There are plenty of threads about political crap that shouldn't be on here (IMHO), I want more threads like the brilliant thread where some chap (sorry can't remember the name) has had another tank enlarged for his D16, or the great build threads. TBH it's probably in part that we are all strung out with work and skint and spending less on the bikes but it could just be that people feel they are going to get flamed? Maybe also more of us are riding new bikes in warranty and just sending them back to the dealer when they need it?
Would it be fair to say that a forum naturally takes the form its members want? I know Anth pretty much sadly left as we werent taking about bikes enough whereas others stay for that very reason. I dont think we can compete with .ms and I dont think we should try or even worry about it. As a forum we're in a good place. We have good people here and we have so strong connections with Ducati UK, which can only be a good thing. Just my opinions though
that's a shame, but I kinda agree, I look on here a lot, and recently have been seeing the same 4-5 threads just topping the 'What's New' and the other stuff dropping off, it could be worse though, was on the ZXR forum for some info, and there are pages of threads with not a single response, so there is a lot to be positive about. EG..... 3 of the top 4 threads, political (no offence to anyone but I personally just ignore them where I can).
That was me with the enlarged tank and I totally agree with you about the crap that gets posted on here. I won't be quitting the site as it is still the best of the bunch but I would dearly like us to have more Ducati related posts, more meets and more ride-outs like we did in the Ducatisti days. I was a Mod on that forum and I have fond memories of it. OK, some of my fellow Mods were a bit over the top IMHO (and there were often strong arguments behind the scenes about how strict we should be) but the site was great and I met some fantastic people through it. I live not to far from Dan and had regular ride-outs with him. I have met him a couple of times since he switched Ducatisti off and he explained to me that he just couldn't afford the time, effort or energy any more - especially with the arrival of a new baby. He genuinely closed the site for a break and then just decided not to open it up again. The loss of such a great resource was a real shame, and I wish we had been given the opportunity to get stuff off it first but given the inevitable hoo-ha that would have resulted if he had announced its closure in advance, I think on balance he did the right thing. Just for the record, according to what I was told Dan did not attempt to sell the site, and after the running costs made no money from it. Last I heard he still had his beloved 748 but with family demands wasn't getting to ride it so much. Anyways ... we should look to the future I reckon ... and lets try to make this site the best it can be by posting as much about our bikes as possible
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It is mainly the threads about political, religious, and social topics which are interesting. The idea of banning them is way beyond insanity, not to say pretty insulting to anybody with a brain.
That's up to you to make it happen, Dave. If you want to read more about Ducatis you have to post more, it's as simple as that. I enjoy the odd tech thread, but a forum full of tech threads would be a very boring thing indeed. I'm the polar opposite, I prefer the bollox to the bike-related stuff. But there's room for both here. The reason there's not more Ducati-related threads here is because the people who want them are not starting them. It really is as simple as that. If you want to read about the bikes, then post about them. I'd appreciate it, and I'm sure others would too. As Matt says, the forum reflects it's members - you can make it what you want it to be, but you have to contribute...
If you don't like a thread you can ignore it, simples. The frustration here sometimes is how a good thread, esp bike related, turns into a puerile school-ground conversation which adds about 3 pages but no value. A crime which I can be as guilty of as anyone. I treat this as my pub, I have a sad lonely existence and no friends. Thats why i'm on here all the time
I've always thought that an online pub is the perfect description of most forums. People are generally braver in what they say when they don't have to face up to someone - or when they've had a beer. And the way conversations evolve on forums always reminds me of the way we try to put the world to rights in pubs after a couple of bevies. Maybe that's why I like them.
JHP is who Dan always used to look after his 748. He chose to link to their website when he closed the forum down. It appears that he still owns the ducatisti.co.uk domain name
I agree it is up to the people on the forum to make it what they want it to be. I don't see anything wrong with a bit of lounge chat but the balance has gone way off IMHO. Personally I like to come onto a bike forum to talk bikes - not just technical, but anything to do with bikes - and I contribute as best I can. It seems odd to me that those people who want to talk politics/religion/current affairs in so much depth don't take it to a specialist forum that was built for that purpose ... there are loads of them out there.
Dave,but those forums are full of people who KNOW what they are talking about rather than just regurgitate wiki or google pages ;-)
I come on for the tech, but the site is full of crap most of the time, I mean the lounge, so you say avoid it, BUT it's the main part of new posts, so IMO the site sucks most of the time! I know a good few who have gone back to .ms etc since Ducatisti closed, that side was over modded but at least it did not have fuck this fuck that, I have to hide the screen from my kids when on here and you never know what's going to pop up, I DONT like swearing but FUCK it, if you can't beat them join them! It lowers the tone of the site and I can't think for one min that Ducati would want any actual links to this place! No WAY! People here are quick to slag people off and call the wankers etc, JUST like the BVG thread, however when you call them names they cry like baby's and yell for the mods to remove posts, again like the BVG thread! The site is hypocritical and so are most of the members, if you want to talk bull shit politics why not joint a friken forum for it, yeah yeah yeah the lounge if for all that I know but like I say it covers most of "new posts" so all in all the place is boring as hell, other than Kopes thread and a few others.
Forums (I could create a separate thread to explain why the plural is not fora in this case if you like) are about information, communication and fun. They are also about balance. If the balance here is not right for 'you', go elsewhere. If you do go elsewhere, don't forget not to swear (sorry, SWEAR), otherwise you may be accused of being a hypocrite, but it may prevent you from being bored.
I think the problem with bike related only , or say the majority of posts being bike related is that pretty soon people only log in when something is of interest. I joined the xs650 forum for info , and ended up introducing myself and asked a question only to be told I shouldn't ask a question in the " newbie " section . And that rather unhelpful reply came two days after asking IIRC . Nobody is on that site it may get two or three posts A DAY . This is a generally good mix of tech/ off topic banter I think. Besides how much can you discuss about relay , battery , clutch issuses , code errors. The really good stuff is the likes of the Kopey build and other such in depth threads , but we cant all do that ,its time and money that most don't have. Pete.
