PUG - still relevant?

[#1]

These days there's very little activity on the PUG forums with posts often going without responses for a number of days. Much of this I suspect is because these forums have become far more active with a number of Plusnet staff monitoring and responding to issues raised every working day.
There's a debate about the role of PUG on their forums and I am interested in seeing what the members on here thought.

[#2]

If you had an option - I don't know - that would be my vote
The reason being that the PUG work is virtually all under a non-disclosure agreement and presumably done in the hidden part of their forums

[#3]

From what I've seen they're a closed group uninterested in having new members.

[#4]

A suggestion I made was that they shut down the public part of the forums as having people posting on their to get help and being met with no response is pretty useless. I'm not sure how people find their forums in preference to these if they are seeking help - I'd have thought a link to these forums would be their best bet.

[#5]

As most of the members of PUG seem to have good technical knowledge it's a place I really should go and join when there's a need to talk about a complex problem and certain other issues, but I just haven't got myself organised enough to do it    As for adie's comment, I'd hope that's not true.
Perhaps people shouldn't raise more general individual faults/problems there, which would be better raised on these boards.

[#6]

if I have a really tricky technical problem I often go here http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php

[#7]

Quote

if I have a really tricky technical problem I often go here http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php

Fantastic site and Lesley is one of the founding members of PUG, however, why would we not want that ability and skill set on our own door step.
We should be in a position to do all of that here. There's you and a host of others with excellent knowledge and skills. I'm all for building on that and ensuring this is the go to place for all help

Quote

The reason being that the PUG work is virtually all under a non-disclosure agreement and presumably done in the hidden part of their forums

PUG do and always have operated under an NDA. That doesn't prevent engagement with the wider community.
Mark

[#8]

That's the problem - they have totally failed to engage with the whole Plusnet community. We've seen nothing about what they've done.
It's obvious there's systemic problems (largely not Plusnet's fault) with ineffective or totally missed engineers appointments - have they been having discussions with Plusnet about that?
What discussions have PUG had with Plusnet about the failed PN profile updates?
That's just two examples of things they should be doing for which I can see no reason for a NDA to apply.
Edit: And oh, the last article in latest news on their website is dated 04-Aug-2011.

[#9]

Quote from: Oldjim

if I have a really tricky technical problem I often go here http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php

Yes I should go there as well and post, same excuse    but I do read there a lot sometimes.

[#10]

What's the answer then - what on earth is PUG when it's at home?

[#11]

http://usergroup.plus.net/

[#12]

Didn't know what PUG was.
But just looked at PUG News page & last post appears to be on 04-Aug-2011.
So it would seem that PUG isn't relevant.

[#13]

Quote

The Plusnet Usergroup (PUG) is an independent group of users from Plusnet, MetroNet, Free-Online and Force9 using the whole range of products and services with a diverse and varied degree of knowledge and expertise.  (The doors are open for a volunteer from Madasafish to join us). The group was conceived in April 2004 with the aim of being an independent and officially recognised group of individuals working with each other and with Plusnet to ensure that the products, services, support and facilities are the best we could ask for.

That's a high level summary of PUG, it's aims and role, somewhat dated now but taken from the current homepage..
It drew from the forum community and built up a strong representative body of ordinary Plusnet customers to help influence decisions made by the company and provide engagement, beta testing and feedback on all things Plusnet. That was back in the "independent" phase of of the company and whilst I'm convinced PUG still has a role, I'm not convinced that role would be just as influential as it was back in the day.
There's a lot of value in having a representative body of customers engaging with any sizeable company, providing that body understands the challenges and constraints which a large PLC faces in a rapidly changing and commercially driven market place.
A lot of what Plusnet does is tactically driven to ensure market share and position, which requires swift action and response and whilst 8 years ago PUG had significant influence, that influence can't be what it was back then.
However, that doesn't mean that PUG can't and doesn't still have a role. The ability to hold Plusnet to account for plans in place and decisions taken, and then be the conduit to share the interaction and results back to the Community, remains and is still valid.
PUG has to be small enough to work effectively but large enough to be representative. And I think this is a fantastic debate to gauge what the Community feels about PUG and to determine if there is a need and a way forward.
Mark

[#14]

I agree with Mark. 
I'd like to see the PUG deal with issues including those that jelv has suggested, and communicate with the wider community. 
The PUGIT (Plusnet User Group Issue Tracker) is a good idea that seems to have fallen out of use. 
I'd like to see the PUG:

• collate ideas from the community and pursue them with Plusnet


• collate recurring/ongoing/repeating problems and pursue them with Plusnet


• communicate what they are doing, and communicate what Plusnet is developing.

I can see that the PUG public forum may be unnecessary for all this.

[#15]

I've voted no as I can't see the PUG having sufficient influence with PlusNet to make a difference.
Bob