Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Topic: Extending Forum Time Limitations and more! (Read 2892 times) previous topic - next topic

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

March 14, 2015, 08:37:06 PM

New to the forum here, but not new to the forum software being used. The one thing I notice here on this forum is the time limits on posting or just thinking about what your going to say for post information. I know of several people that mentioned being disconnected without notice.
If I may respectfully make a suggestion to help curve this disconnecting time problem which seems to work for us very well in our other forum and I think it is a great idea to think about here.

What we have done with our For Sale section of the forum is restricted to members that have made a donation to the forum. Once you have made a donation from say...10-20 bucks, you get the ability to be able to post your parts or whatever, for sale. This keeps the riff-raff out that just want to be ebay wanna-bees and join just to sell their stuff here. Also, being a donator to the forum, you get to edit your own posting in case you decide you need to update or change your posting for any reason at all. This saves space and double postings and is a great initiative to want to donate to the forum, just like the selling feature is. Next would be a donators badge placed on your profile to show others you have made the list as a dedicated member and made a donation to keep the forum running for everyone. These badges are placed and every post you make, like an avatar are shown. This gives people a little integrity as a member and lets new members want to give as well. Having this badge placed on your profile gives forum administrators an easier job of checking who is enabled to post items for sale, instead of someone just joining to sell and never being seen again. Also it could keep anyone out that could possibly sell something and never sending out the item being sold and keeping the money and skipping with the money. It probably doesn't happen much here, but the door is wide open here which I noticed right away. Scammers are increasing and this is a good idea to shut that door all the way.

The final thing that the forum could include in this return for a donation is the incentive to donate a little more by creating some type of forum vinyl decal that can be placed on a vehicle or wherever. You can have a small size for the 10 to 24 dollar donation which can range is size from about 2in. H x 8in. L. The next and final size for being a donator of say..25 dollars on up could be an upper windshield vinyl decal. This would be that little bit extra incentive enough to give just a little more and get the whole package and be a dedicated forum member.

Back to this time/disconnection issue I mentioned. To me, this issue is a pain in the butt. It needs to be increased and that is fair to say. I am sure everyone would agree also that this needs to be looked at. It's not hard to do and worried about bandwidth issues is just not good enough to not increase the time allowed. Not everyone writes down what they want to post here prior to posting it. They do it on the fly, then hit enter and pooof! everything they just typed in is erased. That just makes for frustration and has happened to me quite a few times. Heck, maybe some one has to go to the bathroom, come back a bit later to being logged out? Try an increase of 120 minutes would solve much of this and allow the system to keep a person logged in until he has finished doing what he came to do.

One last thought would be for a small chat room box at the forums main forum thread page. This is a wonderful tool for the forum. It gives people a chance to say something that doesn't need to be posted on a thread. Gives people a chance to communicate without having to do it through forum threads. Helps people get to know others a little bit more. One other thing this would be great for is for Administration to make announcements. It would be impossible not to see an announcement because this chat room box is the first thing you see when opening that forum thread listings page. It puts out the word cleanly and makes administration jobs a lot easier. Not everyone reads a thread for TOS and stuff. But everyone luvs to read what someone had to say if they just stopped in and had a thought and didn't think it deserved a full posting in a thread. Just another great tool to help increase membership and makes things easier.

Below shows the vBulletin software chat box format as well as the donation bar that can be also supported here. Something to think about!!!

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #1 – March 15, 2015, 01:02:47 AM

I understand the length issue, but not the preferred membership part. Not all of us have money to post parts. Raising funds hasn't been an issue, and people that have had issues with sending out parts are either banned or dealt with.

Nobody likes getting screwed, but i see no reason to restrict membership based on a monetary value. Part what makes this forum unique is how lax and easy to get along with each other this small community is. Excluding new comers would drive people away or to other sites. This isn't like mustang boards. You could join 30 of them and not feel excluded.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #2 – March 16, 2015, 07:44:39 PM

For me donating is a private thing so I would not need a badge. What I need are the members here who are great to shoot the shiznit with and discuss these cars whether someone donates or not. I think the better way to police the Marketplace would be to have a minimum number of posts required but that is just me. The Marketplace is actually quit free of spammers so I'm good with how it is but I am but one member. We have talked about a decal for the site that can be put on the cars but it just does not gain much traction so nothing much comes of it.

