Given the change in scenery with the BBS lately, I'd like to make the following suggestions to PaulH and the rest of the decision-makers around here.

1. Create a new forum devoted to helping out new users, and make it the first forum on the main forums list. That way it'll be the first one new users see, and it will be clear where to go to get a question answered as soon as possible.
2. I think the next forum on the list should be Off Topic. The "General" forum kinda sounds like it's for "general" discussion, when in reality, it should be Empeg discussion that doesn't fit anywhere else. I think people see "General" and just throw their questions/comments out there.
3. With this in mind, I think General should be renamed "General Empeg Discussion" to make it more evident that it's for Empeg discussion, and other stuff belongs elsewhere.

Yes, I myself have contributed to some of the more off-topic threads lately, and if I had the power to move those threads into the Off Topic forum, I would have done so.... I love to discuss other things besides our wonderful car MP3 player here, but I think in the interest of making it easier for those who are coming in search of Empeg information, I think things can be streamlined a little.

What's everyone think?

Just posted right before you. I completly agree.

-Greg

I think it's easier to have fewer forums why do people hate the off topic posts so much can't you just skip them

Its not that I hate them, its that then end up in places off-topic discussions should take place.

-Greg

I think the forum structure is fine the way it is. Having another space for new user questions is going to create some confusion and may not serve everyone's interests.

I think that the description for the General forum can be tweaked slightly by moving the word "empeg" to the left. "General Empeg Discussion" seems reasonable to me. Of course I've never had a problem understanding the previous description and purpose of the forum.

The BBS growth has likely seen its peak. Everyone here now will get the hang of everything soon enough. The FAQ for the BBS is important to read, IMO and everyone should be checking out the FAQ at riocar.org. Next is the very powerful SEARCH capabilities of this forum. It works and it works very well. Maybe the BBS FAQ should be updated to reflect some of these suggestions and guidelines - maybe in a fairly direct way.

Bruno

yn0t_: 1.(....) Create a new forum devoted to helping out new users(....)
2.(...) ... next forum on the list should be Off Topic. ..... I think people see "General" and just throw their questions/comments out there.
3. (....) General should be renamed "General Empeg Discussion" to make it more evident that it's for Empeg discussion, and other stuff belongs elsewhere.

I strongly agree with #3 and #2 - try to catch OT stuff before it clutters General. Not sure I agree with #1 -- at some point in the not-to-distant future, the number of real "new users" will be pretty small. Also, with all of the excellent FAQs out there, I'd be careful about adding anything that distracts folks from going to the FAQs first. IMO, if the FAQs don't address it, then it would be appropriate for General.

Yes, I myself have contributed to some of the more off-topic threads lately

Well, thank goodness!!! I don't get the sense that you or a majority of folks are hanging around waiting for an opportunity to recklessly pull some thread off-topic. It has happened, for sure, but I would rate your contributions in that regard as well-reasoned, principled challenges to bad BBS juju. OK, so they're emotional and you swear a lot. All the better. (Seriously , I give two thumbs up to whoever turned off the censor feature!!)

, and if I had the power to move those threads into the Off Topic forum, I would have done so.... I love to discuss other things besides our wonderful car MP3 player here, but I think in the interest of making it easier for those who are coming in search of Empeg information, I think things can be streamlined a little.

I've seen a few BBSes where threads get locked as soon as someone expresses a minority opinion or *anything* remotely off-topic. I say thank goodness that this BBS has the resilience and openness not to fall into a knee-jerk posture like that.

That being said, the mention by Rob that some Empeg folks are not reading the BBS due to irrelevant volume is alarming. Not good. If some combination of staying more on topic in particular fora, rearranging them to minimize drift, and reinforcing FAQs helps to increase signal-to-noise and keep Empeg folks tuned in, I hope we can manage to do that.

Moderation? Well, this hasn't been a thread-locking kind of place, but I see the recent lock as entirely appropriate. Folks intent on OT can always post here in OT.

My belated New Year's BBS resolutions? I'll' try not to contribute to OT drift. I'll try to remember that being the victor in the battle for the last word does not necessarily mean you are right.

I have been kicking around various versions of a new (maybe new, I don't know) acronym for use in risk-of-OT-death-spiral situations -- IMOWSJIT or IMOWSJFT (IMO we should just forget/ignore this) -- let someone else (even if I think they are ill-informed) have the last word and move on...

at some point in the not-to-distant future, the number of real "new users" will be pretty small. Also, with all of the excellent FAQs out there, I'd be careful about adding anything that distracts folks from going to the FAQs first. IMO, if the FAQs don't address it, then it would be appropriate for General.

Granted. Bruno mentioned this one too. I guess if there were more car players available this kind of forum might be necessary, but I see the point about how things will slow down soon. I withdraw the motion.

OK, so they're emotional and you swear a lot. All the better. (Seriously , I give two thumbs up to whoever turned off the censor feature!!)

