Please consider upgrading to a more modern forum

[MikeyH]

Long time member here, but with a low post count. I also appreciate the simple, clear format of the forum but mostly the quality of content.

I joined in 2011 when looking at Z4M’s because this place was a wonderful source of info and advice. The Z4M didn’t happen for various reasons and I went back to TVR’s instead.

I hung around because it just felt like a pleasant place to visit and useful/relevant for insights into the N52 in my beloved and much missed 130i.

A pub analogy (bear with me, it makes sense in my head):
Visiting this forum is like sitting in an old and friendly country pub, listening to well informed people discuss interesting topics. I may not have much to contribute but don’t feel like I am intruding and if I did say something I wouldn’t get shouted down or excluded.
The patrons are grown ups with a sense of humour, not shouty, know it all drunken dickheads looking for a fight like the Facebook pubs. Nor does it have loud music, flashy trinkets, tacky decor or tattooed, aggressive bouncers on the door.


It feels like enthusiast forums of old, before social media encouraged people to act like assholes on the internet.

I’m looking for the right Z4 again (3.0Si this time) and this choice is partly due to the tech knowledge (I enjoy working on as much as driving cars) and community this forum provides.

Exactly

 

[MikeyH]

Why not put it to a poll and see what the majority thinks? Me, personally, love the forum just the way it is.

So do I

 

[enuff_zed]

[ref]swanny71[/ref], the pub analogy is spot on.
Could you please make one more post so someone who's been here for 14 years isn't shown as a Newbie.

 

[Hb1]

I think it’s totally fair to discuss the modernisation of the forum. Whether they happen or not is another issue but a discussion doesn’t hurt.

I’m a keen reader of the forum and trying to absorb the wisdom the seasoned Z4 owners. I agree it’s totally fine as is but I don’t know what I’m missing out on because I’ve nothing to compare it to (deleted FB account over 10 years ago).

For a fair comparison I really think you’d need to present all the differences and features with examples on other forums to present them. Not a small piece of work unfortunately.

 

[swanny71]

[ref]swanny71[/ref], the pub analogy is spot on.
Could you please make one more post so someone who's been here for 14 years isn't shown as a Newbie.

Done

edit - still a newbie

 

[tomscott]

I dont think its about retention of current users, its a place as discussed that people hang around for years! PVR had a 10 year hiatus but has been here the whole time. I bought my first in 2011 and sold it in 2014 and stayed around posting and ended up getting another one in 2019.

The argument is attracting newer users who are a different age demographic and are used to newer platforms that help engage.

Honestly, I used to write mega threads, but it takes so much time compared to other platforms. Also having kids etc time is more finite now and those improvements would certainly be welcome to me.

 

[enuff_zed]

[ref]swanny71[/ref], the pub analogy is spot on.
Could you please make one more post so someone who's been here for 14 years isn't shown as a Newbie.

Done

edit - still a newbie

Oh, I must have the numbers wrong, sorry.
Yup, just checked. it's 50!

 

[swanny71]

Singing the forum praises has pricked my conscience. It’s been years since I clicked the donate button.

Now done, with thanks to all who help keep this place running.

 

[IRD]

Over the years I have had some challenging experiences with IT updates, supposedly made to benefit the user. On occasion this has proved to be irritating and sometimes stressful. I am thinking of changes made, for example, by my bank and also to my Apple equipment. I am sure that there are other forum member who would be able to give such examples too. Bad experiences with anything do tend to colour your judgement.
But I do hold up my hands and admit that increasing age has made me resistant to change. My requirements for this Forum are more than met by the current arrangements. So unless it could be clearly demonstrated in advance, that any changes would be beneficial to all users without adding extra layers and complications I would be reluctant to support them.
However, I do agree that it is important to encourage questions and imho eBrooker has been very reasonable in how he has approached this issue.

 

[B21]

Folks as usual are missing the point..

There’s not a suggestion of political change ..more allowing the use of more modern media ..

Unlike other forums on this forum you can’t.

Insert a YouTube video

Use thumbnails

Proffer support / disagreement to a post without formally clogging up space with ‘I agree’ post

Doesn’t format well for mobile devices

Allow use of pdf or other file formats to allow interchange with other users

Support multi media on pm

Alerts to non email systems

Amongst other things

 

[obewan]

I joined in 2013 when I bought an E85. For me the forum works just fine. I'm not a prolific poster, preferring to search for information (not just cars) or mooch about the many varied topics.

I'm not on any other forums and don't do FB, X, etc, etc. Yep I'm 60+
Maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

BTW - Loved the M8 comment Crazy Harry

Anyway, what's the big man (sp3ctre) think?

 

[john-e89]

Folks as usual are missing the point..

Au contraire, tis thee that appears to be missing the point, the majority know all that but don’t want / need it, that’s the point being….er…pointed out….

 

[Bear]

Folks as usual are missing the point..

There’s not a suggestion of political change ..more allowing the use of more modern media ..

Unlike other forums on this forum you can’t.

Insert a YouTube video

Use thumbnails

Proffer support / disagreement to a post without formally clogging up space with ‘I agree’ post

Doesn’t format well for mobile devices

Allow use of pdf or other file formats to allow interchange with other users

Support multi media on pm

Alerts to non email systems

Amongst other things

Modern doesn't always equal better. Put me firmly in the 'leave alone' camp. The level of support for free is incredible - and knowledge? Off the chart. It's a fantastic corner of the internet here. We're lucky to have it.

 

[Scooba_Steve]

It is a bit of a pain that you can't just drag and drop photos. Also means there end up being dead links.

 

[sp3ctre]

First off, changing the forum would cause a massive drop in traffic, there's no two ways about it. Google simply hates mass change of content and url's. It may recover, it may not, but organic traffic to forums across the internet is at an all time low, so it's simply not worth the risk (and Discorse is awful, btw!).

I am certainly open to suggestions for features, and will implement some as and when I get time. I have a full time job which is busier than ever, so I don't have the time that I used to.

There is a reason I disabled multi media in PM's btw... it seems that as soon as you enable that people decide to send porn and dick pics to people! I thought about enabling it for posters over a required post limit, but that leads to confusion... That said, I may consider it.

It's always good to hear what people like and dislike about the forum, it's not perfect by any means but there are a core group of regular members who make up the majority of the traffic that seem to get on with it, so I am very aware that I don't want to make drastic changes to ruin it for them.

Keep the conversation going guys, it's all good stuff!

 

[sp3ctre]

btw, you can embed youtube videos, but you just need to paste the code from the end of the url in... not ideal, I know... I'll look to fix that so it works better

 

[B21]

btw, you can embed youtube videos, but you just need to paste the code from the end of the url in... not ideal, I know... I'll look to fix that so it works better

Yup I realise there are work around to many of those issues..software enhancements are a bottomless pit..the traffic fall off I didn’t appreciate..

 

[Pondrew]

Folks as usual are missing the point..

Oh what it must be like to be so superior.....

Obnoxious twat.

 

[Pondrew]

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[Pondrew]

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