Archive:PinoyExchange
PinoyExchange (PEX) is a Filipino online message board community founded by Michael Nolledo a.k.a. "batanguliran" with help from close family members on July 12, 1999. As of October 25, 2006 PEX ranks no. 28 over-all in Big Boards' worldwide ranking and have over 16,886,194 posts made by 184,090 members, making it the largest message board in the country by far.
History
PEX was originally conceptualized by the New Jersey-based Michael Nolledo as an outlet for Filipinos to discuss and debate local issues. Hindered by geographical limitations, Michael enlisted the help of his brother Nico Nolledo a.k.a. Nix, his brother-in-law Marco Lucena aka. marco (who was later replaced by Michael Palacios a.k.a. Mikoid as lead designer and technical consultant), and most importantly his nephew Jude Turcuato aka. Kaboom! who helped generate interest by plugging the forum during televised UAAP basketball games in which he worked as a commentator.
Although the forum reached 2,000 members before the turn of the century it was not until Sprite's 2001 ad campaign that PEX enjoyed it's highest exposure. As a result of the rapid increase in traffic, PEX upgraded its dated, CGI-based Ultimate Bulletin Board software to the more robust PHP-powered VBulletin and introduced "Premium Packages" in which subscribers gain added features. The latter was scrapped not long after.
Controversies
Pex is known to be one of the most "money-hungry" websites from the Philippines. It is a known fact that only a few local websites survived after the dotcom crash that Pex has generally monopolized the industry. The website administration has executed several questionable strategies which alienated, confused, or quirked most of its earlier users. There was the problem with its paid avatar service a few years back wherein Pex demanded users to pay an amount of cash to have an avatar using "server problems and space" as its sole reason for justification. Any internet user knows that an external link or remote hosting can be utilized for a forum avatar which could save Pex a lot of space. Nevertheless, the Pex admin kept their stand that such a method is "inapplicable" for their current hosting service. Later on, since this strategy wasn't able to sustain itself, the Pex admin discontinued the service albeit pending the fulfillment of several avatar subscriptions by its more gullible members.
Currently, Pex is full of web advertisements which slows down their server and hinders quality accessibilty. Though those ads are destroying what was once an enjoyable on-line experience, the Pex admin continues to irritate their users with such heavy graphics. Moreover, they also have the controversial PM Blast advertisement service which is mandatory. Unlike other websites which asks permission from users if they want to receive promotional messages, Pex does not allow such option for their PM blast. If a user does not want to receive such ads, they have to completely turn off their PM service or discontinue use of the site as a whole.
Forums on Pinoy Exchange
Sports and Recreation
- Sports Center - Dedicated to the discussion of sports. Moderated by neth_row.
- In The Zone - Added in 2004 to cut down the large percentage of basketball threads that used to dominate Sports Center. Hosts annual fantasy leagues each year with PEXFL (Pinoy Exchange Fantasy League) and B.A.N.O. (Basketball Association of New Owners) currently on its third and second year respectively. Moderated by neth_row.
- Celebrities- Forum for the latest news about local actors and actresses.
- TV Programs - Forum about the programs on Philippine Television.
- Movies - Forum about Filipino movies.
- General Movies and TV - Forum about the local entertainment industry.
Love, Courtship and Marriage
- Principles, Practices & Preferences - Forum to talk about "your beliefs when it comes to love and how you translate them into action."
- Dilemmas - Forum for discussing problems related to love and relationships.
- Stories & Experiences - Forum for sharing stories and other personal experiences regarding love and relationships.
- The Singles Scene - Dedicated to the single life, and for interacting with other singles. Two groups, namely the NSG (Next Singles Gimik) and Singles Couch, regularly hold eyeballs (or parties) to foster camaraderie among PExers.
- Alternative Preferences - Forum to discuss homosexuality and other alternative relationships.
- Intimacy & Passion - Forum for discussing sexuality and other forms of physical intimacy.