[trash-talk] Flaws w/G.com

[Shell Bryson]

>>err...  this is 2005.  everything has a website...

Yes, and I wouldn't agree with that statement either.

>>I also enjoyed Shirley's diaries, but ever since
>>garbage.com became pay-to-play, Shirley has stopped
>>writing her diaries, which is very odd.  The only band
>>involvement we've had so far is 3 blog entries by
>>Steve, and a few pictures by Butch.

Unfortunately, this is because the band don't write them any more. It's
nothing to do with us, our partners or the label. We've asked countless
times, but they are simply too busy.

>>The Version 2.0 website was leagues and leagues beyond
>>what we have now, and that was 100% free.

Well, technically V2.0 site was very basic, but it did have some good
content and yes it was free. However, most big band websites these days are
NOT free. Yes we can all find some of our faves that are free, but the
majority of big bands have subscription based sites. Whether you like it or
not, the band (and label) try to reclaim costs of running promotions where
they can - any band - and this is the current trend; charge for premium
content. I don't particularly like this either, but commercially it has to
be done sometimes.

>>But complaining has gotten me and everyone else
>>nothing, so I'll stop now.  So I'll just end with
>>this:
>>in most customer service jobs, which is basically what
>>garbage.com is - a service, the people in charge will
>>do whatever they can to keep the customers happy. 
>>When a large amount of customers complain, which is
>>what's happening now (just look at this list, various
>>blogs at g.com, and half the posts on the MB), someone
>>will usually get fired due to their piss poor customer
>>service skills.

If only it were so black-and-white. Firing everyone involved in the site
would solve nothing. The band would still have no time, there would still be
no money, and you'd still have the same site.

>>I just wish I could work at garbage.com.  Guaranteed
>>job security, no matter what goes wrong.

If only. You have to understand we publish what we are given or that we can
fight/beg/steal. Nobody is getting rich from this site at all, I can promise
you. Actually, it makes a loss. Soon as the last single is done, there are
no jobs. How many singles? Depends on sales. It's unpredictable. Job
security? There is none at all. We don't do this for the money; Sirin and I
have fulltime jobs. We've always done this because above everything else, we
totally adore the band and their music.

We are just as frustrated here as you are there - we're fans too, remember?
Sirin and I aren't the only people involved in the project. There is a large
team of designers who work on a lot of large commercial music sites, and
they do a fab job. But a combination of lack of content and a site structure
that was dictated, our dreams to build everything we wanted were strangled
at birth. Ultrastar are doing a great job with what they have, and Sirin and
I work very hard to manage the content and steer everything towards the best
fan experience possible.

I can understand why a lot of people feel pissed off that the site has gone
the way it has, but mostly our hands have been tied. We cannot invent
content or change the way the site works.

Rather than all this bitching, why not offer some support? If you've given
up on Garbage.com, why not help out one of the big fan sites like Garbage
Box or Subhuman.net? Otherwise this is pretty much just all hot-air - if you
really want to support your fave band, these are the places to do it.
Garbage.com will still delivery some exclusives, and we will try and
continue to bring new content to it, but our efforts are now being split
between garbage.com and subhuman.net (which will always be 100% free, and is
about to get a big update).

Shell