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Bob Stringfield
United Kingdom
854 Posts |
 Posted - 07/03/2008 : 10:46:54
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Has the Triple-M Register Forum in its present form outlived its usefulness?
When compared to the range of subjects available on the recently expanded VSCC Forum ( and on many other Forums, ( such as the one for Seagull Outboard Motors, for example ) together with the range of posting options for text and website links, photos, etc., which most now have, it is clear that MMM readers have a much inferior service.
The cars are not one whit inferior. The Forum is.
Comments?
Bob. |
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DickMorbey
United Kingdom
3677 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 11:38:42
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Hello Bob
I'll risk the wrath and opprobrium of fellow-Triple-M ers by suggesting that the forum is still (despite any faults it may have) a vibrant and useful place for members to seek and find answers to technical questions, historical matters and other areas of interest in relation to our cars.
It IS different from the VSCC Forum - though that tends to be wider-ranging - a natural consequence of the larger membership and broader range of marques covered. By contrast, our Forum is largely concerned with one make issues and with only 442 Forum members it is bound (at present) to have limited scope.
One of the undoubted frustrations is that posters often fire off a technical question to the Forum without first searching to see whether their query has already been dealt with in prior months or years - and it's surprising how often it will have been!
Another shortcoming of the Forum is sorting the wheat from the chaff - or the reliable information from the duff gen!
I've only been involved with Triple-M cars since 1974 and the one car I have took until 2001 to get onto the road. My early progress relied largely on the old Infoletter and similar publications, which were very good. However, if only we had had the internet and this Forum in those days - I'm sure it would have speeded the restoration no end.
Finally (you'll be pleased to hear) I quite liked David Allison's observation that this Forum is a bit like a natter, but without the beer. We should keep this in mind, as anything that can unite us all has to be better than that upon which we may disagree from time to time!
Regards
Dick Morbey, PA/B 0743 |
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MaGic_GV
United Kingdom
868 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 13:24:54
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The range of topics was discussed a short while ago and it was agreed, I think, that a single general info forum was sufficient for most of our needs... but I think what Bob is also suggesting is that it would be rather good if we could post pictures, diagrams etc.
I am inclined to agree, though the Register has to consider its other communications - after all, if all the info. is disseminated here, it could render the Bulletin obsolete, a shame for all concerned, not least for those without internet access.
By the way, has anyone had their Feb Bulletin yet?
Graham |
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David Allison
United Kingdom
665 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 14:58:14
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Graham - you are spot on!
We are spoilt in the MGCC and the MMM register for information supply. We need to champion what we have instead of knocking it.
Nick Freaks has done a great job with the forum and the web page and there is a fund of good common sense information to be found here.
Yes there is a lot of inane chatter too - but hey thats life!
A forum is only as good as those who post on it and silly questions deserve (and usually get) a silly answer.
Bob you have a valid question - I just happen to think you are wrong.
I think we are all inclined to take ourselves to seriously.
In the meantime lets get on with the Beerless natter - the weather is nearly good enough now to start going to the ones that have beer and maybe the inane chatter can continue in that domain as well as this one.
Regards David |
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JMH
United Kingdom
911 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 18:14:13
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Bob,
I may be in a very small minority here - & a MMMer who mostly lies in the undergrowth, but having recently found this forum I find it very interesting. Those of us who are not members of the VSCC may well think this forum could cater for our interests better?
JMH |
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JohnSteedman
United Kingdom
41 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 19:24:20
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I am relatively new to the MMM world having spent the last 41 years devoted to TCs. I am restoring a MMM car and contrary to the previous comments, I am amazed how little information there is about these cars. I have Blower, Mr. Smith, nearly all the Yearbooks, Malcom Green's books, Mike Hawke's book, Barry Walker and S&V's catalogues, some bulletins, Mike Allison's book (purchased in 1967), Safety Fast magazines since 1967, the truly amazing "Octagon He4aven" series.
If I listed the literature I have on T-Types, I'd be typing all night.
Am I missing something, is there a whole silo of MMM information I am unaware of?
I love this forum, the search facility is brilliant, and the general level of discussion is on a different plane to the repetitive gossip of the "T-ABC" list.
So please don't change a thing. We newcomers need this forum as it is.
John
TC 0301
J 0312 |
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John Reid
United Kingdom
704 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 20:07:35
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Bob and others,
"Has the Triple-M Register Forum in its present form outlived its usefulness?" - a perfectly valid question to ask but I feel the answer is No.
If in fact you mean "Can the Triple-M Register Forum be improved", then I think the answer is Yes.
If you then ask "Are we doing anything about it?" - the answer is also Yes and that there is work going on behind the scenes to address issues like posting photos and diagrams. It takes time to sort these issues out, but be assured that it is being tackled. The budget for this work comes from our own funds, there is no funding from the main club. I guess the VSCC by its very nature is able to allocate a bigger cake to support the development of a more sophisticated website.
