U2.com

[wolfwill23]

It amazes me how much this site sucks. It seems to me that not only is the site NOT run by U2 fans, but that the people in charge of the content on the site are not passionate about the band in any way, shape or form.

Being the 'official' U2 web site, they have access to the band, tons and tons of media and the inside scoop on U2 news. However, there seems to be no effort to put these exclusive elements together to make a kick-ass U2 site. Instead they produce weak video, tired quotes and yesterday's news. Why not put fans in charge of the site?

If I were in charge of the site, I'd constantly be cutting new, cool video montages from old footage in the archives. And I'd often be updating the fans about the status of the new album. Why not go and do a quick interview in the studio and ask the boys how they're doing on the album? Shoot it on video and put it on the site, it'd take like an hour and the fans would go crazy for it. I'd also encourage fans to be more involved with the content of the site.

To sum up, U2.com just seems very corporate and in need of some passion. I know they said that they're re-modeling it and I hope they can pump some life into it, because it needs it.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

it's in my opinion most official sites, especially for bigger bands (and not indie artists or people who were indie but are now a bit more popular) suck. on one hand, you'll get ryan adams posting in his own forums, and on the other hand, if justin timberlake were to fall deathly ill with pneumonia, it wouldn't be on his site until he got out of the hospital.

 

[Seabird]

I read they are shutting down their forum and reopening it as something less. It was always much less than this one. Sad

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I've maybe visited it a handful of times since it opened a few years ago.

 

[Sue DeNym]

I read they are shutting down their forum and reopening it as something less. It was always much less than this one. Sad

That's why I came over here. U2.com is just no fun anymore.

 

[elevatedmole]

I kind of forget it's there.

 

[Liesje]

I usually don't get farther than the page that asks you if you want flash or HTML version.

 

[martha]

I haven't even been there for at least a year. It always sucked.

 

[Bono's shades]

I agree. It is incredibly lame. And the message boards there suck. Have you tried visiting their General Discussion area? You have to wade through 1,000 threads of filthy jokes before you even find one that has anything to do with U2.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Interference

 

[martha]

If the band were smart, they'd hire Elvis and all the others who make this place the coolest.

But then, that would fuck it up for us.

 

[wolfwill23]

More than anything else, I feel they need somebody running the thing who is passionate about U2. The site seems like it's somebody's job, not somebody's love.

It would be great to see Elvis at the helm and the other fans working as employees creating for the site. And I'm not talking about some pipe dream of a site that is great for 6 months and then everybody gets sick of it or something. I'm talking about fans being paid to do this job and doing it professionally but passionately.

 

[Bonofire]

Even worse, it's being changed from capcave.com who were people who liked U2 and the sysop had met them, to a company that is doing it for free. It's all about the money

 

[sue4u2]

OK, so who do we contact and voice these opinions to. Principal Management or what? With enough emails someone should take notice. I do remember at one time, some years ago, U2.com was up for a web site award, but didn't get it. I believe it was during some sort World music awards show I watched from Barcelona, Spain - that they were nominated. That had to be 2000 or 01.
Maybe they just don't understand what is not being represented on their "official" web site. We should enlighten them don't you think !! The so called "official web site" should be kept up to standard/date. Otherwise everyone should be referred to Interference.com.
*just my personal opinon*

 

[wolfwill23]

Even worse, it's being changed from capcave.com who were people who liked U2 and the sysop had met them, to a company that is doing it for free. It's all about the money

Wait, wait, wait. U2 can't even pay 10 people to run their freakin' web site? You gotta be kiddin' me! These guys have tons of money! If that's true, I kind of see the band in a different light now. I really thought these guys were more respectful of their fans.

 

[shaun vox]

dont believe what you hear or see. im sure after some time the edge will run u2.com. so sit back and wait for the new album.

if you think u2.com suxs then check out gnr.com(its one page and that page has nothing)

i dont think the band has much to do with the site its just all the people behind them who think they should have a website and so on.

whats the big deal?

 

[Leeloo]

If you go to Zootopia, especially the band members folders, you will see the petition and a lot of posts. There have been messages from those who run it themselves. Yes, it is being changed to an even shittier forum because someone will do it that way for free.

Of course everyone is angry, up in arms and starting petitions. But to tell you the truth, I don't blame U2 for not funding it anymore. It became a virtual garbage dump. The forum was never reguated and moderated the way this one is. The General Discussion area (the equivilent of EYKIW) became taken over by shit posts, people stirring shit, making up aliases like 'hung like a horse' and 'monkey butt cheeks' trying to start trouble, and just a bunch of rude stuff aimed mostly at each other. There was no way to stop it. The people were banned, but quickly came back with a new name. These guys would not even hide their identities, using similar names and openly taunting the sysop, claiming he had banned them because they refused his propositions of perverse sex acts and three ways I will not explain in detail. Oh yes, it got obscene and disgusting at times too. Often it would be days before such posts were found and deleted.

