Open your profile up to accepting messages!!!

frazpo · #1 (**permalink**) 02-16-2012, 11:02 PM

I find it frustrating that feed providers, at the least, do not have their settings to accept emails and messages. On more than one occasion I have tried to contact the feed provider in the county next to me to ask a question only to find out he is anonymous and doesn't accept messaging or emails. Am I missing something or does everyone want to be '"John Doe".

ibagli · #2 (**permalink**) 02-16-2012, 11:38 PM

Maybe he or she doesn't really care about what other people want to know or opine about the feed.

xeno194 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 12:05 AM

I would think that the people who run the feeds would appreciate feedback good or bad. I don't understand why people run anonymous feeds.

mjbjr · #4 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 1:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xeno194

I would think that the people who run the feeds would appreciate feedback good or bad. I don't understand why people run anonymous feeds.

I agree,i appreciate any feedback i get.Im set to anonymous,but i do receive my emails and respond to each one thats sent.

Chauffeur6 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 5:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibagli

Maybe he or she doesn't really care about what other people want to know or opine about the feed.

Exactly. I'm sure there are people who run a feed just for themselves or their friends/coworkers, and are nice enough to share it with the world. They're not interested in what anyone else thinks about their feed, or what people do or don't want to hear on their feed.

Maybe they just don't want anyone knowing they host a feed. Maybe they want to provide a service, but don't want to be the "bad guy" in the eyes of the locals. Maybe they work in public safety themselves, and don't want to deal with any possible repercussions that might come with hosting a feed of their own agency.

Or maybe they just don't want to be accused of "contributing to the death of the hobby", which seems to be a pretty popular sentiment by some on this site lately.

Whatever the reason, I think the Anonymous Feed option is a valuable one. Let's just remember that everyone who hosts a feed is a volunteer, and is not beholden to anyone insofar as how they run their own feed (RR TOS issues notwithstanding, of course).

mdulrich · #6 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 6:10 AM

I appreciate feedback, but I have run into the opposite problem, people sending messages about my feed not accepting PMs or emails. It is very hard to figure out a problem when I get a message about "your feed doesn't work", "I can't hear a thing", "doesn't work", etc. when I can't communicate back and the feed is working perfectly. Personally I don't think a person should be able to send feedback if the are blocking messages. I would say 99% of the time, I can't send a message or email back.

Mike

frazpo · #7 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 8:07 AM

@ xeno194 This was my thought exactly. I enjoy the hobby and the feedback.

During the Joplin tornado aftermath I received quite a few condolences and people asking how to help. I setup my feed provider details page to include my personal email. The main reason being 99% of the problems that people had with the feed was on their end. This included an unstable BB app that listeners had trouble with. I have also received thank yous for the feed. A guy from Texas thanked me because the used it to keep up with the weather up here where is mother lives.

I must say I have questioned the impact this (smartphones) will have on the hobby. The smartphone is is so accessible and can be used discreetly. I can see why LE,if given the choice, would encode all sensitive traffic. I think RR should maybe integrate a delay for police traffic. I'd like to know if any robberies have taken place where the suspect had an earbud in their ear. At the same time, you would have thought that cameras in banks and convenient stores would decrease crime more than they do.

Anyway, I guess maybe I enjoy the interaction with having the feed. And the ability to be a person on the other end opposed to being just a "text field" on a web page.

xeno194 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-17-2012, 1:20 PM

I know the feeds on here have a delay, I think its 1 or 2 minutes. I also enjoy hearing from people about my feed. I have nothing to hide. If i think my feed might, can or would put any officers life at risk i would take the feed down no questions asked. I would hope that nobody uses my feed and a smartphone to commit any crime. My main reason to have it up is to inform my local area as to what is going on and if anyone on here used to live in my area and has moved and they want to listen to their home pct. Plus you cant beat having a free superscription to the best site in the world.

Thanks
Mike

gmclam · #9 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 1:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdulrich

I appreciate feedback, but I have run into the opposite problem, people sending messages about my feed not accepting PMs or emails. It is very hard to figure out a problem when I get a message about "your feed doesn't work", "I can't hear a thing", "doesn't work", etc. when I can't communicate back and the feed is working perfectly. Personally I don't think a person should be able to send feedback if the are blocking messages. I would say 99% of the time, I can't send a message or email back.

Mike

I totally agree with this and have experienced this situation as well.

Confuzzled · #10 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazpo

Am I missing something or does everyone want to be '"John Doe".

I don't understand why more people don't go the "John/Jane Doe" route. People revealing their personal details make me wonder if they know the risks. Some will ask "what risks?" I pity those people.

frazpo · #11 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 10:34 AM

I know, The risk of having an email address is totally nuts.

Geauga_SO · #12 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 10:48 AM

Before you complain about a feed provider not accepting messages check their post count. A user with less than 5 forum posts can't activate private messaging without a system adminstrator getting involved.

My suggestion to the admin team is to immediately activte the messaging feature for users who go through the trouble of suppling a feed.

Confuzzled · #13 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 11:00 AM

Well, it only takes a few minutes to get 5 posts.

frazpo · #14 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geauga_SO

Before you complain about a feed provider not accepting messages check their post count. A user with less than 5 forum posts can't activate private messaging without a system adminstrator getting involved.

My suggestion to the admin team is to immediately activte the messaging feature for users who go through the trouble of suppling a feed.

Thanks, I did not know that. Good point. It may sound like I was angry, I am not. Guess I need to consider not everyone is an email and communication freak like myself.

xeno194 · #15 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 6:12 PM

I guess i'm confused

not angry in the least but what are the risks

have pity on me with the answer. Thank you and im serious as to what risks are involved. im not trying to be a smart **s.

Thanks
Mike

webstar22 · #16 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 8:16 PM

I am one of those people who don't allow messages or tell people I host a feed or what feed it is.

gewecke · #17 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 8:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazpo

Thanks, I did not know that. Good point. It may sound like I was angry, I am not. Guess I need to consider not everyone is an email and communication freak like myself.

As said, maybe the feed provider wants to put it up for a very small audience and isn't interested in replies or messages?
I may start a feed and if so, it will be semi-private with no contact provisions.
Sometimes private is better...

73,
n9zas

Chauffeur6 · #18 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 8:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webstar22

I am one of those people who don't allow messages or tell people I host a feed or what feed it is.

One word: barrelroll

frazpo · #19 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 10:56 PM

Why the super secret attitude toward all this? You would think that we were trying to overthrow a govmt or something. Tinfoil over the window type stuff. Anyway, I just thought it would be nice to communicate with feed providers since they and their feeds are what makes this site. Especially when I just wanted to suggest a better frequency for their feed since his was old and rarely used. I'll just use the problem request like I have done in the past.

Good thread. More reasons not to communicate with other feed providers??

Chauffeur6 · #20 (**permalink**) 02-18-2012, 11:02 PM

You've got your opinions, we've got ours. That's what makes this forum great, the freedom to express differing opinions and points of view. If you don't want to hear opposing viewpoints, then don't start a thread soliciting opinions. It's a bit ironic that you start a thread about a lack of communication, only to label those of us who don't agree with you or support anonymous feeds as the "tin foil" bunch.