I don't think there is any conflict between information appearing on the website or in the Bulletin - they are complementary means of communication. It is current Register policy to continue with both website and hard copy versions of the Bulletin. When we eventually get the Bulletins on line (this too is being worked on as we speak, acknowledging that it has taken longer than we would have liked) they will still be available in hard copy for a modest subscription, but one advantage of the online version will be the search facility. Having found what you want online, if you don't want to stare at the screen you then go to your printed Bulletins and read in peace in your favourite chair (with or without beer, David!).
I have long had it in mind (that question of time rears its head again) to sift through the forum and extract the useful hints and tips and send them to Phil for the Bulletin - he always need copy and here is a ready source.
I think the Feb Bulletin is imminent, but as many will know Phil and Rosemary have been away in New Zealand.
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Peter Scott
United Kingdom
1240 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 20:31:39
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This forum is different from the VSCC forum for very good reasons. The much smaller membership and the very narrow range of cars being the two most significant. I think that this forum serves Triple-M car owners very well, especially if you are a new-comer to the world of Triple-M. You can get a very quick response to help solve your problems and you can also have a little fun with the banter which goes on between members. It serves a sociable role as well as a practical role. (One day Nick may work out how to provide the beer as well?)
I do also use the VSCC forum, which due to the extensive membership of that club, can provide much wider technical expertise. However this forum is an essential source of information specific to our cars.
Improvements will be welcomed but let's congratulate Nick and the others who make this forum possible, on the valuable resource which they proivde for us.
Don't knock it, Peter
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Edited by - Peter Scott on 07/03/2008 20:32:48 |
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kimber
United Kingdom
1529 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 22:43:23
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I felt that the opening posting was a bit overly-critical. Sure, it's not perfect, but, hey...
Being able to include pics within postings would be good.
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Dan F
USA
844 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 02:24:46
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As a newcomer to the MMM world, I couldn't imagine not having the Forum for my questions. Thanks to Nick and everyone else along the way.
Dan |
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Rodney Collins
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 11:23:38
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Bob, If you look back a couple of months you will find a posting by me asking wether the forum should be split one for technical and one for banter, the out come was keep it as it is. I have no skill what so ever but I rebuilt my PA (engine proffesionaly done) by asking questions on this site, sometimes my questions my have seemed very basic even stuiped, but I work on the princepal that if you don't know ask. I love the wise cracks and the banter, and lets hope Peter Scott is right and Nick can find a way to supply the beer while we are posting simple questions in the hope of being able to fix our little cars.
Rodney Collins |
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phil
United Kingdom
149 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 11:53:07
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Sorry to throw my ten pence worth in, I think the forum is just brilliant, I too wish I had all this info and knowledgeable people at hand when i started out.
As for photo's its not really hard to put a link to a photoshare site if it warrants it.
Big Cheers to Nick and most importantly EVERYONE OF US.
So there.
I'll go away now. Feel much better for that. |
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tonym
United Kingdom
653 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 16:12:15
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MMM Register Forum - excellent as it is
GERROFFIT! Leave it well alone - it functions perfectly well.
Sometimes the most enjoyable bits are when someone goes off on a rant about something.
A message to John Reid who is working on changes. Would it be possible to add a field to the members profile so that we can indicate what car[s] we are particularly interested in. Sometimes a member puts in a query or a comment and we do not have a clue if it might apply to our particular obsession. There is nothing more embarrasing that e-mailing someone direct about a query to find out that they were talking about R types when you are talking about M-types - not that there is much differenc!!
Tony Margel |
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John Reid
United Kingdom
704 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 23:24:39
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Hello Tony and others,
Your request about a field in the member profile to indicate model interest is a good one. Maybe Nick can make this change as administrator, but if not we can pass the request to Richard who does the lower level software maintenance.
There are four of us involved in website changes - Peter Green, Mike Linward, Nick Feakes and me - but Mike and Nick deserve particular credit for their diligent work on the recent changes we are working on. We are always happy to discuss ideas for improvements.
John S asks if there is a whole silo of Triple-M information he is unaware of. A perceptive question - there is and it resides in people's heads. In conversation I often find that people are surprised that I don't know something or where to get a job done or where to buy something or what the modern equivalent of a part is; I get the amazed look that says "surely everybody knows that". But I don't or I wouldn't be asking! And I've been dabbling in Triple-M cars on and off (some would say more off than on!) since 1962 - but as has been shown time and again questions to the forum can help unlock the knowledge. We should be writing it down in a book...
The forum is interesting, useful, informative and entertaining, and definitely a good way of tapping into the "silo of knowledge".
John R |
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Nick Feakes
USA
3372 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2008 : 21:54:16
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Hi Tony
what the forum can display is limited by the design of the forum software (Snitz). I may be able to add interests, let me think about it.
Nick |
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Rodney Collins
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2008 : 10:03:43
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If you go onto the Porsche owner website contributors have a picture of their car /cars beside their name. For example if you look at the auther of the original question Bob Stringfield, under his name would be a picture of his car or cars. I don't know if this could be done, and if it could would it be of any help. Looks nice though!
Rodney |
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