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14 Replies Last post: Jun 19, 2008 4:33 PM by skidmark  
Click to view dscotina's profile Expert 57 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
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Mar 9, 2008 5:56 AM

What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?


There were great discussions on that site with Meri, Sherpa John etc. . The volume really dropped off when they switched to Active. Should have changed the name to "Inactive"

Please visit my trail running blog at: http://breakhearttrailrunning.blogspot.com/

Click to view formationflier's profile Legend 989 posts since
Oct 13, 2007
1. Mar 9, 2008 5:50 PM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?

Most of the old ultra & trail posters are posting at kickrunners.com under the "extreme running" category.

Click to view Suzanne Pokorny's profile Rookie 4 posts since
Jan 15, 2008
2. Mar 16, 2008 8:01 AM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?

Hi -- MedinaUltraGal here... I have not been here for a while, the changeover to Active seemed cumbersome to me. It's not so bad though. Hope everyone is doing well!!


    • Suzanne
Click to view Active Sara's profile Active.com Staff 988 posts since
Oct 2, 2007
3. Apr 10, 2008 12:14 PM in response to: Suzanne Pokorny
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
Hey. My name is Sara and I'm the Online Community Coordinator here at Active. I saw your post here and yes, it is very unfortunate that so many users have left. I know the transition wasn't great, but we are working with many Cool Running users to make changes that they suggest. It might take some time, but hopefully we can build the boards back up with time.

So with that being said, I wanted to ask if there was any feedback or suggestions you all have or ideas on how to get the boards more active again. Also, if anyone has interest in becoming a moderator or would like to nominate someone please let me know.

Thank you!

Sara
Click to view formationflier's profile Legend 989 posts since
Oct 13, 2007
4. Apr 13, 2008 7:29 PM in response to: Active Sara
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?

Ok, two things:

1. No matter how many times it seems to be mentioned, I still have to log in every time to post. There's no other site where you can't just have it save your info on your local machine and keep logging in.

2. Bring back the coolrunning running log. It was the best one out there and probably over 50% of the former coolrunning community used it.

With those two, you may bring a lot of people back. Now it's way too cumbersome to log in and all of the other sites have better running logs. Also, what silly little censorship things you've got!


Click to view gurutc's profile Amateur 29 posts since
Nov 28, 2005
5. Apr 14, 2008 4:18 AM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
I think what happened is that Active.com replicated the exact message board format that Cool Running had under the Active Communities Boards. So now there are two message board areas on Active that look exactly alike. One is the Cool Running one, and one is the 'Active Communities' one. The problem is that now if you go through the cumbersome Active Login process, you're likely to end up at the Active Communities Running Boards, which are a clone of the Cool Running ones hosted by Active.

I had this problem when I started trying to use Active to get to Cool Running. I'd post in one board, and then my post wouldn't be there, I thought, but I'd be on the other board. Active is killing the Cool Running Community by doing this.. Please don't cancel my account, Active! Just telling you that I'm very disappointed about how things have gone. Please make ONE area that isn't so hard to get to for all the old Cool Runners.

If you can fix this, you'll get a tone more activity. The Cool Running boards used to be red hot with posts.

Thanks, - Travis Cowan


'

Click to view Active Sara's profile Active.com Staff 988 posts since
Oct 2, 2007
6. Apr 14, 2008 8:04 AM in response to: formationflier
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
formationflier wrote:

1. No matter how many times it seems to be mentioned, I still have to log in every time to post. There's no other site where you can't just have it save your info on your local machine and keep logging in.


We haven't forgotten about this feature. I can't give you an exact date, but it will be available shortly. I am very eager to see this feature up and running also.

2. Bring back the coolrunning running log. It was the best one out there and probably over 50% of the former coolrunning community used it.


We can't bring back the log unfortunately. I know that isn't what you want to hear but it's the truth. We can work to continually update the one we have to make it more what the CR users want though. So please let me know your feedback on this if you would like.

Thank you!

Sara

Click to view Active Sara's profile Active.com Staff 988 posts since
Oct 2, 2007
7. Apr 14, 2008 8:12 AM in response to: gurutc
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
gurutc wrote:
I think what happened is that Active.com replicated the exact message board format that Cool Running had under the Active Communities Boards. So now there are two message board areas on Active that look exactly alike. One is the Cool Running one, and one is the 'Active Communities' one. The problem is that now if you go through the cumbersome Active Login process, you're likely to end up at the Active Communities Running Boards, which are a clone of the Cool Running ones hosted by Active.

I had this problem when I started trying to use Active to get to Cool Running. I'd post in one board, and then my post wouldn't be there, I thought, but I'd be on the other board. Active is killing the Cool Running Community by doing this.. Please don't cancel my account, Active! Just telling you that I'm very disappointed about how things have gone. Please make ONE area that isn't so hard to get to for all the old Cool Runners.

If you can fix this, you'll get a tone more activity. The Cool Running boards used to be red hot with posts.

