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Hi Guest !
Welcome to the 500Eboard forum.
Since its founding in late 2008, 500Eboard has become the leading resource on the Internet for all things related to the Mercedes-Benz 500E and E500. In recent years, we have also expanded to include the 400E and E420 models, which are directly related to the 500E/E500.
We invite you to browse and take advantage of the information and resources here on the site. If you find helpful information, please register for full membership, and you'll find even more resources available. Feel free to ask questions, and make liberal use of the "Search" function to find answers.
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Sincerely,
500Eboard Management
Time for 500Eboard to take a Sabbatical?
- Thread starter gerryvz
- Start date
Gerry,
It is funny, because I have a bunch of cars, and there's a forum for each. Because I have weird taste, I wind up in forums for the following cars:
1973-1991 Chevrolet Trucks and Blazers and Suburbans
500e
2000 BMW M Coupe (Z3)
Modern Audi
Volkswagen
Saab 9000s
And this forum is far and away the best. It is filled with smart folks who have resources and know what they are talking about. And in general, it is far more respectful than most other forums I spend time on. As someone who has owned forums in the past, I totally get what you are thinking. I personally hope this site stays (and I would be more than happy to pay a yearly fee). It helps me immensely, and it makes me love my car more. Plus, without it, I never would have gotten to meet Dave in person! My car-hero!
Saying "please keep it up" is silly, because you are a smart man, and will do what you think is right. But setting rules, sticking to them (even if you are the only judge) and then taking the site private for paying members is a fine way to go if you ask me.
If you do decide to shut it down, I would gladly pay for the rights and ability to make a full backup of the site for local use. I really enjoy this forum.
-Dan
It is funny, because I have a bunch of cars, and there's a forum for each. Because I have weird taste, I wind up in forums for the following cars:
1973-1991 Chevrolet Trucks and Blazers and Suburbans
500e
2000 BMW M Coupe (Z3)
Modern Audi
Volkswagen
Saab 9000s
And this forum is far and away the best. It is filled with smart folks who have resources and know what they are talking about. And in general, it is far more respectful than most other forums I spend time on. As someone who has owned forums in the past, I totally get what you are thinking. I personally hope this site stays (and I would be more than happy to pay a yearly fee). It helps me immensely, and it makes me love my car more. Plus, without it, I never would have gotten to meet Dave in person! My car-hero!
Saying "please keep it up" is silly, because you are a smart man, and will do what you think is right. But setting rules, sticking to them (even if you are the only judge) and then taking the site private for paying members is a fine way to go if you ask me.
If you do decide to shut it down, I would gladly pay for the rights and ability to make a full backup of the site for local use. I really enjoy this forum.
-Dan
As a member that has taken more from this forum than I've given (wish I could contribute more but almost all my humble knowledge comes from here), I don't think I have the right to ask much but I really don't like seeing how some childish behaviour from few guys leads us to some drastic measures that will leave us without the wonderful resource that this forum is.
The 500Eboard doesn’t need a sabbatical.
We members just need to maintain a personal effort of staying focused on topic & constructively contributing to the topic. These controversial situations often seem to appear or escalate whenever a subject or ego deviates off topic from the pursuit & exchange of fact into fluff; innocently or purposefully straying off into some demographic commentary that eventually reaches someone’s personally emotional flashpoint. Each person’s perception is their unique reality. Each person reacts differently when their reality is affected.
The current world devolution places enough pressures against our reality & the degree to which we struggle within it. Unlike these outside worldly pressures, we members each have the personal ability to control the decorum of this fine forum by making the responsible effort to do so.
Provide a sabbatical to those who can’t.
We members just need to maintain a personal effort of staying focused on topic & constructively contributing to the topic. These controversial situations often seem to appear or escalate whenever a subject or ego deviates off topic from the pursuit & exchange of fact into fluff; innocently or purposefully straying off into some demographic commentary that eventually reaches someone’s personally emotional flashpoint. Each person’s perception is their unique reality. Each person reacts differently when their reality is affected.
The current world devolution places enough pressures against our reality & the degree to which we struggle within it. Unlike these outside worldly pressures, we members each have the personal ability to control the decorum of this fine forum by making the responsible effort to do so.
Provide a sabbatical to those who can’t.
I still think you just do what you need to do as Administrators, at your discretion (censor, ban, terminate, whatever), and the rest of us will just get in where we fit in. I think you'll have less gray hair over it that way. Whatever you do, I support.
