[Merged] Technical Support via newsgroups is withdrawn.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Because moderation and support are 2 different things.



Not really. it will stop a lot of people bothering though.
unless you count the takeup by new customers, and not the long standing old customers.

closing the text server itself will kill off a long running community.

As it is 2nd line agents manning the forum who are the same guys manning the newsgroups you will get the same level of service but with tighter control of the trolls.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

closing the text server itself will kill off a long running community.

The last time I looked at the support newsgroups the only community I saw was lots of people having a general moan at one another and at Virgin and very little support happening.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Moldova

As it is 2nd line agents manning the forum who are the same guys manning the newsgroups you will get the same level of service but with tighter control of the trolls.

That's the advantage of a forum based support place. you can control the trolls and censor the feedback.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

That's the advantage of a forum based support place. you can control the trolls and censor the feedback.

There is difference between censoring and keeping any posts relevent to the site.

However even if you look at the Community Forum at the moment you will find the only time posts are moderated (and very rarely deleted) is when they break the house rules - exactly the same as happens here

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Moldova

As it is 2nd line agents manning the forum who are the same guys manning the newsgroups you will get the same level of service but with tighter control of the trolls.

Yeah, the trolls spolit it for everyone on the Newsgroups.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

There is difference between censoring and keeping any posts relevent to the site.

However even if you look at the Community Forum at the moment you will find the only time posts are moderated (and very rarely deleted) is when they break the house rules - exactly the same as happens here

You have to be over 16 to post on the forum, and this kind of censorship is bad enough.

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...p-s/td-p/27481

You can compare it to this site in the way that it's a family forum, but it is very hypocritical of them.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

You have to be over 16 to post on the forum, and this kind of censorship is bad enough.

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...p-s/td-p/27481

You can compare it to this site in the way that it's a family forum, but it is very hypocritical of them.

Because what has that got to do with a specific issue?

As far as I can see it's a general 'moan at VM' thread - unless you can point out the specific issue that Sephiroth was having with his connection or service?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

Yeah, the trolls spolit it for everyone on the Newsgroups.

Is this going to be the official reason why the support groups were closed, because of trolls?

---------- Post added at 17:01 ---------- Previous post was at 16:59 ----------

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Because what has that got to do with a specific issue?

As far as I can see it's a general 'moan at VM' thread

That's my point. blueyonder/virginmedia never did like criticism.

is there going to be a feedback group on the forums like there is on the usenet groups?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

That's my point. blueyonder/virginmedia never did like criticism.

It's got nothing to do with criticism - it's to do with relevence.

The Help & Support forum is exactly that - a forum for Help & Support for Virgin Media.

If you want to have a go at Virgin there are plenty of places on the net to do so.

is there going to be a feedback group on the forums like there is on the usenet groups?

I'm sure it all depends whether they think that they will get feedback that is constructive and sensible or the usual 'we think Virgin are rubbish so there' stuff that usually ends up being posted

[joglynne]

Well I think that this is a positive step by VM and if it can safeguard the jobs of our UK 2nd line technical staff so much the better.

When the Community Forum started the biggest criticism that our CF members helping over there made was the total lack of official help being given by VM. Staff members, giving advise in their own time, with no access to any of their testing tools and with no official channels to follow through, had no way of making sure that the person they advised would get their problem sorted in the appropriate way when they subsequently had to deal with VM by phone.

For those people with BB and a certain amount of internet savvy getting a problem sorted by going onto the newsgroups was a bonus but I wouldn't like to have tried to do it with out some help from you lot and I fear that a lot of customers would have given up. Many of our members joined our forum with problems that they could have sorted out that way if the newsgroups had been more easily visible/accessible to the average customer.

and Garry there is a feedback section already set up and in use over there.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by joglynne

and Garry there is a feedback section already set up and in use over there.

That's a site feedback. where if you've got a great idea on how they can make the forum even better.

like an idea on how you can access it for support if you are having browsing problems

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

like an idea on how you can access it for support if you are having browsing problems

But then that would apply to the newsgroups or any other net based support solution.

The answer would be telephone support instead

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

The Help & Support forum is exactly that - a forum for Help & Support for Virgin Media.

It will be good when they do start giving support in there. the people who are still waiting for the support can stop waiting.

and as I said. I think whatever support is given in there won't last long before it's withdrawn altogether.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

It will be good when they do start giving support in there. the people who are still waiting for the support can stop waiting.

Anyone who has signed up to the forum so far has agreed to the current rules - one of which is it's (currently) not a official support route.

That message is on the forum homepage, is in the house rules article and is in the e-mail that you get when you join the forum.

So at the moment if they then post to the forum want a direct answer from Virgin they should know they are probably not going to get one

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

But then that would apply to the newsgroups or any other net based support solution.

The answer would be telephone support instead

Sometimes you can still access nntp but not have access to the web.