Thread: Not the answer, Bill.

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It looks like anytime any of us disagree with something on here all that you have to do is close that thread, Bill. Some Democracy.

You have the buttons to do that, but do you think it answers the questions we were raising about how a vendor can put up ad after ad, clogging the forum? Is this the way it is going to be?

I'm very disappointed in your response to those questions, and I bet some others are too. No matter what spin you and Brent try to put on this, you can't deny participation is down since the change and several long standing members no longer come here at all. Now this latest "vendor" ad torrent really puts salt in the wound.

Shut this one down too , Bill, that will show how much our opinions really count around here.

Don

yep i will go a long with what don said as well as the new screwed up lay out here . i know very well i am not the only one .there is some good guys on here i still like to talk to and help if i can. but you and brent have done a very good job of screwing this place up if that was the goal here? you out done youself

The vendor is a little aggressive and does not know how things work on this forum yet

A PM has been sent to him.

If a vendors posts outside of the classifieds, then that thread gets moved as soon as I see it.

Since the for sale section is not for discussion purposes, the posts were deleted when the post was moved.

Yes,it really is that simple.

Love me or hate me for it, the rules of the classified section are posted in each section.
Hot Rod Parts For Sale Forum - Guidelines

Bill S.

Bill how about a judgement call about the vendor post in the tranny section??.

Originally Posted by 1gary

Bill how about a judgement call about the vendor post in the tranny section??.

It appears that nobody had a problem with that post. Which perhaps may have given the vendor a green light to make additional posts in the other forums. Again, I've sent him a PM asking to keep the for sale posts to the classified section.


Bill S.

Edit - I was typing when Bill posted, so this is a bit out of sequence... There have been several posts by the same vendor, but if you look back he started innocent - telling us that they would be at one of the NE shows and inviting anyone attending to stop by, etc, etc. In hindsight that one probably should have been in the vendor section too, but it was a benign post. Over the past week or so his posts changed direction, using the forum sections for blatant advertising. From what I've seen this has been limited to one guy, and Bill's got him in his sites now with a few cleanups yet to finish. I don't envy Bill in his traffic cop position, but I appreciate his actions on this type of thing.

Guys, I feel terrible that folks here are not happy. There is no intention on Bill nor my part to cause problems, concerns, issues, or anything negative. Bill has a difficult job, and its not a paying one. He has donated his time to the cause and has done much to keep things going well around here. He won't always make the exact right decision that makes everyone happy but keep in mind that he's doing the best he can and its for everyone here....He's open to feedback if we make it respectful. Just keep in mind that he has spent many many hours taking care of many things that most will never even notice. He's a valuable contributor and is doing the best he can.

Now for the layout and all the changes I made. My intention was to make the place better in the long run. I had no intention of messing things up, but I apparently did. I sincerely want to make a place for everyone and I want to keep up with the times. I'm regretful of how things went down....I don't know what to say. I made a mistake, but I want to make things right. If this were my full time job I think things would be different, but I, like most everyone else here have to go to work. All I can say is that I will continue to try and make things better here, but I will make big changes with everyones input first going forward.

First of all, let me get out of the way that my rant wasn't directed at you personally, Bill. Although I have never had the pleasure of meeting you I like you and think you do a very good but thankless job here. How you do it I have no idea.

My frustration is that the doors of the forum now seem to have been opened up to anyone who somehow becomes a "vendor" to post as many threads as they want for the sole purpose of listing an item or offering some service. The vendor in question has only 13 posts but 100% of those are advertisements or items for sale. My first question is, "What exactly is a VENDOR?" Is it someone who has paid for that privilage, like a sponsor, or what??????????

The problem becomes, if we let one guy run as many threads selling items as he wants, where does it end? What if we got Charlie Price from Vintage Speed on here, for example.............he sells a zillion items and would be able to run one thread per item. Suddenly any threads we regular members post would quickly be crowded off of the home page and into the archives.

At first I thought this new vendor was a spammer who was uninvited and just here hocking his goods..............but apparently he is INVITED and hocking his goods with the blessings of the Administration. Do you see why we might be upset? I just would hate to see what was once such a strong, wonderful forum become just page after page of advertisements.

