Hi ! Again ! not been on here for a while and boy has it changed
- Thread starter boba fett
- Start date
MJB
New member
tscaptain said:
Yes, those responsible for such sections need to drive them. Then again, the Club Motorsport forum states, "NOTE: this forum is NOT reviewed by the Motorsports Team at Club office", so that is not setting much of an example. Some areas of the Club have also seen the sort of members who are active online migrate to forums more specific to their interests and some may have even ceased to be members.
angusc said:
Sorry to hear you feel its difficult to access the forum. The reasons why forum users have to log on each time have been explained many times over the last 6 months. Basically, it is linked to the Clubs financial systems and we were advised by a specialist IT security company, after they reviewed the Club's IT infrastructure, that we needed to do this.
It is rather easy to save your login ID and password on your PC/Laptop/Mobile, and with one click you can access every time you visit. There is no need even to remember your password.
It works easily for me and most members too and I hope that once you do this it will overcome your difficulties.
Peter_Bull said:
Thats exactly what I do. 2 clicks from email to forum thread. Easy
Doesn't work for me!
I would change the following:-
[ul][*]Automatic log-in from the same computer (works for banks).[*]WYSIWYG for posts (these points are bulleted in draft but don't appear in the actual post.[*]Easier to publish photos.[*]More user-friendly filtering.[*]More user-friendly personal messaging.[*]Review and updating the search engine (the current is chronically poor).[*]Old, unused, redundant and non-applicable sections should be removed[/ul]That's just a few suggestions to be going on with!
Regards,
[font="comic sans ms,sans-serif"]Clive[/font]
tscaptain said:
I would change the following:-
[ul][*]Automatic log-in from the same computer (works for banks).[*]WYSIWYG for posts (these points are bulleted in draft but don't appear in the actual post.[*]Easier to publish photos.[*]More user-friendly filtering.[*]More user-friendly personal messaging.[*]Review and updating the search engine (the current is chronically poor).[*]Old, unused, redundant and non-applicable sections should be removed[/ul]That's just a few suggestions to be going on with!
Regards,
[font="comic sans ms,sans-serif"]Clive[/font]
I'm a new member of R3 region and meet locally with members for runs out, all very well organized by Greg and Deb Harm. So that part of the PCGB works very well. However I agree with some of the previous posters that the format of using the forum is a little bland. I also get email updates to threads that I have contributed to in the R3 region but nothing from the general forum list without a bit of work getting to it and reviewing notes.
I'm also a member of the 911UK forum and must admit that their user interface is much more user friendly with very easy access to all parts of the site by clear windows to click on. In most cases if it takes more than two or three clicks to get where you want on any web site users don't bother. When was this whole site refreshed and tested for user friendliness? I'm interested to be able to use it more. thanks.
John H
I'm also a member of the 911UK forum and must admit that their user interface is much more user friendly with very easy access to all parts of the site by clear windows to click on. In most cases if it takes more than two or three clicks to get where you want on any web site users don't bother. When was this whole site refreshed and tested for user friendliness? I'm interested to be able to use it more. thanks.
John H
Odd because all 3 of the banks we use for internet banking use a double password entry, even though the user name can be stored, each time we log on. Think I would be concerned if my computer auto logged on to my bank. I personally find the forum easier to log on than Amazon/Paypal/Bank/eBay/GWR/Hargreaves etc etc. as it remembers both user name and password[
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pauljmcnulty
Active member
A lot of the forum clunkiness is the platform. We decided to stay with this partly because the alternatives offered with the new website were far worse, partly because this forum has millions of words of useful advice that would be lost, or at best archived somewhere no-one ever saw it! It's clear that PCGB isn't like other forums: the Club holds banking, address and car details on some 15000 people, and needs more security than "Dave's Home-Grown Porche Forrum". But, we don't have the money Santander do to combine top-level security with user-friendliness to the same extent. It's really not that bad, and I'm sure that a data breach would cause more serious moaning than a one-click log in! If your user name and password are saved it's only one click, after all. My bank actually remembers the log-in, but then you have to enter randoms from your password and PIN every visit: far harder than this site with my failing memory....