Thanks, - Travis Cowan


Travis,
Thank you for your feedback. Very interesting. We have actually been talking to some of the CR mods about this issue. We keep going back and forth on whether or not to just have ONE running community or to keep both so CR users have their place. Many of them, like you, feel that it would be best to have one community. It makes sense to me, but I don't want to see the few CR users we have left leave because of another change. I've really enjoyed getting to know the CR users that are sticking around and I want to make sure we are all on the same page. I really appreciate your feedback.
Sara
Click to view wayneheff's profile Expert 40 posts since
May 24, 2006
8. May 7, 2008 11:18 AM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?

Yeah, pretty much "what Jesse said!"

You took away my beloved running log - I would think the "powers that be" would realize how traumatic that was. I guess not. I was sufficiently irritated that I figured, "If I have to learn a whole new way of doing things . . . I'm gonna make a clean cut and do it elsewhere." So, I wound up ad Kickrunners along with everyone else.

Click to view Active Sara's profile Active.com Staff 988 posts since
Oct 2, 2007
9. May 7, 2008 11:43 AM in response to: wayneheff
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
Well, Wayne you gotta do what you gotta do. I apologize that the log isn't up to par with what you were used too. There have been changes made to it and we will continue to make changes to make it better for everyone, but for CR users especially. I hope that you will check in once and a while to visit us and see how things are going over here. If you ever have any suggestions or feedback please send it my way.

Good luck and happy running!
Click to view upheeler's profile Amateur 19 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
10. May 29, 2008 11:41 AM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
I'm going to join the pig pile with the posters who are upset about the demise of the Cool Running site. I had three years of daily workouts logged on CR that are now (poof) gone. You can't convince me that the old format can't be revived and it would definitely bring me back. I try periodically to log my workouts on the Active site but it truly does pale in comparison to the CR format. I even signed up for the upgraded version but I won't renew it next month. CR was simple, quick and intuitive. I could actually save my routes and could look back and compare times on the same routes over a period of years. What a pleasure!!! Going on CR was an anticipated part of the morning...logging my workout and then spending some time browsing the forums. The Active site is like a big sterile commercial - there's absolutely no sense of community. I think I understand the economics of consolidation, wanting to bring CR under the Active umbrella, but you gave short thrift to the emotional upheaval you created ("you" being Active). For every person you hear from in this thread, I'll bet there are hundreds with similar views. Bring back the old CR and you can be a hero to the running refugees that you've disenfranchised.
Click to view 2slow4u's profile Amateur 34 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
11. May 31, 2008 6:42 PM in response to: upheeler
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
upheeler - check out the log at www.running2win.com. It's even more comprehensive than Coolrunning's old log. The forums there are not nearly as good, at least on ultrarunning because it seems most of the posters are high school or college age track/cross country runners. The log is great, however, with a ton of functions, graphs, etc., and they can import all your old running logs from Coolrunning (I don't know how he does it, but he got 7 years of my log moved over).
Click to view upheeler's profile Amateur 19 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
12. May 31, 2008 6:48 PM in response to: 2slow4u
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
Thanks, I'll give it a go.
Click to view mmarsan's profile Amateur 9 posts since
Oct 25, 2007
13. Jun 17, 2008 11:56 AM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?
Ditto to what many others have already said. I loved the CR logs and used that function daily. I am very computer literate and usually catch on to new technology/software pretty quickly. After the switch to Active I tried using the log several times and it was soooo cumbersome and painful to deal with I abandoned Active. I also feel that the discussion logs should be consolidated and outlined better. I think Active is suffering from analysis paralysis. They need to stop thinking and start doing. They can start by completing the integration of CR and simplify the user experience. Then they should bring back the CR log -- or at least redesign the Active log to simulate the CR log. There's no reason that couldn't be done in a couple of weeks if they make up their minds to do it.
Click to view skidmark's profile Rookie 3 posts since
Sep 23, 2005
14. Jun 19, 2008 4:33 PM in response to: dscotina
Re: What happened to everyone from the old Ultra Running forum on the old Coolrunning site?

I used to be "Mudrunner" on this site.

If you can go back through the archives of the old Coolrunning, you will probably see my name as one of the regular posters...especially in the beginning....I really tried to get the forum going...& eventually it did.

It's true...it used to be a great forum, but my taste was soured by a few things.

1- I have used the "Mudrunner" moniker since I initially signed on here in 2002....& again after a crash a couple of years later. Active came onboard & gave me some other name to go by (I have yet to see the "other" Mudrunner).

2- A very long line of interesting run reports were obliterated during the transition. While it's probably my own fault for trusting that they would be accessable forever, it was very disappointing to discover that some items that people put a lot of soul into (myself included), were gone. Many people used these various run reports to gain insight, info, or inspiration. As it is, most ultras give relatively little info & the runner's persepctives are invaluable.

3- Active. com has/had a nasty habit of pre-billing without authorization. I have very little tolerance for these type of business shenanigans...so I took my bid-ness elsewhere.

4-the only email solicitations that I would get from Active were for road races in the NE USA. I ama trail/ultra runner from Vancouver Canada....even though I sent repeated emails specifying my interests (& then later, repeated emails to remove me from their e-blast list...this has yet to happen).

5- I don't get the impression that Active is in this for the long-haul & will sell to the next highest bidder.


Sincerley,

Mudrunner