Cheers,
maw
This might mean that I may have to go to MBworld to find a 500E.......probably with Lambo doors
Worse - someone might fit URO parts to their car......
If we can save just 1 E500E from that fate, then it will be all worthwhile....
I couldn't imagine owning a 500E without this forum, and I'm one of those lost souls who sold his 500E(s) but decided to stick around anyway because I enjoyed the banter and watching enthusiastic people improving their cars via knowledge gained from here, there are some very well schooled and helpful people who frequent your site Gerry, you created the environment that led them here, it's helped us all and we thank you for that.
I agree with what others have said, it's your site, and isn't the 124.036 ethos "Speak softly, and carry a big stick"? Time to lower the boom on the laggards Captain, just ban the trouble makers.
I agree with what others have said, it's your site, and isn't the 124.036 ethos "Speak softly, and carry a big stick"? Time to lower the boom on the laggards Captain, just ban the trouble makers.
My phone has been blowing up all weekend with phone calls and text messages, and my e-mail inbox and PM box have also been quite busy with correspondence relating to the fate of this forum. Not to mention the replies on this particular thread.
Phone conversations/correspondence with both 2Phast and Der "Derf" Furor have been particularly helpful in terms of putting a few key things into perspective, and to them I am grateful for their kind words and counsel.
The bottom line is that this forum will NOT be going into sabbatical, nor will it be going off-line or away.
Three points need to be made:
First ..... it has become clear to me that this forum has reached a point where it is too critical, and contains too much information that is simply unavailable elsewhere, to go off-line.
It has also become clear to me that this forum has become too large for one individual to retain sole ownership and/or control over. Put simply, this forum has outgrown me. There are too many people who have a vested interest in this resource for it to retain a single point of failure.
Because of this, over the next year I will begin investigating ways in which ownership of this forum can pass to perhaps a stable partnership or long-term coalition of individuals, whereby a more structured administration can be put into place to make consensus-based decisions with the good of the worldwide 500E community in mind. I do not yet know, or have any ideas, as to how this will go forth or what form it could/would/should take, but it is apparent that the forum has reached a point where it is not just "Gerry's personal house" -- it is a component (however small or large) of a lot of peoples' houses ... and daily lives.
So, my pledge to everyone is that we will find a way whereby this resource is truly owned and administered by a broader group of people with more diverse perspectives.
Second ..... I have decided to proceed with my plan to migrate this forum's software, later this year, to the XenForo forum software. Active development of the vBulletin forum software has stopped over the past two years, and we need this forum to be on a platform that keeps up with Internet standards, patches known bugs and security breaches, and remains state of the art from a functionality standpoint. Essentially, something that is actively being maintained, enhanced and refined. Unfortunately vBulletin 4.X is not being actively developed and only very occasionally (perhaps once per year) are security patches and other bugs being patched. The forum software has not debuted any net-new functionality or capabilities in the past 1.5-2 years.
This spring, I will purchase a license for the XenForo software, and for the Wiki software specific to XenForo, and will do several test installations and migrations (which will not affect the functionality or availability of this forum at all) to practice migration. Once this process has been refined and executed successfully, to a 98%+ level of accuracy, we will move to the new platform. The forum will retain the same URL, of course. I would expect this "final" migration to happen in the August to September, 2015 time frame, so it is a long way off. This gives us plenty of time to plan, test, create sample forum migrations, and iron out all of the bugs in the process to ensure a successful importation of the database and all information.
Lastly ..... I am truly sorry for my reaction to the events of the past few days, and I apologize to the forum for it. Friday was an exceedingly difficult day for me, on several fronts. A few folks know what transpired behind the scenes at a personal level with my family, which compounded the effects of the post that was put up on Friday morning pertaining to the "erasure" of SZvook's "OWNER" thread.
For the folks who reached out personally to me, via telephone, e-mail, text message, posting here, and even carrier pigeon and smoke signals, do note that everything you said and shared was listened to, and that it was taken to heart. As I said, 2Phast and Derf in particular had very good perspectives that were both measured, and appreciated.
Looking forward ..... I think a few things need to be said, and made very clear.
1) There will be a "zero tolerance" policy for poor behavior of any kind. There are no "chances" or "temporary bans" for anyone. If you insult others, fight publicly, use other forums to denigrate this forum or individuals on it, you will be gone immediately.
