sangiro

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Posts posted by sangiro

  2. Quote

    I am looking forward to the gear stuff..



    What is this gear stuff you speak of? We already have a catalog of almost 6,000 gear items on the site... we've partnered with LeisurePro, so you can buy your new gear online via Divetime.com. :)
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  3. Quote

    Looks like it'll be a good place... especially once you get a few people onboard!



    Yeah, thanks for signing up! W're going to focus on growing the value that the site delivers, especially from a dive site perspective, and I trust the community will shape and form over time. :)
    You, Amazon and Squeak almost doubled our user-base by joining. Hehehe! :ph34r:
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  4. Heya all, :)
    We just launched a new scuba diving site and I know there are quite a few of you who dive as well so I wanted to let you know.

    We started developing Divetime.com before we sold the other 3 sites to NM. I originally wanted to just let it die, sit back and not build web sites for a while, but we were really having fun creating the site and at the time we'd already built up quite an asset in the dive site database. I decided to keep going and I'm glad we did.

    We really enjoyed building this site. Since it was done from scratch we were able to focus on the actual site and functionality for a while without being "distracted" by the day to day running of a large community.

    Divetime.com utilizes the same basic framework as DZ.com and our other sites, so the interface will feel familiar to you. We've have however taken the time to not only get rid of a lot of the noise that exists in terms of functionality on some of the other sites but also to evolve some of the features that we liked on here, but that wasn't functioning the way we wanted it to. There's still a lot of stuff that can be improved, but we're very happy with the end result.

    Drop in, if anything check out the database of more than 5,300 dive sites, and give us your feedback. This is by far the largest database of dive sites we can find online, and we plan to rapidly grow this to 10,000 sites. Feel free to list and add your own favourite diving spots.

    Drop me a PM on there if you're interested in helping in any way... we're looking for "area managers" to help manage the dive sites in specific areas on the globe, article contributors and just generally cool people to hang out with!

    I've got a few people looking after Divetime.com for me, and we've got a whopping 16 registered users at the moment... most of which are developers, testers and family. :ph34r:
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  5. Heya all,

    NameMedia has appointed someone to head up the 3 sites they acquired from us. Jay is an avid outdoor enthusiast and has been participating in online forums and communities for many years. I know Jay from over at Rockclimbing.com - he's "good people".

    Jay is committed to growing and improving Dropzone.com. He understands the value, fun, camaraderie and (sometimes) frustrations that come with being part of an online community. Engage him in your discussions, share your thoughts and ideas and let him know how what you like and what you'd like to change or improve on Dropzone.com.

    We're excited to have a dedicated person assigned to these sites and we're very much looking forward to how he'll help move this community forward.

    HIM, HIM.... :ph34r:
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  6. Heya all,

    NameMedia has appointed someone to head up the 3 sites they acquired from us. Jay is an avid outdoor enthusiast and has been participating in online forums and communities for many years. I know Jay from over at Rockclimbing.com - he's "good people".

    Jay is committed to growing and improving Dropzone.com. He understands the value, fun, camaraderie and (sometimes) frustrations that come with being part of an online community. Engage him in your discussions, share your thoughts and ideas and let him know how what you like and what you'd like to change or improve on Dropzone.com.

    We're excited to have a dedicated person assigned to these sites and we're very much looking forward to how he'll help move this community forward.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  7. The following scam has been reported:

    Quote



    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From:
    Date: Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 6:37 PM
    Subject: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
    To:

    Hi,

    On 9-Sep-2008 someone submitted their contact information in response to your ad in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Please reply to this email to contact the person directly.

    Username => mark46

    Name => mark brain

    FromEmail => [email protected]

    City => ..............................

    Country => ................................

    Comments => hello i have a client thats interested in the purchase of the 1994 Stiletto
    need to know the final price of it or if you can let go for $300 and would love to see more pics if available thanks
    mark




    Click here to read more about these kind of scams.

    Remember:

    • DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa

    • If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.

    • If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
    This username has been disabled.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  9. The following scam has been reported:

    Quote


    ----- Forwarded Message ----
    From: "[email protected]"
    To:
    Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:01:50 AM
    Subject: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

    Hi,

    On 26-Jun-2008 someone submitted their contact information in response to your ad in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Please reply to this email to contact the person directly.

