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Subject: 
Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.lego.direct
Date: 
Sat, 15 Jun 2002 15:46:17 GMT
Viewed: 
3067 times
  
In lugnet.lego.direct, Richard Marchetti writes:
In lugnet.lego.direct, Bruce Hietbrink writes:
Lego hardly needs to market (to us, they obviously have to do
big-time marketing aimed at kids and their parents).  They just have to let
us know that a set is being released and we'll market ourselves.

Right, that's the reality of discussing their product lines (of course, some
of us also speak very favorably about clone brands too, but whatever). If
TLC/Lego Direct were allowed to make "product placement" type comments in
different newsgroups from time to time that would seem like an egregious
abuse of their position -- if we are already discussing it, they hardly need
to hammer it (and you know they would).

Ouch! Thats quite a negative attitude there. I do not know they would, nor
would I think they would. There are some people such as yourself that think
everytime they type it comes out as a marketing ploy that is poorly as
disguised as an informative post. Take this for example -
http://news.lugnet.com/technic/bionicle/?n=232 - That is an excellent
example of Lego answering the questions it can in a non-lego forum. And I
think they did a good job considering the person they were responding to was
basically yelling and flaming at them. I think that post there is an
excellent example of how they would be helpful to have site-wide posting.

[n.b. I agree with Bruce, the rest is more general stuff.]

If everyone could just focus on the fact that this is supposed to be a "fan"
site we'd be a lot better off.  You want the official company line? -- Go to
Lego.com. Simple. Don't EVER forget what Todd said here:
http://news.lugnet.com/lego/direct/?n=4663

And what are we fans of? Lego, thats what. I have never come across a fan
site that can be so negative, and have such negative and low thoughts of the
thing they are a fan site of. Sometimes I really think this is an anti-lego
site by the tone of some of the posts and the attitude of some of the people
here.

"Let's just be clear that LEGO *is* indeed here to do direct-to-consumer
_marketing_ and sales research, among other things. Make no mistake about it.
They're a company. A smart company." -- the salient words of Todd Lehman

Is there anything wrong with that? Would you rather them take guesses at
what we would like? Would you rather they just turn a blind eye towards us?
We are a vauleable resource for them, with no doubt - but that is a *good*
thing for us, is it not? I would think we would welcome them with open arms
here, and want to fill out surveys and all that. Why do you think the
cypress tree pack was let out? Why do you think the bulk bricks selection
has increased? Why do you think the legends series has come out? Yes to make
more money - becuase they are a company out to make money - but also because
*we* wanted it *we* asked for it, and *they* listened - but your attitude is
that this is a very, very, very bad thing and should not be allowed here.

Noise levels in this newsgroup are high with stuff that TLC/Lego Direct is
NEVER going to answer for us.  NEVER. <------Look Again------>NEVER. So
fine. So what? Get over it.  Stop looking for TLC/Lego Direct to answer your
questions.  That's not what they are here for anyway.

Well what do you want them to tell us? Do you *honestly* want them to reveal
info on upcomming sets? Do you really want them to give out information that
could be used by Mega Block people to hurt the Lego company? Really.. what
do you want? They are NEVER. <------Look Again------>NEVER going to do that,
and to ask that from them is just silly. What they are here is to get our
input and see what it is we do want, and to answer the questions they can
answer. This is a good thing, not a bad thing IMHO.

In case you don't get it: WE are the lab rats in the experiment. And while
the rats might ask the experimentor where the cheese in the maze happens to
be located, the experimentor has no interest in revealing that simple fact.
Understand?

Yes, 100% - and you know what -- I *LOVE* it. Give me more mazes!!

Could Lego Direct create a competing discussion forum?  Perhaps, but I doubt
one would get very far with any real open and honest discussion of how their
new stuff is poorly designed and lacking any real bricks.  Certainly, they
would be unlikely to stand for much clone talk.  Ultimately, such a forum
would tend to be heavily monitored and controlled and lacking in honesty
altogether. And while that might be good in terms of Lego.com propaganda, it
would actually not serve them very well as market research in how best to
knock-off the clone-brands (which seems to be the current trend), or in how
to improve their stuff overall.

