Who are the freakin moderators?

[mikey535im]

Jeff.....time for your MEDS!

j/k,
Mike

[mikell]

If I get your drift (not sure if I do), then maybe the deal would be to have a post for "things that often go wrong" like the one on Bruno's site, only perhaps with more detail, so novices (like me) can go there and easily find the best quality posts on common and recurring problems, common service procedures (bleeding, for example), and really useful pictures - like Shogun's jacking points photo. Something like that could make the forum a bit more user friendly, though the archives do pretty much the same thing - I'm not sure they are used properly or enough. But, a separate archive for basics might reduce the posting of smart ass remarks, which I really enjoy.

[632 Regal]

LMAO

a separate archive for basics might reduce the posting of smart ass remarks, which I really enjoy.

This is really a user friendly board...most of the time that is.

did I mention thios keboard sux?

[Gayle]

I would like to add a serious note to all this frivolity. Having you as a moderator would be great. I am not sure if that solves the problem cause I am not sure I understand what the problem is. You were not at your most articulate when you described the problem.

Having read all of both threads, all I can determine is that you are concerned that newbies are not doing basic maintence. Is that the extent of your concern? If so, we could put a sticky with the link to maintence page of Bruno's site. We could give everyone a quiz on chapter one of the Bentley or even the recommended service from the manual.

From your posts that I have read to various thread over the last month, I am under the impression that you are concerned that people are getting bad advice. I am also under the impression that you are concerned with the general level of cluelessness has increased exponentially (my contingent--the clueless) and that you may be raising some wider problem associated with the large number of newbies.

I get the idea that you envision a swat team of people who actually know something who would be checking in often to help the desperate and stranded newbies--like we could clone you--Jeff's automotive s.

I am doing a lot of reading between the lines and putting 2 and 2 together and getting 10. But I also hear more than the average number of peoples opinions in private messages probably because I am the only woman here. Based on behind the scenes communication, I think you are the tip of an iceberg of feeling that is more widely shared.

Jeff I think you may be addressing a wider problem about how people feel about the number of new people. I am not complaining about the number of new people. I am just barely out of the new category myself. And I am grateful to be here.

I just think we should get a good understanding/definition of what the problem is before solving it. And if there is a problem, others besides Jeff should have noticed it.

Do others think there is some sort of problem and if so, what is it?

[632 Regal]

basic maintence is pretty much the gist of it, we are getting more and more fresh "students" and I think some kind of link to that should suffice. Not another sticky but maybe a link in Ed's readme first post? Idonno.

I don't know how else to do it and it really frustrated me that there isnt a clear link to point them to. Basic maintenance is something that most non BMW owners dont have a clue about (myself included) and that is one of the first things that they should read...including bleeding, battery location, hubcentrics, just the basic of basics.

There are lots of people willing to help the rest but when someone new has a quick common question there should simply be a link for them instead of having to wait for an answer...after all their new and think this is Burger World where all ya do is push some magic button...which is what we need to develop.

The problem with the search tool is say "a bleeding question"...which they probably never heard about, they can search and not get a definitive answer. Without providing a direct link to Bruno's site I know we have that informationhere in our own words.

I really hate when I can't clearly describe what I'm trying to say, I hope this sheds some light.

PS this post took about 15 minutes with this stupid keyboard, think I need a light too.

[winfred]

nothing ethnic, it's a varly common term here that usually describes the backwards hat honda driver with a hollow'd out tree stump exhaust tip and lotsa stickers but no real substance, the kinda person that buys one of those kits that makes the farty sound of a turbo wastegate for his stock non turbo econo box

Is ricer an ethnic slur? Ricer is not a word we use here in Toyoko.

[MarkD]

I see they added a new one today!

[uscharalph]

I see they added a new one today!

Congratulations Jeff! All that campaigning paid off. LOL!!!

[genphreak]

I see they added a new one today!

Yes it will continue unabated until someone starts treating our illness. As I said earlier, I applaud Jeff's decision to rev this up a bit, it threatens the board as we all hang aorund the main index so when it gets too polluted with n00bs asking what has all been covered and needing training on all the little things most of us have to learn the hard-way, the good people will stop reading, or at least miss things (happening now) which will destroy the very value we all cherish so much and know this board provides. Some members will just get bored and that is the downward road to a slow death.

This is why action must be taken

Short term- Mods, we need good mods (an election is not necessary, the Ed will have a good idea as to who- and can mail people he thinks might be able to exercise the responsibility to carry out the task) and leave it up to them. I might warn you all he will probably want to establish some rules governing how mods will act...

But long term, the board needs resources. Every BMW related site someone builds provides resources, but these are individual efforts. We need to build a community site that everyone can contribute and that will become a beacon of Bimmerness from this 2005 on. Everything else (BMWE34.net included) will only last for so long.... we need somehting maintained by the community that will go on forever.

For that matter, what if Ed dropped off the planet? Who would look after the board? Our only hope would be that a friend would save the day and sort it all out before the whole community disappears. There are risks with building such great resources, they are not all just disaster related. They easily outgrow themselves without good planning and people move on.

I've no idea if the all singing, all dancing, new improved Jeff would be a good mod. There is a lot to doing it that he may not realise, even within this community... but perhaps he should be given a go. I just know I wouldn't make a good mod.

Jeff sure has a point on this issue and I commend it.

Thanks also to Gayle for trying to distill the need, which we must surely do to get the right outcome. Thanks also to those librarians ('mods') that have spent all their time cataloging posts into the archives, I've done 2 searches and have been hella impressed so far!

That is thankless, behind the scenes work that you guys can notch up as being a truly GREAT contribution to the board.

They should all get a FREE sticker Jeff

'bimmer.info- Vote 1 for Jeff B'

Nick

[bahnstormer]

jeff when u gonna send me a copy of teh etk?