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Moderated by : Andy B , TimPrevett , coldrum , Klingon , MickM , TheCaptain , bat400 , davidmorgan , Runemage , SolarMegalith , sem
The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map : Index >>
Stones Forum >> Time to switch?
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| Author |
Time to switch? |
Andy B
Joined:
13-02-2001
Messages: 6998
from Surrey, UK
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|  Posted 17-06-2005 at 20:57
Time to switch?
"The web's largest and most popular community-based guide to the ancient sites of the UK & Ireland." - I don't think so... 
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nicoladidsbury
Joined:
17-03-2004
Messages: 108
from A Cumbrian Lass
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| Posted 17-06-2005 at 22:28
Very interesting figures Andy. Wow! I didn't realise the reach was sooooo big.......
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 18-06-2005 at 15:40
Fantastic and bloody right! Do they know over there? Should you tell' em? They are self restricting in scope, endlessly repetitive photographically, cliquey in fora, boring and it takes a phenomenonal time to log on - so I don't. Nothing new to see there anyway dull dull dull
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 18-06-2005 at 22:16
C'mon!
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 20-06-2005 at 08:52
I would imagine having this:
META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT=", , stonehenge, news, power, stones, ancient wisdom, landscapes, sacred sites, glastonbury, cerne giant, geomancy, megaliths, megalithic, monuments, mystery, mysteries, unexplained, stone circles, henges, standing stones, stones, stone rows, long barrows, round barrows, dolmen, menhir, ancient sites, archaeology, prehistory, orkney, crop circles, ancient, astronomy, measurements, alternate, history, england, scotland, wales, guernsey, witch, witchcraft, celtic, paganism, pagan, New, Headlines, headlines, linux, software, download, downloads, free, Community, community, forum, forums, bulletin, board, boards, Portal, portal, open, database, web site, weblog, SQL, guru"
... in the header to every page on the portal helps.
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Klingon
Joined:
08-08-2004
Messages: 758
from Germany
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| Posted 20-06-2005 at 12:25
Quote:
| On 2005-06-20 08:52, Anonymous wrote:
I would imagine having this:
META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT=", , stonehenge, news, power, ..."
... in the header to every page on the portal helps.
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Search engines rate the KEYWORDS hardly, because spammers do often misuse them. So I'm thinking there must be another reason for success.
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Andy B
Joined:
13-02-2001
Messages: 6998
from Surrey, UK
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| Posted 20-06-2005 at 14:02
They look like a reasonable set of keywords to me and came from my original 1997 web site. Well perhaps not Guru - some of those last ones are hangovers from what was in PHPNuke.
As Klingon said, they do stuff all these days, it's the content and links which count with people like Google, hence (my favourite at the moment) how we score above Channel 5 for
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=stonehenge+live
Cheers
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 29-06-2005 at 21:04
Quote:
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On 2005-06-17 20:57, Andy B wrote:
Time to switch?
"The web's largest and most popular community-based guide to the ancient sites of the UK & Ireland." - I don't think so...
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Miaow!
Do I now qualify for my two free gifts?
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 05-07-2005 at 23:59
Of course if you join up and tell us who you are!
"The web's largest and most popular community-based guide to the ancient sites of the UK & Ireland."
3 mos. Avg. 552,231th
down 240,338
Visited by 1.15 internet users (per million) down 26%
Your super soaraway, erm, Portal:
3 mos. Avg. 192,628th
3 mos. Change 101,289
Visited by 5.65 internet users (per million), up 64%
Doesn't sound much, but let's compare that with a (random thought), the Surrey Advertiser (Guildford and district's main local paper)
3 mos. Avg. 388,921th
3 mos. Change 70,435
Visited by 2.25 internet users (per million), up 32%
How about:
The Reading Evening Post
3 mos. Avg.187,687th
3 mos. Change 20,222
Visited by 6.15 internet users (per million), up 3%
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=reading+post&url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/
So, incredibly, in web terms we are on a par with a large regional newspaper in the UK!
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Sunflowerbird
Joined:
07-03-2005
Messages: 9
from Oxford
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|  Posted 10-07-2005 at 15:03
As a long-time TMA contributor and viewer of this site, I'd just like to say that I think the 'competitive' spirit illustrated in anonymous's post above is unhelpful.
I know I'm in danger here of stirring up a right old hornet's nest  but I think there are strong merits (and weaknesses) in both TMA AND in this website, which both strive ultimately for the same thing - a greater understanding and pooled knowledge of our ancient past.
I can't see why the two sites couldn't foster stronger links. But I suspect there may be some political differences somewhere, which is a bloody shame.
But to discuss some of your points, anonymous:
I don't think 'Do they know over there? Should you tell' em?' is very helpful AT ALL as it looks like goading or trolling, and anyway, many readers of TMA come here to gain a different perpective.
"They are self restricting in scope" - yes, and this is quite deliberate. Personally, I think it is a strength.
"endlessly repetitive photographically"
Yes, TMA suffers a bit from this and I have plenty to say about that, but will spare you here!
"cliquey in fora" (I assume you mean 'forums', anonymous?) There are many contributors who have contributed for years, now. Many of them know each other. Are you mistaking cliqueyness for close friendship, I wonder?
"it takes a phenomenonal time to log on" Couldn't agree more. This pisses me off royally, too.
TMA also suffers from being only about UK and Ireland.
However 'over here' has its many faults too and chief among for me is that it is bloody hard to navigate around. Indeed, I often give up trying find what want because I get lost and go round and round in circles. 
