This site is not what it was VOTE !

I'm glad to see that this thread is turning into a more positive thread than a couple of others.

I happen to know that Greg dumps a lot of his resources into this site, and at times his job, that is his livelihood, has suffered as a consequence.

There are several people that have mentioned that it is the users that make the site what it is. If this is so, and I must say I believe that to a certain extent, then it doesn't matter what the format of the site is, the users will still make it what they want it to be. It's irrelevant what the format looks like, at the end of the day, you will all still be able to post and chat.

I seriously hope that the transition of admin-ship still takes place as was previously planned, otherwise we will have to go elsewhere to post our points of view, because this site wont exist anymore.

For some maybe they would be able to turn around and say mission accomplished, and then go to another forum and do the same, but I for one would be seriously disappointed if it where not here any more.

The threat of this site closing down is a serious possibility, think about what you post.

Personally I think anyone who has a problem with the way this site is run should suggest an alternative idea before complaining. It is a site run by 2 guys in their spare time, and a bloody good job they do too in my opinion. (Rant over!)

I truly believe we have got to blame websense and other firewalls for the Chat element.

If your company runs such software it't there for a reason. Maybe because you're actually "at work" ???

however it makes the site really hard work if you use the posts since last logged in feature (which i tend to use).

I log in about 3 times a day, nothing much moves that quickly, especially at weekends

the site is great for information and socially for meetings and rideouts, and the sections for geographical areas are great. It's just taking up so much time to reject the tripe out of the good.

It has, as has been said many times before, become a community rather than just a resource of information on the SV. I no longer have an SV, but I still feel I am able to contribute, plus I have friends that use the site on a regular basis. It's how I met some of the people that are now my closest friends. (they are, honest...)

I think maybe it's time I bowed out from the site. it's been informative and fun meeting people and sharing knowledge, but it is really taking too much time to trawl through.

Are you serious ??? You don't have to read every post in every section... I never look at the "community" sections outside of the south east, unless I'm going there. The main 2 sections are not that heavily used and I just ignore 99% if IB.

Maybe it's the way you use the site rather than the site itself. Things move on and maybe if you used the site more efficiently you wouldn't find it such a chore.

.

Personally this site has opened up the biking world for me and without it I would have probably been a 'loner'. The meet at Boxhill was brilliant even if we didn't get to Brighton because we dropped it in the car park. But Iansv came to the rescue in an instant and at least we got home!

THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE GREAT WORK DONE BY THE ADMINISTRATORS.

I'm with Gloggsy and BigApe - I'm merely grateful for the forum's existence. I have visited the SV Owners site and others and they aren't nearly as comprehensive as this one.

So whilst there is always ways in which things MAY (not will) be made better, it should be constructive with an appreciation of what we already have.

Big Ape wrote.....
The threat of this site closing down is a serious possibility, think about what you post.........
For some maybe they would be able to turn around and say mission accomplished, and then go to another forum and do the same...

Big Ape, do you seriously believe what you have written? and that in your opinion we have conspirators deliberately trying to take this website off air ?

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by BigApe

There are several people that have mentioned that it is the users that make the site what it is. If this is so, and I must say I believe that to a certain extent, then it doesn't matter what the format of the site is, the users will still make it what they want it to be. It's irrelevant what the format looks like, at the end of the day, you will all still be able to post and chat.

The threat of this site closing down is a serious possibility, think about what you post.

Totally agree, who gives a stuff what the logo's and such like, it doesnt matter to me and it doesnt effect people coming on and logging in and using the site.

Serisously... eek... I'd hate to see that.. I've been on a few other sites and no way are they as friendly and informative as this one.

[Viney]

Originally Posted by Baldyman

Yeah, but surely you have an opinion Viney

Originally Posted by Iansv

I think people underestimate the time and effort John and Greg put in myself.... Just like to say a big thanks again to the effort they put in!!

[Sid Squid]

Question: What 'makes' this site? I think it's easier to say what doesn't matter, it's not the format, not the logo, not even the level of inane crap which may or may not interest you at any given time.
I would have said, (amongst others), the contributors, the friendliness, (try some other rather 'cliquey' sites, of which there are a lot), the usefulness of the resource when questions arise, the accepting nature which makes it welcoming to new riders and new SV, (and other ! ), owners.
However this site is arranged, there will be some pleased and some not, I like to think that I have, in my own small way, contributed to this site, I do that by attempting to pass on the experience and knowledge I've picked up along the way whilst biking, John and Greg do that by making that, and everyone elses contributions and requests possible.
(Their's is a significantly greater contribution, I think ).
If you really don't like the way the site is run, don't come. If you don't like the way it's arranged, don't come. If you don't like the opinions aired, don't come. If you don't like the colour of the background, don't come.
But do any of those matter? I sincerely doubt it, what's important is that it does exist, and that someone else does it all for you, all you have to do is type www.sv650.org and there it is.


PS. We really don't need a discussion as to 'who owns' this site, that will get us no-where.

with the success of a site you get the problems. We used to run a forum on one of our websites where I work and it soon got clogged up with crap. to the point in fact where we had to close it down.

Now the people that used the forum complained to watchdog and other types of whinge bag services but to no avail. We offered the service for free only to have these people abusing the website claiming it as "theirs" and they had rights to use as they wish...********

At the end of the day someone has to make a choice about the running and managing of a popular website and to some people this is wrong. They complain publicly, the bitch about the admins in the forums giving outsiders a bad impression of the website and stopping a few from joining and sharing in what could be a useful environment for newbies.

This website is popular, no doubt about that. The admins have their work cut out maintaining it, which they do in their own time and at own costs. At the end of it it's THEIR choice to do what they will with it.

If you don't like this place anymore find a new forum and hope that the people on there are as helpful as I've found a few of them to be on here. If it wasn't for this place I would not have bought my SV and would be on a Hairnet or something.

If you think you can run a better one, send me a PM and I'll arrange a forum on my server just for you to manage and populate...see how you cope.

OK back to sleep now...i mean work

[admin]

Thanks for all these comments.

A few observations.

1. You can't please everybody all the time, but we try,

2. There was no sudden changes enacted. Greg put a thread ages ago asking for views about merging IB and humour (and a few others). We made some changes immediately but some got left until recently. So it might have seemed sudden to some but it was discussed.

3. The only way to keep some of the sillier threads off the site is to perhaps start charging a membership fee? I would guess that only the dedicated hard core of SV owners would then stay and the conversations might relate to the SV a bit more. Don't panic....I'm not thinking of going this way. I want to keep the site free for as long as possible.

John