Kitz Forum

Internet => Web Browsing & Email => Topic started by: UncleUB on August 04, 2014, 06:59:45 PM

Title: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: UncleUB on August 04, 2014, 06:59:45 PM
http://forums.computeractive.co.uk

Quote
  Regrettably it has become necessary to close the Computeractive Forums. Thanks to everyone who contributed over the years.

We are going to leave the Forums online until Monday 1 September, to give you time to note down or print anything you want to keep, but you won’t be able to write on the forums during that time.

After that the Forums will be taken down from the web.

If you have a technical problem you need solving, please email our Problems Solved team (noproblem@computeractive.co.uk).

We can’t answer emails personally, but we do consider each problem – and the solution – for publication in the magazine.

There are several ways you can contact Computeractive: By email: letters@computeractive.co.uk On Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive. And on Twitter: @ComputerActive

Thanks

Daniel Booth
Editor 
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: Peter on August 04, 2014, 07:33:34 PM
That's a pity, didn't use it much but it was helpful sometimes.

Peter
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 04, 2014, 10:35:22 PM
oh my gosh. :o

But then again, they could never be bothered to keep the software up to date nor have a decent moderation system - if all at. 
From what I understood they introduced new moderation procedure that meant the forums were basically useless if someone new wanted to ask a question.   
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: renluop on August 04, 2014, 10:43:23 PM
Is there any relationship with Webuser forums?
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 04, 2014, 10:50:59 PM
They used to be entirely separate.    They were at one time rival magazines owned by different publishing houses. 

But now they are both owned by Dennis Publishing - dont know when that happened. 
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: UncleUB on August 04, 2014, 10:56:00 PM
oh my gosh. :o

But then again, they could never be bothered to keep the software up to date nor have a decent moderation system - if all at. 
From what I understood they introduced new moderation procedure that meant the forums were basically useless if someone new wanted to ask a question.

There's been more moderation these last few hours than there has for years..mainly deleting pst about users complaining about the closure.. :-X
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 04, 2014, 10:58:44 PM
There's been more moderation these last few hours than there has for years..mainly deleting pst about users complaining about the closure.. :-X

hahahaha I just went to have a look I did think it was strange that not a single reg had posted anything about the closure.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 04, 2014, 11:11:10 PM
They used to be entirely separate.    They were at one time rival magazines owned by different publishing houses. 

But now they are both owned by Dennis Publishing - dont know when that happened.

Just looked it up Dennis Publishing bought out Computer Active last year, purchasing it from Incisive Media. 
VNU were the publishers of CA that I recall - back in the days when I subscribed when the magazine very first started - in what must have been 1998.


Quote
James Tye, chief executive of Dennis Publishing, said: "We acquire brands with a view to invest and improve them, which is exactly what we plan to do with Computer Active."

So I as with any takeover, I wouldn't be surprised if  the 2 magazines will eventually merge into one.   
Guess the closure of the forums is just the first step.


http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/1169628/felix-dennis-returns-computer-active-acquisition



Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: renluop on August 05, 2014, 07:37:07 AM
 that was in my mind too!
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: guest on August 13, 2014, 04:25:39 PM
Never used them myself but once I'd finally convinced the mother-in-law that Archimedes (RiscOS) was going nowhere in terms of s/w support it was perfect - I pointed her there and dealt with her remaining Windows gripes myself.

Print media is dying and there's very few models other than independent journalism which will pay the bills in future.

You could go down the clickbait route of the Grauniad but that relies on being based in the Cayman Islands (IIRC) & paying no tax, even then the Autotrader sale (with no tax paid) is all that keeps them going.

