ComicMix Site Doesn’t Allow Feedback
- Posted by Johanna on June 10, 2007 at 8:01 am
- Category: LinkBlogging
I tried to do this nicely. (Note: This post has been significantly updated. Please read to the end.)
I discovered that new group site ComicMix had, instead of linking and excerpting one of my posts, copied the entire thing. I don’t like that.
So I attempted to use their Contact Us form, to ask them to edit down their excerpt. (I couldn’t email, since no email addresses are easily findable on the site.) It only returned the words “Please try again.”
Then I attempted to comment on the post itself, with this message
Thanks for the link to my site, but I don’t appreciate you copying my entire article as your content. It’s more proper to use excerpts and links (as well as legally safer). Please don’t do this again.
I can’t do that, either. They’ve got some kind of verification system in place that requires me to click an email link before the comment will post. Except when I click the link, it takes me to a “Confirm your account” screen that asks for my password. I don’t have a password. (I don’t particularly want one, either.) It doesn’t let me create one. It marks the empty field as an error, but with no explanation of how to proceed, so I have no idea what to do next.
This is one seriously messed-up site. No wonder one of their contributors is publicly complaining about not getting enough responses. No one can figure out how to make the system let them talk!
Update: I received a very nice message just now from Martha Thomases.
Now, Martha is one of the first three people I ever met at DC Comics, back when I first started doing this “talking comics online” thing in the early 90s. I’m proud to call her a friend. She’s also, as she was kind enough to remind me, in charge of publicity for ComicMix.
She was contacting me to apologize for what was an honest mistake made out of enthusiasm. She also wanted to let me know that they know about the contact issues and are working on fixing them. I was very glad to hear it, because I hate to see glitches like that mar a site with such strong content.
It’s great to see such receptiveness. They say that people have the best opinion of customer service not when they have a smooth experience but when they have a poor one that’s then resolved well. I’m certainly proof of that — I’m now more enthused than ever about seeing how ComicMix continues to grow.
Martha also told me that some of their representatives will be at Heroes Con next weekend, and I’m looking forward to talking more with them there.
June 10, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Looks like the admin’s address is balvey718 at aol dot com. Try sending an email.
June 10, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Did you do a whois or something? Thanks!
June 10, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Yep. If you Google “whois” and look for the Network Solutions link, that’s where I got the info.
If you really want to be forceful, you could send him a DMCA notice, stating that the site is violating your copyright. But I imagine a polite note will accomplish what you’re looking to do first.
June 10, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Yeah, I don’t want to drag out the cannon, since I’m sure they didn’t mean to offend… I attribute it more to thoughtlessness than malice.
June 10, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Well, keep us posted. And in the meantime, take it as a compliment that they cribbed from you. OK, not the best compliment, but hopefully something positive will come of it.
June 10, 2007 at 4:40 pm
You are right that their Comments section is wonky. I posted a message. I then posted another message a day or three later. Neither got to the site. I tried one more time and got some weird message about a password. I tried one final time and still nothing. Then the next day, I got an email with a link to click on and have been able to post ever since.
June 10, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Also, because I CAN comment there, I left them a message to contact you.
June 10, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Thanks, Alan!
June 10, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I have to wonder if they are copying anyone else’s writing?
June 11, 2007 at 5:51 am
To be fair, Charles, it’s an attributed quote. They’ve just quoted the entire article.
June 11, 2007 at 5:58 am
A good point, Paul.
This is my first notice of ComicMix– where do they intend to fall in the spectrum of comic book web sites? What are they trying to be?
June 11, 2007 at 7:52 pm
ComicMix are trying to take over the world!
I wouldn’t try to define them, but they seem to be trying to be multi-pop-cultural.
June 11, 2007 at 8:13 pm
But we already have PopCultureShock! :)
Thanks for the information. It’s not likely then I will see anything from my sites reproduced there.
June 11, 2007 at 11:50 pm
After what can only be described as a truly lousy weekend, your grace in handling my faux pas was truly a blessing.
I’m looking forward to apologizing in person in Charlotte.
June 12, 2007 at 6:41 am
Oh, Glenn, no hard feelings on either side, I hope. It was intended as a compliment, after all.
June 26, 2007 at 12:52 am
[…] I’m glad that someone is talking about how much work ComicMix still needs to be a good site. […]
October 12, 2007 at 8:29 pm
What do you think of ComicMix now that they’ve launched Online Comics ?
October 12, 2007 at 9:34 pm
If it’s http://www.onlinecomics.net, I’m wondering why I didn’t think of it.