[Supa_Fly1]

Ok, time for my response. Been interesting to read some of the responses so far on this thread.

To @jaygere - I get what you're trying to say in your post, but you're not quite on the mark as you're only seeing half the picture. You're thinking that ALL WE DO is what we publish. You're only seeing the very public front end side of CrackBerry.

What you're failing to see -- and it's not your fault as it's not something we broadcast -- is the amazing relationship BlackBerry has with the CrackBerry community. We don't need to use our homepage "blog cannon" to bring attention to every little bug and issue we uncover with BlackBerry 10. That's what lesser sites would do with lesser companies to try and get their attention. It's not required in this case - we already have BlackBerry's full attention.

Instead, we focus on the solution - we cut the BS and just escalate the issue directly to the people who can get it fixed at BlackBerry. More often then not BlackBerry is already aware of the issues - occasionally we will help them identify a previously unknown bug or issue, and they always appreciate that. During our first weeks on BlackBerry 10 I submitted a personal laundry list of issues, thoughts and concerns to BlackBerry (gotta love how quickly they fixed up Bedside Mode!). At the same time, BlackBerry's product teams are all over these forums. Occasionally they will reach out to us to reach out to a member looking for more information on a newly reported problem. Also we have posted replies to members in the forums on behalf of BlackBerry product teams.

You're making the assumption that BlackBerry doesn't know about the issues they have to work through on BB10. Trust me, they do. And they have a long list of bugs and fixes they are tackling. I think where the CrackBerry forums also really helps BlackBerry is to prioritize the order in which they tackle the bugs and and also prioritize rolling out new features. The more vocal the community is in here about specific things, the higher it moves up the priority list. But.. everything is on that list (for the most part). The best thing the CrackBerry community can keep doing to help BlackBerry continue to keep building better products is to do what it always does - be vocal in here. About both the good and the bad.

When it comes to the blogs, I've said it before and I'll say it again... right now we're definitely in a honeymoon phase with BlackBerry 10. I absolutely want BlackBerry to sell tons of BlackBerry 10 phones! Our editorial coverage is going to reflect that. We want people to be excited for BlackBerry 10 -- and to be sure there is lots to be excited about -- so they buy BlackBerry 10 phones. If people don't buy new BB10 phones, you won't have a BlackBerry around to keep fixing and working on the bugs and build more awesome products. Between the forums, our direct relationships, and BlackBerry being on the ball, I have no doubt everything possible is being done to help continue to develop BB10 and help it progress as fast as possible. And on the homepage editorial, we will keep the excitement going. This is something we have always done for years, and it's worked pretty damn well. Not our first rodeo.

To be clear though, I have no issue writing angry rants on the homepage when I need to. But I don't take writing rants lightly. I never have. I have written plenty of rants in the past, but I write them when I feel I have no other alternative that can more quickly bring around action from BlackBerry. However, under the new BlackBerry management team, the company has been absolutely amazing at being responsive to our feedback and concerns. I don't need to write some junior high tech nerd rant on the blogs if I can just escalate my concern right to the people who can fix it immediately. If all I cared about was generating page views, trust me, I'd write the rant. People love rants. But what I care about is BlackBerry being awesome - and these days there are more tactful ways to get things done.

So to say CrackBerry is BlackBerry's Worst Enemy is easily the worst thing I have read... maybe ever. You think you know... but you don't.

Kevin,

What about suggestions that could help the community at large while benefitting BlackBerry both financially and public awareness and public brand name recognition/comfort? You probably get a lot of pm's about such and such daily, however some sort of feedback or reply would be appreciated; at the very least (even by another CB team member).

[Thud Hardsmack]

I remember a time when you could get the "truth" by visiting Crackberry. Now it's just another infomercial channel. Is CB getting a little kick-back under the table? They seem to be able to get a lot of inside info and get to a lot of events.

The truth is out there. And you canget it by visiting CB still. Not sure where the infomercial bit plays in but that's just me. And they've ALWAYS had insider info.

[Bdot-1]

I remember a time when you could get the "truth" by visiting Crackberry. Now it's just another infomercial channel. Is CB getting a little kick-back under the table? They seem to be able to get a lot of inside info and get to a lot of events.

Everyone loves a good conspiracy Maybe CB really works from Area 51 too, Kevin are you even a Canadian? You are out of this world man!! I bet he also thinks your leaking information to Blackberry from aliens who brought you a blackberry phablet with a 2800mhz battery

Posted via CB10

[1magine]

So you are suggesting, in a post on CrackBerry.com, one of may posts critical of CrackBerry.com or BlackBerry inc or BlackBerry devices, that the problem with CrackBerry.com is that there is no criticism of BlackBerry on this site.