Ouch! That negative attitude is rearing its ugly head again. Really - my
question for people with such attitudes is why are you here? What are you
trying to get from Lego and the Lego toy? I just do not get it, if you do
not like where it is, then why not just leave and go play with something
else? Play with somehting you do not have to bash and have such a negative
attitude with. Wouldn't you be much happier that way? Thats something I just
never understood.

<snip>

For Lugnet to partner with TLC in any way would be a complicated tightrope
act of some kind.  Doubtless Lugnet could use some $$$, but at what price?

Is that what its about you just think they should throw money at Todd and
Suz to shut them up? Thats just wrong, sorry - but expecting money for what
they do here is childish.

Rather than criticize Lugnet's official position on independence from TLC, I
should think people would be honoring that hardline stance in the face of
what is undoubtedly strong temptation to do otherwise.  I see people getting
in Suz' face,

As well they should - she set up rules, and she broke her own rules just a
few days later. She baited Jake into a public flamefest. That is 100% wrong
in every way, shape and form - I do not care what your views on TLC and Lego
direct is - you have to admit she broke her own rules in a major way.

but what about Jake's thinly veiled attempts to gain wider
access to the forums?  Did y'all miss it?  Todd even showed that there was a
way around Jake's supposed posting problem had Jake but asked (which one
assumes he did not).

Question, not everybody reads the web interface. so what if you are
subscribed to section X and Jake answered it, but by design he had to reply
in section L - would you see it? Hinestly, I have no idea if you would. I
use the web interface and I do not recall this being addressed before. So if
the person subscribed to section X can not see it - does that solve anything?

So fine, Suz is not always of the sunniest disposition
(yes, I have noticed this too).  Be assured that she is protecting Lugnet
from dilution from within and without -- thank her for it, dammit!  I can't
believe the attacks made upon her instead!

I am surprised you do not see why she is being attacked. I touched on it
above - but let me ask you this -- in your town there are Laws as to what
you can and can not do, but just because you are the Mayor or police officer
does that mean that you are immune to the rules? Espically when you are the
one who set up the rules in the first place? She broke her rule, plain and
simple, she broke her rule.

Much seems to be made of the fact that Lugnet might want just compensation
for use of the Lugnet name and its brand cachet.  Everyone is acting like
Lugnet has its hand out begging for something it's not entitled to.  But
really, that's the wrong perspective on the issue -- turn the table around
and look at it the other way.  Does TLC/Lego Direct give you stuff for free?
Do they allow unregulated and uncompensated use of the Lego name? Right.
End of that topic.

Your logic is majorly flawed. Todd has posted more than a few times about
money, and you even brought it up yourself, it really appears to me that the
admins would like some cash from TLC. If this is not the case, then why has
Todd brought it up in other areas? And actually Lego does give us stuff for
free - its called information and good will.

I said this a year ago and I will say it again - put it up for a vote. Let
the *paid* members of Lugnet say what thier views are. Yes I know this is
Todd's and Suz's site - but where would it be without its paid members? The
reaction to all of this seems pretty strong either way, so why not let the
people that really make this site something more than a URL put their money
where their mouth is. I have seen many people say this site is going down
the drain for these reasons, so why not let us decide what we want? Seems
simple enough to me. And if the outcome is different than what Todd and Suz
want then they shoud be big enough to admit that and do as thier paid
members want them to do -- kinda like what you want from TLC and LD.

Would that be so hard? Really - would it?

Respectufully,
Mark P.


End of ramble.

-- Hop-Frog



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
 
Just taking it as a whole... I am not so much anti-TLC as I am pro-fan as far as Lugnet is concerned. I think a lot of you haven't given that idea much thought. As far as being a lego fan myself, let's say a 1 is not much of a fan and a 10 is very (...) (22 years ago, 15-Jun-02, to lugnet.lego.direct)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
 
(...) Right, that's the reality of discussing their product lines (of course, some of us also speak very favorably about clone brands too, but whatever). If TLC/Lego Direct were allowed to make "product placement" type comments in different (...) (22 years ago, 15-Jun-02, to lugnet.lego.direct) ! 

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