    Username => Steve6999

    Name => Webber

    FromEmail => [email protected]

    City => LA

    Country =>

    Comments => Hi,
    Could you please mail me back if you still have the complete system.. please get back to me with the price and the condition

    Webber




    Click here to read more about these kind of scams.

    Remember:

    • DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa

    • If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.

    • If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
    This username has been disabled.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  11. Heya all,

    I've got some important news to share today. Dropzone.com has a new owner: an internet company called NameMedia which, among other things, specializes in running online communities and "enthusiast sites". This marks an exciting new phase for the site because for this first time there is a real strong arm to support the site and propel it to the next level. NameMedia is a remarkable company and has an impressive list of success stories with community sites. Above all they have a real appreciation for the uniqueness and variety of characters that make up our community of skydivers. Not to mention that they have "real" technical support staff (with pagers!) and designers and content people and all sorts of other goodies that Daniel (my partner) and I only pretended to have. ;)

    So what will change? Well, not too much in the next few months. I will continue to run the site, working with the existing team of moderators as before. As far as management and day-to-day operations are concerned there are really no immediate changes. Within a year however I anticipate becoming regular user of the site, as NameMedia will appoint a full-time replacement to take over the day-to-day operations.

    After a while you may notice some improvements as we start to leverage NameMedia's resources. This could include fresher content with more frequent updates (e.g. articles, news), better site performance, faster responses and better resolutions to issues and bugs, some enhancements being implemented, and ads that are more targeted to our community.

    Ultimately, the strategic direction of Dropzone.com is in NameMedia's hands and you should expect to see gradual phased changes. NameMedia understands perfectly well that community sites are first and foremost about the communities. They will involve you in the change process and invite your feedback and advice.

    OK, so why did I sell? For two reasons:
    1. Because my personal priorities have changed. Both Daniel and I have families and children (on the way) now and a need for more consistency and security than what is offered by running a website as a semi-professional-skunkworks-two-man-show with very little capital. BTW, this change also applies to our other two sites: Rockclimbing.com and BASEjumper.com.

    2. Because we got a good offer from a buyer whom we consider a really good fit and a worthy guardian. While I've never put the site up for sale, over the years we've had dozens of offers. This one stuck out.
    For those of you who have more questions or want more answers, se the FAQs below.



    NameMedia Acquisition FAQs


    What else can you tell us about NameMedia? What else do they do?

    NameMedia is located in Waltham, MA and has two divisions: One part of what they do is buy and sell domain names and they've been doing this since 1999. Separate from the domain side of the business is the "enthusiast site" division which was started in 2007. This is what Dropzone.com will become part of.
    Here are some other communities that the own and manage: http://www.namemedia.com/adventure/

    What about the Moderators?
    The Moderators are still in their same roles and will continue doing what they are doing now for as long as they choose. NameMedia will look at me to find somebody from within this community to take over the leadership role in the forums, and the moderators will always come from the community. Nothing will change there.

    What kinds of changes is NameMedia going to make to Dropzone.com?

    Over the short term you’re not going to see any dramatic changes. NameMedia are not migrating the entire site onto their own platform or changing the entire design and technology backend overnight. They are continuing to host these sites with Gossamer Threads – my hosting partner for many years – and will keep them involved in the technology development.

    This is not to say there won’t be changes in the future, there will be. NameMedia, like any business will make strategic decisions about where to position and how to evolve this site and aim to continually improve and grow their membership and in the process earn your trust and loyalty. They assure me that any change will be evolutionary and not revolutionary. They have no intention of suddenly repainting the house and moving all the furniture around

    They’re gonna want to make more money from Dropzone.com, right?

    Of course. But this does not have to be a bad thing. One of the big reasons why we felt NameMedia was a great fit for Dropzone.com is that they believe in monetizing in the right way. Preserving the integrity of the user experience might take more thought, creativity and effort but it’s always a better idea than making a quick buck and driving away loyal site visitors.

    NameMedia has strong existing relationships with many adventure and outdoor related brands. They also have relationships and access to ad agencies and networks that specialize in serving ads targeted to specific demographics and verticals. NameMedia is in a much stronger position than I ever was to negotiate quality and relevant advertising that will enhance the site and user experience rather that diminish it.

    Are they going to flood us with pop-ups?

    No they’re not. You know how I feel about pop-up ads. Feel free to visit any of their other enthusiast sites and you’ll see there are no pop-ups on any of them.

    Are they going to sell my email address and read my PMs ?