I do agree that the forum is the un-loved illegetimate child of the Club in many ways. We've seen Boards come and go: there was the one that spent 4 years putting fences up at events, the one that sued everyone - possibly we now live in the age of monetising everything the Club does, and the forum isn't easy to urn to a profit-generator? The website was essential, but perhaps linking the forum in order to get traffic up for advertisers wasn't actually helpful to the forum. Every time we address forum technical problems we come up against "something more important with the website is our priority".
I don't think it's a secret that the current Board members aren't forum users particularly, and nor are the office staff. They want content on the website to draw traffic there, and I still think there's an element of not wanting debate when things are published. Boards and staff, though, come and go in a relatively short period of time, so if you feel the forum needs more input from "The Management", get yourselves on the next Board! Personally, I think it's a real issue that the Register and Region Directors aren't active daily on the forum across their areas. The same with ROs and RSs: some recently-removed moderators were Club officials who hadn't even logged in for months or years, and that seems barking mad to me. I wish I'd had a shot at Register Director, as that's something I'd have addressed head-on regardless of the antipathy. [&o]
I do agree that the forum is the un-loved illegetimate child of the Club in many ways. We've seen Boards come and go: there was the one that spent 4 years putting fences up at events, the one that sued everyone - possibly we now live in the age of monetising everything the Club does, and the forum isn't easy to urn to a profit-generator? The website was essential, but perhaps linking the forum in order to get traffic up for advertisers wasn't actually helpful to the forum. Every time we address forum technical problems we come up against "something more important with the website is our priority".
I don't think it's a secret that the current Board members aren't forum users particularly, and nor are the office staff. They want content on the website to draw traffic there, and I still think there's an element of not wanting debate when things are published. Boards and staff, though, come and go in a relatively short period of time, so if you feel the forum needs more input from "The Management", get yourselves on the next Board! Personally, I think it's a real issue that the Register and Region Directors aren't active daily on the forum across their areas. The same with ROs and RSs: some recently-removed moderators were Club officials who hadn't even logged in for months or years, and that seems barking mad to me. I wish I'd had a shot at Register Director, as that's something I'd have addressed head-on regardless of the antipathy. [&o]
garyw
Moderator
pauljmcnulty said:
I completely agree Paul.
However I guess we have to accept that as part of modern society that money needs to be made, if it allows the club to employ people to do a better job and allows the board to concentrate on forwarding the club then I don't think anyone can argue that point. The forum could have earned monies, by advertising banners- we had people approach to want to advertise but the club turned its nose up at it- however I do think the forum could well be the better for it with the lack of advertisements here, it loads slow enough already!
Whilst I totally accept that all those positions are voluntary I once again agree entirely with the comments, but as I mentioned earlier it may be that the instructions from high above are to concentrate on the website (as it draws traffic) rather than the forum? So they are doing as asked of them.pauljmcnulty said:
You should have gone for the board Paul, I looked but sadly a lack of Porsche excludes me currently and could I really be bothered with the Bollotics that comes with it.
pauljmcnulty
Active member
I sort of agree, Gary, and we've seen the Club develop a very long way in our time with it! I'm not so certain myself that the large number of full-time staff, and a worker's group who are discouraged compared to in our day, is a good thing? I felt that the Regions were reasonably supported so long as they did what they were told, and towed the corporate line to a degree. Registers are too diverse for a fixed set of rules, though, and the more corporate the Club has become the less Registers matter. A display of ropey old 924s at an event doesn't set the Board or Office on fire compared to Porsche's presence with the new hypercar, and that's a loss IMO. The people who are long-term members, attend a lot of events, contribute to the Club and often volunteer, are usually not the guy who trades his brand new 911 every year on a finance deal, or buys a Macan to do the school run. [8|] It's not that many volunteers don't use the forum: many also don't use the website, Mailchimp, contribute to Porsche Post regularly, attend events, come to conferences or the AGM. In fact, some people could possibly be replaced! The ROs and RSs are supposed to be the active link between the members and the transient Board and staff, but it seems that's not currently seen as ideal. Had I been able to get on the Board as RD I'd have kept the car, as I felt there was work to be done there. I'm not sure much progress would have been made, but it would have been fun to try.
Paul,
With respect, I was in the same room as you when you participated in my Striving for Excellence programme and you made your views on your own potential Board membership pretty clear. I'll save your blushes here though.
