A bit of gossip about TC...

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Bok
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:05 am

Personally I don’t get involved in FB anymore, it’s on the way out if you ask me (deservedly so). Too much distraction on there and malicious tendencies, both by the company itself and third parties which use it to their advantage.
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Brent D
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:01 pm

I only come across the old site when I google something, and it comes up. Last time I tried to post something, it told me it needed to be approved. It never happened.
I dont think its very active. They killed it. All the regular posters are here.
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nasalfrog
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:31 pm

Bok wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:05 am
Personally I don’t get involved in FB anymore, it’s on the way out if you ask me (deservedly so). Too much distraction on there and malicious tendencies, both by the company itself and third parties which use it to their advantage.
Agreed. I decided to start posting on TC when I came to the same conclusions about FB. I quickly realized TC was dead, and discovered this forum.
Last edited by nasalfrog on Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chip
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:12 pm

I do not generally publicly discuss this, preferring to see TeaForum exist to discuss tea related topics.

... but I will make an exception shortly.
.m.
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:53 pm

I've just took a look first at the "communiTea" threads TC, and then at Adagio website. The comments are weird and a bit of mindfuck. Are those actual people? Does somebody actually create their profiles, or is it some AI generator? And the "teas" on Adagio website routinely have supposedly between 1000 and 2000 reviews! Although vlicking on "view more reviews" stops on less then 100, which is still more than enough! :lol:
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Chip
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:31 pm

Perhaps a bit of a TMI ... but here goes.

The first 11 or so years as TeaChat mod/admin from 2006 onward ... Adagio graciously hosted an autonomous forum and kept hands off 99.9% of the time. They even sponsored an election on the forum allowing members only to nominate and elect the forum's mod(s) ... a rather bold move. I was humbly elected in 2006.

They always had their Adagio category where they could promote Adagio tea any time they wanted ... which they did extensively at times.

And TeaChat prospered and not only stood the test of time, but became in my mind the best English language tea forum on the internet. The formula was right. Though clearly 99% of members were not on the forum to discuss Adagio teas ... kind of odd albeit, but the founding family being Russian immigrants were completely against censorship. In fact at one time early on, Michael sent me a message when he felt I was censoring a member that included the quote, "I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It." This stuck with me.

I was fully empowered by Adagio to run the forum and was told by ownership that he knew, "I would always do what is best for the forum."

Beyond their Adagio category, they were held to the same rules as any other tea vendor! No vendor self promotion was permitted, but occasionally I would have to "mark my territory" when a new Adagio employee would challenge. For those 11ish years, I always won ... every time.

However, troubles began a few years ago when Adagio repeatedly challenged the forum's autonomy ... and Adagio would bring in a never ending revolving door of personnel whose responsibilities included TeaChat.

They continually challenged me and seemed to be trying to wear me down. I sensed a shift in the autonomous state of the forum.

Then one day I noticed at least 1600 of my posts vanished plus many other members' posts. I was informed that they had the right to delete posts, and it was unreasonable to expect them not to do so.

WOW ... I was flabbergasted! TBH, in my wildest dreams I just never saw that coming. It was blatent disregard to all the authors who had taken the time to post their thoughts on tea related topics. Quite literally 100s of hours. Poof ... gone.

When I strongly and adamantly challenged, I was removed as mod by an employee who had just joined Adagio weeks before who claimed I was being "combative" ... ummm ***k yeah. I was defending members and their posts "to the death" ... how ironic.

The unknown number of deleted posts are lost forever, but it was 1000s.

It was a war that nobody won and TeaChat the forum was sadly the biggest loser.
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Bok
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:22 pm

@Chip Thanks for making the exception and giving us a bit more background on the whole sad affair... although I was in the eye of the storm at that time, I did not know the whole history and hearing it makes it even sadder. Anyways, water under the bridge we have a better place now!

