se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Wear your anorak proudly here! The place to discuss website & forum developments, administration, wish-lists, bugs, abuse etc
Post Reply
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by admin »

For those who have not noticed a new rival to SE23.COM sprang up over the weekend: foresthillforum.co.uk. They appear to have some start up problems and I have my reservations about the hoster they have chosen. It will be interesting to see if they can make any impression on the incumbent. You may recall they are not the first to try.

Admin
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Rachael »

Is it a coincidence that the SE23.com twitter feed was revived this weekend after months of silence? Fight!
Robin Orton
Posts: 3380
Joined: 9 Sep 2008 07:30
Location: London SE26

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Robin Orton »

I see 'Snazy' (who identifies himself as Michael Snasdell), a frequent poster on the SE23 forum, is a (the?) moderator on the new forum. There is also a post from 'Michael' about the Forest Hill Society stall at the farmers' market - another old friend, I suspect.
michael
Posts: 1274
Joined: 26 Sep 2006 12:56
Location: Forest Hill

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by michael »

I think Snazy is assisting with some of the spam issues.
Perhaps I should have registered as 'Robin Orton'. I hope nobody takes that name before I can register it. Imagine the fun I could have posting.
Robin Orton
Posts: 3380
Joined: 9 Sep 2008 07:30
Location: London SE26

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Robin Orton »

michael wrote: Perhaps I should have registered as 'Robin Orton'. I hope nobody takes that name before I can register it.
Feel free, Michael, I should be honoured. I have always secretly hoped that a really big-name star would want to play me in the biopic.
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by admin »

It would appears we have lost the Forest Hill Forum. The domain was suspended in March. It never got the momentum to become a destination. That's at least the second forum that SE23.COM has seen off.

Admin
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Rachael »

There definitely seems to be a lighter touch to the moderation on SE23.com, so if nothing else, the alternative forum may have contributed to that.
david_l
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 Apr 2011 13:22
Location: HOP

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by david_l »

Certainly the forum appears to be a lot less regulated than it was. Part of this may be the admin taking note of the other forum, and part may be that there's a lot less chat on his forum than there used to be.

I suspect a lot of people have moved to Facebook and the various groups there: "se23 mums" has over 2000 users now and at least one other local online community has been set up.

Personally I like a forum with things arranged along topic lines. But you do need to come and actively seek things out rather than just have them appear in the Facebook news feed.
michael
Posts: 1274
Joined: 26 Sep 2006 12:56
Location: Forest Hill

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by michael »

The latest addition to the forum wars can be found at:
https://se23.life/
The features and layout are rather impressive.
JRobinson
Posts: 1104
Joined: 5 Jan 2010 12:40
Location: De Frene Rd

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by JRobinson »

very good it is too Michael!
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Rachael »

I've been quite active over on the new forum SE23.life and I have to say I like it very much. It's been set up with a deliberately positive outlook, the two main admins come from opposite ends of the political spectrum and hope to keep the site balanced, friendly and community focused. Members are actively encouraged to participate in developing the forum as it grows.

One thing I like is that users can get 'verified' status by being endorsed in real life, either by meeting one of the admins / moderators, or popping into Sugar Mountain sweet shop and identifying themselves. There's a good feeling of local community already, and I think people's behaviour online will be much better when they have a sense of the real person behind the user name.
P1971
Posts: 170
Joined: 28 Mar 2014 21:44
Location: Dartmouth Road

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by P1971 »

Completely agree with Rachael's comment & it makes such a difference having more than one active admin rather than just one :-)
bensonby
Posts: 1655
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by bensonby »

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I’ve just had a very bizarre experience with SE23.com. I’ve been a member for years but rarely post. I recently noticed that the Forest Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team from the police were giving regular updates. The username was of Sgt Biddle with his picture on the profile. What a fantastic idea I thought, but then I noticed that people were asking questions and Sgt Biddle was outright ignoring them: only posting “updates” but not otherwise engaging. I felt this was odd because I know Sgt Biddle and know that he pioneered social media use in the Met and is very proactive in engaging with people on the internet. I therefore contacted him and asked why he was ignoring repeat questions on the thread.

Sgt Biddle told me that he had never heard of SE23.com and had never had an account there. He said he uses SE23.life. I then had a look at that website and it appears that all of the updates from a thread on there were just being copied and pasted over to SE23.com. He soon put an update on SE23.life mentioning that he doesn’t use the other site.

I pointed this out on SE23.com to reassure the people that had asked repeated questions (as it reflected badly on the local police as it looked like they were ignoring concerns and questions) and my post was promptly deleted. As was another post pointing out the same thing.

I now appear to be banned/suspended. I have had no communication from whoever runs the site despite two emails (admittedly both sent this afternoon) querying what has happened.

It’s all very strange. I will let you know if I do get a reply.
Rachael
Posts: 2455
Joined: 23 Jan 2010 13:42
Location: Sydenham / Forest Hill Intersection

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Rachael »

It’s just not on. It’s very unfair on Sgt Biddle. And possibly also illegal to impersonate a police officer!

I’m very surprised that the Admin of SE23.com has not taken the thread down. I am not alone in assuming it is the Admin who is runnng the fake account (which is why posts pointing out it is fake have been removed).

He is also most likely to be the sock puppet Hillview, who does nothing but repost newsworthy items from SE23.life.
barriedalenick
Posts: 1
Joined: 16 Feb 2018 07:47
Location: Forest Hill

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by barriedalenick »

I appear to have been banned from posting on SE23.com for pointing out the the Sgt doesn't actually have an account.
Such a shame that the admin has stooped this low..
Pally
Posts: 1492
Joined: 2 Aug 2014 05:38
Location: Sydenham

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by Pally »

Perhaps SE23.com is best just ignored....it might just disappear then!
bensonby
Posts: 1655
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 12:28
Location: Kent

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by bensonby »

It's pretty disgraceful isn't it. I never did get a reply to my (several) emails to the se23.com admin. It appears I have now been permanently banned without any communication whatsoever.
squashst
Posts: 75
Joined: 5 Mar 2011 12:01

Re: se23.com - an exile from the north speaks out

Post by squashst »

Yup, I seem to be permanently banned as well. Mind, if "the official" SE23 site is cutting and pasting police posts from one site to another are they breaking the law? It feels like they are giving the appearance of the Safer Neighbourhood Team posting on that site when they are not.
Mind the reading community of "official SE23.com" is rather low.....
Post Reply