2) There is no one on this forum who is "too important" to be banned. I don't care if you are smarter and more knowledgeable about MBs than Wilhelm Maybach, Werner Breitschwerdt and Rudolf Uhlenhaut combined -- if you insult others or treat others poorly, you are history.
3) "Sock Puppet" accounts from banned individuals will be instantly banned. If there are multiple instances of this, then IP-level bans will be instituted until you get the message. New members to the forum are monitored on a near-daily basis, so new accounts from banned individuals are highly likely to be found, investigated, and deleted quite quickly.
4) Personal conflicts and confrontations should be dealt with off-board, or via PM only. If you have an issue with someone, or want to challenge them about something you think they did or said that was wrong, you need to contact them privately to ascertain their intent rather than post publicly and accuse them of things.
5) Offensive posts will be removed in the future.
6) All forum members are created equal. There is no hierarchy of members based on location, number of posts, religion, race/ethnicity, wealth, level of low/high vehicle mileage, or model/number of vehicles owned. This includes all forum administrators. There is no pecking order on this forum.
The vast majority of members comport themselves in a fine manner, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about. But for the 1% of folks who have personality conflicts and mannerisms here that are abrasive and disruptive to the well-being of the forum, do know that you will be dealt with swiftly and with finality. All bans from this forum are permanent.
Let's take away from the events of the last few days a set of "key learnings" which we can collectively make use of going forward. What's done is done, so let's look -- and move -- forward together.
Phone conversations/correspondence with both 2Phast and Der "Derf" Furor have been particularly helpful in terms of putting a few key things into perspective, and to them I am grateful for their kind words and counsel.
The bottom line is that this forum will NOT be going into sabbatical, nor will it be going off-line or away.
Three points need to be made:
First ..... it has become clear to me that this forum has reached a point where it is too critical, and contains too much information that is simply unavailable elsewhere, to go off-line.
It has also become clear to me that this forum has become too large for one individual to retain sole ownership and/or control over. Put simply, this forum has outgrown me. There are too many people who have a vested interest in this resource for it to retain a single point of failure.
Because of this, over the next year I will begin investigating ways in which ownership of this forum can pass to perhaps a stable partnership or long-term coalition of individuals, whereby a more structured administration can be put into place to make consensus-based decisions with the good of the worldwide 500E community in mind. I do not yet know, or have any ideas, as to how this will go forth or what form it could/would/should take, but it is apparent that the forum has reached a point where it is not just "Gerry's personal house" -- it is a component (however small or large) of a lot of peoples' houses ... and daily lives.
So, my pledge to everyone is that we will find a way whereby this resource is truly owned and administered by a broader group of people with more diverse perspectives.
Second ..... I have decided to proceed with my plan to migrate this forum's software, later this year, to the XenForo forum software. Active development of the vBulletin forum software has stopped over the past two years, and we need this forum to be on a platform that keeps up with Internet standards, patches known bugs and security breaches, and remains state of the art from a functionality standpoint. Essentially, something that is actively being maintained, enhanced and refined. Unfortunately vBulletin 4.X is not being actively developed and only very occasionally (perhaps once per year) are security patches and other bugs being patched. The forum software has not debuted any net-new functionality or capabilities in the past 1.5-2 years.
This spring, I will purchase a license for the XenForo software, and for the Wiki software specific to XenForo, and will do several test installations and migrations (which will not affect the functionality or availability of this forum at all) to practice migration. Once this process has been refined and executed successfully, to a 98%+ level of accuracy, we will move to the new platform. The forum will retain the same URL, of course. I would expect this "final" migration to happen in the August to September, 2015 time frame, so it is a long way off. This gives us plenty of time to plan, test, create sample forum migrations, and iron out all of the bugs in the process to ensure a successful importation of the database and all information.
Lastly ..... I am truly sorry for my reaction to the events of the past few days, and I apologize to the forum for it. Friday was an exceedingly difficult day for me, on several fronts. A few folks know what transpired behind the scenes at a personal level with my family, which compounded the effects of the post that was put up on Friday morning pertaining to the "erasure" of SZvook's "OWNER" thread.
For the folks who reached out personally to me, via telephone, e-mail, text message, posting here, and even carrier pigeon and smoke signals, do note that everything you said and shared was listened to, and that it was taken to heart. As I said, 2Phast and Derf in particular had very good perspectives that were both measured, and appreciated.
Looking forward ..... I think a few things need to be said, and made very clear.
