Farewell from Simonjk weatherman? Signature too commercial?

simonjk said:
What I would really love to do is to provide YBW with a decent weather page where my forecasts, musings, charts, GRIB files could be posted. I'm sure that this would attract much commercial interest and advertising to YBW, can you imagine how many sailors would use it? A one-stop-shop for sailing weather! I could look after it, provide all the data and forecasts and make sure it's what sailors want and need.
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by the people for the people - now theres an idea?

A pragmatic solution - well done YBM...... and thanks Simon.

Now whos offering to fix the weather so we can all go sailing !
 
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chinita said:
So what is wrong with that?

Nobody is forced to click on his link.

I far prefer that use (or mis-use if you prefer) of the Forum than the 'e bay' links so often proffered.
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So you would be quite happy for any marine company to post links on the forum to services they provide for sailors? At what point does a link become advertising?

Your not forced to click the link... But its a slippery slope, and some other contributors, for instance volvopaul... Might have good reason to ask why they give so much here for free, and not via their own website...

Simon gets a lot of traffic to his site from here... And that has value. I know how mich traffic comes to my site from here... And i know that this has value to me.... I would just like to see our local weather expert revert to his previous practice of giving more information here on the forum, and not monetise us by forcing us to go to his website if we want to share in his expertise...

If he is only willing to share his expertise via his website... Then his posts are nothing more than advertising... And whilst people like this advert... And find value in it... How can we then deny others the same opportunity?



So, how bout it Simon? Why not put on a short synopsis of the forecast and give us the links as well to the full monty, Instead of just the teaser?

I cant see how this is a bad thing... Especially for those of us who value a good forecast, but might be unable to see the video because we are on the boat...

It would certainly make me more likely to then spend more time on your site..... As it would make me more of a fan, and build up a dependency...
 
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Hi Photodog,

I hear what you are saying.

I do give heads-up, the weekend forecasts and musings via the forum.

The traffic coming to my site from the forum in no way covers the cost of the information given, what is does do is to cover some of my expenses.

My company (Weather Consultancy Services) makes it money from large companies (and marinas) who pay for specific weather information. It is these companies which in effect subsidise my 'witterings' through YBW. In fact, my forecasters are more than happy for me to post here and go off and run Weather School as it means I am off their backs :)

As un-pc as it may sound, I actually feel that contributing to the forum gives something back to the sailing community, a community which has been very supportive of me and my business ventures. I know that sounds all very nice and flowery, but it is a fact!

Weather School is a commercial venture, but again it's income is dwarfed by the other business interests I have. However, I absolutely love running courses through Weather School and passing on my knowledge to all sailors, from beginners to professionals.

Having said all of the above I remain very grateful to all in the sailing community, YBW, Bluemoment and the other forums I post too, also to those who come to Weather School or attend the Webinars for giving me the opportunity to talk about the subject I love.

Is that any clearer now? Probably not ;)

Simon
 
photodog said:
whilst people like this advert... And find value in it... How can we then deny others the same opportunity?
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The forum has no obligation to be be even handed. We really can have the adverts we like and not the adverts we don't like.

On the whole I take the veiw that means in practice Simon's adverts and nobody else's. But maybe if another provider of something good came along we could make an exception for them too.

We can have our cake and eat it on this one and IMHO we should.

Having said that I empathise with the contrary case.
 
ok, its really simple. Simon goes, YBW please feel free to delete me from your database, its all drivel and inaccuracies apart from the weather and i include my own posts there too.
Quite frankly everyone is so ratty with each other I have begun to question 'why bother'. And YBW fairly blatantly nicks our ideas, thats wot they set it up for.
Simon goes, I go
 
We’re halfway through our circumnavigation from Australia (stuck in the UK for a bit due to elderly parent illness issues) and I can honestly say that Simon’s “musings” are the most accurate, well presented and educational that we’ve seen anywhere.

Simon – Many Thanks,

and IPC, well done.
 
photodog said:
So you would be quite happy for any marine company to post links on the forum to services they provide for sailors? At what point does a link become advertising?

Your not forced to click the link... But its a slippery slope, and some other contributors, for instance volvopaul... Might have good reason to ask why they give so much here for free, and not via their own website...

Simon gets a lot of traffic to his site from here... And that has value. I know how mich traffic comes to my site from here... And i know that this has value to me.... I would just like to see our local weather expert revert to his previous practice of giving more information here on the forum, and not monetise us by forcing us to go to his website if we want to share in his expertise...

