Wejo Debate me on Flotrack Pro

Several people keep bringing up the $1.99 p/ Diamond League meet vs. $20 for some "crummy" college or high school meet. Doesn't strike me as an "apples to apples" comparison. I don't have a Flotrack Pro subscription — necessary for seeing the meets in question — but my understanding is that it gives you access mostly to video content w/ elite athletes and coaches re training techniques, drills, philosophy, etc. For a more serious runner who wants to improve, this seems like a small investment. Access to the live meets is more icing on the cake. And at the bottom of this antipathy toward Flotrack asking for 20 bucks is the silly modern notion that "Hell, it's the Internet! It ought to be free!" Everybody wants something for nothing, cuz as we all know, the time and energy and cost to travel and set up these interviews is almost nothing at all, right? I imagine a lot of these same people listen to NPR but never give a dime to support it.

Mark just comes off as an aggressive b@stard

You two need to debate this on the track at the Home Depot Center in Carson in Southern California, home of the most number of Olympic and world championship medalists...

we should have a race or a pokemon battle to determine the true champion

This whole thing makes the Flotrack guys look like a bunch of college frat boys. Bad, bad PR.

might as well wrote:

we should have a race or a pokemon battle to determine the true champion

it will be free, but donations will be accepted

Letsgooooo wrote:

Mark just comes off as an aggressive b@stard

Mark once again shows why his site is viewed by most fans over the age of 25 as a fanboy, amateur site. Do you think media folk from other sports entities are calling out other media members because they happen to disagree with one another? Grow up, believe in the business you're building, do some amazing work and don't worry about what Wejo or anyone else has to say. Being defensive often times means you have something to hide. Just go about your business, Mark.

Mark From Flotrack wrote:

Weldon,

I have emailed you and asked you to have a debate on Flotrack Pro.......... But you have said No. Typical Letsrun fashion. Write from behind your computer, but when asked to come out from the shadows you are no where to be found. I think this debate would be great and it would let the community decide the merits of what we are doing.

I am not hiding:

http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/118-Mark-Flotrack/video/684648-CALLING-OUT-LetsRun

Mark

I have been very critical of the Johnson brothers for a variety of reasons under a variety of pseudonyms, but I'm on their side here. Seems like Mark is using his middle school understanding of language and debate to stir up site traffic and controversy, and for once the Brojos finally aren't posting a bunch of BS. (They posted one sentence, Mark; where's the BS?)

This is so pathetic and juvenile that I assumed it was a joke thread until I clicked on the link. Truly sad.

And to think I was considering caving and paying for FloTrack pro. Not now, that's for sure.

All I know is its good that let's run doesn't charge for content...the writing is 8th grade bad and the "look at us, we're making news" is lame.

That being said, $20 a month is steep unless they can offer coverage of a lot of races.

I just want to say that Mitch deserves a chance. It was tough for me when I stopped seeing Mark at interviews. But then I came to love Ryan. Then I had to adjust to Alex and that wasn't easy because Ryan is AWESOME. But I really like Alex and all his South Dakota craziness. So I think we need to give Mitch a chance. He is a rookie. But Flotrack has proved that they can develop talent, so PLEASE Mark -- do not fire MItch yet.

I remember a few years ago flotrack was one of the first websites I went to every morning. Then it became a few times a week, once a week, and now I literally never go to their site. I actually had a profile for a while and deleted it a couple of years ago.

The webpage design is pretty terrible to navigate, and like others have said, half the time the videos won't load or make my computer run slow as hell. Once it got to the point where I couldn't watch over half the videos that were worth a damn because they were under pro, I said screw it.

Letsrun can be annoying here and there, but 99% of the time they are the best source for results all over the world, interesting articles, and providing links to any free streaming of major races.

flotrack just lost me for good, i'm all letsrun now.

Admittedly, I have not spent much time on Flotrack since they started charging, but I would like to make a point.

The facilitators of Letsrun, as best as I can tell, do not really produce that much. I'm not trying to insult the Brojos, I'm trying to put something in perspective.

Yes, the Brojos review a meet here, they break some news there, etc. Really, it seems to me, the boards generate the content. Of course, Letsrun is free, as it should be.

In contrast, Flotrack puts in real work. It obviously takes time/money/manpower/cameras/equipment/overhead etc. to do what Flotrack does. Once they have done the work, Letsrun can only benefit from it all. Flotrack is truly building the sport.

That having been said, I think it would be out of line for anyone at Letsrun to criticize Flotrack's business decisions. Clearly, the Brojos aren't making the same product at all, nor have they ever made an attempt to up their game in the same way as flotrack, as far as I can tell.

Rojo and Wejo -- do you guys live in a hippy commune as Mark says? I thought you lived in Ithaca NY. Can you clarify?

If you haven't. Seen Mark's video where he 'challenges' Wejo, you should go watch it. I've lost all respect for Mark and Flocast. This can be nothing more than an attempt to generate hits on flocast.

Pathetic behavior or his part.

http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/118-Mark-Flotrack/video/684648-CALLING-OUT-LetsRun?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

NotAustin18 wrote:

@Mark from Flotrack

-I don't yet have flotrack pro because it costs too much money for me since I'm a highschool student, but I do plan on talking my parents into getting it for me. Flotrack Pro seems really cool because we get to see what the best in the world are doing in more detail than we can from free videos, and with the increasing coverage of live races that'll be good too. I think its good for the sport, and if I have to pay a little more than what I would be comfortable with(i.e. $5 a month) so as to better help promote our sport and help fund better coverages that can provide better training insight as well as even more inspirational workouts and interviews and such, then I say it's worth the extra money.

Just some advice NotAustin. Don't start an argument by saying you are in high school.

All the trolls on letsrun are going to be jumping around tonight like a scene out of LOTR now that their master-orc has been challenged to battle by an elvish-clan.

Mark From Flotrack wrote:

Weldon,

I have emailed you and asked you to have a debate on Flotrack Pro.......... But you have said No. Typical Letsrun fashion. Write from behind your computer, but when asked to come out from the shadows you are no where to be found. I think this debate would be great and it would let the community decide the merits of what we are doing.

I am not hiding:

http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/118-Mark-Flotrack/video/684648-CALLING-OUT-LetsRun

Mark

If we wanted to know what you think, we'd be on Flotrack.

The guy in that video who isn't Mark pisses me off a bit, I do not know why, I just don't like him.

The other issue with PRoFlo is that you won't be able to get Pac 12 meets which are some of the best. How about Penn Relays? They have there own deal. If you expect $20 a month we need to know what we are getting. I love Flotrack and if I knew what the full package contained I might buy it but it is just not clear.