We've all sort of accepted the recent changes, but this one is over the top IMO.

Don

Brent, sorry, you were posting as I was typing. What is the situation specifically with vendors doing this sort of thing?

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

How you do it I have no idea.

Plenty of coffee



And a few extra arms grafted on seems to do the trick

Funny, I always envisioned you as a little older !

Don

I'm thinkin' that "the Minion" is not Mike, but someone he has taken on who is quite aggressive and saw an opportunity to stick his foot in the door, after a fashion, and found that that tactic is still as much frowned upon as it has always been - at least I hope that's what has happened, and that Mike will put a proverbial cork in the bottle before the genie gets any further out.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Funny, I always envisioned you as a little older !

Don

Yeah, add at least 25 years on to that pictures

Here’s my two cents:

My first “exposure” to Club Hot Rod was several years back when I was having a bugger of a problem with a 400 SBC. All of the responses I received were polite and I very much appreciated the attitude shown to me as a new member. I also noticed that there was a ton of experience and knowledge here and as such, I started to “hang out” a bit and contribute when I thought I may be able to add value. It was obvious to me from day one that most people here were my age (some older) and as such, we’re a generation of folks that know how to “get things done” and have experienced enough life to truly understand the meaning of the word improvise. I too really liked the “old format” and found it a bit more friendly but also understand that Bill and Brent are truly volunteers and the switch to vBulletin’s latest generation of forum and community publishing software was necessary to continue to allow CHR to grow without them (Bill and Brent) working on the site 24 x 7. I appreciate all you do and will continue to support your efforts and work within the parameters of what we have. I too miss some of those who have opted out but realize, “you can’t please all the people all the time.”

I also have a great deal of respect for Don, Dave, Jerry, Roger, Gary, Pat, Tech, Barb, (etc), and the whole lot of folks here who post on a regular basis and contribute technical expertise beyond what I would ever be able to assemble on my own. I regularly “cut & paste” from this forum and file in my own technical archives. I’ve encouraged several friends to log on and sign up as this is truly an educational experience and I appreciate the time you all spend here! Of course, if you’re at all like I am, this site also provides you with some good “therapy” in the evening when you unwind and some great humor (not just on the joke page!)

That said – I don’t much care for the “vendor” participation anywhere other than the “for sale” sections. I get blasted all day with emails from people trying to convince me that a real man has 12 inches of hardware or I’ve been identified as the sole-surviving heir to a gazillion dollar fortune in Zimbabwe. If I want to buy something (on CHR or anywhere else) I’ll go to a classified location and begin to search. I have no problem with Bill removing inappropriate posts and honestly, it’s “his call” what should go where.

Contrast this discussion with “Some prayers, please” - nearly 2,000 views and over a hundred responses in eleven days. I have never met Dave face-to-face however; I’ve been galvanized by Dave’s situation and will continue to pray for him and his family. Not too “hot rod” centric, but a very clear picture of the character of those who post regularly on this site. One of the things that make this the best site on the web is the passion with which people here embrace life and the manner in which that passion is reflected in our posts!

Regards All,
Glenn

WOW, Glenn! Very well said! I don't think I could've composed it any better in all my life! Unlike Roger, I struggle for 50 words! I agree completely!

Hi Guys,
My intent here is advertise for Forte's Parts Connection. This is my 30th year in business and have so much to offer. The vendor status is not free and I know that the money is used to keep this forum going. Steve (Forte's Minion) is trying to reach guys that are building cars and have a need for custom parts that I manufacture, Tremec 5 & 6 speeds transmissions (Forte's is one of 11 Elite Dealers for Tremec in the US & Canada).
All of this said, advertising is how I reach customers like yourself and hope to sell parts in a very difficult economy as I know almost everyone is experiencing.
I have been a Vendor here for several years and need to continue sales to be able to continue to advertise here. Honestly, sales do not support the expenses and I need to up sales or stop paying for ads here.
So I guess it's up to you guys, either sales or stop my vendor status which in turn hurts the forum you like. No hard feelings to anyone. I have sold some but it takes volume sales to stay even a business.
Thanks for your thoughts and I'll see how this plays out.