If he is only willing to share his expertise via his website... Then his posts are nothing more than advertising... And whilst people like this advert... And find value in it... How can we then deny others the same opportunity?



So, how bout it Simon? Why not put on a short synopsis of the forecast and give us the links as well to the full monty, Instead of just the teaser?

I cant see how this is a bad thing... Especially for those of us who value a good forecast, but might be unable to see the video because we are on the boat...

It would certainly make me more likely to then spend more time on your site..... As it would make me more of a fan, and build up a dependency...
Click to expand...

So what are your views on Dylan Winter and Keep Turning Left?
 
photodog said:
Well.... I am going to bite on this one.


I don't have a issue with the normal practice of a person having a link in their signature back to their business... If there is a reciprocal arrangment.

What i do have a issue with is if someone comes on and goes ott with that signature... Or if they do nothing more than use the forum as a channel to boost their business...


My concern of late has been that Simon has not actually been posting his weather forecasts here on this forum.... But instead simply putting a notification in the forum that a new forecast is available, and then putting a link into his website.

Occasionally we will get a warning of something big.... But in reaity his postings are no longer what they were two or three years ago when he would put a synopsis of his forecast on here, with links to more information.

So, i will put my hand up and say that i did bring this up a few months ago, and i think that a commercial business using this facility to drive traffic to their site, is actually not a good thing.

There are many goods and services of use to us as sailors which could be treated the same way... But which rightly would not be premitted.

I will say that i rarely look at the forecasts linked to by Simon, whilst the quality may be high, I can get the information I need for free without sitting through a five minute video.... And if i am on the boat a video is useless.

I am happy for anyone to contribute to this forum, commercial or otherwise, however I think that there needs to be a contribution into the forum as well as a take from... And i do feel that Simon has not been contributing as he did a few years ago, and his posts have now become simply a way for him to drive traffic, without actually contributing anything here on the site.

I would be much much happier if Simon were to post a synopsis for us of his forecast here, with more information available via a link.

I think in fact, that his forecasts, without a synopsis are disseneguous.. As who has the bandwidth on a mobile device at anchor to open yet another link and view a video?
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+1
 
Weather - Simon Keeling

I entirely endorse the views of the majority - Simon does suchs great service to us yotties there is ample evidence that he should be granted an exception. So what if he does inform us of available courses it is in our interest to be aware of them and if necessary attend.


Note to Moderator -

Go for it - prove to the world that common sense can prevail !



David
 
tarik said:
I entirely endorse the views of the majority - Simon does suchs great service to us yotties there is ample evidence that he should be granted an exception. So what if he does inform us of available courses it is in our interest to be aware of them and if necessary attend.


Note to Moderator -

Go for it - prove to the world that common sense can prevail !



David
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
tarik said:
I entirely endorse the views of the majority - Simon does suchs great service to us yotties there is ample evidence that he should be granted an exception. So what if he does inform us of available courses it is in our interest to be aware of them and if necessary attend.


Note to Moderator -

Go for it - prove to the world that common sense can prevail !



David
Click to expand...

plus another one! we need Simon,
 
Wow, aren't there a lot of people that don't read the bits in between OP(16 pages) and last reply.............HE'S STAYING.

On a more serious note, forget about the weather for a minute, Doc Simon, can you recommend anything for my Farmers?:(:o

Seriously, good result for both parties.
 
I voted in favour of Simon early on in the thread, but I'd just like to point out that we don't all have Ellen Macarthur style setups ( no disrespect, think her great ) giving the weather like it was coming from a personal space shuttle, for example I just lashed out £50 on a cassette recorder to tape the Radio 4 early morning broadcast when aboard, I've had various things like this over the years, and the only real improvement in forecasting I know is some marinas print it out in the morning.

Tried Navtex, but it was a cheapo so didn't work, back it went.

Simon's forecasts are a very valuable tactical asset, ie shall we go to the boat or the garden centre, and if on the boat what are our chances of survival ?!
 
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Hi Seajet,

Fantastic. Recording and plotting the Shipping Forecast is a skill ALL sailors should have. It's the starting point of being able to carry out any forecasting yourself, is the perfect aide memoire for synoptic charts and really does get you 'into' the weather story.

Is now the time to admit that from the age of 11 to 16 I recorded every shipping forecast, wrote them down and plotted the chart!

I wasn't your average teenager :)

Thanks again,
Simon
 
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