[RPM]

Seems to be stalling to me, less posts every day. I could be wrong.



What can we do, without deliberately poaching off of 968.net, to relocate the 968 community here?



Perhaps I am being impatient - this take much longer than I assumed.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

well, you've seen my attempts so far - i wouldn't worry too much about the resistance you've seen from a couple of people - the sensation of "poaching" is inevitable - once people find out about this site, they will come here - it's just a better built site



the other site is really going downhill fast - there are a couple of people who are desperately trying to keep that site going, in spite of the fact that it has been ignored for so long and lacks the features we have here, but sooner or later it will happen



i am thinking of sending an email to everyone over there - many just haven't learned about it yet

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Greimann]

It takes time to attract new users through random surfing because the search engines need to crawl the content get the relevence ranking up to the first page.



Existing lurkers can see the utility of the new features and are invited to participate if not just to say hi and easily post a picture or two. Obviously there is not a lot of history yet to search, so the old format is still relevent for that.



The new software, active administration and community of inclusion is a winning combination. Give it some time. It takes quality participation from all of us to make this happen.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SANDOVAL]

[quote name='Greimann' date='Mar 3 2005, 09:34 PM']It takes time to attract new users through random surfing because the search engines need to crawl the content get the relevence ranking up to the first page. 



Existing lurkers can see the utility of the new features and are invited to participate if not  just to say hi and easily post a picture or two. Obviously there is not a lot of history yet to search, so the old format is still relevent for that. 



The new software, active administration and community of inclusion is a winning combination. Give it some time. It takes quality participation from all of us to make this happen.

[right][post="1368"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





I know over time the 968 forums will catch on. New owners will prefer the modern technology of the site. I know it is difficult to just pick up and leave a place where you are used to going to everyday. Slowly people will migrate to the new site as the participation grows. I did not expect people to pack up and leave overnight. The activity on this site has exceeded my expectations thus far. For me it was something I wanted to try. If it failed that was fine too. It was the experience I was after. I enjoy trying new things, I love these cars and these types of projects give me a brake from my high stress job.



The site is designed to be indexed well unfortunately this takes time (up to 3-6 months). However some of the major search engines have been and continue to crawl the site everyday.



This is the "bot" logs

aidu.com 232

Crawler.de 32

MSN.com 718

Google.com 6827

Ask Jeeves 367

Archive.org 481

Google.com 10419



I am a member of Overture and I do have paid placement for the site for now. It does not cost me a ton of money as "Porsche 968" and other key words are not searched very often. We get a few visitors everyday from these efforts.



I am also working on another Project. ( www.caymanforums.com ) I am very excited about the new Cayman S, especially the Club Sport version which is rumored to be a coming soon. This will be my next Porsche for sure. Once the Cayman S is released I believe there will be a similar enthusiast community, much like the 968. I have a feeling the Cayman is going to be the 968 of this era. On the new site I have lots of great plans in store. Over the past week I collected data for the dealer directory. This should be a great resource for the members of that forum. The experience of building the two forums has been very rewarding as a hobby.



I look forward to adding new features to both forums as the community grows.



Eric

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Shamus]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 3 2005, 10:52 PM']well, you've seen my attempts so far - i wouldn't worry too much about the resistance you've seen from a couple of people - the sensation of "poaching" is inevitable - once people find out about this site, they will come here - it's just a better built site



the other site is really going downhill fast - there are a couple of people who are desperately trying to keep that site going, in spite of the fact that it has been ignored for so long and lacks the features we have here, but sooner or later it will happen



i am thinking of sending an email to everyone over there - many just haven't learned about it yet

[right][post="1366"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





Eric (by your silence) do you condone this type of behavior?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Duckman]

I am still checking and using both sites. If everyone moved from 968.net to 968forums.com, I'd only use this site. However, like many of us, I don't think anyone should poach. As members begin using 968forums.com more, and I believe they will, we will see the shift of usage. If I'm wrong and they don't, well, it's a loss to all of us but to each his own.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SANDOVAL]

I have kept my mouth shut for a reason. I think there is a major problem at 968.net and I will leave it at that. I am tired of constantly arguing, defending, etc. It seems over the years I was one of only a few people that ever voiced his or her opinion about some of the BS that has gone on. The message is cryptic but I do not want to rehash old skeletons. If people want to continue to constantly cause conflict then that is their purgative I am just tired of it I have given up. Some people will never change and I have to move on.



As for Bob I saw nothing wrong with the way he has pointed people to his posted information. I don't think it is unreasonable to say I don't want to post identical information in both places. Especially on a thread about an event. This is information that is better kept in one place for headcount purposes and coordination. ( I know from experience) Furthermore, every other forum on the internet allows members to point to other threads on other forums what he did or has done in the past is not out of the norm. Again I am just tired of the constant harassment and the need to voice my opinion while no one else does. I know Bob and as wacky as he is he is really is a nice guy. I think every person that has come in contact with him on the West Coast would agree. It is only those who have never met him in person that continue to cause conflict.



