Hey !!! Check out this really KOOL Corvette Forum feature !!!!! It's Awsum !!!!

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Hmmm, I get 30 hits for "door panel repair".

Every hit has the three words in the specified order.

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Why doesn't that surprise me.

Someone else proposed replacing the parts forum with a classifieds listing section to solve the for sale forum issues, that was called stupid as well.

I volunteered myself and a gameplan to rebuild the defunct techtips feature, and was completely ignored.


These idiots that claim that we're trying to replace the forum with an encyclopedia just don't get it. We're trying to make it more useful. Getting quick easy access to answers for all the stupid questions, will free up the tech forums for more productive stuff.

 

Maybe the answer is to turn the telescope around. Instead
of a Basic Mods area, create one or more additional
sub-forums for discussion of advanced tech topics while
leaving the current C4 Tech area for general tech issues.

My vote is that existing features like the "C4 Tech Summary & FAQ"
and the "C4 Related Tech Tips" are inaccessible to newcomers
and thus useless for them. The concept of a sticky - a key topic that
stays at the top of the list of forum threads - may not be intuitive.
And "Tech Tips" is buried so far down in the menus, that even if it were
tidy and up-to-date, a newbie would need Laura Croft to guide him to it.

New members are the lifeblood of a forum. You never know when a
'newcomer' might show up who turns out to have a lot to offer.

I know it is no magic solution, but if more of us could follow vader86's
example of patiently helping newcomers it would make this little part
of the world a slightly better place. I am sure he has days but there
are none that I recall. (Contrast his work with my failed attempt
to be helpful to Travis93 in a constructive way just a couple of posts above.)

There are already special interest sub-forums for Engine Mods, Tuning,
FI & Nitrous and so on. Would there be enough interest and traffic
to justify additional forums for suspension, cooling, trouble-shooting
or some other subject?

These could be places of refuge for the more advanced members,
leaving C4 Tech as a point of arrival for people when they first come
asking about the coolant by-pass tweak.

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These complaints are the #1 reason we started www.c4guru.com.

The constant repetition got on our collective nerves.

Slalom - I follow exactly what you are saying. The C4 Tech, RPO and Audio FAQs were the first stab at a central location for the basics. To this day, I get people who bitch and complain that they are taking up space and utterly useless. I have had others say that the Tech FAQ is "full of errors." To that person I said, "tell me what they are and I will fix them." To this day, that person has never told me what all is wrong, so, other than some spelling errors, I am going to say it's pretty damned accurate.

The Tech Tips are a lost cause. Their presence - or lack - has been debated for some time. However, if the Forum fixed that, C4 Guru would loose it's reason to exist.

What we are trying to do there is compile tech tips into a consistant PDF based format. Spelled correctly, complete sentences, pictures, instructions. Things of use, not fluff.

Personally, I believe that the repetitive nature of some of these topics is the result of pure laziness. I have actually seen threads where the user (this was in audio, related to a C5) asked if we could tell him what speakers to get, where to get them, how much should they cost, and who should install them. I was so tempted to ask him if he wanted me to fly to his house, bring the speakers, install them, and give him an extra $100.00. That is lazy.

Another one that gets me is "does this fit 1985 and 1986 Vettes?" I will bet that most people don't realize that NAPA, Autozone, Kragen, et.al. list an online cross reference for parts... it's call "the catalog." Quite a useful tool. It won't cover EVERYTHING, of course, but guess what, Ecklers and Summit Racing's online catalogs will fill in most of the gaps.

My final bitch are people that don't know that Google and Yahoo search engines don't apply to them. Pure laziness.

 

There are too many subforums all ready. More forums means each one gets less attention. I pretty much only have the attention span for C4/tech. I'm sure I could be of some help in C4 audio or drag racing or some other subforums, but they're not in front of me.

Keep it all in one place, and use that place more efficiently. The forum frontpage isnt and has never been intuitive to new users. The search box isn't even on the front page and is very inconspicuous where it does come up.

Heck, when I pop it open all I see is Corvette events, a C5 forum, and an online store. Most people that come on here are doing so because they want to buy a used Vette, or have tech questions about a used vette, or just bought a new one and are looking for others in their area. The frontpage doesn't serve any of these people.

The first page needs: A clear link to each genre forum. A search button. A user signin/registration box. If non-users are banned from the search function, then clicking on it should bring them to the sign-in page and give them some quickie info on using the search function.

 

 

read my website

 

Not sure where I found it but I changed my front page to a C4 skin and now all the C4 forums are listed to the left of the screen when I log in. I can still get to all the other forums under the forum pull down but it is nice to have the 1 click method now.