Things are changing rapidly now with the MSM - might not feel like it but most of them will go bust in the next 5 years. I for one won't be crying when the likes of the Daily Mail, Express, Mirror, Sun et al die.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 13, 2014, 06:39:52 PM
Especially so with magazines that cover IT topics.  Now that more people are online, they are more likely to search or read something related online rather than in print.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: renluop on August 13, 2014, 07:56:34 PM
I do occasionally buy such mags. I suppose, being vintage 36, print is more my scene than for much younger folk. That said I often find the mags' contents somewhat repetitive and honestly find more by browsing than in the printed stuff.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitzuser87430 on August 13, 2014, 08:20:56 PM
Quote
magazines that cover IT topics

Can't quite decide whether to not bother renewing my PcPro sub, been recieving it for 10 years. I quite often read it the day it arrives.....put it to one side.........then next months issue arrives.

Might sign up for the 3 issues for £1 trial if they let me/my wife/my son/my other son ;D ;D

Ian
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on August 13, 2014, 08:27:28 PM
 ;D ;D
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: Floydoid on May 31, 2015, 12:08:01 PM
I only discovered yesterday that CA had closed its forum down, which goes to show how long it was since I last visited!  Indeed I was a regular helper on there several years ago, and quite a few of us old regulars migrated over to here at some point.

A shame to see it has gone, it was very useful and well used, but did have its short comings (e.g. the almost non-existent moderation as previously mentioned).

RIP CA Forums.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: UncleUB on May 31, 2015, 01:44:19 PM
I only discovered yesterday that CA had closed its forum down, which goes to show how long it was since I last visited!  Indeed I was a regular helper on there several years ago, and quite a few of us old regulars migrated over to here at some point.

A shame to see it has gone, it was very useful and well used, but did have its short comings (e.g. the almost non-existent moderation as previously mentioned).

RIP CA Forums.

Been gone quite a bit Mike,many old users have now gone over to the Webuser forums. :)
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: oldfogy on May 31, 2015, 01:54:18 PM
I think it was only earlier this year that I also discovered it had gone when checking some links in a folder I had, but as said earlier, some of the members still seem to be very active on another forum which I did visit maybe once or twice.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: Floydoid on May 31, 2015, 05:35:20 PM
It's a shame the forum archive isn't available. There were a lot of good solutions there to many common problems, not to mention the hard work we all put into it.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on May 31, 2015, 05:48:41 PM
lol, they always struggled to maintain the server, I bet they were glad to have an excuse to get rid of it  :lol:
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: oldfogy on May 31, 2015, 05:56:15 PM
What made me laugh was the reason they gave for closing it down.

Now bare in mind this was from a organisation giving out computer help and information.

''They closed the forum because they no longer had anyone who fully understood how to fix the constant problems.'' :lol:
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: kitz on May 31, 2015, 06:14:23 PM
''They closed the forum because they no longer had anyone who fully understood how to fix the constant problems.'' :lol:

That is hilarious  :lol:
But I think we half guessed that anyhow, I can recall on a few occasions pointing out what could be wrong.    That woman who was supposed to be in charge of them at one point was absolutely clueless.   Who else can remember the time she locked herself out and couldn't get access for the whole w/e to sort something :D
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: Floydoid on May 31, 2015, 06:40:07 PM
lol, they always struggled to maintain the server, I bet they were glad to have an excuse to get rid of it  :lol:

Maybe they ran out of money because no-one buys their magazine any more.  :lol:
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: KIAB on June 28, 2015, 08:24:25 AM
You will see other PC magazines go the same way I expect before the year is out, can't be that many left now, most are owned by Dennis Publishing, so I expect they will merge what they left have into one title.

Even Custom PC is availble as a print or digital subscription now, most likely other pc magazine are the same.

PCW(Personel Computer World) was always a favourite of mine, still have issue 1 packed away.
Title: Re: C/A Forums closing down
Post by: Floydoid on December 10, 2015, 08:41:40 AM
You will see other PC magazines go the same way I expect before the year is out, can't be that many left now, most are owned by Dennis Publishing, so I expect they will merge what they left have into one title.

I have some friends who own a newsagents, and in their opinion both magazines and newspapers are in terminal decline now that so much of the content is accessible for free online.