Haymarket agrees sale of PistonHeads to CarGurus
Discussion
The forum is NOT the golden goose. It is labour intensive because it needs to be moderated, it brings in very little if any cash, and the software is embarrassingly ancient and not fit for purpose. Media companies do not invest in forums now because absolutely nobody is interested in joining them. It's all Facebook, Twitter and Instabloodygram now.
Ask yourself, if the forums are such a 'golden goose', why did Haymarket actively neglect them, run them down, and then eventually sell them off?
Those expecting some sort of massive investment into the forums - you will be disappointed. What you'll likely get is that the forums will close and you'll be redirected to a Facebook page or something. They (the new owners) will not be interested.
Our best hope is that they actually can't be bothered even with that and do what Haymarket did and just leave it to run itself and hope it doesn't massively break.
Ask yourself, if the forums are such a 'golden goose', why did Haymarket actively neglect them, run them down, and then eventually sell them off?
Those expecting some sort of massive investment into the forums - you will be disappointed. What you'll likely get is that the forums will close and you'll be redirected to a Facebook page or something. They (the new owners) will not be interested.
Our best hope is that they actually can't be bothered even with that and do what Haymarket did and just leave it to run itself and hope it doesn't massively break.
zarjaz1991 said:
The forum is NOT the golden goose. It is labour intensive because it needs to be moderated, it brings in very little if any cash, and the software is embarrassingly ancient and not fit for purpose.
All the moderators are volunteers so don't cost anything, the software may not be very good but it is wholly-owned and in-house so has no ongoing costs other than hosting, and an active forum brings traffic to the site and makes it attractive for advertisers. Without the forums, PistonHeads would slip down the traffic rankings and become far less relevant. People go to the PH classifies because PH is popular. If you remove the forums, it becomes less popular.
If you hold the forums in such obvious contempt, why do you frequent them?
zarjaz1991 said:
Our best hope is that they actually can't be bothered even with that and do what Haymarket did and just leave it to run itself and hope it doesn't massively break.
As I said a few posts back, that's the best-case scenario. Clockwork Cupcake said:
If you hold the forums in such obvious contempt, why do you frequent them?
I don't hold them in contempt, I'm trying to point out the harsh economic realities.Like I said, if it's so lucrative, why are Haymarket getting shot after years of near-zero investment?
zarjaz1991 said:
Like I said, if it's so lucrative, why are Haymarket getting shot after years of near-zero investment?
I never understood why Haymarket bought PH in the first place. They're a publisher, and already have a strong brand with Autocar, for example. I never understood why they needed PH as well. Clearly they've come to the same conclusion. 
zarjaz1991 said:
I don't hold them in contempt, I'm trying to point out the harsh economic realities.
Like I said, if it's so lucrative, why are Haymarket getting shot after years of near-zero investment?
Haymarket were the wrong owners and have failed to innovate. Like I said, if it's so lucrative, why are Haymarket getting shot after years of near-zero investment?
They made a poor man's version of autotrader, autotrader on the other hand were bold and invested in their platform, seeing them off.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Haymarket inherited the in-house forum software.Apart from a brief flurry of activity last year consistent with an intern or contractor, I see very little evidence of maintenance or development. Haymarket's existing advertising platform has been bludgeoned in with very little integration with PH itself. So, overall, I think Haymarket's spend on the forums has been very low.
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