News Staff changes at Bit-tech and Bit-gamer

Going down a freelance route for staff seems to be a way of cutting costs? Plus you tried to monetize the bit tech app...Am i seeing money issues here or am i miles off the plot?

 

Not really going to be the Bit Tech I have followed since the beginning now really, I know its business but this seems to be now that's its going to move from being a enthusiast run site for enthusiasts to just another business run money making tech site.
Ill see how things go but I can see myself now visiting here less and less.

 

It's not Bit Tech that I'm worried about, I've read quite a few issues of Micro Mart over the years since Dennis bought it, quick and cheap tech read, good main features, punchy covers especially about MS OS, just hoping Brew's BT will still do podcasts.

The mag? We'll see in mid-March.

 

Welcome Simon, please don't try and start to fix things that aren't broken under the guide of a 'revamp'

 

I am sitting here in my little office at home where I spend most of my time when home. I am asking myself "Am I still going to be spending a lot of time on Bit-Tech ? "
would seriously be unhappy if anyone ruins what we have here and I thought it was going well. I have met and spoken to some awesome people on here and find everyone so helpful. Example market place how many sites can say they trust their market place 99.99%, not many I tell you.

The modding that takes place here is second to none and has helped me personally. Why is it in my life I find something I enjoy so much only for it to be ruined, well I hope this will not be the case.

I hope and prey it stays as good as it is or improve but hell if it gets worse I for one will not be scared to voice there opinion

 

I understand both editorial incoming and outgoing teams wanting us all to be positive, but the simple fact of the matter is undeniable, and that is that Bit really went downhill over the past couple of months in several areas. It's not my belief that anyone writing for the site wanted that to happen, and now it becomes much clearer as to why they were being hampered.

Personally, I think that if this continues much longer, Dennis should be taken to Trading Standards and prosecuted for misrepresentation as the Indian Takeaway leaflet that gets dropped through my door contains more articles about proper PC Modding than the website and the magazine do. I originally came to CustomPC and Bit-Tech to LEARN about PC Modding. These days I just get the same low-level difficulty articles rehashed every couple of months. The only thing that changes is the increasing frequency and prominence of the adverts.

I really don't like the idea that all of Bit's staff are freelance and not on the books. If you want to be cynical, of course the guys left will be very optimistic about the change - they're freelancers now. Dennis doesn't even NEED a reason to get rid of them now.

I'm not sure but is this the same with the magazine? Does that mean that basically the two are staffed by temps? We all know what happens to companies that employ too many temps and not permanent members of staff in jobs...

A fortnight ago I cancelled my CustomPC subscription in disgust and complained about Dennis' performance - my complaint was ignored several times and they seemed only too happy to immediately cancel my subscription without any effort to resolve my grievances. To me this was terrible business practice and sums up the impression Dennis give to the loyal members of this site and magazine - they blunder on with or without our input or backing.

I'll still visit Bit here and there and will occasionally flick through or even buy a CustomPC, but it is very much not the same Beast it was before.

 

Before making any definite opinion, I'll wait to see this month's mag.

As bad as it is, either way I look at it, things aren't positive. By what people are saying about the new staff and writing style, it's going to be another generic mag for the beginners. Oh well, another sub lost I guess?

 

Best of luck!

 

I actually canceled my Custom PC sub three months ago as I never read it anymore. Not the fault of the mag going downhill, just that I didn't seem to find the time to read magazines like I used to. I'm finding it hard getting through PC gamer and its my only sub left.

SO its a real shame hearing that the site is going through these changes as I visit it numerous times a day. I hope it doesn't have a negative impact on the site but as others have mentioned it seems it already has.

 

A complete sell out.
Oh well, there are more than a few other British computer enthusiast sites to switch to.
Right back at you, Dennis: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.rsty.org/imgres-1.jpeg

 

Tbh its been ages since ive actually properly read any of the articles posted on the homepage, now i just skim through. The forums are the only reason im still here any they're beginning to slip.

Cant say im overjoyed by this news but ill keep my mind open and really hope it brings a change for the better.

 

Bag of shite.

 

Goodluck leavers and hello newboys

I think it would be a good idea to start a tread disccussing what the readers of the Bit actually want if changes are going to be made. You can't exactly go wrong with asking your readers what they want, it's got to be easier and more accurate than someone in marketing departemnt trying to second guess us by looking at stats and figures .

Hopefully you guys still have control over where Bit is heading and it's not all going to turn into one big marketing exercise.

I hope this isn't what it looks like, generic corporate "streamlining"\costcutting, you don't need to fire someone you don't employ do you

 

I hope James, Joe et. al will still hang around the forums [and the WoT thread/channel in James' case].

Change is sometimes scary, and not always good but i'll sit back and see what it brings.

 

Change is something that a lot of people are fearful of, especially when the future is unclear. Consequently there are bound to be a lot of negative reactions. Personally, I'd like to wish those that are leaving, AND those that arriving, the very best of luck in future endeavours.

As an aside, it seems more than coincidence that I was sent a couple of marketing emails from Dennis Publishing today.

 

Good luck to you all, a change is as good as a rest, so enjoy it all.

 

We Fear Change! Ha! Ha!

ive read most of the postings but im not entirely clear whats happening to the mag ?

 

Bit-Tech prospers, Dennis buys Bit-Tech, Bit-Tech's attitude and culture 'content' changes, Dennis dissembles Bit-Tech, where from here will we go?

 

To those getting a bit flighty, I think it'll take more than a month or two for the changes to manifest themselves completely and a clear picture of the site/mag's content to emerge. Stick around, see how you feel, don't make snap decisions in 4 weeks.

 

I've been meaning to pop back in every so often to see how things are going, guess this is as good a point as any to do so.

I parted ways with bit-tech at the time it was sold to Dennis and at that point many of us felt it would be "the end". At times prior to that, we also felt it would be "the end" because we just didn't have the required resource or general 'oomph' to make it work. Believe me, if you could be party to some of those meetings literally held in someone's bedroom, you'd wonder how bit-tech got this far at all!

If the intention is to continue the site even with these changes, then those of you who've stuck around this long should take it as a good indication that it'll still be here for a while to come. Every time I swing by the site and see how it's getting on I'm always impressed with it's relentless longevity. Personally I thought the moment mainstream sites started selling modded cases, we'd have been out of business but it just made things even better for us.

Like any business, changing faces means very little; most of the original crew have parted and I'm sure very few remember myself, James (RIP), Vinny etc.., but people changed during and after my time there, yet the site still thrived.

One thing we always hoped is that bit-tech would bow out gracefully when it's time was up and not sit there floundering like a goldfish on the carpet. If that time is now, then there's no denying it's had a good run and will end on a high, if that time is yet to come then good luck to all involved.

-Chris