Yeah, that's me... Trying to keep things interesting. And they didn't turn the censor feature off, I circumvented it a couple of times with shady UBB code. We don't have many 8 year olds browsing the BBS and I wanted to get a point across. Probably the first time I've needed to use expletives around here, and hopefully the last.

In reference to your comments about thread locking, I don't think we'll ever become that Draconian around here. But I do think sometimes the BBS could benefit from some more active *moving* of threads to the appropriate areas. If UBB supports it.

Anyway what I really hope to see is more of these new guys becoming valuable contributors, not just to Empeg hacking, but to the discussions around here, whether they're on topic or not. But let's hope they put those off-topic threads in this forum.

yn0t_: I circumvented it a couple of times with shady UBB code.

Oh, [censored], [censored], master! Teach me the mystical secrets!

Oh, [censored], [censored], master! Teach me the mystical secrets!

I'll probably get smacked for doing so, but it was mentioned earlier by someone else anyway... You put open and close tags within the word... I do it with bold tags, like "h[b][/b]ogwash!" or "f[b][/b]iddlesticks!"

I think it's easier to have fewer forums why do people hate the off topic posts so much can't you just skip them

Because off topic discussions in the other fourms drive empeg employees away.

I guess I hadn't been following that one. I think that stupid off topic postings are the problem more so than just off topic stuff. even the empeg guys posted and participated in off topic postings.

how about just deleting (not just lock) the moronic postings like the one that was just pointed out.

Why lock Osama's post? Osama speak generally. Osama speak generally on topic. Or is it generally off topic? Either way it general. And I am general of taliban army.

Anyway........Put your AK-47 in, put your AK-47 out, put your AK-47 in and shoot it all about. Do the jihad yeehaw aaaannd turn yourself around, that's what it's all about!

In fairness, I didn't mean to imply that anyone had been driven away by the off topic posts specifically - but the sheer volume of posts we get now is not compatible with the workload most of us have

I mostly read and post from home now. I suspect that this rush will settle down a bit once all the new users have got all the new user stuff worked out

Rob

In fairness, I didn't mean to imply that anyone had been driven away by the off topic posts specifically - but the sheer volume of posts we get now is not compatible with the workload most of us have

Sad but true. I used to keep on top of the whole BBS (except forums like Installs, where I'd have nothing to contribute), but now I just skim.

(And incidentally, I personally don't think a thread called "I Crush Empeg" started by a poster called "Osama Bin Laden" needs to be in a forum called "Off-Topic" for people to realise that it's off-topic. But whatever. As others have said, much dafter things could have been done but weren't, like locking Mr Bin Laden's account.)

I suspect that this rush will settle down a bit once all the new users have got all the new user stuff worked out

I hope so.

Peter

Keep in mind that new users will no longer be "new" soon enough. And the influx of new users has already slowed and will (arguably) stop completely very soon.

The BBS will return to normal pretty soon I think. Adding another forum and changing things around would be counterproductive in my opinion.

Keep in mind that new users will no longer be "new" soon enough.

Right, seven people already informed me of that, and I conceded that point.

But I still stand by my statement that IWBNI General were more focused on Empeg stuff, and off-topic threads could be moved to the right forums so that those who want to "get in and get out" can get the info they need. People are reporting bugs there, asking for features there, etc. and it'd be more effective if those things were in the right spot.

Actually I'd love to see a merger of this BBS and RioCar.org under one site.

With over 4000 empeg 1's, 2's and 2a's.... why so few members? I always assumed that this board was a big part of the empeg experience. In that regard, our membership here is slim.

> With over 4000 empeg 1's, 2's and 2a's.... why so few members?

4000 Empegs and 1600 BBS users. I actually thought that was a damn good number. With what other product ever created can you say that probably somewhere between 25% to 50% of all the users of the product (I'm guessing) talk to each other?

I wonder how many people are just lurkers and not members as well. I know i lurked for a looong time before i signed up and had anything to say.

I know i lurked for a looong time before i signed up and had anything to say.

Ah, if only everyone were as wise.

Hehe, i just noticed we have the same status (old-hand), yet you've made almost EXACTLY 10 times as many posts as me.

There's some sort of a bug in the BBS. I'm stuck permanently at "old hand". Don't know why.

what about a welcome type page when users sign up? It doesn't help peoplewho are signed up and lurking but for new users we can include a breakdown of where to find things and how the BBS works. Much of it is in FAQs already but some of the more common ones could be listed explicitly.

Hmm... 1600 users, but I'd say maybe 30 of those actively "talk" to each other. Maybe another 10 or so, like myself, just sort of talk. :-D If 1600 users actually started talking to each other, I'm not going to stick around very long. :-D

Calvin

About the only thing I wish for on this BBS is a killfile.... I only need it for a few......

Oh, I wish *Plonk* was a reality now.