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The complaint is not about whether the feedback form was a good idea or not, it's whether locking the threads was a good idea or not. I think what they were thinking was that if people couldn't post to the thread anymore, then they will submit the feedback form, but maybe it upset more people and caused the opposite (people going off-site to other forums to post their complaints)? It would have been fine to post the link to the feedback form and ask for the people to use it, but to lock the thread was unnecessary, not "wrong" per se, just unnecessary. Now we have the issue where more threads have been created regarding the action taken than with the complaints that were being expressed. Now the complaints are no longer of the issues with the event and are becoming more about how the complaints are being handled. The feedback form does not feel like it's being directed to someone, even though it is. As I said in the beginning, it feels like talking to a brick wall. You're writing down your words and sending them off and there is no response. You can't check in on it, like you can with a thread. You don't know if anyone actually read it, like you can find out with a thread. In this age of people wanting an answer or a solution instantly, leaving a thread open and posting the form is good enough. It lets us know that someone is actually reading the posts. That's a great first step for many people. It helps to put aside any feelings of disassociation between the staff and the attendees. It's that truthful knowledge that, yes the issues are being read and they will be addressed compared to just writing your thoughts down and hoping for the best. Again, locking the threads was taking it too far. The form is good and useful and should be encouraged if it truly makes their jobs easier, but not at the expense of the voices of the community.

As a communications major/PR minor, I can't help but want to see this conflict both ways. The internet, its communication methods and the way people interact with one another here (using the forums) is such a powerful tool in itself that once someone or something tries to control it, it's like censorship at it's core. People don't like censorship at any level and even more so, online. At the same time, from a PR perspective, I can see why Fanime and it's staff is doing what it needs to do here (locking threads). Again, the forums is under the jurisdiction and image of Fanime as a whole and Fanime basically created these forums for us, the people, to use so... I mean, what I'm saying is that because we are using it's services, then in a sense, it (Fanime) has the right to do what they feel is necessary for it's organization, reputation and image. Again, all of this is debatable but like what others have said on here, there is tumblr, facebook and other forms of communication where you can voice your opinions. The open conversation is still going on guys, even if it is more limited here. I know some of us might be slightly angry and for others certain things are on that subjective level, but I'm just posting here to show that again, the two sides of everything...

They explained that they weren't locking threads to protect their image, but to get people to use the feedback form. I think they even said they weren't concerned with how people were talking about their complaints. They just want to use their way of consolidating feedback information, but we are further upset that even after using the form, our threads were being locked. The threads were not removed, which is what they would do to truly censor the community, at least they didn't go that far. But like I said, the response has just created more work for themselves because of the new threads regarding the action taken. I'm sure their intentions are good, but it just doesn't reflect well on them.

Hey all,

I was the one that locked them all. Basically, the feedback form is the best way to get the info out to staff ASAP. In these two weeks, lots of critical decisions will be made that will affect 2014. If its on the forums, there is no efficient way to sort and distribute the feedback before these decisions are made. I understand that it affects transparency and I mentioned it too, but providing transparency in exchange for not getting the feedback to the right place is no way to effectively improve a con.

While discussion of the feedback is productive, it is disorganized and ends up being scattered all over the place. In the end, it turns into a big rant and we do not have the bandwidth to read through it and direct it to each and every person who needs to see it and can actually fix the problems that spawn the complaint or feedback. So, please use the form. In the same way we don't have the bandwidth to sort through a forum discussion, we really don't have the bandwidth to cull out the "bad" feedback. We have little interest in making the con look good on the posted feedback and beyond that, we look better by listening to and addressing the feedback and be able to point back to the negative feedback and show we listened.

Look for it, I anticipate that we will air all our dirty laundry, in the form of negative feedback, soon.

TL;DR stuff happens these two weeks and we need the feedback immediately. Feedback on the forums = cannot get info to the right people. There is no intent to silence negative remarks, but an interest in efficiency.

