I stand corrected, I got a reply from Jonny5!
1 Like
I don’t think I’ll delete my MS account. I’ll no longer contribute…but I’m hoping it will allow me to go back and copy and paste some of my content to SkiffHQ if needed.
8 Likes
If it was just using our content for gain, that’s one thing. But using us, you and me, for gain is something totally different.
2 Likes
I’m still in jail over there. Interestingly, all I did was point out what they were doing. Commies always hate that so much!
3 Likes
VS is playing music while the Titanic is sinking. I’m privy to a lot of their thoughts on the matter on Onefora and they aren’t changing course. There are more forums against this than for it, but they just accuse us of being afraid of AI.
3 Likes
They will soon find out just how cold the water is.
Thanks for joining!
When your “product” aka content creators or members scream that they do not want synthetic conversation dripping with colorful metaphors and you don’t listen… then the issue is with leadership, not membership. Especially when the admin tells members… and this is a direct quote “stand down”. There is a serious lack of proper leadership and oversight, IMHO.
A simple google search for “@ForaFrank” reveals how widespread the AI bot is and the overall consensus of reactions.
VerticleScope has double down on AI as their PFD… (yea I know cheesy metaphor).
Mr. Laidlaw continued, “Like other user-generated platforms, we’re adapting to an evolving search experience, one that requires optimizing our strategy for AI Overviews, and integrating our own proprietary AI-driven enhancements to improve engagement, accessibility and monetization over time. We are better equipped to handle these algorithm changes with the Fora platform, and the integration of AI, allowing us to roll out important upgrades very quickly. Despite the traffic volatility causing MAU’s to be 8% lower in the quarter, we remain confident in our business model, the strength of our communities, and the long-term opportunities ahead.”
Key Takeaways
- Q1 2025 revenue decreased by 8% year-over-year.
- The company reported a net loss of $2.4 million.
- VerticalScope acquired 23 online communities in Q1.
- The stock price increased by 2.06% following the earnings report.
- AI-driven innovations are a focal point for future growth.
3 Likes
The only thing that makes me more nervous than AI is PE - These private equity groups basically turn local businesses into centrally controlled corporations and this is a great example of how quickly that can go wrong.
When you start asking who controls the money behind these PE groups, you start to identify possible mal-intent. If I were say . . . Chinada . . . and I wanted to take over a country I can’t win a war with, this is how I’d do it. The PE groups are simply front groups that create the control structures. Someone needs to find out who the backgroup really is. I bet it’s a very small population . . .
Here’s what happened in just this one small example we all just experienced:
Before PE group
- A bunch of small, independant, highly diverse member led forums, controlled locally with a high degree of accountability between admins and members
- Hgh degree of freedom of speech regulated only on an “as needed” basis
- Revenue and data mining a lower priority than maintaining fundamentals
- Focus on human interaction, “real life” experience, balanced with technical knowledge and expertise
- Allows for high degree of individual freedom, diversity of thought, and opinion
After PE group purchase:
- Large number of community forums managed under a single corporation
- Prioritization of revenue and data mining over membership and long term fundamentals
- Massive crack down on free speech standardized across multiple forums in spite of their diverse memberships and commonality
- Zero accountability between administrators and members - Administrators are anonymous, disinterested, and have nothing in common with the members or forum focus
- Introduction of mis-matched technologies that directly contradict the nature of a forum
- Focus ONLY on technical knowledge and places no value on human interaction or “real life” experience.
- Creates the ability for a top-down control via censorship, content manipulation, manipulation of percieved reality
- Eliminates any control by members over content, direction, or strategic changes
4 Likes
With years of back-pay, right?
Absolutely!
I would say that is true to a degree, especially with large publicly traded companies who have the capital to reinvest. However, if we are talking about the same publicly traded company (VFORF), they are down 59.15% YTD. I am definitely no finance expert or investor, but I would not be putting my $$ in that stock. Just my .02
Thanks, Tim
2 Likes
That’s the consensus on Onefora. The stocks are way down and they are trying to increase posts. They’ve been adding other items over the last month to various forums beta testing them. Like “Posting Streak”, that one got cut today. There’s a few more and we keep pointing out that they are looking for more quantity of posts and not more quality. That’s the reason FF is Top Contributor in a lot of the forums. They’re trying a bunch of new ideas to get that stock back up, but in the end they’re running off the people that make these forums great.
6 Likes
Their current business plan:
- Add AI
- ?
- $$
3 Likes
I’d wonder how advertisers feel about a bot being the top content creator for these site? They seem to be running off the ‘product’ (members time on the site thus what they are selling is human views) will advertisers be next? I would not want to pay to be “viewed” by synthetic posters…
2 Likes
So, short VFORF - that’ll be how I get mine.
2 Likes
There’s a few options for you guys that still have accounts.
- Change your profile picture to the one I used.
- If you’re trying to give Skiff HQ awareness, change your profile picture to the Skiff HQ home site so then Skiff HQ pops up on everything you posted without mentioning the website.
7 Likes
I’ve just never gone back to MS. Well - once and was reminded why I left originally.
4 Likes
4 Likes
I am working on getting banned since I have requested 3 times for my accoung to be deleted and nothing so getting banned will be my only option just figuring the best way to go about it without using profanity.
1 Like