Poll : 28 January - 10 February 2015

Analysis

Thanks for the great feedback. Here's a taste:

• "First, I am a member & come to the website as often as I can to keep up on what's happening. We come out there 2-3 weeks a year so it helps a lot. In the past, I have tried to get to the forums but couldn't -- my security perhaps? -- but this reminds me and I'll try it again, maybe with a little better effort this time. Will be out for a week at Easter and if I still can't get to the forums, I'll stop by and let you know. Thanks for letting me rant, love your publications!" [Ed: Thanks, and sorry about that. You shouldn't have any problem accessing all the forum content if you're a member, so please drop us a line and we'll figure out what the problem is!]
  
  
• "I sense that you sometimes get a wee bit peeved when your QOD readers repeat earlier questions. If you opened the QOD archive to non-members (like me), this wouldn't happen so often. I love reading about Vegas, but very rarely get out that way from Florida." [Ed: LOL. Three things: a) It does sometimes get frustrating when a bunch of questions are submitted and they've all been covered already, when we're hoping for fresh meat! Don't mean to come across as peeved, though. b) You can still search the archives and view existing questions, even if you're not a member but c) we realize that doesn't help you if you can't READ the answer! We do fully intend to open it all up, and -- finally -- it looks like our transition to a totally new site is in sight, albeit only with binoculars! We jest -- it has been a MAMMOTH undertaking and three outside teams to-date have failed, so believe us, we are as frustrated as you are. Correction: a LOT more frustrated! It's a five-dimensional task, across multiple platforms coded in different languages, and our mission is the seamless integration of all our sites and member areas, with easier navigation, lots more interactivity, and so on. Another reason for the QoD archives not yet opening is the fact that we wanted to do our utmost to repair those that were damaged during a past cyber attack. We've made good inroads, but finding time to fix the past, when so much is happening in the here-and-now, is difficult, and like any biz, our resources are not unlimited. Please bear with us a little longer. We DO have a plan, and it IS, finally, coming to fruition :-) In the meantime, we appreciate everyone's ongoing patience. Ours has been severely tested, too!]
  
  
• "I REALLY like the LVA forums and consult them often! (From one of the 'trolls' out there!)" [Ed: You don't SOUND like a troll!'
  
  
• "I use the Forums when planning a visit to Las Vegas and sometimes for other destinations, too. I find the Forums search function to be inconsistent in finding posts that I know were made in the past. Might just be me not understanding how to search within the messages properly, but do appreciate that it is searchable. Also, I read the newsletter regularly, but have never tried searching back issues on the site. I've relied on the 1900's approach of thumbing through my library of old issues until I find what I was looking for. Now that you've made me aware that the old issues are searchable, I'll have to try that method, too." [Ed: Being totally candid here, to the best of my knowledge, the search function in the forums has been inoperative for a long time, and no one can figure out how to fix! If you found a way, please tell us LOL. They use old old code that hasn't been updated to keep up with changes, and one way or another, we have no option but to revamp this feature. But we ran this poll particularly to gauge forum usage, so all this input is great. The newsletter archives are also a little funky in the search department -- Anthony Curtis tends to use the medieval method, just like you! -- but mainly just be aware that it's not a very "sensitive" search platform, so if at first you don't find what you're looking for, try changing the term to be less specific. And don't include apostrophes! Ugh.]
  
  
• "Aloha! Have been a member for years, but have not renewed. I enjoy your publication, it is fun and informative, but the MRB is not useful to a local for dining in the casinos. They will not allow the use of the book with points. Might as well use the points instead of cash." [Ed: Aloha! back :-) Pretty much any coupon, from our prog. or others, excludes use with another promo. We understand that if you can get the same deal with your points, fair enough. But we'd wager there are lots of offers in the Member Rewards Book for which you DON'T have points, or perhaps not enough to pay for a gourmet meal etc. Plus, if you play, did you check out all the gaming bonuses and freeplay in the 2015 MRB? You could almost certainly use those to boost your points in a win/win scenario, and you might just get lucky, too!]
  
  
• "I look at "Todays News" several times a day, and enjoy the info. We ONLY get to Vegas twice a year, and wouldn't be able to take advantage of the coupon book." [Ed: Oh, you'd be surprised! Can get your money's worth in one day, even one meal or one bet!]
  
  
• "I think posts on the forum that are over a year old should be deleted or put in an archive. The forums are a little overwhelming to begin with and all those old posts don't help. And aren't of any use either." [Ed: Couldn't agree with you more. Watch that space!]
  
  
• "Regarding the forums - I'm at an in-between choice. I always get on and read up before a trip but rarely any other time. There are trolls, unpleasant and pushy people that do turn me away (and have many, many others) but there are still some wonderful folks who do have something worthwhile to add. i don't do the free forums - it gets even uglier (or at least used to!)." [Ed: You are totally in our ear, just like previous person, and we DO have a plan :-)]
  
  
• "I usually buy the 3-month membership at the end of the year. The current LVA is very useful. I will also read the previous year's LVA's but they are of limited value, the info goes stale so quickly. The message boards were helpful years ago but honestly, not so much any more." [Ed: Thanks. Good input!"]
  
  
• "The QOD is the highlight for me, along with Bob Dancer's weekly column."
  
  
• "We read the newsletter faithfully every month and I would search back issues, if only I remembered that I could do so LOL! Also, very much appreciate the daily news items you include about the crazy goings-on in Atlantic City, since we also go there several times a year. Thanks for doing a great job!" [Ed: You're welcome and yes, the antics of Mssrs Straub, Icahn, etc., certainly keep this writer on her toes. It's been a crazy roller coaster out there of late. You would enjoy David McKee's Stiffs&Georges blog too, if you don't already. He's all over the business side of things, and a very entertaining writer.