Thanks,
Eric

You should always be concerned with making yourselves appear to be interested in what your attendees have to say regarding the con good or bad. The point of it all is, locking the threads does not help you. As you can see, it just causes people to create more threads questioning your methods. Posting the link to the feedback form and locking the thread isn't going to force people to use the feedback form. Heck, the feedback form is stickied to the top of the topic list and highlighted and in bold type! I know that the second I saw the feedback form, I submitted feedback there and then read through threads to see what other people were talking about.

As far as not being able to get info to the right people from forums. How exactly can't you do that? Even if you have one person reading the forums and taking notes on issues expressed within, can't that person take that information to the "right people"? It's digital, you can copy and paste or send a link to the post. I don't see how the feedback form is any more efficient.

Hello,

Why even have forums if you're only going to use the feedback form to gather information? Can't you use both? You can direct people to your feedback form without locking a thread and it doesn't harm anything.

Even after using the feedback form, it would still be nice to be able to post into a continuous thread with other members. Maybe other members have more insight into what happened or other things that went wrong? Locking the thread and directing people to your feedback form more than likely makes your job more difficult since you now have to filter through each one of those feedback forms instead of having your community filter itself. Why censor the community? Why create more work for yourself? Why would you rather read through hundreds of feedback forms intead of reading one thread which contains the same information from hundreds of people? There is no reason to lock threads when a proper discussion is being had other than you're afraid that the information contained within will bathe the event in a bad light. The event is already bathed in a bad light by the fact that it had so many issues. What better reason to respond to the complaints and/or apologize to the people who feel wronged than to make you look better. An explaination or an apology would make us feel like you do actually take our complaints into consideration. The feedback form is like talking to a brick wall, we talk, we get nothing in return. Locking the thread is like walking away from the discussion. It gives us the feeling that you actually don't care and I'm sure that's not what you intend. It seems like it would be much more efficient for you to be able to respond to hundreds of people with one post than to respond to those same people hundreds of times (unless you're just using canned letters, which would make it seem like you don't care)? Do you really want to answer the same question hundreds of times?

Time and again I read and hear how volunteers are in demand. I understand that you may be short staffed (pre-register night proved that) but when someone states a valid complaint, the answer is not "Well, let's see if you can do it better!" which is how the whole "If you don't like it, volunteer!" comes across. Yes, you need volunteers, but throwing that in someone's face because they're upset is not a way to gain volunteers, it's a great way to lose patrons. Instead of further upsetting the people who attend your convention by their own free will, you should acknowledge their feelings and let them know that you want to do anything to make them feel better. You should not take any complaint personal. You should thank the people who post their complaints, instead of dismissing them as upset people who don't know what it takes, how else are you going to receive feedback? Would you rather we kept silent? Instead of being defensive, you should be accepting. Take the criticism and use it to make things better instead of taking things personal. The complaints are not personal! Now you may say the feedback form gets this same information to you. But what if people didn't use that either? Where are you going to get your information? Not everyone wants to use the feedback form. Heck, people are starting to use other off-site forums for the same discussions. I would bet that more people appreciate a multi-sided conversation, rather than a one-sided one (talking to a brick wall, again). More information can be gained from a multi-sided conversation than from a feedback form with three feedback fields and no filter.

The community does not complain because we hate the convention/event (even though that is complaining by definition). We complain because we want the convention/event to be better. We believe that our complaints are going to be taken into consideration and addressed. Whether they actually are we couldn't say, but the forums are a great place to voice these complaints. Whether you already know of the issues or not is moot. It helps the community come together and be stronger, and when those complaints are addressed, it makes us believe in you guys even more! It makes us want to support you! We attended your convention, we gave you a chance, now you need to give us one. A feedback form is no substitute for direct interaction with your supporters and you do need to think of us as your supporters no matter how much we complain, no matter how upset we get because in the end, the convention would not exist without us either. This is "By Fans, For Fans". We are all fans, and we all must work together because we are all on the same side!