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The State Of bit-tech

Discussion in 'Feedback & Suggestions' started by Guest-23315, 17 Jun 2011.

  1. KidMod-Southpaw

    KidMod-Southpaw Super Spamming Saiyan

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    People still do it the old way though. But we don't always get the views as the logs are on other forums. So they may not visit bit tech first. We have all made very valid points here, but bit tech will always remain in my bookmarks!
     
  2. talladega

    talladega I'm Squidward

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    I dont think it's fair to say that a mod that is assembled cnc-cut acrylic pieces, isn't as impressive as a store bought case hand-modded. It takes alot of skill to be able to design a case that is cnc cut pieces that will actually function well.
     
  3. Xir

    Xir Modder

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    I'm worried a bit over "announced yet not appeared" articles lately.

    For instance:
    from asus-sabertooth-p67-review
    Then we had an Article about the asrock-p67-extreme-4-review where you say:
    We've had three P67 Mobo's since then msi-p67a-gd53-b3-review asus-p8p67-m-pro-review biostar-tp67xe-b3-review

    So that's a promise that's been delivered, though I wouldn't call this "the contenders from other large manufacturers"...

    Now how about Z68?
    We had a technical Article what-is-the-intel-z68-chipset...
    and...
    thats..
    it.
    not a single motherboard tested since this "ultimate" Sandy Bridge chipset came out..and that article's been out for a while
     
    Last edited: 4 Jul 2011
  4. kenco_uk

    kenco_uk I unsuccessfully then tried again

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    Pun intended, I feel :D
     
  5. Lizard

    Lizard @ Scan R&D

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    We haven't reviewed any Z68 boards because as soon as the chipset launched, most of the major motherboard manufacturers (bar Gigabyte) decided it was a weird chipset that they didn't want to promote and so didn't send us any samples to review.

    i.e. it's more expensive than P67, yet offers features more suited to budget/media PCs than a high-performance gaming rig.

    However, we do have a Gigabyte Z68 motherboard in the works for this Wednesday (I'm reading it right now).
     
  6. Xir

    Xir Modder

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    You used the Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 for the article "what-is-the-intel-z68-chipset" from early may. :D
    So I expected at least that one.

    to pricing, I hear about the oh-so-expensive Z68 boards a lot....
    the Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 and the Gigabyte GA-P67X-UD3-B3 are less than 10€ apart.
    The ASUS P8P67 Pro Rev 3.1 and the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO are less than 10€ apart.
     
  7. KayinBlack

    KayinBlack Unrepentant Savage

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    I didn't say it took no skill. But, there are plenty of other builders who don't have that means that are getting passed over in favor of the ones who do.

    Has modding died? No, but this lack of reward for the people who don't throw massive amounts of money at it will drive off the lower-budget crowd, leaving only the sponsored, rich throw money at it modders. Effectively killing the hobby.

    I love seeing the articles from coolmiester and the like. Don't stop rewarding the good and expensive modders. But I'd like to see more articles on modding and less on iCrap (which has no business here, honestly) or HD players (I'm looking at you, front page)-things which are more suited to either mobile electronics sites or home theater.

    Can we let a modding site be a modding site? We enjoy the games (the PC ones, natch) since we're building these things for the games (or at least a lot of us are) but I don't even OWN a mobile phone. What do I care about the latest locked-platform crap from Apple? I don't own a TV either-my wife does, but all we watch on it is movies, or play our consoles-I don't even know what's been broadcast on TV since 2001. And I honestly don't care. My main PC monitor is larger than our TV-and we're fine with this.

    I can't help but think that the merge with Dennis has lowered the tone of the entire place. We've gone from the best reviews in the industry (and I work for another review site, I DO know what makes a good one) to pretty much same old same old, with the "best stuff" only being available to your UK subscribers. Cutting off your entire US readership. Yes, we realize you're in the UK. But the old Bit had a universal appeal that's kinda disappearing.

    Joe knocks out the gaming articles, and there are still some real gems in the reviews. I know in my ranting I make it seem as though there's nothing left-but there's not. I just don't want to see what good is left go the way of the dinosaur because of the changes brought about by this merge.

    As to modding dying-I'll be doing something myself about that-so stay tuned. And yes, I'll post it here. I'm going to be the change I want to see. Just an increase in features would pretty much make me happy. And if you do, pick someone who's got just a great idea and a few cans of spray paint-some up and comer who's hungry, who nobody's ever heard of.