    No they’re not. NameMedia will have a clear published Privacy Statement just like we have now. They know very well how people feel about privacy and spam and have no desire to diminish the value of their investment by alienating the community that sustains this site. Please give them the benefit of the doubt.

    Are they going to make Dropzone.com a pay-only site?

    NameMedia believes, as I do, that a website needs to be setup in such a way that people can access the information freely without having to pay or else it's not going to succeed.

    I've read all of the Q&As and I'm still worried. Is that OK?

    Of course this is ok. I was wary and I can understand that you may be wary. I have flown to the US and met with their leadership team in person and I can tell you that after many conversations with NameMedia and with people just like me who had their community acquired by NameMedia, that I trust that they have Dropzone.com’s best interests in mind and that have a great philosophy about how things should be done. They are not perfect and may make some mistakes during the transition process or along the way. I ask that you give them the benefit of the doubt and send them your feedback, they want to hear it.

    Finally – please keep in mind that for the next year at least, I will still be running this site as before. See me as the gatekeeper. I’ll keep you posted on everything that may be coming your way down the pipeline. :)
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  13. Dropzone.com strives to be at the forefront of deseminating information about skydiving and the skydiving industry. We are always looking to partner with writers to supply us with current and relevant safety, training, gear and information articles. If you’ve got an idea for an article we’d love to hear from you!

    Our articles reach over 100,000 absolute unique visitors every month. This is by far the largest audience and the widest distribution of expert and new skydivers reached by any skydiving related publication - whether online or offline. There’s no better way to get your name out there, establish yourself as an expert in your field or simply 'give back' to the the skydiving community than by writing for us.

    Dropzone.com now pays cash for every safety, training, gear and information article it publishes! So, if your article is accepted for publication on Dropzone.com, we will pay you for it. All articles are accompanied by a full bio, which can contain links to your web site providing valuable traffic and backlinks.

    We’re always interested in fresh content that’s relevant to skydivers. If you have an idea for an article and would like to bounce it off us before setting out to write, feel free to send us an email with a short description of what you want to write about.

    For more information read the Dropzone.com Article Submission Guidelines, which includes information on:
    • submission requirements

    • what we’re looking for

    • assignment of rights

    • payment terms

    • how to submit your work
    Of course, if you have any questions about contributing content to Dropzone.com, email the editor ([email protected]). :)
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  14. The following scam has been reported:

    Quote


    Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 03:40:05 +0000
    From: [email protected]
    Subject: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
    To:

    Hi,

    On 4-Jun-2008 someone submitted their contact information in response to your ad in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Please reply to this email to contact the person directly.

    Username =Jemmons

    Name =John

    FromEmail [email protected]

    City =

    Country =

    Comments =Am making and enquire about the main canopies you have for sle on dropzone so i will like you to mail me back if you still have it for sale and you can reach me on +447943210762...




    Click here to read more about these kind of scams.

    Remember:

    • DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa

    • If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.

    • If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
    This username has been disabled.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  15. The following scam has been reported:

    Quote


    ----- Original Message -----
    From:
    To:
    Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 4:07 AM
    Subject: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

    Hi,

    On 17-May-2008 someone submitted their contact information in response to
    your ad in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Please reply to this email to
    contact the person directly.

    Username => Billieferg

    Name => Bill

    FromEmail => [email protected]

    City => Twin falls

    Country => U.S.A.

    Comments => Hi, How much do you want for the complete rig? I willl like to
    see some recent photos. Are you the original owner? Give me more infos about
    the present condition.
    Regards.
    Bill.




    Click here to read more about these kind of scams.

    Remember:

    • DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".

    • Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa

    • If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.

    • If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
    This username has been disabled.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  22. Heya all,

    We're working on this one. It's one of those curious bugs related to IE that we have absolutely no idea why it's happening. In short, the more break or paragraph tags there are in the actual posts ion the page... the more "dead space" the browser adds at the top. and of course to make it more silly... it only happens sometimes! We're looking at this as a matter of priority.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  23. I need to change ad service providers to fix that.... we're working on that. It's not something that happens overnight unfortunately. I'm also annoyed by the slowdown. :|

    Safe swoops
    Sangiro

  24. Quote

    If a user has disabled the friends list, the ability to add the user to friends list has been disabled in the user's profile. However, the "friend" link is still visible on each post the user makes.



    Good catch. I fixed that.
    Safe swoops
    Sangiro