1) There will be a "zero tolerance" policy for poor behavior of any kind. There are no "chances" or "temporary bans" for anyone. If you insult others, fight publicly, use other forums to denigrate this forum or individuals on it, you will be gone immediately.
2) There is no one on this forum who is "too important" to be banned. I don't care if you are smarter and more knowledgeable about MBs than Wilhelm Maybach, Werner Breitschwerdt and Rudolf Uhlenhaut combined -- if you insult others or treat others poorly, you are history.
3) "Sock Puppet" accounts from banned individuals will be instantly banned. If there are multiple instances of this, then IP-level bans will be instituted until you get the message. New members to the forum are monitored on a near-daily basis, so new accounts from banned individuals are highly likely to be found, investigated, and deleted quite quickly.
4) Personal conflicts and confrontations should be dealt with off-board, or via PM only. If you have an issue with someone, or want to challenge them about something you think they did or said that was wrong, you need to contact them privately to ascertain their intent rather than post publicly and accuse them of things.
5) Offensive posts will be removed in the future.
6) All forum members are created equal. There is no hierarchy of members based on location, number of posts, religion, race/ethnicity, wealth, level of low/high vehicle mileage, or model/number of vehicles owned. This includes all forum administrators. There is no pecking order on this forum.
The vast majority of members comport themselves in a fine manner, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about. But for the 1% of folks who have personality conflicts and mannerisms here that are abrasive and disruptive to the well-being of the forum, do know that you will be dealt with swiftly and with finality. All bans from this forum are permanent.
Let's take away from the events of the last few days a set of "key learnings" which we can collectively make use of going forward. What's done is done, so let's look -- and move -- forward together.
An excellent choice.
As you have mentioned before.... you will not accept any funds.
May respectfully suggest in light of the current and future demands that you reconsider?
When it was a small forum that was one thing but as it, and you, have grown demands upon your time as well as fees have also grown. It is only fair that we who reap the benefits of your labor and vision also share the cost to keep those labors and visions continuing.
Perhaps a funding drive which I, as I am sure many others, would be happy to contribute. But I only speak for myself when it comes to parting with money. Actually Joanna speaks for me mostly, but that's another story....
Ron
As you have mentioned before.... you will not accept any funds.
May respectfully suggest in light of the current and future demands that you reconsider?
When it was a small forum that was one thing but as it, and you, have grown demands upon your time as well as fees have also grown. It is only fair that we who reap the benefits of your labor and vision also share the cost to keep those labors and visions continuing.
Perhaps a funding drive which I, as I am sure many others, would be happy to contribute. But I only speak for myself when it comes to parting with money. Actually Joanna speaks for me mostly, but that's another story....
Ron
Way to go Captain !!!
I think that's an important point to bring up to the discussion.Does this mean that the parchment/mushroom debate/discussion can continue?
Just a little humor.
There is plenty of humor on this site and that shouldn't go away. At times there are "memes" that happen, such as "mushroom wars" or "Chain Yank" awards and "bro juice" but these things tend to die down after a while, as they should.
Humor should never go away from this site as long as it is appropriate - i.e. it's not personal, insulting or derogatory toward any individual or group. Some of it is very fun, as it should be. I mean, getting GSXR to admit the existence of mushroom was a very long and drawn out battle, but the "Mushroom" people finally won. Now even he uses the term in his everyday lexicon, which is as it should be.
And needling me on reversed ground wires and shock top-washers is perfectly fine and appropriate.
Humor, properly applied, should NEVER be considered a negative thing here.
When a more permanent structure is put into place with regard to ownership and governance of this resource, then it is certainly something that can and perhaps should be discussed. But I have no need for funds for this site, and there is no pressing cost that would require a funding drive.
My bottom line with regard to money is that when money enters the equation -- any equation -- then there are also expectations that are attached to that money, however large or small the amount. I have found that it's just how most humans are with regard to spending their money. People spend/donate money, they expect a certain level of return/service/ownership in response. Maybe not all people, but certainly many people. I feel that money could/would introduce a class of "donators" and "non-donators" with perhaps donators having an expectation of a greater amount of "say" or perceived "ownership" in the resource because of their funding.
We don't want that here. We want a resource where the largest benefits are accessible to the broadest cross-section of people, with perhaps a little something held apart for serious/loyal/diligent/active members.
Could I crowdfund $1,000 or $2,000 from members here? Sure I could, probably in a matter of days. But for what? What would I spend the money on? Hosting costs for the next 10 years, paid in advance? A $150 XenForo software license, with $850 or $1,850 left over?