But I certainly didn't come here to criticise the site. I came here to present a more reasoned discussion and to ask 'why compete? Why not foster greater links?' That's all.
SFB
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Thorgrim
Joined:
25-06-2003
Messages: 794
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| Posted 10-07-2005 at 16:49
Well yes - I'd like to see greater links and co-operation and sometimes we do give and exchange information. I sometimes stray on to TMA's forum and learn something of value and once or twice I may even have given information of value.
Interesting debates start but always finish poorly and woe betide anyone who holds unconventional views like SBP or our mutual friend, Mike - then the witch hunt bays in full cry and the threads get longer and longer and totally impossible to follow or unravel. I just switch off, but I wish you well if its your "thang" as moth always says. I left grey, narrow TMA for the colourful international Portal and have no regrets. Just a personal opinion and no offence intended but sure to be taken. 
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Sunflowerbird
Joined:
07-03-2005
Messages: 9
from Oxford
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| Posted 10-07-2005 at 17:34
No, none taken Thorgrim! I have a very thick skin!
I'd probably spend more time here if... if... I could suss out the infuriating navigation. Can't work out the logic at all.
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Thorgrim
Joined:
25-06-2003
Messages: 794
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| Posted 10-07-2005 at 17:46
Ah -- and there we can agree. The navigation is weird, but the Portal is an incredibly complex site. Worth persevering and just wandering around. Any particular area that infuriates?
Another issue that we can agree on is that we both despise anonymous comments and I regularly bend Andy's ear to ban them, but... That is one point where TMA does score over the Portal.
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ocifant
Joined:
13-10-2002
Messages: 186
from London
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| Posted 10-07-2005 at 18:13
I've always maintained that the difference between the two sites (aesthetics and navigation aside - where I think TMA wins hands down), is that of subjectivety over objectivity.
On TMA, many of the entries discuss the writers' impressions of the sites. The Portal is much 'drier, and sticks to the facts much more.
Both sites have their strengths, let's just all get on and enjoy/understand the sites!
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 11-07-2005 at 20:45
I'm another who likes both sites and uses both. Who doesn't for heaven's sake? For that reason, I find the idea of someone slagging off the one in the way that has happened pretty childish.
Good and bad, both sides.
BUT, I found this hard to swallow:
"woe betide anyone who holds unconventional views like SBP or our mutual friend, Mike"
You do KNOW what views he has been aggressively pushing over there do you? I suspect not, as lately he's expanded over there, not here. He wan't Stonehenge flattened to thwart the lizard people. No joke, no argument, he really wants it.
"Unconventional views"???? People are supposed to be tolerant are they? Don't be daft.
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Thorgrim
Joined:
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Messages: 794
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| Posted 11-07-2005 at 20:57
Flatten Stonehenge to beat the lizards - yes I've read his stuff which you lot endlessly rise to and so allow him to make a laughing stock of your forums.. If you take him seriously, its you who are daft! Just ignore him and he'll go away. We did.
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 11-07-2005 at 22:19
Actually, it wasn't as simple as rising to the bait, though I accept guilt on that score to an extent. Some of us saw a real problem with Mike's actions and intentions, and tried to find out more.
Fortunately he revealed that his crystal burying requirements are now at an end. Also, he responded to this:
"So, perhaps you could now confirm what you wouldn't before: that you won't dig at or mark or do physical damage to ANY site in future?"
... by giving his word that he wouldn't.
So all's well that ends well I guess.
Nigel Swift
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DavidRaven
Joined:
19-11-2002
Messages: 89
from West Yorkshire
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| Posted 11-07-2005 at 23:05
When I first began looking for ancient sites, I found the Megalithic Map easier to use, and faster, than TMA equivalent. Often, when I type in a site on TMA I get no results, when there are the sites there on the website. I have to go 'round-about' to find them.
Maybe it's just what you get used to? This system was easier for me to figure.
It's good to see people use both websites. The bigger picture is important. Like having networks that can report on damage to places, share news, or publicise events and initiatives that are being brought about to protect megalithic sites.
I've got to be honest here and say that this website appeared much less cliquey when I first started looking at online megalith-related stuff. I found the MegPort much more 'open' to new members.
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 14-07-2005 at 08:17
It is great to see that people do use both sites. Each have their advantages.
One thing to remember, though, is that the figures in the charts linked to only reflect the trends of people who have the Alexa toolbar installed on their computers. The Alexa toolbar is a bit of Spyware that tracks your actions on the web and sells/uses the info for targetting adverts at you - not a nice thing to do! How else does it gather figures? It's owned by Amazon and they now have the web-habits of a lot of people to use on their other sites. Personally I wouldn't let it near my machine.
The real fugures you need to compare are the server stats. They and only they could settle this pathetic little point , but as that ain't going to happen why doesn't everyone drop the petty feuding and get on with life.
Here are two great websites, which both have issues. The main issue seems to be a bee in someone's bonnet, though. So, come along children: let's play together nicely 
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sem
Joined:
12-11-2003
Messages: 1704
from Bridgend,S.Wales
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| Posted 14-07-2005 at 19:18
Having read your comment SFB, I totally agree.
The original idea of computer link-ups (later to be known as the web etc) was to circulate knowledge. However, being human we tend to use it to argue.
I very rarely use TMA, but aren't we all searching after knowledge?
There is so much to be learnt about ancient sites that arguing about modern "sites" detracts from the issue.
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