Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Hi All

Frank - Thanks for being so persistent, which is going to benefit all of the ATK customers. When they fix their site, I will renew the membership - but not until then.

My personal negative feedback to CI has been in the form of cash (or lack thereof). We have not reviewed the membership this January, there have typically been about 4 book purchases and three magazine memberships (this year - zero), we have also taken our names off of the automatic renewal.

Having said this, I have to echo the sentiments of many - what a shame. The friendships that so many have formed would not have been possible without the board. The board events have been a great example of what it looks and feels like.

My personal hope is that BCP/ATK, CC, etc. can re-invent itself and re-create that energy that brought so many folks to the board in the first place.

Thanks Fuzzy for setting this board up. This board is providing an opportunity for many to re-connect and for that you should be proud.

Regards,

Ken

Ken,

Well, that's what I did it for. Also because Todd begged me to; you should thank Todd (talanhart) as well.

For my part, CI has taken a steep dive in quality over the last 2 years. Both magazines are worse, the books are terrible and they've resorted to predatory business practices. That's why I didn't bother to complain when they cut off my online subscription without reimbursement; BCP is in such bad shape managerially that the web site is really the least of their problems.

The last issue of CI was almost worthless; the Ciabatta recipe was pretty much the only new thing in it.

And even that, to me, was hardly inspired. My subscription has expired and this was my last issue of CI. I'm going to miss the idea of it, but not the tired, regurgitated work that has become its hallmark.

Can I get an "amen?" I can only hope that this board isn't widely "advertised" over there.


(Sorry to bump ye olde threade, but I didn't get my chance to vent. )

Fuzzy,

It seems to me that they are recently apologizing for the ethical lapses of their "Fulfillment Program". For years they ignored emails but recently they have responded quickly on the bulletin board to complaints about unethical collection practices.

They may have ceased their threats of lawsuits over copyright infringements; but, they have also eliminated attributions for borrowed recipe concepts.

I have been kidding them about lack of "triple-blind" taste testing without being criticised. I was counseled back in December, 2007 for questioning All-Clad's new owners commitment to warranty service and kidding All-Clad about the anorexia of their cookware.

They don't read this, do they!

Tim

Tim,

Well, if they did read this board, they couldn't do anything about it. I doubt they do, though; the current staff of CI tend to regard the internet as a electronic magazine, and don't understand interaction or communities at all. Searching for, let along commenting on, criticism of BCP elsewhere on the internet would be completely beyond them.

All,

You might be amused by Mike Reed's humorous bestiary of unpleasant forum posters: http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.htm

I believe that CI has become The Food Network: utter trash.

They strayed from their mission in an effort to expand their revenue rather than focusing on increasing quality to achieve the same results.

Too bad it sucks now.

...lou

Yep, that's a good description. This seems to happen to the small organizations seemingly begun on virtuous principles based on quality, ethics, etc. The $$ begins rolling in and management becomes drunk with ambition to "go for it, damn the torpedos" and so we end up with subpar drivel, the opposite of what we thought we were getting. Sadly I've seen it happen in more than a few instances, some of the worst examples were fabulous online communities that "blossomed" so profusely that all the good intentions went right down the toilet. Sad but such is the lure of big $$.

This months CC is a prime example...pure crap...