That's fair enough input. I'll try to make sure that I keep Ron in check when he puts down BW 126 forum and some of its more notorious members
Aye,lets mind our own "business" and see how we can make this forum better.
That's fair enough input. I'll try to make sure that I keep Ron in check when he puts down BW 126 forum and some of its more notorious members
Keep up the good work Gerry and Dave!
Since the w124 034 and 036 is such a fine piece of engineering,
it would be a shame if the best engineered forum for it would disappear.
:Texas::Texas:
+1
What the..... is it April 1st already? No?
Gerry... don't do it. Please leave it online. Also think about the next international 500E event this summer.
I mean, its like everywhere else, somtimes certain members need to get banned for some time to cool down. You need a team of strong moderators and rules and if one fails to comply these rules, lets say for a personal insult public or via PM, give him an "infraction" (theres a Vbulletin mod). And after certain infractions (lets say 3) he gets auto-banned for a month. If he returnes and havent changed behavior, he gets 3 infraction for the next missbehavior followed by a 6month ban.
After that and still no change - permanent ban him. I know quite some forums that have such a system and guess what, it works wonders if a person gets a month or longer off to cool down
Gerry... don't do it. Please leave it online. Also think about the next international 500E event this summer.
I mean, its like everywhere else, somtimes certain members need to get banned for some time to cool down. You need a team of strong moderators and rules and if one fails to comply these rules, lets say for a personal insult public or via PM, give him an "infraction" (theres a Vbulletin mod). And after certain infractions (lets say 3) he gets auto-banned for a month. If he returnes and havent changed behavior, he gets 3 infraction for the next missbehavior followed by a 6month ban.
After that and still no change - permanent ban him. I know quite some forums that have such a system and guess what, it works wonders if a person gets a month or longer off to cool down
An "infraction" and also a "reputation" system is built into vBulletin, but I've never needed to activate it, and don't intend to. As I outlined above, this forum will have a "zero tolerance" policy toward folks who make trouble in the future (as it has been with spammers). Also, I think the last thing we need on this forum is a hierarchy based on reputation points.
I do not expect we'll have issues with troublemakers in the future, with sporadic exceptions.
I do not expect we'll have issues with troublemakers in the future, with sporadic exceptions.
We could use you more around here Bryan! I haven't made it over to Austin for some months now but I will let you know next time I'm in town ... hopefully we can grab some good BBQ.
Also, I'm planning to be at the Texas Mercedes-Benz Gathering in Centerville this spring. Hopefully you and alabbasi will be there?
Scott's spirit definitely is a part of the heritage of this site and lives on. I hope to have dinner with him again in the coming weeks/months in San Francisco.
Re: ClarkzWorld
He certainly lived long and prospered !!
It was just announced that Leonard Nimoy died today, at 83 years old.
He certainly lived long and prospered !!
Keep this thing a'goin' ... it's the fuel source for the rocket ships ...
I'm new around here, but not new to the MB Marque ... I've been active in another MB Forum for a long time, but not as specialized in excellent information and informed participants with the 500E/400E models as this forum ...
Please ... keep it going ... in the end, it's a benevolent dictatorship ... somebody has to be an enforcer of good manners now and again ... and that job falls into someone's lap ... that's just the way it is ...
I wouldn't own what we own i.e. the 124 cars, without the mutual resources available here ... and I'll gladly share all my experiences for the benefit of the group ... from the messages posted on this topic, I know many, many others are of similar conviction ...
By the way, another Poster mentioned a CrowdFunding account FBO the Forum ... yup, we should get'er done right away ... count me in ...
Let's all keep this on a roll ... my gratitude to all who have kept this ball rolling ...
regards,
garrison karrer
overland park, kansas
'92 400E @ 243k
'95 E320 @ 182k
I'm new around here, but not new to the MB Marque ... I've been active in another MB Forum for a long time, but not as specialized in excellent information and informed participants with the 500E/400E models as this forum ...
Please ... keep it going ... in the end, it's a benevolent dictatorship ... somebody has to be an enforcer of good manners now and again ... and that job falls into someone's lap ... that's just the way it is ...
I wouldn't own what we own i.e. the 124 cars, without the mutual resources available here ... and I'll gladly share all my experiences for the benefit of the group ... from the messages posted on this topic, I know many, many others are of similar conviction ...