It's mental.

If you are saying that the "blogs", the posts by the staff and management of CrackBerry.com are not critical... I'll reiterate that this is a "fan" site, and you WILL find "constructive criticism" posted by just about all the site mods, but you won't find whiny temper tantrums, which is how it should be... the whiny temper tantrums are what the general membership is for.

For instance regarding not releasing the BB7 theme builder... a vocal minority of themes fans were very upset by this, but I think it's safe to say that, in general, most BB fans understand this as a business decision, amongst a LOT of tough decisions that BB management had to make, and I for one don't want to see a single developer "wasting time" on the dead BB7 platform if it puts BB10 at risk EVEN A LITTLE TINY BIT. They threw the BB7 theme builder out as a beta and "use at your own risk" which I think is better than not releasing it at all... so if you're looking for collective outrage from ALL BB fandom that the BB7 theme developer was not released, you'll have to find an alternate reality to look in... you know, the one where most BB fans care about themes.

You may now resume your whiny temper tantrum.

I was just able to read this drivel now, because, well - I work for a living. I ws n't whining or were you just trying in your ignorant fashion to be provactive? Don't know - don't care. I merely pointed out one of several issues CB staff was quiet on. Noticed you didn't comment on the others.

But since you chose to focus on BB7 support - Let's go there. Looks like 1 million BB10 devices have been sold and are in use. 1 million of 80 million subscribers. BB10 users are a tiny majority. They may be the future, but your attitude - which is reflective of BBRY's and many on this site is harmfu to the bottom line, and the exact reason why BBRY is selling at about $15 a share.

But I'm not about to get inot a pissing match with someone ill equipped for battle. It's much easier to just press the ignore button.

[KermEd]

90 percent of the issues people are complaining about I completely disagree with or don't care about.

30 days of emails? Really? I have better things to care about. If it was over 30 days ago I don't want it on my phone anyway. Besides I'm running 10.1. So its not an issue.

Android apps run slow? They seem to run as fast as they do on my android phone. So disagree there. And I have android apps I enjoy on my phone.

Forget the rest because they aren't problems for me.

I think CB is spot on. And the OP should leave marketing and blog decisions to people paid, trained and qualified to do it because they won't be on business long if they follow the OPs plans

When I read these posts why does it make me think of chicken little I wonder.


Posted via CB10

[bbdodgersdude]

90 percent of the issues people are complaining about I completely disagree with or don't care about.

30 days of emails? Really? I have better things to care about. If it was over 30 days ago I don't want it on my phone anyway. Besides I'm running 10.1. So its not an issue.

Android apps run slow? They seem to run as fast as they do on my android phone. So disagree there. And I have android apps I enjoy on my phone.

Forget the rest because they aren't problems for me.

I think CB is spot on. And the OP should leave marketing and blog decisions to people paid, trained and qualified to do it because they won't be on business long if they follow the OPs plans

When I read these posts why does it make me think of chicken little I wonder.


Posted via CB10

Because our problems are not your problems and your lack of problems are not our lack problems.

And what do you mean by chicken little I wonder?


Posted via CB10

[dmsbang]

Instead of being a fan and stating simple things from a fans POV, a lot of users want to be the next great technology guru, hence their posts and long "Explanations"...it's as if they are trying to have a job interview with CrackBerry.

Posted via CB10

[torndownunit]

90 percent of the issues people are complaining about I completely disagree with or don't care about.

30 days of emails? Really? I have better things to care about. If it was over 30 days ago I don't want it on my phone anyway. Besides I'm running 10.1. So its not an issue.

Android apps run slow? They seem to run as fast as they do on my android phone. So disagree there. And I have android apps I enjoy on my phone.

Forget the rest because they aren't problems for me.

I think CB is spot on. And the OP should leave marketing and blog decisions to people paid, trained and qualified to do it because they won't be on business long if they follow the OPs plans

When I read these posts why does it make me think of chicken little I wonder.


Posted via CB10

A post like this pretty much sums up the issues I have with this forum. If someone doesn't have a problem.... well then it doesn't matter or it doesn't exist. It convays this attitude that "BB can do no wrong". Obviously this isn't all posters, or even the majority. But there is a large segment.

