Those advertisements on the left are throwing me off! I have been to many sites and sooner or later it will get bought off by sponsors. Once bought off, you will NOT be able to share your bad or negative experience with a sponsor. The moment you post something negative about them, bam, you are suspended or your tread removed! "That's just not Internet"!

 

I hate to say it but there have been a few bans already and it nothing to do with sponsors,I wont say any names but there has been two very known members that are gone...so i don't think you can really voice your opinions now, some moderators don't like it.

 

If folks are being banned, then it has to be in connection with a violation of some published or documented policies...which would be available to you as a guidline for what the moderators expect as acceptable website demeanor. If it becomes a matter of just arbitrarily banning someone without having a policy in place to use as "evidence" of your violation....then I would think that you might have recourse.....but then again, if it becomes that chicken-****, I wouldn't want to stick around anyway.

All this is jumping the gun and presupposing that things are going to go to hell in a hand basket. Remember, the folks who bought up these forums are not looking to pick or start fights with or between the forum membership and the sponsors. The success of this forum depends upon maintaining a balance between a happy forum membership (that's us) and the vendors who provide the funding to keep it running. Without either one, you don't have a forum and your "investment" flounders...plain and simple rule of supply and demand. The vendors provide the supply (called $$$ to IB to advertise for service or products)...and we (forum membership guys and gals) provide the demand in terms of buying the products being advertised.

As a very important part of this equation....we...the forum membership occupy a critical role in the ongoing success or failure of this forum. Therefore, our collective assessment of what we like or dont' like should be something that IB takes very seriously. The mere fact that one person dissents should not give cause for that person to worry about being banned....unless, as I indicated earlier, you violate the ground rules that are posted in the forum guidelines. So I would encourage you to individually or collectively to speak up if there's something you don't like...and work together with the Administrators and moderators to make it work for everyone. I'm sure that's what IB wants.

 

Chuck I hear ya, but its happened.I would not be apposed to a membership fee like over at rennlist, it does allow a more honest post, and it can help keep the spammers out..

 

I'm not sure how charging a membership fee would be instrumental in allowing a more "honest post". An honest post is the product of a fair, mature, and credible person who's posting the comment regardless of whether a fee is involved or not...and spammers are a control issue for the site moderators and administrators in concert with appropriate security software.....I guess you'd have to show me what I could reasonably expect to get by paying a fee....not that I mind paying one kuz it certainly wouldn't break my bank account....but what are you going to give me for that fee that I don't already get?

 

Though we don't like change, it is still among the best sites to learn about mods for our cars. Also, it is a good place for vendors to connect to the relatively small group of us who own these cars. I have not felt they are shoving products down our throat. but they do continue to have a larger impact on this site. So for now, I'm still a 6speed fan.

 

Don't kid yourself. there are no 'rules'. Anyone can be banned for any reason at all, or none.


There are two reasons to have members:
1. Create 'content' for the site and increases traffic.
2. Buy stuff from vendors.

Anything negative about vendors or modding in general is not desirable. creating an environment where people feel modding is safe, cheap, easy- or that 'everyone is doing it' is highly desirable.

The only reason to not allow vendors total control is that we will all leave quickly. Their challenge is balancing vendor demands against member satisfaction.

A...

PS EZ...you don't think vendors have a large impact? Vivid is giving free proudct in exchange for positive posts from 'independent' members.... OK with you?

 

Sorry, don´t like it. And the blinking vividracing mini ad is really annoying.

 

Damn Ard...you were right. I went to the forum rules and to my amazement, there are no guidelines, rules, or policies for what constitutes unacceptable conduct on this forum....that flies in the face of every forum I've seen. How can you expect to enforce something if there are no guidelines for folks to gauge what's acceptable versus what isn't?

I used to write useage policies for governmental websites, email systems etc....so the fact that I couldn't find anything on this site was a real eye opener for me. It also gives rise to the issue of discriminatory exclusion with no forewarning.....interesting to say the least. So...if you know, what were the folks who were summarily "dismissed" from this forum guilty of? Do you know? What is considered as grounds for exculsion? Wait...you already said it was for.....???? Interesting.

 

and you think rennlist is any different??? Their written 'rules' are simply a vestige of the 'old days'

There used to be 'rules' against how often vendors could post "see my stuff" in main forums... HAHAHHA

 

ard
Thank you, someone that gets it.

 

I don't like it.It takes too much time to go to the forum

 

At least it's a lot quicker than before. One of the moderators told me IB could care less what we think, all they want is their money.

 

its gonna be tough to get used to

 

There's just way just too much push from a certain vendor on this forum. Then to have the same vendor ask someone to post pictures of their widget on your car, is just another form of advertisement from said vendor.

I've purchased from this vendor on this forum - and was immediately asked to post how great my experience was.

Don't get me wrong, I'll give props where and when due, but to ask for it upon sale - I won't play that game.

Later I was privately called out by this same vendor for not participating the way HE wanted.