I have reached out to customers and other vendors. I hope to see responses. I hope they do the same...


and I would not be this passionate about this if I did not feel it would better help the community organization, gaining new members, and having vendors working in harmony.

 

Vendor Directory is NOT a waste of space. It is good for people that are looking specific products or services. Remember that IB is running a business here and the name of the game is advertising. They need to find as many ways to get their sponsors in the public's eyes. That's what pays the bills. Now that being said I agree that sometime people get carried away with the posting of their products. They post it on every forum even if it's got nothing to do with with that specific forum. All this does is make 6speed all about the advertisers. Now a good balance is to have a vendor classified section for every category like we have for the 997 section. We can keep the selling in the classified section for the proper category. As long as you start a thread about your product and it is about your product meaning: introducing a new product, R&D of a product, checking interest about a product and not just selling you product, it can be done in the general section. If it is a group buy, available inventory, services, or anything that has to do with the selling of your product it needs to go in the classified section of that specific category. I think club Lexus works like this but without the classified section for each model. Since 6speed tends to so many different auto enthusiast it needs to be split up accordingly.

To be honest with you I am new to this forum world. I agree with Dan that you need to participate in the general forum in order to make it work. I also think that I am more or less saying the same as Dan did with minor changes. The only major change is that vendors should be able to start thread marketing their products as long as it is about informing people what the product does.

I don't know if this makes any sense but it is 2:30 in the AM... I'll read it tomorrow morning any probably make some changes. Hope this helps!

Let me know what you think.

Janoy

 

I personally think the vendor directory is a good idea. There are tons of sponsors on this board, and some aren't as active posters as others. The directory helps aid in finding a specific rep for a specific company.

I like Dan's idea for vendor specific sections. Although on this board, there are so many sponsors that there would be tons of in-active sections.

 

I like the vendor listing page, a nice touch. I'm curious to see if it's used, and what kind of traffic it will bring. It sucks that the "basic vendors" aren't given a banner, that looks kinda cheesey. Had I known, I would have begged management for a higher level of sponsorship just to get a silly banner.

 

Very good idea!! i like the format. +1

 

My own opinion, and I've mentioned this to IB, is that I don't find it useful, but perhaps some are finding it useful. In fact, because I use various pop up blockers, and IB decided to host the banner ads we see on the right margin a different way, I no longer even see all the banners. I just can't take all the blatant banner advertising above, below, buried in posts, and it's disturbing how commercialized this site has become.

It's not all about the money. Look at the long timer sites like PPBB and others. They thrive because of the community of people, NOT solely because of money generating flashing ads in your face on every screen.

Hope you IB guys can understand this, though I doubt it. It seems from the sites I know and visit, when IB comes a-calling, the ads outweigh the community/content. Sorry, just honest feedback guys. I've been here since weeks before this board launched, and plunked down my cash well before it went live. Now, I just shake my head in disbelief.

 

Thanks for your feedback guys, its really appreciated!

Thomas and Janoy, we can do the specific sections for sponsors - up until now the feedback I received (outside of Dan) had lead me to believe it wouldn't be successful.
I would like to consult the rest of the users first.


Eric - we haven't changed the amount of advertising displayed on pages to members since we have purchased the site to my knowledge.
We have changed the way some of the files are hosted (so as you mentioned you can't see some of them now because they are hosted through doubleclick) this was done to improve the page load times for our members.

 

format is kinda bland, but will be handy for me as I use Firefox with Adblock+ so see no vendor logos, ads, images, nothing - and I want to, and do when possible, support them - now instead of opening a different browser to see the images of the vendor I am looking for, I can try this first

 

I have read everything. And, I like to make compromises....

I'd leave it alone as it can help people "find" local vendors....I recently moved from PA to FL and I found a new person 2 miles from my place of work.... ON the other hand, I have very good relationships with some vendors here and plan to maintain them once I get my old house sold.

I think a look at the rx8club site that Dan noted in his post above is/was worthwhile. I'd like the forums to be devoid of "ads" as much as possible. The real question is this. Say I am happy with a complete package I got from vendor X...do I mention this on the general forum or in the vendor forum....and I don't want to look like I am an ad....


Anyway, back to the point, I used it and it helped me. There needs to be some recognition for vendor level of course...icons, etc., but from there keep track of hits and such. BTW, Eric is on target with his feelings. Users want solutions to their problems and to discuss plans, not to see ads. I come here for help and to help. If you make that easier and the focus, to help people...to share information, this place will thrive even in bad times. Just my 2c.

Jeff

 

I actually like the idea of a sponsor directory. As much as I can, I'd like to direct my $ (I used to use $$$ but the economy isn't so good right now) to those that let me have fun here without paying to subscribe. I'm in the market for wheels and so I've been checking out the directory quite a bit.

I also like the idea of a vendor-only forum to announce new products, group buys, special deals, etc. On ar15.com there's a "new products" forum and I look there a lot. I'd love to see that here.

 

I am suprised no other vendors spoke out that I reached out to. They ***** in private but cant share their constructive feelings?

Adrian, this is a good idea. The Vendor Directory is great, but really not cleaning up the vendor posts EVERYWHERE.

 

When can we implement this????????????

 

I would also like to see individual sponsor's sections. The vendor directory is fun to have for customers looking for a local source but like every forum, it is always a bump battle to get to the top. Individual sections would stop that and this would let the customer decide where they want to go to check out who's offering what.

 

I really like you new Vendor directory, very well done. Vernon.

 

Here is a perfect example of why we need Vendor specific classifieds for each sponsor. Posted in both the 997TT and 996TT section. Same thing, different car. Its pushing the rules cause there is no prices? But really it is a for sale ad.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post2486577

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...n-upgrade.html

Vendors need to be kept seperated from General topics in regards to product promotion. Please input a Vendor Section for product promotion like on www.rx8club.com. I am speaking up for people as well as myself who will not post up.