And big thanks again for all your efforts over the years and now again, here! Others would have given up completely on being involved after such a journey.
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Bok
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:21 pm

Brent D wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:01 pm
Last time I tried to post something, it told me it needed to be approved. It never happened.
They put all the "rebellious" members on restricted access.
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Bok
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:22 pm

.m. wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:53 pm
I've just took a look first at the "communiTea" threads TC, and then at Adagio website. The comments are weird and a bit of mindfuck. Are those actual people? Does somebody actually create their profiles, or is it some AI generator? And the "teas" on Adagio website routinely have supposedly between 1000 and 2000 reviews! Although vlicking on "view more reviews" stops on less then 100, which is still more than enough! :lol:
The sad thing is, that it looks like that Bridgette is the one actually making all these posts up...
.m.
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:49 pm

Bok wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:22 pm
.m. wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:53 pm
I've just took a look first at the "communiTea" threads TC, and then at Adagio website. The comments are weird and a bit of mindfuck. Are those actual people? Does somebody actually create their profiles, or is it some AI generator? And the "teas" on Adagio website routinely have supposedly between 1000 and 2000 reviews! Although vlicking on "view more reviews" stops on less then 100, which is still more than enough! :lol:
The sad thing is, that it looks like that Bridgette is the one actually making all these posts up...
I don't want to believe it, that would be too crazy. :lol: Based on the tens of thousands of positive reviews on their website, they must have a really big fanbase. That can't be Bridgette alone. Can it?
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Bok
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:04 pm

.m. wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:49 pm
Bok wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:22 pm
.m. wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:53 pm
I've just took a look first at the "communiTea" threads TC, and then at Adagio website. The comments are weird and a bit of mindfuck. Are those actual people? Does somebody actually create their profiles, or is it some AI generator? And the "teas" on Adagio website routinely have supposedly between 1000 and 2000 reviews! Although vlicking on "view more reviews" stops on less then 100, which is still more than enough! :lol:
The sad thing is, that it looks like that Bridgette is the one actually making all these posts up...
I don't want to believe it, that would be too crazy. :lol: Based on the tens of thousands of positive reviews on their website, they must have a really big fanbase. That can't be Bridgette alone. Can it?
Yeah, I meant the teachat only, for the rest they probably use something automated, or it's accumulated over the years.
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Chip
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:02 pm

Bok wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:21 pm
Brent D wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:01 pm
Last time I tried to post something, it told me it needed to be approved. It never happened.
They put all the "rebellious" members on restricted access.
Yeah, you really can't make this s*** up.

Could not even check messages.

Soooo bad!!!
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Chip
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Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:18 pm

Bok wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:22 pm
Chip Thanks for making the exception and giving us a bit more background on the whole sad affair... although I was in the eye of the storm at that time, I did not know the whole history and hearing it makes it even sadder. Anyways, water under the bridge we have a better place now!

And big thanks again for all your efforts over the years and now again, here! Others would have given up completely on being involved after such a journey.
I was actually being "kind" ... that Steve guy basically cut me off before I could take any admin/mod actions and torched the forum ... then quit Adagio all in a matter of a couple weeks.

When I talked to the owner when Steve was not responding to my contacts, he informed me that I "won and Steve quit"(w/o notice I later found out).

I was puzzled, how did I win? Like I said, there were no winners. What was done really could not be undone. And there was no attempt to right the wrongs.

The forum went from hero to zero in a few days.

On the bright side ... really enjoying Sae Midori currently. :mrgreen:
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Baisao
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Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:51 pm

Chip wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:18 pm
When I talked to the owner when Steve was not responding to my contacts, he informed me that I "won and Steve quit"(w/o notice I later found out).

I was puzzled, how did I win? Like I said, there were no winners. What was done really could not be undone. And there was no attempt to right the wrongs.
I agree with this sentiment. I am rarely trying to win anything but get to a shared Truth or mutual understanding.

I think the desire to be right or to win is the greatest threat to any online community.
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Chip
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Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:31 pm

Baisao wrote:
Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:51 pm
Chip wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:18 pm
When I talked to the owner when Steve was not responding to my contacts, he informed me that I "won and Steve quit"(w/o notice I later found out).

I was puzzled, how did I win? Like I said, there were no winners. What was done really could not be undone. And there was no attempt to right the wrongs.
I agree with this sentiment. I am rarely trying to win anything but get to a shared Truth or mutual understanding.

I think the desire to be right or to win is the greatest threat to any online community.
Which became Steve's undoing when he thought he won ... then why did his house of cards quickly come tumbling down?

His response was to just walk away and not take responsibility for his actions.
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