What happened to ReefCentral over the past several years?

[Miles]

I've been reefing off the grid for quite a while (for probably the last 4-5 years). Just recently started getting back into following the forums and it seems like the online culture has changed in the past several years. I haven't really been on ReefCentral since probably around 2008, and now it seems like the attitude is really different than it used to be.

It would appear that a bunch of other forums have popped up (or maybe they were already there and are now just appearing on my radar...), and it seems like the moderators have gotten really aggressive. I also noticed that they started dropping the ban hammer for stupid dumb stuff (banning Melev back in 2010.... I'm really behind on the news....), and enforcing stupid rules about certain external links, items in signatures, etc.

Did something happen that forced them to start reacting this way, or was it gradual over time? 

[Wall_Tank]

Been that way for a while, money tends to bring out the worst in folks.

Glad you found your way to our forums.    There are many years of experience within our club here.

[Boonjob]

Yeah, I shy away from the larger forums. I actually can't stand most forums reef or not, for the same reasons. Some forums are heavily "policed" anymore and as Wall stated it is usually fueled by $$$.... I have heard that excuse a many times in just my experience on a few different forums from the Mods/Boards themselves.

But, I am glad you did find us, and hope you dont feel that way here

[Miles]

That makes a lot of sense.

I was just kinda curious if I missed something important like some sort of scandal....

[Andrew]

It's always been like that. The top guys in charge cash in and don't really care. I'm on the "Team" but not as involved as I used to be but its just a big business for some.

[Mussin]

Im a member over there as well.  I like the site alot of info but it is painfully SLOW.  Its like having dial-up...  I hardly go on there anymore because of that.


Jeremy

[Miles]

Yeah...its been slow since I joined in 2004. I have almost always avoided the search feature due to it being slow, or just plain down. I've usually resorted to using google and doing a site search.

"site:reefcentral.com SEARCH_TERM"

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[Neogenesis]

I go there for some of my more complex problems or questions as there are some good people over there.  For most things I try to keep it local though, I feel you get a more honest answer from someone you know in person, not just a screen name across the country.

[Ashlar]

Another thing that irritates me is that if you become a staff member there, you're "strongly encouraged" (aka, required) to cut ties with other sites and forums that you may be a moderator / contributor of.

Another site that I'm a member of lost on of our best contributors who always posted thoughtful articles because she became Team RC.

[micki]

It didn't used to be that way...  Over the past more recent years, they became big headed.  It's unfortunate, they lost some good people in the process.  If it weren't for Paul B I probably wouldn't even go there any more.  When they lost Melev that was the icing on the cake for me.  Some of their team members were also young and thought they were big stuff for a while.  I think they just wanted to bring some younger people in to use them as their cover up for "authority" knowing the younger ones would get a thrill out of being a big bad A$$.  JMHO
 

[EricShane]

Money! 

their drama drives me nuts! And they're slow servers get on my nerves! but there are some really intelligent people still on there

[volcano]

Their servers are as slow as molasses.  That drives me crazy, plus most of the members there are so quick to say "you can't do that, you're wrong, I am always right"!  This is my favorite reef forum, hands down.