PDA

View Full Version : VerticalScope Buys Another Large Forum



ATC King
02-20-2022, 10:08 AM
VerticalScope is in the business of buying forums for the sole purpose of making money, for however long that is until the site is ran into the ground. More soul sucking corporate greed that is very much bordering on monopolization.

Their site: https://www.verticalscope.com/


They are much like iHeartRadio (formally Clear Channel). Look at any of the 'local' radio station webistes they own across the country and the corporate influence is obvious. Individuality and regional identity is completely gone and they all have the same playlists for their format.

Back to VS.

Like how the corporations do, they try to keep it on the down low as much as possible, with the exceptions they like to brag about. Their newest aquisition didn't even post anything about it on their home page, but the thread started on the site is already burning up.

Thread on Advrider : https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/a-new-operator-of-advrider.1534813/



For anyone that doesn't know, ADVrider is one of the worlds largest motorcycle sites, mostly catering to adventure/off road travel.

VS will change many things as time goes by and everything posted there is ultimately for their benefit. They are into selling information like FaceBook and others do. It'll also become a security risk for all the users as peronsal information 'leaks' are all too common with these type of corporations. The users will be the last to know as is common practice.


Just something else to look out for if considering joining a site. VS says they arleady own 1,200+ sites, but good luck finding a list of them. VS does list some of the more prominent ones on their site. One way to see if it's a VS owned site is to check the TOU (terms of use).

For example, take a look at Vtwin forum https://www.v-twinforum.com/and Toyotanation https://www.toyotanation.com/

In their TOU, it's devulged they're owned by VS. It's also at the very bottom of the home page.

Taking a look at many of the sites they own and they all look identical. VS does that and calls it streamlining. It's really just lazy corporate BS and an indicator of their soul sucking potential.

There are a lot of other safety and privacy issues with large corporations owning a major chunk of popular internet forums. Knowledge is power. Who's power is up to you.

ATC King
02-21-2022, 11:17 PM
Here's some links to VS owned sites and their 'about us' page. Notice the copy and paste format they use for most if not all of the sites they own.

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/about/
https://www.worldseafishing.com/about/
https://www.treadmillforum.com/about/
https://www.wrestlingforum.com/about/
https://www.tennisforum.com/about/
https://www.dbstalk.com/about
https://www.overclock.net/about/
https://www.poodleforum.com/about/
https://www.thelupussite.com/about/
https://www.greentractortalk.com/about/
https://www.uberpeople.net/about/
https://www.camaros.net/about/

A lot of various topics, but the sites all look the same. From what I've seen, when they first buy a site/forum and there's an indtroductory thread about the new owners, VS also uses the same copy and paste mediocracy with their first post as new owners and it's somthing like how they're going to make the site even better becuase they're bigger than the previous owners. They may as well be striving to look like a state run media outlet, maybe something out of North Korea.

Plain and simple, they're in the business to make money, and they make that money in part off of the content the members provide, although none of the members will ever see any of it. That would be like YouTube, if none of the content creaters get paid. Kinda sounds like a raw deal and the current site members get a unimaginative, cookiecutter, thoughtless, assimilated style forum to boot.

It's getting to where people are going to have to take an active position with these type of businesses and make a choice to either leave/don't join or become just another cog in the machine. They're making bank off of you and all you get is advertisements to buy junk.

atctim
02-22-2022, 10:17 AM
Honestly, for most of us on here (the majority of like minded people) advrider has been going downhill for a few years. I used to frequent it almost as much as 3WW. Then they got all politically correct and made a HUGE "Left" turn. Now it's you don't dare say anything that could be deemed "insensitive" or you'll get banned. The mods over there are mostly way left leaning and will force their opinions down your throat - if you don't agree GTFO!!! They have a torch carrying mob behind them to hurl insults (their insults are fine - yours are not) if you don't fall in line. Too bad too, because that site WAS great. Now it's ruined by political ideology. VS can have the ashes of the once former GREAT site. Condolences and Good Riddance all at once.

ATC King
02-22-2022, 11:04 AM
Honestly, for most of us on here (the majority of like minded people) advrider has been going downhill for a few years.

I use dADVrider as an example because they are the latest big VS aquisition, but I agree, they had better days.

Here's a live example to watch though. How long before that site is fully aSSimilated into the VS corporate hole of ambiguity?