BTW I think Bob was being sarcastic by saying "Poaching" I think he was saying that others call what he is doing "Poaching" . I don't view that as such. 968.net is 100% unmoderated to steal other people words a drifting ship with no driver. So it is basically a free for all and people can antagonize without a moderator to step in and say please respect the members and settle down.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i was referring to the "sensation" of poaching - that is what some people will feel it is - it is no more poaching though than telling somebody that a gas station here has 100 octane, where the one somebody was previously getting their gas only has 91, and the result is that they end up getting all their gas there instead



it is the same thing - i will tell everyone i can about this site - they can check it out for themselves - i expect that the vast majority will come here instead, purely because of the superior features and moderation and on topic maintenance

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[KensCab]

My $0.02;



I do believe that there will be a 'natural' migration to this site from the other, but it will take some time. There is an awful lot of good info and data on 968.net that has been aquired over time. I agree that the site is or will 'run out of fuel' in the not too distant future, it can not survive for ever running on it's own. I have seen other sites, not Pcar related, that died simply for the reason of not having Moderators! This is an important aspect to keep the threads focused, civil, and to the intent of the site. I for one can greatly appreciate the effort that Eric has made here and the recognition of the necessity of creating this 'more modern' format. I also bounce back and forth from one to the other as there is still great information, advice, and knowledge offered. But, this site is IMHO the future of the 968 community exchange. If Eric asked for or requested even simple donations to help curb the cost of maintaining this site I would participate. I do not believe it was done to prosper himself or anyone else, but a selfless effort to provide the forum to a wonderful community of people dedicated to these great cars. I have several friends that have 944's and have directed them to this forum for the info that is here can often relate to those predecessors of our 968's.

Eric, Thank you for having the vision to create this forum and I am certain that it will be successful... It will take time for others to find it and realize the benefits of this newer modern format.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Etnier]

I think it's exemplary of what's going on that this thread is now being slagged at 968.net: lots of heat and invective- per usual. “You’re welcome to your new board- just go over there and don’t bother us here” is an insular and divisive position to take: not surprisingly it lasted only until minutes after someone found something here to take issue with.



In the old days (My last email is from November 2002), a reader could contact Ray when a 968.net thread went off the rails and hostility got out of hand. It didn’t happen often back then, but it did happen. Ray would personally admonish the combatants, edit as needed, and we were back on track.



This all-but-invisible moderation kept 968.net a very civil board for long enough that many of us came to view it as the be-all and end-all of discussion forums concerning our cars. That was, of course, some time ago. Ray's long, long gone, leaving his creation to follow an arguably Hobbesian path. There are strong arguments to be made for occasional moderation, and lots of evidence close at hand to show what transpires in its absence.



A new car owner posted to 968.net recently, asking for suggestions concerning his 968. Just a few posts down, the thread went south for pages of bickering because people took issue with a statement I naively tossed off as an aside in one of my posts: "Do be sure to visit 968forums.com. A new site, with much less infighting than here, by design." We were off to the races, no one catching the supreme irony of that fact, and I was embarrassed for us all.



I honestly believe that all this can be ascribed to the corrosive effect of cable TV, where shoutfests have become an economic necessity, and the Internet itself, where an ill-considered response is a button-push away. The political climate in the US is about as petty and ridiculous as it could possibly be now, but that's how we selected our President. It's hard for people accustomed to this to remember that hot tempers, impatience and insults constituted inappropriate behavior just a few years ago. They carry what they've gotten used to on the 'box' into their daily lives.



I don’t, any longer, think that this board will supplant 968.net any time soon. That might have happened if personalities hadn’t immediately gotten into the mix, but they did. (Perhaps this board’s introduction could have been preceded by some judicious backchanneling so as to reduce this effect.) I don’t want to be checking and posting to Rennlist, this forum and 968.net on continuous rotation, but I expect to be for some time now.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968Z]

I for one, will use both sites. I do not involve myself in personality conflicts. They are meaningless and trivial. As a novice, so to speak, I consider it best to have as many sources of information as possible. Hell, I joined 968UK.com as well. They have an excellent site, and it can be quite informative. Plus the language used makes it an interesting read!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[jeff968]

i hope the new site works out but I'm okay if the old site hangs around as well. As Etnier stated, there may be a natural progression to this location and if everything is over here, well then, they'll be little reason to visit the other site. i appreciate Eric's time and giving us another place to visit to talk 968s.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Anchorman]

The only criticism/comment I've made about 968forums so far is that I find what shows up on the screen to waste a lot of screen real estate; 968.net is really much friendlier in that regard. And, while I applaud Eric for taking a step to cure infirmities that he perceived existed, I haven't seen (or, at least, I don't think I've seen) the "moderator" benefits show up on 968forums yet, so I'm participating on both boards. I guess I also haven't figured out the other advantages that offer the opportunity for 968forums to be a better place for us than 968.net. So, based on my experience to date, if only the posting of photos was easier and Ray showed some interest, I'd rather see 968.net as the prime 968 gathering place. (Of course, photos and Ray are not trivial issues.)