I have just given the third of four consecutive weekends to the Club and my personal loss of earnings in the last 7 days alone run at around 30 hours. The rest of the current Board give similar levels of commitment.
As it stands, again with respect, you are not even a Club member and you don't have a Porsche.
The current Board and Clubhouse team have created some astonishing achievements (which you happily acknowledged at the Clubhouse), and your comments are unfair and unhelpful. Especially to Chris Seaward and his amazing team.
Ask any of the Club officials in attendance at the last conference dinner if they felt the current Board's objective was to "monetise everything" and you will hear a deafening silence.
Our objective is to provide the best possible experience to our members. From Magnus Walker's Outlaw talk to a Black Tie dinner, Motorsport event to Stately Home, trackday to weekend away, Le Mans race to an intimate audience with Nick Tandy, the list for 2017 is exciting and relevant.
The Club is in a great place -
let's embrace it. The days of silly political posturing are well behind us and thank goodness for that.
With respect, I was in the same room as you when you participated in my Striving for Excellence programme and you made your views on your own potential Board membership pretty clear. I'll save your blushes here though.
I have just given the third of four consecutive weekends to the Club and my personal loss of earnings in the last 7 days alone run at around 30 hours. The rest of the current Board give similar levels of commitment.
As it stands, again with respect, you are not even a Club member and you don't have a Porsche.
The current Board and Clubhouse team have created some astonishing achievements (which you happily acknowledged at the Clubhouse), and your comments are unfair and unhelpful. Especially to Chris Seaward and his amazing team.
Ask any of the Club officials in attendance at the last conference dinner if they felt the current Board's objective was to "monetise everything" and you will hear a deafening silence.
Our objective is to provide the best possible experience to our members. From Magnus Walker's Outlaw talk to a Black Tie dinner, Motorsport event to Stately Home, trackday to weekend away, Le Mans race to an intimate audience with Nick Tandy, the list for 2017 is exciting and relevant.
The Club is in a great place -
let's embrace it. The days of silly political posturing are well behind us and thank goodness for that.
Well said Rob.
I may be biased as the previous Chairman, but in all honesty until anyone has taken on the role of a PCGB Director and understands the multiple facets that each and every board member is involved with, it is difficult to comprehend just how the club works in its entirety. Of course the average member is encouraged to keep the board in check by their advice and honest criticism (even on the forum) but sometimes it’s hard for members to see just how it all works behind the scenes. Sometime even a phone call can do wonders!
Personally I feel it’s a shame there is no longer a Board Talk in PP where the director had the space each month to let members know what is going on in the club at board level. Of course this mustn’t be a repetition of what the Club Manager says in his column, but it I always found it to be a way of bridging the gap to members. We have seen it many times on this forum that firing salvos from behind a keyboard with minimum knowledge can cause untold damage.
Paul is correct about the apathy of some of our volunteer club officials who fail to connect with their own members on the forum and I think it’s rather sad indictment on them. How many times have we heard: 'what is the club doing for the early Porsche's?'. The club is doing the same for all members, no matter what model of Porsche they have and there is no distinction.
I have said for a long time that some these officials should be getting actively involved themselves and not apportion the lack of interest in their Register of Region elsewhere.
To quote Rob: The Club is in a great place - let's embrace it. The days of silly political posturing are well behind us and thank goodness for that.
This thread is about the forum, it's decline and apparent lack of support from Club officials. So personal comments are off-topic and rather discourteous - even when prefaced "with respect". Non member, non Porsche-owning contributors too are entitled to an opinion.
As a Club official, one enjoys honour, prestige and privilege. It is also extremely hard work and very time consuming, so those resentful of this or finding it impeding unacceptably upon their careers, should reconsider their position and pack it in if they are unwilling to set aside sufficient time to run what is, after all now, a million pound business.
Regards,
[font="comic sans ms,sans-serif"]Clive[/font]
As a Club official, one enjoys honour, prestige and privilege. It is also extremely hard work and very time consuming, so those resentful of this or finding it impeding unacceptably upon their careers, should reconsider their position and pack it in if they are unwilling to set aside sufficient time to run what is, after all now, a million pound business.
Regards,
[font="comic sans ms,sans-serif"]Clive[/font]
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