Spend some time on here and get a feel for the community and I think you will see that it is pretty good in the areas you have mentioned. By no means do I want to come off as Negative Nancy or anything as I do appreciate the way you approached this post.

I don't seem to have an issue with the time/disconnect issue (not sure why) so I will leave that one up to the rest of the group.

Darren

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #3 – March 16, 2015, 11:53:30 PM

I've been here for quite some time, and the forum always seems to mange itself pretty well. bad stuff is taken care of quickly, ans the members are very good at managing themselves, and doing what is right for other members as well.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #4 – March 17, 2015, 02:33:15 AM

Some years back, 88turbo had some sweet decals printed up and sold several to some of us...I still have one, just waiting on that special Fox Bird to find a home amongst my ponies...fifth time is the charm, I swear this.

As for the other stuff; I've never had been knocked off the forum, nor had any issues with it, and the spammer that got me was my own stupidity, rather than a failure of a mod here. In fact, once we had made our issues with the asshat known, he was banned so fast I don't think he knew what hit him. A side lesson here is never "gift" anyone money, unless you have some DNA in common, or you trust the person and/or know them well.

I can honestly say this probably the most relaxed, mellow, and still humorous forums I have ever been a part of...and a few years ago, there was a change that was implemented, and several folks chipped in to help cover some of the costs.

If that ever comes about, I'll gladly throw in a hundred bucks, or whatever amount is needed....the info and help and laughs I've gotten from this place...these folks in the last ten years or so....you can't put a price tag on that shiznit and I'd be insulted to have a badge that said "paid subscription member" or some such.

Vinnie nailed it. We look after our own, and those that have gouged others for money or parts usually find themselves on the outside. I've no bone of contention with management...

Some forums have admins that just don't give a rat's ringpiece, and other places are so strict if you mention swapping a newer part onto a certain year of (4 eyed) Fox, half the bunch tears you a new arse 'ole.

I like happy mediums...and I don't mean just a pleased spirit communicator... LOL.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #5 – March 22, 2015, 10:47:08 AM

I would rather be exposed to more listings and retain the option of exercising my own discretion when contemplating a car or parts purchase than having some other entity police, filter, and limit those choices. I want to know of every possible Cougar out there for sale and then leave it up to my own discernment on whether or not to pursue, not some regulator's discernment on whether or not we are allowed to even be made aware of the possible item for sale.

And the whole "look at me, look how much money I gave" is not the type of mentality or tone I enjoy being around. Many of us here give a lot in various forms. Some give money, some give time, some give parts ideas, some create new parts, some have helped with forum calendars, some give parts, and even cars, to others, and on and on. Flaunting that type of thing next to every post, on your windshield, etc. reeks of self-righteous pride that unfortunately creeps into many aspects of the car world but fortunately has for the most part, stayed away from this community. There's more ways to contribute than money and many have done just that over the years without the need to remind the board with every post they make.

I don't want to be forced to pay for regulation and limited choices. We have more than enough of that from our government.

I don't understand why someone would need two hours to type a few paragraphs but if it doesn't open the software up to more vulnerabilities, I'm indifferent on that one. However if that exposes the software to vulnerabilities, there are other ways folks who need two hours to write some sentences can draft without losing their work.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #6 – March 22, 2015, 12:03:27 PM

honestly, I will quit here before someone tells me I have to donate to do, or sell something here.
I donate when we need funds, not because someone wants funds, I also dont buy from people unless they have been here for a while either.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #7 – March 22, 2015, 12:36:37 PM

Don't worry, Jerry, I'd pull the plug on the forum before I ever required payment to use it or any feature of it. This forum is about Fox Birdcats, not money. Some help is appreciated from time to time to help pay for hosting, etc, but it will never be mandatory, nor will there ever be "paywalls"

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #8 – March 23, 2015, 10:10:08 AM

What disconnection issue is the OP talking about because I can post at will and haven't typed in my password in about a week. I wipe out all my cookies and whatnot about every 2 weeks. I can close the window and reopen and I'm still logged in.

This place has found a harmonious balance. Any of those proposed changes would rock the boat.

Extending Forum Time Limitations and more!

Reply #9 – March 23, 2015, 10:56:49 AM

Badges, we don't need no stinking badges.