    You stand holding the pieces of the greatest modding site ever. I beg you to restore it to its former glory. You have the ability, so please-a bit of follow-through?
     
    walle and Zurechial like this.
  8. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    I have to agree with the comments posted here. I am a tech enthusiast first and foremost and sadly I find myself going to other tech sites for reviews and information on new products as more often than not, new items will be reviewed first and foremost on other sites. The absurd wait for the Vertex 3 review is a good example. I was reading just on HardOCP a review of the MSI 580 Lightning XE 3GB review, and they benched it in lots of games in an indepth way in SLI at very very high resolutions to find the impact of the VRAM increase. GPU reviews in Bit-Tech include Black Ops (why why why) at silly resolutions like 1680x1050, which is far from the standard now you can buy 1080p screens for £100.
     
  9. talladega

    talladega I'm Squidward

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    Maybe it would be good to have the MOTM and MOTY be for mods that arent sponsored, and then for mods that are sponsored have articles about them. That way the new unsponsored modders can get some recognition and encouragement while the experienced and sponsored modders get recognition to without taking away from the inexperienced.
     
  10. koola

    koola Minimodder

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    I agree with others who have posted here that the review quality, content and quantity have diminished. Prior to Dennis Publishing bit-tech was at its best imho, right at the heart of PC modding and reviews, today I find myself going elsewhere on a regular basis.

    It's a real shame to see a once beloved site go this way, but the good thing about the web is another will rise and take it's place.
     
  11. Kovoet

    Kovoet What's a Dremel?

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    Though I am an stubborn old man so I hate changes,i do find myself going to other sites now to check the reviews. There it's not enough detailing in the reviews like there used to be.

    I always log on here first as I consider home amongst friends but have to agree the reviews are not what they used to be.

    But in saying that I tend to listen to you lot from your experience with different things concerning PC related issues

    Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
     
  12. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    It sounds as if 'going elsewhere' is a bad thing. If I'm interested in a new piece of hardware then, at least three reviews, from different sites, is the minimum to get a decent idea of how it performs.You just wouldn't take one review as the basis for a purchase. Read the review on bit-tech then go check out the reviews elsewhere. As for the modding thing, what I'm trying to say is, the whole modding scene is a very small world. Every now and then I wander over to the 'other' modding sites, and what do I find? All the same mods. :rolleyes: There just isn't many of us around. :hehe:

    Have a look at the Mod of the month comp, this is the comp everyone wants to get into. It's very easy to vote in this comp but we still only get between 90 and 150 voters each month. This on a site that is the premier modding site in the world. Anywhere you look, the numbers (in absolute terms) are tiny. I get around a bit and I've never met anyone who even knows what modding is let alone a modder. My partners three boys are game nuts, tech heads and the rest. They didn't know anything about modding before I told them. I think bit-tech is doing a great job, at least as far as modding is concerned. If you are a member of the small worlwide modding fraternity, then this is the site to post your project on and it's the place to see the best mods around. :thumb:
     
  13. Combatus

    Combatus Bit-tech Modding + hardware reviews Lover of bit-tech Super Moderator

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    Thanks for the comments Attila. I too have been somewhat surprised by the somewhat low numbers of voters. I say somewhat, because for some reason, many many forum members don't visit our home page, or even the modding section front page. As such they simply don't know when the competition is running.

    I've tried to solve this issue by putting a sticky in the project log and modding forums about when MOTM has gone live. I think this has seen a small increase (the sticky in the modding forum only went up recently though). I started PMing/emailing the nominees each month a long time ago to let them know they were featured that month - otherwise people would email me about three weeks later saying they had no idea they were nominated despite the article having been on our front page for most of that time!
     
  14. KayinBlack

    KayinBlack Unrepentant Savage

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    And this is why I've chosen to air grievances rather than let it sit-because I have seen changes for the better in the past. That was a good change, and it served a very necessary purpose. If I want to see a change, they have to know there's a problem.
     
  15. Material

    Material Soco Amaretto Lime

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    It’s been interesting reading this thread and I must say I agree with some of the points made. I do however think that some of the issues raised are done so without an appreciation of how bit-tech works now.

    It’s correct that bit-tech reviews aren’t as long as they used to be way back in the day, but a lot has changed for the site since these longer reviews were the norm.

