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spam galore
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overseas_expat
VIP


Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:08 am    Post subject: spam galore Reply with quote

Spam, spam, spam, spam.

All over the forums. Too many to link.

Is somebody going to get rid of this flotsam or is nobody minding the store?

Kudos to any mod who acts on this notice. Smile
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DITTRICH-2010
Frequent Guest


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dimitri has not answered any WTR questions on the facebook page for at least 4 weeks. On this forum, I think only nikir does any moderating now.
I think WTR is a one man band now and Dimitri just lives off the commission he gets from the portal for visa referrals. There is NO maintenance on the website as far as I can see and many of the comments added to pages are just spam too. IMHO Dimitri isn't interested anymore (and hasn't been for some years). www(dot)thisislike(dot)com and www(dot)playberlin(dot)com are where he presumably spends his time. Still eventually people will wise up and start looking elsewhere for advice. In the UK they could go to the realrussia website directly. A very competent and useful bunch of people.
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overseas_expat
VIP


Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

romdur, whoever you are--thanks for clearing out the spam, answering visa questions, and cleaning up the store after it has been looted.

You're the only person on this website behaving responsibly and taking care of business.

Public thanks to you.
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overseas_expat
VIP


Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And nikir is a good guy too. Very Happy
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting


Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DITTRICH-2010 wrote:
Dimitri has not answered any WTR questions on the facebook page for at least 4 weeks. On this forum, I think only nikir does any moderating now.
I think WTR is a one man band now and Dimitri just lives off the commission he gets from the portal for visa referrals. There is NO maintenance on the website as far as I can see and many of the comments added to pages are just spam too. IMHO Dimitri isn't interested anymore (and hasn't been for some years). www(dot)thisislike(dot)com and www(dot)playberlin(dot)com are where he presumably spends his time. Still eventually people will wise up and start looking elsewhere for advice. In the UK they could go to the realrussia website directly. A very competent and useful bunch of people.


I really like the real russia website. I no longer wish to come to WTR, I have lost interest and my questions and concerns were not properly answered anyway from some and when they were they were sarcastic and in bad disposition. Thanks to the ones who were nice, Ender and a few others...take care...
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nikir
Frequent Guest


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DITTRICH-2010 wrote:
On this forum, I think only nikir does any moderating now.


That is indeed the case and it is just about impossible to keep on top of the spammers within a reasonable time frame. Apologies to overseas expat, I get to them when I can. Not always on the same day unfortunately.

This forum needs more mods, ideally some in the northern and some in the southern hemisphere.

If Dmitry reads this I suggest he approaches Dittrich to take the role back on, additionally I think that overseas expat, Usual Suspect and vox 16 would be excellent moderators on the forum.
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romdur
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear expat,

I just read the very kind words, that you wrote about me!

I do my best to respond to visa questions, but I don't have moderator privileges, and am powerless over the spam. My gratitude to nikir, for taking care of that unpleasant job!

Dmitry seems to have given up on this old website. Что мы можем сделать?
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overseas_expat
VIP


Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps the forums section of this website should be discontinued?

Outside of spammers it takes very little traffic. There is only one moderator without enough time to delete all the junk that comes through.

The forums are pretty much dead. Is there any point really to keeping them open?

I think the world would not miss the WTR forum if it were to disappear.
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DITTRICH-2010
Frequent Guest


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am investigating what if anything can be done in order to preserve the accumulated knowledge and cameraderie that has built up over the years.
At this stage I am not even sure where the man is because thisislike, deemeetree, playberlin, and facebook/wtr are effectively the living dead - the lights are but no-one is at home. My timescale for this exercise will be affected by my annual holiday (guess where) but I do intend to sort something out in October. My personal situation may prevent this, but this is very very low probability.
Les

Edit: also kind words for nikir and romdur.
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nikir
Frequent Guest


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les, I will keep going till October, its not that far away. We shall see what you efforts bring then.

In the meantime I can't even get anyone banned so the spam comes in every night from the same culprits and I can do nothing except delete it. The other day two of them were posting while I was deleting.

Enjoy your trip and let's see if we can sort something out when you get back.
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danbrew
Just Starting


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

yeah, too bad. this was the premier Russia travel site for a good many years. I'd also like to see the history preserved, yet it would be a fairly significant undertaking to cull through it and delete the stuff that was no longer relevant (or correct).

unfortunate.
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YellowMelon
Frequent Guest


Joined: 28 Nov 2008
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe I could help out? I find myself going here pretty much every day, or at least 4 times a week.
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romdur
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Maybe I could help out? I find myself going here pretty much every day, or at least 4 times a week.

... и я тоже. I visit at about the same frequency, even when I am travelling. If I had the ability to delete posts, I would be happy to kill these spams! Dmitry? Are you there? Do you give a damn??!?!?
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DITTRICH-2010
Frequent Guest


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:25 pm    Post subject: Paranyushkin Reply with quote

Dimitri finally logged into Facebook and even responded to my questions.
The following are clear:-

1 He doesn't care about the forum. He said it's up to the moderators to run it conveniently forgetting that there are some things the moderators cannot do.
2 He even asked me if I wanted to become a moderator which shows how in touch he is (not).
3 He asked which bits of the website were inaccurate and I responded. But since I pointed out stuff way back last year and he never responded to any emails, forum posts or forum pms....you get the picture. However it is clear that the website has not been updated since August 2009. Well the most recent category kind of says it all if you look at the dates.
4 I am unsure how Dimitri is able to give any valid advice given that he doesn't appear to be backed up by any organisation anymore and I refuse to believe that one person knows it all.

I did say that I would look at alternatives and maybe I will come up with something. However, whilst important, WTR is not central to real life right now. In around mid October I should be in a position to determine whether I can still participate in some way. Right now this will be my last post.

Goodbye
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waytorussia
Frequent Guest


Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. The site is being constantly updated – in fact if you look at the list of the recent articles when you log in you'll see that this summer we added posts on some Russian artists, lots of new places in Moscow and St. Petersburg etc.

2. This forum is in the hands of the community. If you want to become a moderator, all it takes is to write to me personally on dima at waytorussia dot net and i will give you sufficient permissions after reviewing your posting history (this might take a bit of time, but only a few days). If you are unhappy about all the spam – well, it means the moderators don't really care so you can as well participate.

3. If you want to communicate directly with the people behind this site the best way is to write an e-mail or use Facebook (on your right).

4. Please, do not make assumptions about my private life or whether there is an organization behind me or not, whether I still run the site, etc.
Obviously if it's still online and updated I'm constantly working on it. It got a major facelift this spring, we have loads of new content, new train ticket ordering system with live train schedules... why are you complaining? not enough? even lonely planet and rough guides are slower. wtf is the problem?!
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