A Members’ Forum?

What are they actually missing out on?

This other forum.

Once, at Mountain Mayhem we set up a private bar on our stand. There was a red rope barrier. We only let full members on the other side where we offered them free beer.

This other forum.

But at the risk of repeating myself, what are they actually missing out on? What’s in “this other forum” of such great import? Updates on predicted delivery dates for the next issue of a magazine they haven’t bought?

Thanks for doing this
I agree with beagleboy and yak. I stopped posting years ago due to the actively nasty replies to most posts.
I’m hoping we can talk about bikes and stuff on here without fear of it all descending into crap for the amusement of a few wanksocks
Being just for people who like MTB enough to pay money to read a mag about it may just help

I could be wrong (it has happened before) but I don’t think that’s the point of this forum.

The point of this forum seems to be unclear, cougar is saying its just somewhere where full members can ask about things related to their membership, but Mark says it’s a place where full members can discuss anything without fear of intimidation from a non member .

I guess it can be both those things….

I’m not saying what its intention is. I’ve no idea, I didn’t create it. I’m saying what it’s being used for currently.

If I were a betting man I’d wager that the point was to create it and see what if anything happens, it’s up to you – us – to use it how we see fit.

As above, it will become what the members make of it, well actually what a tiny subject of the membership make of it.

It’s for mag/content chat. It’s a safe space to talk. It’s a closer connection to the team. It’s probably other things I’ve not thought of yet. It’s yours though. Where it goes is not down to me.

But at the risk of repeating myself, what are they actually missing out on? What’s in “this other forum” of such great import?

My (slight) concern is with what it represents, not with the current limited content. I don’t know why you’re getting so uppity with me having an opinion about it.

Not a massively active poster but been here since issue 1.

Tend not to post after the rugby thread and other thread descended into mudslinging and just not worth engagement or reading.

So I look at this area like a pub, just moved from the main bar where it is all kicking off the the taproom or snug for a quiet chat and let the landlord/lady how things are going, and I can wander back to main room if I want.

I quite like the idea of this forum.

So I look at this area like a pub, just moved from the main bar where it is all kicking off the the taproom or snug for a quiet chat and let the landlord/lady how things are going, and I can wander back to main room if I want.

I really like this analogy and the idea of fine ale in the snug. Am I allowed to smoke a pipe and wear my slippers in here though?

Like a few others. I do not post or contribute, that frequently. Some threads feel like no-go areas which is a shame. But it takes all sorts I guess.

My (slight) concern is with what it represents, not with the current limited content.

And what’s that?

I don’t know why you’re getting so uppity with me having an opinion about it.

I’m not getting uppity, I’m attempting to manage expectations. If your argument is “I don’t like X because it’s Y” and the fact of the matter is that it isn’t Y and Y does not in fact exist then it renders your complaint against X moot. It’s like hating the EU because of [bendy | non-bendy] bananas.

This wasn’t put here to represent anything, rather it was seemingly an experiment to see if it proves useful or not.

Definitely get the threads in the overview!

I’m on the side of the people who think this (a separate members forum) is a bad idea.

Members will bitch about non members (already started above) , non members will bitch about members. Diversity will reduce, forum content will get spread more thinly.

Don’t quite agree with this.

I also think, might need a bit of work mind, that Free Members should see the threads but not be able to access/only see the OP or contribute to them. This would work especially well if there are some ‘exciting’ threads going on in here. If people are put off by Full Members willing to contribute financially to STW getting something extra above and beyond what they as Free Members get then perhaps they need to have a word with themselves.

IIRC there’s a rather large banner saying Members Area on the pages that take you to the log in pages, and nobody has bitched about that yet.

Not a bad idea I guess…

Will the threads in the Members Only area be visible to Members along with everything else in the main Bike Forum area? I’m unlikely to click away from that, I’m not here as often as I used to be.

Like some others I don’t contribute as much as I used to and consequently don’t feel my opinion is that valid. Part of it for me is that with so many different standards now and new stuff going in and out of fashion at an increasing pace, the Forum reflects that in a slightly messy way. I don’t know whether sub forums in the bike forum would help or whether that’s unworkable? I end up trawling through loads of stuff to get to one thread that interests me or just miss it completely.

And much appreciated it was too 🙂 (the bar at mountain mayhem)

I don’t know whether sub forums in the bike forum would help

FWIW – opinions and… – my opinion is the opposite, I genuinely don’t post on another well known site and it’s precisely because of all the blooming sub forums, I’m not overly interested in forums about 29ers but not 650b, any more than say exclusively red bikes instead of blue I’m just interested in bikes* and stuff.

In practice one of the results is I only go for the classifieds (even then only if I’m looking for a particular thing) or look at the front page once a week on a Friday afternoon as a result.

I actually wonder what’s gone wrong with this place when I occasionally click through to the bike forum by accident and wonder where all the coffee/designerdog/van/grand designs threads have gone. Oddly I don’t notice until page 2 I’ve fat fingered when I end up on the chat forum though.

FWIW though I do think making the forum viewable but non postable to free members might have some milage. It would solve any issues with “but I can’t read about delays to the magazine I won’t be getting anyway” type concerns. When the free members see how witty and generally good fun we are they might stump up to join in** and it gets rid of any “they’re all talking behind my back” type worries if you can actively see they aren’t.

*well I was, that’s how I ended up here.

**OK, it’s a terrible idea and will destroy future membership.

And what’s that?

As I said before, that it could get a bit nobby like a golf club. But if that doesn’t happen, then groovy.

I’m not getting uppity, I’m attempting to manage expectations.

OK, appreciated.

So, our plan, having taken notes here, is to allow everyone to see the members forum but only full members can create and reply to posts. By doing that the topics created here will display in the main forum index.

I’ve been largely absent from the forum for a few months so have come to this a little late but I think it’s a good idea.
Maybe giving my age away by referring to the members’ forum as a chill out room; the general forum is more like a school playground.
I’ve never understood why so many of the frequent posters in the chat forum – principally on the political/current affairs threads – don’t become members; £20pa for digital membership is £1.67/month – that wouldn’t even get you a small coffee.
Provide a little financial support for the platform they use regularly – seems like a reasonable proposition to me.
Maybe I’m looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

Only just found this forum!
Is it easier to get promoted to “Big Hitter” in here? Asking for a friend.

One thing I remember car magazines (Evo?) used to do was get some readers together one day to sample the cars (single or a group test, or long-term) they had in for test. So say if they had a BMW M3, they’d get some readers together which had relevant context (e.g. owned the previous version, owns a rival like the Audi RS4, i.e. people who do actually drive/buy them) and do a little paragraph from each one. Key point being it’s not just a day out for owners of 10 year old Peugeots (or new small fast hatchbacks) who will be amazed with everything. Bit of content, bit of reader perks.

How do we try and get things reviewed here? Ask you so you can ask someone for it, ask them to send it to you, wait in hope that it coincidentally someday appears in FGF. IIRC in the comments on some of the tyre insert reviews people were asking if he would try some other ones, and it happened.