I feel out of sorts - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Suezeeque · 11-15-2009, 03:35 AM

I feel a little weird that the site was sold and no one knew. I post personal information here and now I have no idea if the new owners are going to sell my information or what the security policy is, or really, anything. I guess I'll find out if I start getting junk in my email. I just need some time to let it sink in that this is now just another money-making site owned by a large corporation. So, some of that good feeling is gone.

Onederchic · 11-15-2009, 03:39 AM

I am sure it was sold before you even joined.

Suezeeque · 11-15-2009, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onederchic

I am sure it was sold before you even joined.

I think that is what is making me feel kind of strange; it was never what it was advertised to be from the time I joined.

I've been though takeovers in the business world; they never tell anyone who might be affected ahead of time. Once the announcement is made then their response is that it's already done. The lawyers tell you what to do to avoid a lot of problems.

I certainly can't argue that they did the best thing for themselves. I'm merely voicing my feelings. I guess I feel let down right now.

I'll get over it. I hope. Unless it fundamentally changes.

TIARA · 11-15-2009, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suezeeque

I feel a little weird that the site was sold and no one knew. I post personal information here and now I have no idea if the new owners are going to sell my information or what the security policy is, or really, anything. I guess I'll find out if I start getting junk in my email. I just need some time to let it sink in that this is now just another money-making site owned by a large corporation. So, some of that good feeling is gone.

so is that why no one could get on for a couple days? how do you know about the new owners?

Onederchic · 11-15-2009, 05:16 AM

Tiara, there's a thread here about it - http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/anno...ml#post3012725

but the transition happened months ago

PinkyPie · 11-15-2009, 10:20 AM

I wouldn't worry about it, to be honest. I have been here for years and trust that the 3FC sisters have done everything in their power to protect the members here. As an unpaid site, whatever you post here is pretty much for anyone to "see" personal or not - and it's the not always the company that 'owns' the site who is responsible for any spam or whatever that you could receive.

JayEll · 11-15-2009, 10:38 AM

None of the policies have changed regarding your information. If you are really so bent out of shape by finding out about this, you can always leave and not come back! But I hope you won't do that. 3FC is still people who understand weight loss challenges trying to help each other get through it!

The site has been the same since the February transition as it always has been, from my point of view, and as you can see, I've been here five years.

Jay

Rosinante · 11-15-2009, 01:03 PM

I don't ever post any personal contact details, so that side of things doesn't concern me. Since I discovered that my (and I suppose everyone else's too) posts are visible on Google, I try to make sure I don't name all those silent friends and annoying colleagues who bug me to hll and back!

If someone feels unsettled, me saying they shouldn't is pointless; but it beats what happened on another (UK) site - we woke up one morning and discovered they'd decided to make it fee paying, take it or leave it. I left it.

Given that I noticed no changeover when it happened, I don't fear for the future of the forum; and I congratulate the originators for having raised a saleable product!

JulieJ08 · 11-15-2009, 05:56 PM

What personal information would anyone be able to sell? I don't get that. The only thing thing to sell is ads displayed to persons using the site, which has always been the case.

No one employed by the company is going to personally read all the posts looking for some info to use. On the other hand, weirdos out there somewhere could - but that has also always been true - the site is available to anyone, even without an account.

But I do get being a bit weirded out that we weren't told once it was a done deal.

gumboot · 11-15-2009, 06:57 PM

I'm so out of the loop! I had no idea it was sold :S

time2lose · 11-15-2009, 07:14 PM

I don't think that we should be hard on Suezeeque. Many people feel uncomfortable with change. I think that it is a normal human reaction. Hopefully time will cure any uncomfortableness.

I really appreciate the three sisters providing us with this free site for so long. I am sure that it is a time consuming task and understand why they would want to pass the responsibility to someone else. The problems we experienced this past week were not related to the transfer which happened months ago. I work in IT and it is my experience that these things just happen. As upsetting as it was to us users, I can promise you that those working on the server were stressed more than we were.