 

Yeah, but a 1st time visitor isn't going to know that. There isn't even a login or registration link on the first page. Keep in mind there's plenty out there that suck at the computer to begin with.

 

the reason i joined this forum was to get tips on how to repair without useing factory tool jzxxxx, not to have my typeing or punctuation , and spelling criticized . the same goes for suggestions for sub forums. why have a forumn, if all youre goig to do is tell them to do a search? maybe they dont know how, orarent aware of it. i still see an arrogant all knowing attitude from you so called old timers, if you are tired of answering the same questions...dont respond! some of us new guys will! newbie is a sarcastic, perjoritive term on this forum. a newbie may be new to the forum, but not new to vettes, sb.s or any type of perfomance driveing. why dont you old timers and your groupies have a sub forum, and you can talk to each other, and not be bothered by repetitive questions or suggestions by us newbies. if you have an fsm, and can read, there is nothing that cant be repaired on a c4 , but the forum can make some of the fixes a hell of a lot easier based on personal experiences. in conclusion, why dont some of you old timers , either answer the questions, or SHUT THE **** UP WITH YOR SNIDE OR SARCASTIC COMMENTS!

 

Ha! Tell me about it after you been around for a few YEARS! Maybe now you can understand why some of us have a twisted view of the universe.

Anyways, I just can't get enough of.....

Tornado inserts
TB bypass
Airfoil
Cut lid
Which oil filter to use

ANd on & on.........

 

I sense a lot of anger here. Some, with good cause, but the first comment you make is real telling.

You have told me in other threads that you don't type well, so, when you made your very first post about the problems you were having with the Bose in your Vette, we were having serious issue not only with grammar and spelling, but with basic comprehension.

From there, things went down hill. A lot of verbal jousting occured and even more anger was vented. However, after we came to understand what your problem/issue was, all of that was put aside and suggestions were shared.

Apparently, the anger still exists. Perhaps an element of sensitivity, but at the time, and apparently even now, you don't quite grasp that clarity in communication is very important. It applies to all of us. If someone posts a comment that makes no sense, I will call them on it. Perhaps they were interupted, perhaps they need help typing. Either way, clarity is what helps the collective us help the collective you.

And yes, your posts have improved - a lot.

As for the term "newb." Get used to it. I just joined www.jeepforum.com, because we just bought a 1993 Cherokee. I am a newb there. I am learning all the Jeep lingo. I tried the search... it kinda sucks. However, I am in a learning stage. The same will apply to the next forum I join.

I assume that the day you entered kindergarten, you were not a newb? If so, I am impressed. We are all newbs at some time....

This forum is very unique, it's been here for 8 years. I have been a member for 6.5 years. The archives go back about 5 years. This is what makes CF unique. Many issues HAVE been addressed. Enough so that using the search is a valid option.

Sub forums have a tendency to dilute the whole. I remember when C4 was only two forums - C4 and C4 For Sale. Then it split into C4 Tech/Gen and then C4 For Sale split into cars and parts. Then add in the ZR1... Scan and Tune... FI/Nitrous... gee...

If it was up to me, I would bring Scan and Tune into the fold with FI/Nitrous.

Now, folks want to create ANOTHER forum... yet another forum to dilute the pot. Before you know it, there will be a forum for every damned topic combination. There will be 8 million forums, each with one post. How inane is that?

I come back to the fact that this is a unique site - it is massive. Well over 100k members and God knows how many posts. It is imposing.

And there is nothing I know that will fix that. But, as CC stated, there are some things they can do to improve the way things are done. A better welcome screen is a nice start. Many functions are hidden, and perhaps some kinda introductory/instruction page. Something to explain the basics of this, and other forums. To explain the search engine, to explain what "sticky" and "administrative messages" mean. To define some of the details that make life on a forum more livable.

I don't like these pages that are so complex you can't find your way around. Over at www.c4guru.com, the old welcome page was so damned confusing, I was having issue with finding my way around. For some reason, the Bloomberg Report screen look has taken over the internet. If there is any white space, let's fill it with clutter, 8 point fonts and way too much info for anyone person to digest. www.corvetteactioncenter.com and are real offenders.

On the other hand, there is another site (I am not allowed to mention it here) I frequent that has a much cleaner appearance and less clutter. It could use some fixing up, but it is simpler.

I suspect this is a trend that will reach overload before it gets any better.

 

I guess were all misfits, in a domestic way of course.......

 

I would suggest reading Forum Guidelines and Rules section of the Help and Feedback forum.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1049449

 

you bring up some very good points.

I haven't visited the home page in so long, I didn't even realize that there are a lot of things that should be there.

You may want to create a new post in the "HELP" section with these ideas, maybe Troy can add some of it.