While other web sites are being hauled over the coals, many would say unjustly, should we spare TMC the same critical debate regarding service to its customers.

I have noticed in recent days a shoddy adjustment to The Mud Connector site, along with a few other minor ones. Whereby the alphabetical listings are now subject to [hosted by wolfpaw] prefixes for wolfpaw games, and the [featured listing] prefixes for games provided by Iron Realms Entertainment.

Curiously enough the new form of exposure seems to be limited to games hosted by wolfpaw, and provided by Iron Realms Entertainment?

Is this a new advertising option on TMC, and if so why isn’t it included on their advertising sales page?

If it isn’t, and featured listing simply means having purchased a banner, why aren’t other banner subscribers given the same visual exposure?    

Considering that such titles, especially the featured listing, are prominent at the top of numerous pages, and take up almost the same space as a banner, I would be screaming from the rooftops if I had bought a banner run with TMC. The case being that the impact of my banner was being detracted from by such garish displays of promotion, especially since my banner run was already restricted, in part, to pages of this type.

Surely the offering of new advertising services, of limited accessibility, that impact so heavily on banner attraction and thereby worth is a serious cause for customer dissatisfaction.

By the way did I point out that it makes the entire site look awful and amateurish, almost as if someone had daubed all over the carefully constructed design with a pack of child’s crayons. Considering the multiplicity of dead links upon the site, the static feature pages (MOM, Daedalian Musing), and now the usurping of clear alphabetical lists, it is probably only the forums that are still drawing a crowd. Surely TMC have a responsibility to all paying advertisers to maintain and perhaps improve on the once great quality of the site, and not initiate new directives based on the self-serving requirements of a few select patrons.

I would have posted on TMC, but since The Logos is keen to consider customer care on websites and party to this new amendment, and he posts here frequently and rarely on TMC, I posted here.

PS
Still remembers those gloriously peaceful, and all too short days, without The Logos (when he left the forums supposedly never to return)

Either the ad filtering I have in place with Firebird is just that good.... or there's nothing to be seen here?

Seriously. I looked over several pages of the mud listings and never saw one indication on any of them of this Wolfpaw or Iron Realms stuff. If my ad filtering is really this good I must remeber to thank the team of volunteers who put together the CSS file that blocked it all. The only thing I ever see is that God awful banner for Retromud that's been hanging around forever, and the three buttons on the lefthand navigation menu.

Samson: They're not banners. They're just little blurbs next to the name of the listing. and demonstrate this. IMO, it's not a big deal.

If a bunch of sites are being dragged through the flames, the LAST thing I'd want to see would be more of it. I honestly wish people would just quiet down with all the childishness...

Anyway, I don't think what TMC is doing is wrong in the least. Like Unifex said, the "Featured Listing" text is just a little blurb on the game's listing page. TMC has a right to offer incentives to get people to advertise. So what's the problem?

- J
PS: Not trying to defend Logos as I don't know him, but it seems to me that flaming the guy on boards because he reads them, and then in the same post reminiscing about times when he'd left the forums is hypocritical. If you want him gone, why the heck would you drag his name through the dirt and entice him to respond?

This ia a touchy place to have such a topic when this site is an affiliate.  I think that TMC is tastefully done for a web site using frames.

I have to assume that WP and IR either paid to have the database pointing out that they host certain entries or simply asked Iccy out of the kindness of his heart.  TMC runs its own server, so you bet it cost a pretty penny to run, so this favor could pay off later if not already.

In addition, TMC is huge and one person maintains it all.  Icculus is lucky to keep as much of it as up to date as he does now.  I am a smidge bias running MudWorld, an affiliate of TMC as well, but I know how hard it is to keep updating a site with hundreds and thousands of pages.  Affiliates of MudWorld are signified by an asterix near their names in our Mudlists.  It does not stick out like a link saying, "Hosted by WolfPaw", but it is all part and parcel of reconition.

All in all, it is not worth the complaining, though I would have placed a <br> after the "hosted by" link instead of having it on the same line as the site's name.  That is just me, hehe.

Well ok, clears that up. So there was nothing to see here. I frankly don't see a problem with what's been done then. Way it was described made it sound like gigantic banners were scattered all over the listings and in pages all over the site. A little blurb about being hosted on Wolfpaw or being owned by Iron Realms is hardly worthy of making any sort of stink over.

I apologize if it sounded like I was trying to make an issue out of it.

I think the ugliest bit is the Imperian ad that offers me "Unparalled (sic) choice".

Doesn't anyone ever check these things?

And you ask why I was upset with you. To answer many many of recent posts. It started with the domain name change. Genius here ::flicks a thumb towards Dale:: jumped the gun thinkin I had it out for him, when in fact his system doesn't allow unresolved domains to send email. I won't be joining the flame war folks. I will tell you all word for word what I told Dale on the phone (which of course isn't posted on his website ) .

"If a client comes to us, we will provide them with quality services with a focus for their satisfaction. I have no doubt that that indeed is the focus for a number of the other host providers which cater to the online text gaming comunity. Should any client, for any reason find that their host needs are being placed in jeapordy due to a conflict of interest, I will assist them in transferring their account seamlessly and smoothly, so that their player base does not even see the difference in host providers".

This may not be the answer you folks are looking for. Yet again, that is my business and something which I have already taken up with Wolfpaw to my satisfaction.

-Kyndig

Kyndig, the thread where your side of the story is needed is

Those of us who care about the mud community are very interested in hearing your side of the story so we don't have to draw conclusions based on only one side's take.

Thanks,