Whirlpool (website)

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Whirlpool.net.au
Whirlpool logo
Whirlpool Forums home page
URL http://whirlpool.net.au/
Type of site Community
Registration Free
Owner Simon Wright
Created by Simon Wright
Launched December 1998
Revenue None
Current status Active

Whirlpool is an Australian broadband user web site, started in 1998 by Simon Wright. Since then, it has grown significantly with over 215,000 registered users (as of 6 March 2008) while remaining independent.

Contents

[edit] History

Whirlpool started as a pun on the name of Telstra BigPond's cable Internet service, however it soon expanded to cover Optus' cable Internet service (now known as OptusNet), ADSL based services, and other forms of broadband in Australia as they became available.

The web site now serves as a de facto industry watchdog for the larger players in the Australian broadband industry, such as Telstra and Optus.

The website undergoes occasional re-designs; the most recent re-design included a new logo and was implemented on 3 April 2008.

[edit] 2Clix controversy

On 11 September 2007 it was announced that 2Clix Software was commencing legal action against Whirlpool founder, Simon Wright, for posts made by users in the Whirlpool forums that 2Clix claimed were "false and malicious".[1][2][3] 2Clix claimed it had lost approximately AUD $150,000 income per month between January and July 2007 and sued for this amount plus legal costs.[4][5]

Whirlpool users responded immediately by sending Paypal donations to assist with the site's legal costs, with some users claiming they'd sent donations exceeding AUD $1,000.[6][7] The co-founder of PIPE Networks personally pledged a donation of AUD $10,000 towards the cause.[8]

On 19 September 2007 2Clix solicitors stated that they had received instructions to discontinue the case.[9][10][11]

[edit] Broadband Choice

A significant part of the site is the Broadband Choice facility, the most comprehensive list of options, plans and prices in Australia. Broadband Choice allows a user to quickly find options available to them and to filter these options by features such as price, speed and data allowance.[12] Details about Internet service providers (ISPs) and their plans are entered by staff of each ISP, as are any changes to the plans. ISPs who are unaware of this feature or are unwilling to submit their plans are not listed.

[edit] Whirlpool forums

The purpose of the forums is to provide a place to discuss broadband and related areas (such as networking). Representatives from many Australian service providers, hardware vendors and merchants use Whirlpool as a strictly non-official support and communication channel.

Some features present on other message boards such as signatures, avatars and in-line images have been excluded by design to keep the site 'clean'. Many of the long term users agree that despite some negative aspects Whirlpool's differences are beneficial to the forum, and set it apart from "pre-written" forum software.[13]

Whirlpool uses an "open moderation" policy, so when threads and posts are deleted or moved, placeholders are left allowing users to see the moderation that has taken place. This is different from other forum software, where deleted threads may simply disappear from view, and posts may be edited by moderators unbeknownst to users. As a result, any moderation — including any apparent over-moderation — is more obvious than on most typical internet forums, which use off-the-shelf software like phpBB or vBulletin.[14]

The forum also has very few off-topic areas (known as 'lounges'), which are generally only available to long standing or highly active members of the community.[15] Whirlpool at times suffers from server capacity issues - 'TSODs (Teal Screen of Death, a play on the Windows BSOD) have become part of the forum culture.

[edit] Whirlpool Wiki

Whirlpool has its own Wiki, which is currently in beta.[16] It has an accumulation of information put together by forum users in 'sticky threads' over time, with the hope of cutting down forum clutter while also allowing more collaborative content development. It includes information that is difficult to find aggregated into one place elsewhere, such as the Australian Exchange Guide(a guide to the locations of Australian telephone exchanges), a list of Australian PC and Mac shops and a list of Australian VoIP providers. Since the revision of the Whirlpool forums, the wiki is now known as the "Knowledge Base."

[edit] The people behind the site

Whirlpool is rare in that it exists with no revenue stream. Unlike many forums, Whirlpool has no banners nor paid advertising. Bandwidth and web hosting are donated by WebCentral[17], an Australian hosting company, and all site administrative tasks are conducted by a team of unpaid volunteer members who have been given special privileges over time as they have built trust among the online community.

Simon Wright, as founder and main developer, scripted the site in ColdFusion. Phil Sweeney assists by writing news and keeping Broadband Choice updated.[18][19]

[edit] Relationship with ISPs

A unique property of Whirlpool is the degree of participation from industry players. A reasonable number of the more progressive ISPs have recognised the potential for Whirlpool.net.au to act as a bi-directional communication channel with their customers. While this very direct communication with their customers presents many challenges, it also allows ISPs to build strong grass-roots support and trust with their customer base. Whirlpool.net.au is rare in that relatively few online forums offer the ability for customers to discuss topics and issues with not only each other on a national basis, but also with the vast majority of large service providers in one spot.

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2Clix sues Whirlpool founder. Whirlpool (2007-09-11).
  2. ^ Case could smother web chat, says Whirlpool founder. news.com.au (2007-09-12).
  3. ^ Firm sues forum to silence critics. smh.com.au (2007-09-12).
  4. ^ Whirlpool in a legal spin as founder gets sued. iTNews (2007-09-12).
  5. ^ EFA condemns Whirlpool lawsuit. www.efa.org.au (2007-09-12).
  6. ^ 2Clix scores own goal with Whirlpool case. www.zdnet.com.au (2007-09-13).
  7. ^ A Whirlpool of Legal Risk. Dilanchian Lawyers & Consultants (2007-09-13).
  8. ^ 2Clix sues Whirlpool founder (Part 2). Whirlpool (2007-09-12).
  9. ^ 2Clix claims case withdrawal. Whirlpool (2007-09-19).
  10. ^ EFA welcomes Whirlpool lawsuit back-down. www.efa.org.au (2007-09-19).
  11. ^ 2Clix backtracks on Whirlpool lawsuit. iTNews (2007-09-19).
  12. ^ Setting up broadband internet (archived) - Availability and choice. Australian Consumers' Association (February 2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  13. ^ What makes Whirlpool Forums So Unique?. Whirlpool (2008-03-28).
  14. ^ Whirlpool's Operational Transparency. Whirlpool (2006-05-07).
  15. ^ Normal User Titles and Private Lounge Access. Whirlpool (2008-02-23).
  16. ^ WIKI FAQs and Guidelines. Whirlpool (2006-04-26).
  17. ^ Whirlpool Architecture. Whirlpool (2007-05-04).
  18. ^ New media hands power to the people. smh.com.au (2005-10-17).
  19. ^ ISP threat to Whirlpool over posting. smh.com.au (2005-08-09).
  20. ^ Whirlpool takes top awards. Whirlpool (2005-04-10).
  21. ^ Whirlpool wins again!. Whirlpool (2006-04-30).
  22. ^ Whirlpool takes top awards. Whirlpool (2005-04-10).

[edit] External links