By the way, another Poster mentioned a CrowdFunding account FBO the Forum ... yup, we should get'er done right away ... count me in ...
Let's all keep this on a roll ... my gratitude to all who have kept this ball rolling ...
regards,
garrison karrer
overland park, kansas
'92 400E @ 243k
'95 E320 @ 182k
There will be no crowd-funding for this forum. There is no money needed to keep this forum going.
That said, in the future I do plan to create a more formal organization to back up this site. I am currently investigating what that would/could/will look like. It could be a simple "partnership" or it could be a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). But the time is coming that this forum has grown beyond something that a single person owns and runs, and it is clear to me that it's something that -- if it is to last and grow -- that more people should have a hand in owning and operating. Perhaps there are also some additional benefits that can come along with a more formalized status.
One thing for sure -- individuals who have burned their bridge here through their past and present behavior will never be a part of this community and will be permanently ostracized going forward, no matter who owns it or how it is governed and run in the future.
Cheers,
Gerry
That said, in the future I do plan to create a more formal organization to back up this site. I am currently investigating what that would/could/will look like. It could be a simple "partnership" or it could be a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). But the time is coming that this forum has grown beyond something that a single person owns and runs, and it is clear to me that it's something that -- if it is to last and grow -- that more people should have a hand in owning and operating. Perhaps there are also some additional benefits that can come along with a more formalized status.
One thing for sure -- individuals who have burned their bridge here through their past and present behavior will never be a part of this community and will be permanently ostracized going forward, no matter who owns it or how it is governed and run in the future.
Cheers,
Gerry
It's coming up on Saturday, May 23. More information at this link.
I'm planning to be there as long as I'm not traveling that weekend.
Gerry,
First I want to thank you for all you have done over the years, including one-on-ones with me on different issues.
And I am sorry to hear that some folks have been abusing the rules. And I understand your reluctance to continue in the face of a personal devotion unappreciated.
Still, I and others who love these cars would be bereft of excellent information and contacts about them if you shut the board down.
Empathize with your feelings about what's been going on, but would truly miss your expertise and the input from other owners.
Jospeh
First I want to thank you for all you have done over the years, including one-on-ones with me on different issues.
And I am sorry to hear that some folks have been abusing the rules. And I understand your reluctance to continue in the face of a personal devotion unappreciated.
Still, I and others who love these cars would be bereft of excellent information and contacts about them if you shut the board down.
Empathize with your feelings about what's been going on, but would truly miss your expertise and the input from other owners.
Jospeh
Thanks for the kind words, Joe.
I think most of the drama has been eliminated from the site. If more erupts in the future, per my rules they will be swiftly dealt with, and they can hang out at the other forums out there & contribute to the several "gerryvz is an asshole / idiot / pussy / unhinged troll / mentally unstable" threads there. Life is too short, honestly, to deal with all of this crap, and I've spent far too long both behind the scenes and in front of everyone trying to babysit a few folks on this forum while allowing them to express themselves as they have wished.
Am still trying to figure out the future of this forum, to be honest. I recently made a significant monetary investment in a new forum software package that I have been planning to migrate the forum to in the fall (after kicking the tires and doing some test migrations as practice for an eventual switchover), so I guess proceeding with those plans is probably the future here, at least for now.
But you know, I also have a persistent "what's the point of doing all this?" thread happening in the back of my head, that I thought would go away but hasn't. There is a part of me that honestly just wants to melt away into my shop and work on my cars and enjoy the hobby without having to hassle with MB forums, MB clubs, gatherings, abusive posts (up to & including honest-to-goodness death threats) on other forums & on this forum from GVZ haters, and so forth. At some point I'm going to have to pull that hanging thread and see where it takes me. That's sort of my mindset at the moment, after about 6.5 years of owning and running this forum.
Again, thanks for the thoughts, and for your thoughtful & regular off-board correspondence over the months and years.
Cheers,
Gerry
I hope/pray that when that time happens you hand the reins to fellow 036 owners and volunteers. One of my favorite outdoor forums was recently sold to commercial interests and quality then participation dropped like a stone :-(
The more I think about it, this forum really should qualify for 501.3(c) charity status. It really is a community service and resource you provide, Gerry. I'm not sure if a forum has ever been given such status before, but if it's possible, your time and expense could be tax deductible. Members could donate anonymously without any expectation or reward other than a deduction on their own taxes. Plus being able to write off my time spent on this site would really help me work down on my court-ordered community service. 
