New Forum - Check it out!

[rlearp]

Another fellow from the Esprit Yahoo forum took it upon himself to create a modern Esprit forum using modern software. It is here:

www.espritlotus.com/

Frankly, I wish everyone would move away from this forum and the henious Yahoo forum to the new one. It would help us preserve knowledge and we wouldn't have the same questions as often. Topics would be posted in categories so it'd be easy to find and read. We use similar software on my GT40s.com site and it works very well and allows us to have a great worldwide GT40s community.u

[ErnestM]

Don't know about everyone else, but I'm happy here, thanks...


ErnestM

[unity1]

Various members from the UK Yahoo group and here have been developing and testing a new forum since Novemember. All comments and progress so far have been positive if it were not for some hosting issues which are actually due to be solved 2-3 wk of March. Hopefully public release will not be long after.

[rlearp]

Only reason I advocate one forum is so the info will be located in one, good source. Right now if you want to read about Esprits you've got to check:

US Yahoo forum
Here
US Esprit forum

Now a new one that I listed above, and you guys say another is coming. So, there will be something like five forums out there that will have info spread all over.

[paul c]

I am not joining.

UNITY 1 Is quite right here.
There has been a 'testbed' forum running (on exactly the same format/engine as this 'new' one) for some months now.
Several Yahoo and LEW members (and me) have been using/testing it for several months now. The moderator will have it ready for public release soon and as it already has a well known and growing memberbase,i think it's worth waiting for.

I have my programmable keys (no hassle at all) set on:
LEW forum
UK Yahoo forum
Turbo list
new testbed

I don't like the idea of everyone all on the same and only forum.
I like a pint in all the pubs.


PAUL C

[kylie]

Tooo many forums, stop I say!!!! its going to get to the point where questions will be asked and the right people will not get there to answer them. I like this place. Perhaps Enerest could ask Ted to put our posts in sub category's like:

*Body construction
*Computer Management
*Wheels and Suspension
*Engine Talk
*Upgrades
*General maintenance
*Tracking your Esprit
*Meets/fun runs
*Etc
*Etc


It will get to the point where people cant be bothered looking in 5-6 forums to find info.
Just my 5c

[ErnestM]

I'll do better than that (because it is highly unlikely that Ted can accomodate all of those forums for Esprit but not do it for all the other marques).

What I will do is this:
When you good people see a particular post that you think should be added to the FAQs, just email me via the PH link - or make a comment on the thread and I will add it...


ErnestM

PS: For all that didn't know - Enerest is "New Zealand" for Ernest - - sorry Kylie

>> Edited by ErnestM on Sunday 7th March 19:20

[PetrolTed]

rlearp said:

Frankly, I wish everyone would move away from this forum

Charming

[rlearp]

I agree, too many forums. And some of them are next to useless for storing info, such as the Yahoo forums. I really don't care what forum makes it but it would be nice to have it all in one spot so one doesn't have to check 5 forums a day and then find the same posts coming up on each one.

[PetrolTed]

This forum can be rebranded and that has been one of the reasons for the amount of traffic it gets.

e.g. the forum on the www.espritfactfile.com/ is a reskinned version of this as it is on LotusEspritWorld.

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?f=17&h=13

It ain't perfect but I'm always interested in hearing ideas as to how I can cater for the shortcomings.

Trouble is that people don't like change. Some like the email based chat, some like the look and feel of other forums etc, etc. Getting everyone in one place is unlikely and it takes a lot of work.

Anyway, I'm obviously interested in protecting my interests here so you know my stance

[kylie]

ErnestM said:

PS: For all that didn't know - Enerest is "New Zealand" for Ernest - - sorry Kylie >> Edited by ErnestM on Sunday 7th March 19:20

LOL whoops sorry my fingers type faster than I can spell sometimes. You can call me kyie

[ErnestM]

In case some of you are coming in through one of the skinned sites, please check out:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/default.asp?h=0

You will be surprised at what a community actually exists here. I see MadMike, Calvin, Kylie and sometimes LotusGuy over in General Gassing (just to name a few).