In the band member folders (which were supposed to be like PLEBA) the girls' personal gossip and business became more important than the band. I'm not talking about a few personal threads on serious matters, I mean it got to where the board was dominated by numerous threads every day concerning the lives of a handful of girls. They would start a new thread every time they wanted to say anything at all, no matter how lame or insignificant. Interferencers could not possibly fathom what I am explaining because what happened there simply does not happen here and is not allowed to happen here. The threads on real topics dropped so fast because of the clutter that 3 or 4 threads on the same topic would be started the same day because no one saw them! For real! So what I'm saying is, though there are those there who would fight me, I think the band is ditching it because it could not be controlled anymore and was not worth paying for. If you saw what I saw, you'd understand. They didn't just ditch a perfectly good system. I'm sorry for the good people who were there, but some of the wild ones ruined it for everyone. That's how I saw it, and I'm not going back.

 

[Sicy]

I kind of forget it's there.

So do I! lol.

I have never liked the way U2.com was set up. I find it hard to navigate and like the majority I find that the news etc can just as easily be found here or somewhere else without having to get lost on that site.

As for the message boards, I have never been able to navigate properly there. I find it very confusing and unmoderated. People can pretty much say whatever they want, rude or disgusting, bashing, etc and no one does anything about it. A garbage dump seems to be a good way to describe it.

Its too bad they're making so many changes on their message boards.. it seems like they're going to lose a lot of members that way.

Like Khanada stated though, most official band websites are way worse than the fan sites. It's the fans that make it happen, the fans that put together sites that show their love for the band and not just throwing something together just to get it out there.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

i always thought zootopia was ugly to look at. i hate the colors they used.

 

[Elvis]

If you want to complain, complain to Principle Management.

cecilia@numb.ie, editors@u2.com, redfaces@u2.com

and...

Principle Management Ltd.
30-32 Sir John Rogerson's Quay,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.

and some of you, I agree with, it would be great if the folks that ran this place ran u2.com, but that's not a new concept. You'd think the band, like other bands, would come up with that idea themselves.

 

[Sue DeNym]

I agree, Leeloo. That's why I've come here. I don't need to wade through tons of insults, vulgarity and other crud to get to the good stuff. OT stuff belongs in an OT folder (believe me, I understand the need to talk to online friends about your own things, that's why I think there should be an OT folder on every bulletin board). And honestly, the layout of Interference is a million times better and much easier on the eyes.

 

[markoajda]

Isn't this the manager's job? Paul where are you?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

they should do something like how pearl jam runs their site... they have the official pearl jam site, which is really just for announcements from the band, tickets, store, etc. then they have a link to the synergy site, which is more of a fan friendly site. instead of running their own forum... zootopia... they could have the u2.com site for important messages for the store, and then have a link to interference for the messageboards... it's a match made in heaven me thinks

 

[Elvis]

I agree, I agree, I agree.... but apparently U2 and their managment either don't agree, or don't know. It's the fans that need to raise their voices, and let them know (see post I made about how to contact Principle Mgmt in this thread).

 

[tkramer]

I remember a cool story a few years back about jazz singer Diana Krall that reminds me of this. She had this huge fan that ran an organized, nice looking (pro design level really) site. Well, Diana and her management picked up the site and things worked out great. He was so pumped! (I don't know if that's still the case, it's been a while...)

Rabid fan who knows what they are doing + real band envolvement = awesome site with relevent material

And pay them, don't be a cheap jerk. No one likes a cheap jerk.

 

[sharky]

I'm going to write to Principle and so should the rest of you. If the site is crap and doesn't work, what happens next year when we have to buy our concert tix though u2.com instead of mailing in stuff from Propaganda?

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

I know I will definitely be writing to see if there can't be some changes made to this site. While I enjoy the site for the most part, there is very little that I get there that I don't get here. Interference has always been the first site (now along with U2Log) I check for news and info. However the "official" site should be run by someone who is a passionate about the band as Elvis and the fine staff here, and it should be the "definitive" site too. My 2 cents.

 

[Liesje]

The ONLY time I've EVER gone into Zootopia was when I needed a ticket to get into the World AIDS Day presentation last December in Nebraska. Luckily, the girls there pointed me in the right direction and I found what I needed.

 

[martha]

If the site is crap and doesn't work, what happens next year when we have to buy our concert tix though u2.com instead of mailing in stuff from Propaganda?

This is what's bugging me, too. The one time I got to use Prop for tickets, they got me ass-kicking seats in SLC. Now with all this internet U2.com ticket crap instead of Prop, no one's going to get jack for seats.

Should I join the email barrage about the ticket situation?

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

It can't hurt, Martha!!