That's not to say I can't, or won't, learn reasons to change my view. But, for the moment, that's the way I see it.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SANDOVAL]

Anchor- I think you are taking for granted all of the other useful tools this forum has to offer and downplaying them. They may not be something that you feel that you need, however I think the majority of people are used to other forums that have these ammenities. I know I am! Especially as we get new members that never became acustomed to .net. It is like comparing windows 95 and XP. Both work but the new version is faster and has lots of great features.



Here are some of the items you left out...



- Personal Messages

- Members Garage which gives you the ability to manage your space

- Image gallery that has a lot of potential to be a great archive.

-The ability to attach video, PDF's, images

-The ability to post images in every post (968.net can never do this unless the software is changed it is not that simple)

- A Forsale Section managed by the users

-MODERATORS! You have not heard from them A. the people causing conflict are not here, they have yet to sign up. The discussions have been very civil from day one. B. There has been a couple instances where they have stepped in. These cases are taken care of with Personal massaging and nipped in the bud immediately. It does not need to be public I think in respect to those involved it is best to take it offline.

-A board that you can manipulate to fit your need. (See your control panel if you don't know what I mean)

- A real calendar to post event dates

- A robust Search tool which takes a split second to search even with a huge data base. Unlike the minutes you must wait with the old forum software.

-Notification of who is online

-Notification of Personal Messages

-SPELL CHECK!

-An Admin that wants to participate and help grow the forum

-Hosting that is fully managed on the latest and greatest platforms. Which will be upgraded as time goes on. So no need to fear if the site is going to disappear.



I can keep going if you would like

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Etnier]

I think one of this site's most promising features is here.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SANDOVAL]

I skiped that one... I could not name them all by myself! I 100% agree it is something we could have used years ago. So many great threads over the passed few years that could have resulted in documented manuals. I really do apreciate everyone that participates in the DIY section.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

of course i agree with nearly everything being said here - this is going to be a great resource



i doubt it could have gone any other way though - it would have been nice if things went smoothly, but the personalities involved on both "sides" (and i hesitate to use the term "sides", but can't think of a better one, given the polarity) meant that the conflict in the process was inevitable - eric, while with nothing but the best of intentions, would still have gotten the same resistance from the same people, just because it was him, and they were them - there is a long history of conflict between those people and just about anybody else who has something else to say - i have been the focus of the resistance because i am who i am - no problem - i am happy to take the heat, and allow eric to develop this site unencumbered - if i get a lot of flack and take a lot of shots in the process of helping make this site the resource we all know it can be, so be it - the hassle i incur is a very worthwhile investment - hopefully those who are struggling right now will all come to understand that this is better, and come to appreciate it as we do - the community is only weakened by the loss of members



a few times now, people have referred to the "wealth of information" on 968.net - granted, a lot of things were worked out in that forum, and i am not taking anything away from that, but it won't be hard to take the results of all that work and make them available as a simple search q&a database - most of what is over there is a lot of back and forth to get to a final result - those results of note and benefit will quickly be brought over here and made available in a quick search, something that is not particularly easy over there



eric has a lot of plans for this site, a couple of which he and i have talked about - some of them include a links section to vendors and other resource sites, as well as a "sightings" section where people can post sightings of unknown 968s, so we can connect and bring more people into the community - he is very open to suggestion, and that in and of itself will help facilitate the easy and natural development of this site



eric - in case i haven't said it enough - good on ya



kum-ba-ya

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[BigL2U]

I am a member of multiple Mercedes forums, RennList, 968.net, and 6Speedonline. I think some people will join/lurk in silence and other will contribute. As long as we post positive, relevant, and accurate information, the site will continue to grow. There is definitely room for another 968 forum on the web so one doesn't have to go away so that another can prosper. Just google "BMW forum" and you'll get a zillion forums back.



One thing that bothered me about 968.net was the lack of moderation and the surperflous bickering. So far, that hasn't been a problem here and this forum tool is pretty cool (spell checking, post preview, PM, image uploads, etc..).



Patience is key,

Big L

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[rustech]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 4 2005, 03:23 PM']...as well as a "sightings" section where people can post sightings of unknown 968s, so we can connect and bring more people into the community[right][post="1401"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



O/T, but wouldn't it be cool to contact 968 ebay buyers every time there is a car purchased? They could be contacted from like "welcome@968forums.com" or something. A lot of cars sell everyday. Just thinking aloud.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

[quote name='flash' date='Mar 4 2005, 09:13 AM']

i was referring to the "sensation" of poaching - that is what some people will feel it is - it is no more poaching though than telling somebody that a gas station here has 100 octane, where the one somebody was previously getting their gas only has 91, and the result is that they end up getting all their gas there instead



At first, I thought sending an email to those on 968.net would be a questionable tactic, but after reading the above, I can't really argue with the logic.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.