazyIvan; April 12th, 2013 at 12:09 PM.
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  11. #71
    Senior Member jbb's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Reprieve, You were being very kind to me yesterday when you stuck up for me on FPN. I really appreciated it!!!! I now know of yet another member banned because of that post. We are The Band of the Banned ....and the champions my friend.....

    Last edited by jbb; April 12th, 2013 at 10:34 AM.

  12. #72
    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Still can't fathom it.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

  13. #73
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Frankly, I am surprised that the idea about the percentage is so popular. No money flows through FPN and, therefore, it's close to impossible to enforce any financial regulation. Moreover, from the start they were concerned not about "financial abuse" but rather "informational abuse", for example, when FPN is used as a free advertisement space. Therefore, all they could implement is an informational regulation. Different models could be used, for instance, among widely known, pay per show/click. This is where software limitations kick in.

    The easiest way, I believe, has turned out to be to introduce wider system of posting rights and make donations obligatory for access to some posting privileges. This is also not an optimal system, since, most likely such privileges are worked on on the case-by-case basis: there must be a person who explicitly clicks some check boxes. Luckily it's only a few dozens accounts and it can be done by hands. If the number of holders of premium accounts would go up to a few hundreds, problems would start to flow like there's no tomorrow. This shows that there is no "commercialization trend": from currently implemented model to a real commercial venue there's a gap, which would require immense efforts to fill. Basically it would be easier to do it from scratch.

    Clearly, any model would either hurt some people or render itself useless. Since the second option is unacceptable they had to hurt someone. I, personally, think they didn't handle the transition well. Probably because they failed to realize that the transition itself is a problem in itself worth special attention. In fact, I hope that this is the reason. What we had on FPN is an example how totalitarian models appear naturally. When the problem appears to be ungraspable the easiest way to solve it is voluntaristic. And it's not seldom that in this case the hell breaks in, which indeed happened in miniature. This is sad.

  14. #74
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Quote Originally Posted by jbb View Post
    Anyway, all the changes the other day are what got me to finally sign up here.
    And I've just joined you for the very same reasons.

  15. #75
    Senior Member lowks's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    I also really miss the pen exchange in FPN. I mean you can still do it but it's sort of like a work around in the sales ads. I just think creating an 'ad' for a pen you are going to exchange is against the spirit of the whole thing.

  16. #76
    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Quote Originally Posted by lowks View Post
    I also really miss the pen exchange in FPN. I mean you can still do it but it's sort of like a work around in the sales ads. I just think creating an 'ad' for a pen you are going to exchange is against the spirit of the whole thing.
    Yup.

    I don't even want to get into the number of pens I gave away on FPN. And within a week of my joining someone gsve me a full bottle of Noodler's Lermontov without my even asking.

    Waaaay different there now.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

  17. #77
    jor412
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Sorry to hear about all the banning. That rather sucks. I think FPN is great for the sheer amount of information that can be found there, not to mention the various professional and amateur experts on pen repair and pen collecting, many of whom are quite generous with their knowledge. But it's good that we have alternatives like fpgeeks that have different "cultures". fpgeeks has been consistently welcoming & helpful and well, the level of activity is something I can keep up with (when my workload is reasonable!)

  18. #78
    Senior Member lowks's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Yes. One of my daily writer until today (MB 146 with Oblique Medium), I did not pay a single cent for and was gotten via an exchange on FPN. That pen is special to me because of that.

  19. #79
    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    Who actually OWNS FPN, or is that a secret?
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

  20. #80
    Senior Member AltecGreen's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is up with FPN?

    It has been hard to determine who actually owns FPN. It is in fact a secret.

    We have speculated on this in the past at various Pen Posses. When FPN was formed there were a core group of original admins. Presumably, one or more owned FPN although it is possible the owner remained hidden. Over the years there have been power struggles behind the scenes. Since I've been on FPN, you've seen Kurt (aka Titivillus) kicked off and he was a mod and there at the founding. He's still bitter about the whole thing. Later another mod (I'm not going to name this one for specific reasons) also parted ways. We guessed that he tried a power play and lost. I have no love lost for that individual. Over the last four years, admins like Elaine and Ruiadhri have become less prominent on FPN at least visibly.

    If I had to guess, I would say Wim is the current owner of FPN. He appears to be the last of the original admins. A small detail escaped those on FPN and here, but Hugh on FPB astutely noticed that FPN has been incorporated in the Netherlands. This certainly suggest that Wim has partial or total ownership of FPN.

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