Guys, I have a question that many of us have been discussing offline.

You have many categories for discussions, and have even provided vendor "sub-categories" within the categories. I thought this was a great idea, because I'd hoped it would allow for vendors to showcase their product offerings without poluting technical discussions with their sales pressures... However, that has not been the case. With regular frequency vendors constantly jump into technical discussion threads to push sales upon members...


Also, there are a number of us who take the time and the effort to document and share what we do in working on our respective rides. We are finding it difficult to understand why it is that our technical discussion posts, which provide tons of USEFUL data don't get "stuck" at the top of categories, while vendor and other posts do.

So what's the intent for Technical discussion categories? If our contributions get burried in the day to day site traffic, it makes you wonder why put forth the effort on 6speeds...

So what's the deal gang? I post this because I care and am concerned... If I didn't, I wouldn't be here... It's that simple, and others feel the same way.

Mike Kelly

 

Mike, you have a good point..if sponsors are going to participate in technical discussions it should be to add their technical knowledge to the specific discussion not promote their own business/products or berate someone else's business/product...I would say that if you see a sponsor or another member detracting from a technical discussion with their behavior or remarks report it

 

Agree, can't ask a freaking question without vendors trying to make a sale without answering any question whatsoever.

How about a little integrity to these forums.

 

"Marski" is a positive example of a vendor that "educates" in a discussion. I think some of the other vendors need to learn from this. Anyone that has seen Kevin's (UMW) posts on the web can understand why he is still very successful in the Porsche field.

I agree, recently it's been getting a little like walking into a large electronics store and being circled by commissioned sales guys (maybe a lower end used car lot is a better example?). I know we have a choice, but I think with the sheer weight of good people and information here I'd like to hang around and share.
I'm happy for your comment Chuck, I think the site is at a juncture where it could go the way of the real estate brochures we get in the mail; I don't read them any more.

 

we try to do all we can...and we have more moderators now which helps...but we can't come close to watching every thread and the quality of the site is just as dependent on the members to be our eyes and ears...if someone comes into a technical discussion with no intention to contribute but just to sell, report them...tell them you don't appreciate their actions and won't consider doing business with them if that is how they conduct themselves on a public forum...sounds simple doesn't it...so simple in fact that it just might work

 

Thanks chuck!

 

I fully support Mike's plan....the forums have gotten to the point of having little to do with driving...just bling fests....

Jeff


(I miss the VIR threads...)

 

Here's the other thing, and Chuck this really needs to be addressed... I'm getting pretty sick of reading the admins and mods collective minds on what is and isn't allowed... I posted a link to a 996TT at a regional Porsche dealership last night... Today it's gone... Now me personally, I have nothing to gain by pointing my fellow 6speeders to a potential deal... But I guess because this dealership isn't a sponsor, I can't link it?

Really? And you wonder why there is some frustration?

Mike

 

I don't have any problem with the post you made and it is back up...some other mod probably saw your sig and didn't appreciate it...too bad you weren't made a mod...you would find it is not as easy as you think...sometimes if things just look fishy they get removed because we are overtasked and since we are all volunteers we don't have enough time to make everyone happy...why don't you chill a bit when you see something like this and just ask about it...things like this are easy to fix and not worth getting worked up about

 

Chuck, Sorry friend but I've been in your shoes... I ran a site as the sr. admin for 8 years. I know well how things happen and how hard it is to keep track of things. If your mods and admins can't make basic common sense decisions then they need to be replaced...

Chuck, I appreciate you and all you do. You're one of the good guys, but the folks who own this site need to pull their collective heads out of their *****... Me recommending a car to one of our members will only help the coveted vendors, because a member would buy it and then want to "mod it"... Helping vendor sales, the apparent lifeblood of everything that motivates the people that own this site.

It's really not that hard to do the right thing. With good membership, a site can run itself most days... Treat your membership with apathy and disrespect and they will revolt... And leave... And then where will that leave those precious vendors?

Just a thought...

Mike