And to the people saying it's the same on all forums, it's just not happening on all forums. I use a bunch of product specific tech forums and there are plenty of reasonable, constructive discussions on where the products are going wrong. Even on Apple (gasp) forums I use. This forum has a special kind of aggression on it that I only come across here. When you first come here searching for info on a BB product, some of the posts are shocking. People have always been helpful to me when I have asked questions, and there are some great users. But it can be a shocking first impression when the first few threads you read just rip apart every other product out there and tell you your issues with the device are all in your head.

[KermEd]

Yup. Your happy to argue until someone disagrees with you

Posted via CB10

[Davidro1]

I'm comfortable in forums.

I joined I posted I enjoyed. These forums (z10 related forums) have that sharp negative unproductive approach described in the post above two posts up.

I'm comfortable so I'm not leaving just because there is a large community of self confirming oldtimers who need to forget their pains and aches of the previous years.

[M65c02]

Just about every angle pro or con--has been covered above.

This is unquestionably a fan site but with some objectives as pertains to user assistance and in turn recommendation to BB for improvement. To be sure, a thick skin is required for even mention of a problem. (Hey, if you were around 2-3 months ago, you needed kevlar if you were going to list OS10 flaws.)

The fan site posts may be an important and positive function for CB, and BB. Threads that contain real problems and issues, however, are likely of more importance to the survival of BB.

The big difference today over, say, 2008 for BB, is that the average poster really isn't aware of how close BB remains to going over the financial cliff. If we think that we are looked down upon by certain Apple and Samdroid users today (as I see stated in some CB posts), what happens if BB is sold, further financially neutered, or worse (swiped into the trash icon). As the life of phone ownership appears to be 2-21/2 years, this may pose little problem to most...they simply bury their posting name and move on.

I understand that CB is owned by a concern that also controls other, competitors websites. I think that it has formed a a structure that few can fault as not a financially lucrative structure for websites. But in the case of today's BB, it's not life as usual. And, it definitely shouldn't be an attitude of don't worry be happy, we'll fix it in six months. After all Apple took a year (back in2008) or Android took six months (back in 2010).

There is little argument but that BB shouldn't have introduced its "attempt" to match competition with many of the errors a few CBers have tried to report. There is absolutely no weight to support any other argument that it's okay to have some of the more obvious errors because it's BBs initial IOS/Droid type phone. To be fair to BlackBerry microcoders, BB probably felt more constrained to finally getting something to market than cleaning up all but the most critical OS bugs.

This is about unit sales, baby, and we are talking about a need for tens of millions units by year end or BB likely will be on the down side again and not likely to survive--as we know it as independent anyway. We have a new OS and phone products that unquestionably have some critical flaws that Re inhibiting the tens of millions of unit sales unless remedied by this summer, perhaps very early fall. It is unfortunate that BB used up its goodwill with the vast majority of potential buyers and, most definitely, with carriers. Well that's marketing with a dose of capitalism thrown in; it's also a sink cost, water over the dam, or whatever your preferred slogan.

Therefore, it might be in the best interests for CB users that want to see a stronger future for BB, if there was better isolation of the problems in CB. This can be done while leaving room in the forum for all the loyal fans to raise their flags too. Just see progress in addressing real problems slowed by a mish-mash (ie., open) posting format given the circumstances under which BlackBerry operates in 2013.

Do I really expect the structure of CB to change...NO...just some thoughts to ponder along with a few other great posts on this thread.

Posted via CB10

[known-associate]

I'm bummed I stopped reading this weeks ago. I'll get back to it eventually. But I gotta know. Did I miss the part about Hitler or the Nazis?

I know. I know. Use the search!

[Johnny Crack]

LOL @ OP... pretty sure i watched a video with Kevin ripping blackberry on the missing keyboard features from legacy devices. For a fan club website i don't find Crackberry biased... the fans maybe, I'm guilty of that too... but as far as reviews go... not at all

Posted via CB10 powered by BB10

[webber35]

I don't really care. BlackBerry won't improve without compliants.

[Thud Hardsmack]

I'm bummed I stopped reading this weeks ago. I'll get back to it eventually. But I gotta know. Did I miss the part about Hitler or the Nazis?

I know. I know. Use the search!

Nope, didn't come up.

Posted via CB10

[os30]

IIRC Kevin's rant was posted a few days after the OP started this thread.

National Rail Times App for BB10 (Q10 and Z10) - http://appworld.blackberry.com/webst...ntent/20352963

[dmsbang]

Like I have said before Kevin is BlackBerry! When I think BB, his face is one of the first things I think of...Not weird, just true!

Posted via CB10