    The fact that the editorial staff no longer work solely on bit-tech means that we have to balance the needs of the website and magazine when planning our days. This is a constant balancing act for us and will change depending on what is going on - is it press week for the magazine? Is there a new GPU launch that has to go on bit? Do we have site content for the weekend?

    This means sometimes we have to prioritize what we review and what we don’t (i.e. even though an item may be in our labs, we may not get chance to look at it until X and Y are finished). This may indeed mean that you can sometimes get more timely reviews from other sites that don’t have a magazine to run too. However, we do still publish at least one main article on bit, usually a review, every day.

    Whether you think these adjustments are a good or bad thing is a matter of personal perspective but the fact of the matter is that producing two publications has necessitated a change in the style of reviews that bit-tech produces. We have to take both publications into consideration when writing reviews, something that bit-tech of old didn’t have to do.

    For those who haven’t already guessed, a page in Custom PC and a page on bit-tech have been designed to be roughly the same size - both are around 500 words. This means that reviews can be easily shared between the two publications.

    In practice this means that we’ll usually check how many pages a product will get in the magazine before starting writing a review, as there is little point in writing pages and pages of copy that won’t add much value to bit-tech (many of the middle pages in articles don’t get many hits) and won’t be used in the magazine. Writing too much also means editing the copy down for the magazine takes longer, which is a waste of time.

    Some of you equate this reduction in page count as meaning bit-tech reviews aren’t as in depth as they used to be, and you’re entitled to that view. As an editorial team though we obviously feel that our reviews are as in depth as they can be (did you really need to see six pictures of the box and cable bundle anyway?) and what we may have lost in word count, hopefully we’ve made up for in clarity and conciseness (I didn’t think this was a word either but the internet says it is, so there).

    I say all this as a bit-tech and Custom PC reader who became a staff member, so I’d like to think I understand what it’s like to be on the other side of the fence, not seeing the inner goings on and only seeing the content that we do (or don’t) publish. Working here has given me an appreciation of how hard it is to produce quality content across two publications in a timely manner though, so if you do have any questions about this post or how we do things just ask and we’ll answer as best we can.
     
  16. javaman

    javaman May irritate Eyes

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    Personally I would love to see a section for some amature reviews. While hardware is slightly tricky due to costs and progress of time but stuff like Games could be done this way. Game reviews are better when covered by more people since you can build up a general picture. If the reviewer doesnt like racing games ofc he's gonna give it a lower score than someone who does for example but the flip side is they're more likely to be just as critical if not more so. I recently started playing the original doom again on my netbook and am completely hooked in a way not even COD or Battlefield could manage. One of the best features the mag done was adjusting games for playable settings. Lowering x,y,z give best returns for least loose of detail. Something that is vital for PC gaming IMO.
    If the site had more of that it could encourage more traffic and hook them into modding. A section of the site dedicated to both might be an idea plus it could be a springboard for young talent.

    EDIT: My beef isn't with the site but more the mag. The features I was interested in where mainly the 6pages at the back like digital Britain or how AA works. Features like that is what I want nut are also the hardest and most time consuming to produce. Someone mentioned staff blogs and they have been a great and interesting read. Oh and last thing,stop doing competitions on facebook. Im not joining a site run by that pre-pubessant monkey Mark suckyourdickberg. Rubbing a cheese grater along my crotch is more appealing.
     
  17. Zurechial

    Zurechial Elitist

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    Material, I don't think anyone is doubting why these changes have taken place - I think we're airing grievance over the fact that these changes have taken place.
    As a bit-tech reader with no interest in CPC, what have I gained from the merger? Very little.
    What have I lost? Plenty, as far as I can tell.

    I can completely understand why the format would change to bring about synchronicity between the mag and site, but I'm not seeing how this has benefited me as a 'customer' (ie; a reader who has been browsing bit-tech with ads whitelisted in adBlock for a few years now).
    I can also understand that the staff have to play a balancing act with their writing and content, but again; how does that change anything from the perspective of the reader and in terms of our satisfaction?
    It just seems like a bunch of unpleasant changes to the format and running of the site were necessitated by the merger, thus confirming the worst fears of those of us who have been reading bit-tech since before the CPC merger.