One of the benefits of PH is that you have access to enthusiasts from a wide variety of marques. That way you can get feedback from a more broad audience...

All IMHO of course...

ErnestM

[Pies]

rlearp said:

I agree, too many forums. And some of them are next to useless for storing info, such as the Yahoo forums. I really don't care what forum makes it but it would be nice to have it all in one spot so one doesn't have to check 5 forums a day and then find the same posts coming up on each one.

So how does another forum achieve that
All it will do is split owners ,over in thre TVR "S" area we have one forum (apart from the hardly used TVRCC one)and its brill.
Yes information is stored all over the WWW but all owners meet at the same place this info gets spread around very quickly.As this is probably the most active its best to meet here



>> Edited by Pies on Sunday 7th March 22:30

[madmike]

Ted,

Don't sweat it, this is THE forum to be in.

I spend most of my time in here and General Gassing, but I browse through all the other marquee stuff as well.

I get every single Yahoo list post e-mailed to me. I personally have over 30,000 of them archived on my machine as we speak. So I NEVER miss one of those posts, and that's essential because of the wealth of technical knowledge in there.

But PH is the place I hang out in every single night. I love it here, because you run a great forum.

If all of Yahoo converted to the new one, I would go to, but I will never leave here, because this little community rocks. Thanks Ted.

Just to repeat, there so much more than just Lotus here...go to the main site and view all the sections...the new Lotus forum can never offer that. PH is safe.

[PetrolTed]

Thanks Mike. If there are facilities that users would like to see here that are missing then please shout. PH doesn't use 'out of the box' forum software so whilst it has its quirks it's also flexible. If you want a facility that isn't here then there's a good chance I can build it in. (usually takes me six months but there you go ).

[BrianTheYank]

How bout a free money facility?

[jayinatlanta]

I don't have any problem with multiple high-quality forums. PistonHeads is a very high quality forum that's frequented mostly by users in Europe. So it's great to have a new forum based in the US because one of the main purposes for boards is to get to know great people that we possibly could meet face-to-face.

For example, I also visit multiple (primarily three) forums about C5 Corvettes, because I want advice and knowledge about my Z06. I meet different people on each site and have a great time.

I join rlearp in suggesting a visit to espritlotus.com. George Johnson, who runs that site, seems like a heck of a nice guy and eager to please.

~Jay in Atlanta
1993.5 Silver Frost Esprit SE

[madmike]

The problem with multiple forums is that it stands to fragment the community. With Corvettes, that's not a big problem, because of the sheer volume of Vette owners.

But with the small number of Lotus owners, if you start splitting the community up between a handful of sites, now you've seriously diluted the knowledge pool, and it forces you to have to check 3 or 4 different sites to keep up. That kind of sucks.

Also, just in general I don't think it's very appropriate to post a general "Hey everybody, leave PH" message here, as this is Ted's BUSINESS. I don't think anyone here would appreciate very much someone walking into the lobby where you work with a megaphone, telling all the customers to go shop at the competitor. You'd probably have that person thrown out.

It's a credit to Ted that he allows that type of free speech here. But that doesn't mean we should exercise it.

Mike

>> Edited by madmike on Monday 8th March 00:11

[kylie]

I agree Mike thought that earlier, not surprised he hasent locked the thread. I also agree that the Esprit group is small compared to other ones, so lets just stick together. I am currently on three forums and thats enough.

[PatHeald at Work]

I found Pisonheads through the Lotus Esprit World site.

This is a friendly, cosmopolitan and well informed place to be.

I have tried the Yahoo based forums, but can't get on with the way the threads work. Pistonheads is so easy to use in comparison.

I now spend as much time looking at the other forums, usually General Gassing, the TVR forums and the Regional lists.

I went out for a blast through the Manchester Airport tunnels with eight or nine other Pistonheaders on Sunday.

I was the only Lotus present, but mixing it with a 911 Turbo, Griffiths, T350, Tuscan, a variety of other TVRs and a Tiger was terrific fun.

I met some great people and we had a damn good laugh.

I even had the chance to pull Pwig's leg.

Cheers, Ted. Without you it just wouldn't have happened.

Great site!



Pat.