About privacy, the new buyers would be held to the same posted privacy policy until they notified the users. I just read it and it is the same policy they had when I joined. Here it is if you want to read it, http://www.3fatchicks.com/about-us/. As with most public forums some information is collected. Read the privacy policy. It is very common. Fear of having your information sold is a realistic fear. It does happen. That information would include the email address that you used to sign out and any information that cookies collected from your computer. However, 3FC says that they do not sell our information and the new owners will be held to that unless they change the policy and give notice.

Any time you post on a public Web site, be it 3FC, Facebook, a Word Press blog, etc you should be aware that your posts can be read by anyone. I don't post anything that I would mind having on the front page of the newspaper. I really weighed (pun intended) posting my weight and pictures but decided that it is not a secret that I was morbidly obese.

I would not be thrilled to see my weight on the front page of the newspaper but I can live with that risk. I don't upload my pictures to the site but link them from a site I control.

A couple of years ago I was on an interview team for a job position. We had one candidate that was our first choice. That is until we read her blog where she made fun of our company. She probably wondered why she did not get the job.

Back to the original topic, being uneasy about the sale. Even though I support the sisters in selling the site, I am also uneasy. Several times I have been through sales where the purchaser assured the employees, customers or users that everything would stay the same but after several months, there were major changes. Of course, there could have been major changes if the site was not sold. Change is a part of life. Our life experiences form our reactions. Those of us who have had bad experiences with this type of transfer are naturally nervous. Time will tell if our fears are founded. Hopefully, they won't be.

Pita09 · 11-15-2009, 07:22 PM

I've been a member of a lot of different forums over the years and I've always stood by the thought that the owner can and should do whatever they wish with a site they own. That includes selling it.

A forum might begin by one person, but it is the members who post on the forum that make it a community. This happens to one of the best sites I've ever been on and that is because of the members and the moderators who oversee this sites well being.

I wouldn't let it get to you. Just keep posting and losing that weight of yours.

misskimothy · 11-15-2009, 07:26 PM

I agree with time2lose: please don't be as hard on Suezeeque as you were on some in the Acquisitions thread especially since she expresses the same concerns that were expressed there, but those poster(s) were harshly criticized by some. Which certainly wasn't helpful nor productive in my humble opinion. And I mention that thread specifically because it was linked to by a previous poster in this thread.

I know that the 3FC themselves say (although I'm not sure if it is really the 3FC themselves or the new owners who are responding as the website 3FC) that the goal in 2010 is for a tighter integration with FitDay.com which is owned by the parent company:
http://www.examiner.com/x-20911-Atla...icks-on-a-Diet
which says to me that there will be changes to the site in the future.

Note: this is a fact, not speculation so please don't hate.

Change is inevitable, but it doesn't mean that it will be bad. I don't think there is much more that anyone can say. And please don't read any more into this post or Suezeeques post than what is actually written...thanks...

nelie · 11-15-2009, 10:44 PM

I am not sure if it was mentioned in the other thread, but the site has had many many offers over the years. Some of the offers came from diet pill companies which definitely would've given the site a new direction. I trust Suzanne and Jennifer immensely and I believe that they did what they thought was best for the site as well as for themselves. The new owners are reputable and yes they are a business but the site has been a business for years but I am glad that Suzanne and Jennifer no longer have to worry about all the technical headaches and can just be themselves. They still have input into the direction of the site as well as doing some of the same old stuff that they did prior to the sale.

Overall, the site has grown over the years and I think the new owners see the value of the site how it is and yes they may want to make some enhancements to integrate with their other products, such as fitday, but I figure we will see what happens.

Tammy43vn · 11-15-2009, 11:37 PM

As long as the new owners don't change the set up, as a new member, I was attracted to the people who use this site. It is the encouragement from members who seem to make this site onederful.