Forums for each boat type?

Pat McCarthy · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 12:03 am Post subject: Forums for each boat type?

As you might have noticed, I've expanded the Boat Forum area to include separate forums for accessories and DIY projects. Do you think it'd be worthwhile to have a separate forum for each of the major boat brands? So, a Malibu Forum, Correct Craft Forum, Mastercraft Forum, etc?

scott a · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 9810

at what point would you stop though?
surely you would include MC, Malibu and CC
then Sanger? Supra? Moomba? Tige? MB? when do you stop adding forums for all the different boat manufacturers?
maybe one for each of the big 3, then one for ALL the rest?

the problem i see is with all the people that want to get to the non-wake forum (and there are a LOT of them). in order to get there you would have to scroll down like mad to get to past the boats forum.

just ideas, thats all.

DRAGON88 · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 12:14 am Post subject:

Quite honestly Pat, I think that doing that might spread the boat forum too thin. I'd just keep all the boat manufacturers in one forum. There are other sites for specific brands.

I like the new groupings though, very nice.

*edit* Scott a, the specific boat manufacturer forums would probably be a sub forum of the "boats" fourm. So you would click on this fourm and then it would have the CC forum, MC forum, Malibu Forum so on and so forth.

Pat McCarthy · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 1:21 am Post subject:

It is hard to find a stopping point. I've just had comments from various users that they don't really care about all the brands, they'd just like to read about certain brands and discuss them.

89 skier · Addict Joined: 30 Jun 2004 Posts: 729 City: Dallas

I don't think it would be beneficial. Most people that are looking for manufacturer specific information will go tot the other websites established for that particular boat make and model.

Although I do think there should be a seperate forum for Boats 4 Sale and Accessories 4 Sale.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Well I always view the forums through the "view posts since last login" so it won't affect me personally but I agree with 89 skier on both counts.

If people are looking for only specific information about a brand or model they can use the search easy enough.

Brit Rider · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 7:52 am Post subject:

I like that the forum is expanding, this can only be a good thing, but the difference between the boats, and boat accessories seems to cross over quit e alot... do we need 2 forums for this? surely one would surfice?

I like the idea od a DIY section, that definitly a great idea.

Mike

actiondcpd · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 8:44 am Post subject:

I think you should leave it the way it is. I would rather see some extra posts then browse through a bunch of different forums.

NAW · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 8:45 am Post subject:

Having a boat forum for each Manufacturer may be a little overkill. Particularily if you have one for 'The big 3' and then the rest, you would be sending a message that some boats are 'better' than others, when it's up to the consumer to make that determination.

Maybe a Sticky for each manufacturer???

I also agree that a 'Boats for Sale' should be seperate from boards, bindings, etc, etc.

Erik · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 9:01 am Post subject:

My vote is against the seperate boat forums. If it was seperated in that way, people wouldnt be abe to see what is happening in the world of "other" boats. I like the way it is.

Hollywood · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 9:19 am Post subject:

They have manufacturer-specific forums at www.inboardtalk.com and most get little to zero activity. You will lose valuable information by posting a general boat question in say your manufacturer forum while others could answer it but aren't wasting their time browsing all the boat forums. Members here have enough trouble posting in the correct forum to begin with anyways.

gswake · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 9:51 am Post subject:

What about separating Inboards and I/Os (or Inboards and non-inboards)?

I agree that separating brings up other issues. And I haven't been reading boat postings very long. But it seems like there are lots of questions that end up dividing into two topics in one - some people talking about their experience with boats designed for wakeboarding, others about their adapted fishing boat (or whatever.)

Ruune · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 9:59 am Post subject:

what about organizing them into Inboards/V-drives, I/Os, Outboards, etc?

Ralph · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

oshensurfer · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 12:10 pm Post subject:

It might cut down on the boat war threads though. That would be a positive in my eyes. Although, I'm sure there would be an argument over whose wake is bigger anyway....

Lemme ask a question, does the forum software allow for each user to select what forums they want to view each time they log on (like setting up your Yahoo home page)..? If so, then I wouldn't see it as cumbersome to have all the boat manufacturers separated.

JDK · Newbie Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 31 City: Saskatoon

Enzoborder230 · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 1:00 pm Post subject:

itd be kinda useful, you could have like
MC, Malibu, nautique
centurion, tige, supra
Than sanger, calabria, etc

i think itd b good

Chad H · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 2:36 pm Post subject:

I would sepreate them by motor type. Like
Inboard, Stern drive and Outboard. That way people could aks about that type of boat and such and not get flamed about having an outboard or stern drive. Just a thought

NC05LSV · Newbie Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 40 City: FAYETTEVILLE

I think that half the fun of this site is watching how passionately people defend their boats and a little of the bashing is kind of amusing as well. I think all of the boat companies already have their own forums so this one should probably stay a little vanilla........

EWATER · Criminal Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 75

I totally agree with NCO5LSV. As ridiculous as some of the posts in boat war threads are, it may serve to clear up some misunderstandings and provoke some new views/ideas. And oddly enough they seem to attract the most attention. As far as the getting flamed for owning anything other than an inboard, that's ridiculous. As an ex-I/O owner I always love to hear what I/O owners are doing with their rides. My vote-Leave it as is

Enzoborder230 · Posted: Apr 06, 2005 6:04 pm Post subject:

EWATER
never once have i heard some one get made fun of for not having an inboard

Bruky · Guest

Wakeboarddrumma, those are drive types. Wink

Chad H · Posted: Apr 07, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject:

Bruky, they are also totally different in the wake they produce and how much weight they can hold and looks.

CHiLi DaWg · Posted: Apr 08, 2005 1:28 pm Post subject:

I agree with Hollywood, . If you split the forums by manufacturer or by type, a lot of knowledgable people may not respond to postings that they could easily answer. I probably would neglect an I/O forum because I don't have one. But if I saw a question in the general boat discussion, I might check it out.

Maybe a "Boats For Sale" forum would be nice.

jon4pres · Addict Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 589 City: Fort Scott

I like the boat setup but think the classifieds need to be split up. I say section for boats, boards, and other stuff

Rheyzar · Outlaw Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 196 City: Nor, Cal

I'm more into keeping it the way it is as well. I like the convenience of coming to one place to check it all out... from anchors to VDrives, it's all here. It's also very nice to be able to see and take note of what all manufacturers are up to in one convenient place.

If they were all split up then where's the guy that doesn't know what boat to buy going to post, "What's a good boat for $...?" Shocked

Rheyzar -

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

Pat McCarthy, my friend is one of the Administrators for Hondatech.com. He gets companies to sponsor their forums. Have mastercraft sponsor the mastercraft forum and so on...

DRAGON88 · Posted: Apr 08, 2005 5:03 pm Post subject:

Nor*Cal, The problem with that, is that then the boat companies want more power... MBO looked into being sponsored by Bu, but I'm pretty sure they decided against it for the above stated reason. I would be afraid of having the forums sponsored by boat companies, because then they could simply delete anything that they deem negative, even if it is true. Just my opinion that manufacturer sponsorship should stay out of the boat forums.

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

DRAGON88, the company sponsors the forum and gets a banner in that forum. The sponsor does not control content.

Honda-tech.com is one of the most visited forums on the internet. I was just thinking of another way for Pat to make some $$$ without majorly impacting the membership of this site. The guys at honda-tech have a very good thing going on. This method is tried and true.

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