I have given some thought and had some consultations about forming an LLC (limited liability corporation) as a business entity around the forum.
On the surface while that is interesting, after further investigation I do not see any tangible benefit to doing so. It's significantly more cost and administrative workload, with no clear end benefit to either myself or the members of the forum.
On the surface while that is interesting, after further investigation I do not see any tangible benefit to doing so. It's significantly more cost and administrative workload, with no clear end benefit to either myself or the members of the forum.
That's certainly well thought, Honch. It's make work at its finest. Seems to me you've made the changes you needed since the issue first arose.
Cheers to you and the other site Admins,
maw
Just thanks! What pleasure it is to not have this be a "business"...
Gerry,
I was just chatting with Dave M. and Jono over the weekend. I mentioned that I had greatly enjoyed my ownership of my 500E, and that was in no small part due to the warm 500E "brotherhood" I find in general, but on this site in particular.
Thank you for your hard work over the years. It has made a tangible difference to being a 500E owner.
I was just chatting with Dave M. and Jono over the weekend. I mentioned that I had greatly enjoyed my ownership of my 500E, and that was in no small part due to the warm 500E "brotherhood" I find in general, but on this site in particular.
Thank you for your hard work over the years. It has made a tangible difference to being a 500E owner.
I am a regular viewer but seldom post on this forum. It has been a valuable asset and I hope you will continue. In any event, thanks.
In recent weeks and months, we have seen a major influx of undesirable behaviors from both new members, and even some pre-existing members. This is resulting in more administrative time to edit, remove, move, and otherwise manage and clean up messes that users of the forum are making, which honestly defy common sense.
For example, every single day, forum management is having to move 2-3 mis-posted threads to the correct sub-forum. And combining multiple newly posted threads with existing threads. All of this entails having to search for the existing thread, flag it, flag the new thread, combine with the correct settings, and so forth. It's needless administrative overhead that is just sheer laziness on the part of people making posts.
Specifically these behaviors relate to the following:
One item being actively considered is for all new members:
1) Being REQUIRED to read and agree to a special post on forum etiquette
2) Being REQUIRED to become familiar with the forum's structure before being allowed to post
3) Being a registered member for a pre-set period of time (perhaps two weeks, or a month) before being allowed to post
We need to take steps so that people make better decisions that are considerate of the forum, in keeping with what are actually pretty simple rules here, and make the experience good for everyone. It's not fair that someone joins the forum and just posts whatever question they have indiscriminately in whatever forum they want to, just because they have instant access and ability to post. Many of these people we never seen again, after they ask a question and get an answer to it.
Thoughts — ??
For example, every single day, forum management is having to move 2-3 mis-posted threads to the correct sub-forum. And combining multiple newly posted threads with existing threads. All of this entails having to search for the existing thread, flag it, flag the new thread, combine with the correct settings, and so forth. It's needless administrative overhead that is just sheer laziness on the part of people making posts.
Specifically these behaviors relate to the following:
- Posting questions about cars, engines, and items that are completely outside of the scope of this forum. For example, a W210 model with an M113 engine.
- Posting to the wrong forum. For example, posting a "part wanted" request to the "Parts for Sale" sub-forum.
- Posting partially relevant questions to the wrong forum. For example, posting about an M119 engine in a W140 chassis, to the engine sub-forum, instead of to "Off-Topic Discussions"
- Repeated (daily or near-daily) posting of the same item.
- Posting identical threads in multiple forums (cross-posting).
- Completely ignoring the search function to at least:
- perform a cursory search before posting a question
- pay attention to and READ the "related threads" list provided at the end of every thread
- pay attention to the "Is this already being discussed?" list of existing threads when starting to post a new thread
- Re-posting items that have previously been posted to the forum, days, weeks or months before-hand.
One item being actively considered is for all new members:
1) Being REQUIRED to read and agree to a special post on forum etiquette
2) Being REQUIRED to become familiar with the forum's structure before being allowed to post
3) Being a registered member for a pre-set period of time (perhaps two weeks, or a month) before being allowed to post
We need to take steps so that people make better decisions that are considerate of the forum, in keeping with what are actually pretty simple rules here, and make the experience good for everyone. It's not fair that someone joins the forum and just posts whatever question they have indiscriminately in whatever forum they want to, just because they have instant access and ability to post. Many of these people we never seen again, after they ask a question and get an answer to it.
Thoughts — ??
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