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Reader comments continue to come in about the FriendFinder/SpringStreet integration.
Andrew Conru, CEO of FriendFinder, responds, saying that the new SpringStreet database is separate from FriendFinder and pledging commitment to “preserving unique character of the Spring Street network of sites.” Andrew knows that there are some troubles with the changeover and is monitoring the rants on the SpringStreet blogs.
Multiple subscription models, tales of forged email headers and removal of profiles continue. These types of upgrades are always full of unforeseen problems. A week or so and we’ll have a much better understanding of how the “new” FastCupid network operates.
UPDATE: Nerve.com(part of the FastCupid network) email states: “The new Nerve Personals will include compatibility ratings, social networking, blogs, personality quizzes, and more profile information than ever before. And that’s just a free membership; we haven’t even touched the Silver & Gold benefits.”
[tags: friendfinder, springstreet]
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Below is the feedback I had posted before it was mysteriously deleted. Ironically, I would not have sought out a place for this feedback to be posted publicly if they had not removed my post on their own site….
>> major overhaul neeeded
:: “Fast Cupid” is a ridiculously absurd name. Suppose there’s no hope of changing that, but your customers being embarrassed to be affiliated with you does not bode well. Can’t we be a subsidiary or something…?
:: Restore “play” categories. I don’t play but I like to be around those that do. Maybe it makes my life feel more interesting than it is, but it’s the same reason I pick the friends I have and go to the bars I do: I want to be among the uninhibited.
:: Reduce the “smut” filtering on this site. We’re adults here. Put up a disclaimer about “adult language” and photographs being used on this site, if you must. People should be able to type as they would speak. Everyone curses. Again, non inhibition is what I want to be around.
:: Revamp the graphics. They are droll. Restore our uniqueness.
:: Restore advanced searching options and “match me” for all members. These are basic coding features; calling them premium services is insulting.
:: Get rid of that goofy “member testimonial” on the home page that was written by marketing. You’re embarrassing me again.
:: HIre a consultant that gets it. The hip factor (and I even cringe at typing that) has plummeted here. I’m leery folks will linger long enough to see if this site will be restored to a shadow of its former self….
>> detailed feedback
:: Reorganize the interface so the full profile is seen; don’t force folks to click “View more of XXX’s responses.” Instead, take up less real estate for the “mutual match,” and give people on one page what they want to see. …The way it is set up now reeks of commercialism: you’re aiming for more page hits so your ad revenues will be affected. Um, excuse me, but usability is what keeps people here, so you’re shooting yourself by making it irritating. (And, if you insist on leaving it this way for another week or so until you can rework things, do not repeat responses already listed on the first page.)
:: Move the member’s stats higher, under the photo, since that’s what we want to see soonest. Again, usability over wanting folks to scroll so they see advertising. You’re irritating me again. If you fix the above glitch, people will naturally scroll down to *read the profile*!
Under the new model a monthly fee of ~$20 is needed to contact someone, plus if you want your profile to be viewed by non-paying members, you have to pay an additional $20/month.
It is hard to see how many users will stick around - aside from the volume users and spammers.
which indicates this has been a partnership at least since early January 2005 - it’s an spam/abuse posting, but the date indicates early January, and you can see springstreet networks domain in the return address. Interesting.
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=fastcupid&hl=en
I wonder how long it will be until they change back? Or; When will the affiliates begin jumping? It looks like nyobserver.com is gone, gone, gone.
I feel FastCupid is taking most of the blame here, but, Nerve/SpringStreet did this to you - they agreed to the (terms undisclosed) ‘deal’ with FC, to make money for themselves - and to fuck you.
Never poke fun at a moose.
Nope, you don’t need to sign up for a Premium membership to contact people, you can just buy “points” which I think go for a rate of 200 points per dollar (the rate may depend on how many you buy at once, I’m not sure), and it costs 200 points to contact someone–so it’s just like the old credits system, basically. Also, you don’t have to have a Premium membership for non-paying members to see your profile–just log in, you’ll see that you can still view all the “Standard” (non-paying) member profiles.
Are you talking about only 1% complaining about changes to your own site? Or Springstreet?
All you have to do is read the blog comments before they are deleted, to get a sense of scale of the outcry. I didn’t know about the complaints on the blogs before Springstreet/Salon staff told me about them. I doubt that the average user of the old site bothered with the blogs, so you don’t see their complaints.
Staff at Salon and Nerve have been receiving a barrage of complaints, and what is more at least at Salon they are writing back.
And if it weren’t for a vocal few, I doubt we’d have any of the civic rights we have in this country. Not to compare this situation to a civil rights struggle, but it is a vocal minority that forces social change.
Various Inc (parent company of Friend Finder)
445 Sherman Ave., Ste. C
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: 650-847-3100
Fax: 650-324-9379
Email: billing@friendfinderinc.com
http://www.othersingles.com/springtoothersingles.cfm
Why didn’t they just leave a good, simple system alone? The interface is horrendous and shows a lack of design know-how.
Oh, and FastCupid people? Translating my “Drink often” to “Drink heavily” might mean the same thing to you, but it doesn’t to me.
1) Their Mail being lost
2) Their profiles being deleted
3) Previously private information (like birthdates) being revealed
4) Lost credits that had been recently purchased
5) Those credits now being worth half what they used to. I had just purchased 24 credits, with which I could have contacted 24 people. Now, under the new system, I can contact 12 people with that same amount. That was not what I paid for.
6) Removing basic features from people who don’t use the subscriber model. Most sites let you search based on distance from your geographical area. At the new Fast Cupid, you have to be a subscriber to make that basic search. They’ve cripled the site for people who aren’t on the monthly subscription service.
7) There was no warning of these changes. There was a brief note that new features were going to be added. Nothing was said of changing the entire paradigm of the site.
8) Peoples profiles were changed and merged arbitrarily. They were not given any choices on how to accomplish these changes. And if they had conversations going with people through one of the profiles that was lost. Oh well.
9) I had an actual date disrupted by this changeover, and the loss of all of my emails.
After some more site snafus (and this as a paying member — I decided to upgrade, and things improved quite a bit) I ended up googling this mysterious “Various Inc” thing. Jesus, it is sleazy — they also run all this fake “find a date” crap that’s essentially just pornography. This Andrew character seems to have made a name for himself as a major league sleazeball — fine, run a porn site, but wow, he really attracts the anonymous slander (of which I guess I am now a part.)
Now I don’t know what to think. I didn’t experience any privacy violations, and the card I used to purchase membership is now expired, so I’m not too worried on that side. But still — things do not look good for Homestarrunner.
I’m going to stick with Nerve for awhile longer. Major parts of the site still function. But at the first hint of real trouble — privacy violations, spam, etc. — I am out, and starting a dispute for the balance of the fees. Listening, Andrew?
In the meantime, I can’t help feel burnt. There are competitors springing (ha) up to nab to hip market (ugh), but I’m like, do I want to go through this crap again? Somebody needs to get some credibility back in the game. I don’t know how. I don’t want Nerve to crash, I want it to succeed.