    As I've said elsewhere today, the merger may have been initially successful from a business perspective (Felix Dennis got his hands on bit-tech - How could he not be happy about that?) - But from the readers' perspective I'm failing to see the benefits. The site has been on a steady decline ever since the merger and while part of that is down to losing Tim and Rich for unrelated reasons; I find it hard to think that the rest of the blame for the decline can be left at 'coincidence'.

    You've got disgruntled bit-tech readers on one hand, who feel justifiably pissed off at the decline in content from gaming to hardware to modding and all the other things that made the site great in the past; while you've also got disgruntled CPC subscribers on the other hand who feel that their subscription is going to waste because some of the magazine content is showing up on the site 'for free'.

    As a non-CPC bit-tech reader, it feels to me like CPC has dragged bit-tech down. That's not a good situation for either me as a loyal reader, nor for the staff who now, unfortunately, work on both publications and have to listen to all of us bitching in the forums about a situation that wasn't really their fault and came about because of 'business'.
    It just seems to me like the only people who gained from this merger are Felix Dennis and the other financial beneficiaries of the business; and without an improvement in the situation on bit-tech I can't see my opinion of the matter changing easily.
    I concede that some of these concerns (such as the decline in modding coverage) were raised on bit-tech prior to the merger and that part of the problem isn't exactly 'new'; but when the same seems to be occurring to other areas of the site as well it becomes a very worrying and disappointing turn of events.

    As someone who has never worked in that position, I can still appreciate that difficulty. The point is that my experience of the site as a reader is suffering because of it. If we, the readers, have to stop ourselves and think "It must be really hard to work on two publications at once." every time we feel like the site isn't delivering like it used to, then the conclusion that we're likely to reach is "I wish CPC and bit-tech had never merged.".
    Sorry, but that's the truth of it for me; and has been for some time now. I'm not blind to the difficulties involved, I doubt any of us here are; but an understanding doesn't make the situation any better from my perspective.

    Again, I don't mean to speak for anyone but myself here and I don't mean any of this as a personal attack on the staff - To get official responses at all is greatly appreciated and I hope that this criticism can continue to be taken in the constructive light that it is meant.
    I started reading bit-tech because I liked the content and stayed because I came to like the staff too. That hasn't changed, even if most of the staff are strangers to me these days.
    If it seems like I'm ranting over this, it's because I care about it and because as a PC enthusiast the notion of losing my favourite niche past-times to the inexorable influence of 'the mainstream' is already a personal sticking point - And that's what is happening for me with bit-tech.
     
    Last edited: 7 Jul 2011
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  18. KayinBlack

    KayinBlack Unrepentant Savage

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    Material's post brings a lot of this home.

    I can't get CPC. I'm an American reader for a LONG time, a MOTM nominee, a die-hard Bit-Tech addict. I really don't WANT to go anywhere else. I understand what you mean with reviews on sizing, formatting and shareability. These things by themselves don't bother me. It's when it means I simply can't access some content that I might care about that I start to get cheesed.

    I've presented problems, but I should (with my background and knowledge) be asking a different question.

    How can I help you make Bit better? I'm a reviewer for another site currently, so I know what reviewing entails. I'm my own one-man design studio-so I'm understanding of the concerns of the indie circuit. I still have a few overclocking records. And I really feel bad complaining without offering to help.

    Let me know if i can be of service. Maybe we need to offer blogs to some longstanding committted members to create some extra web content that's more relevant to the forums vs CPC. Free (technically) content that's specifically geared to people's wishes here. I've seen it work on other sites, so I thought I would toss that out here.

    I'm still dealing with Snort's doctors here, so I'll wrap it up and wait for staff's response.
     
  19. Guest-23315

    Guest-23315 Guest

    Lizard et. all, I'm aware I still haven't replied to this thread and the issues raised, but I'm just out of hospital from surgery, so when I'm a tad perkier I'll respond :thumb:
     
  20. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    Well if you follow the project logs for a while it soon becomes obvious that nobody reads the stickies. Very many project logs are started with no work being done and just endless photo's of newly purchased hardware. Clearly disregarding the rules set out in the 'sticky'. My suggestion is to skip the thread in the article section, trash the sticky, and make a thread each month in the project log section. Anyone who follows the projects will see this and can open this thread and vote. Of course this doesn't take into account the many readers who just don't post.( I know because, as an example, when I post an update to a project this can gather between one and two thousand views in 24 hours and yet I may recieve about ten replies). However I think a lot more voters will come forward if it's all contained in the project log section.
     

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