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MG MGB Technical - Another forum

Hi all.

Just to let you know I have started an MG technical forum on my website.

The intention is to try and organise it to make information on specific aspects of MGs easier to reference and to build a body of knowledge/views to help maintain the breed.

It can be found on the main page at www.octarine-services.co.uk just under the Workshop webcam.

See what you think.
Chris at Octarine Services

Chris
Don't want to sound critical, the more information available the better, but I feel too many forums dilutes the info and at present MGs are well served.
Ron
R. Algie

Ron, there are forums and "forums" experts and "experts". Chris works on these cars all day every day and any forum that he is prepared to devote time to should be a Bible for us all. I would welcome it.

MG owners are well enough served but you have to wade through so much material and different opinions that sometimes it's difficult to see the woods for the trees.
Iain MacKintosh

Iain
You beat me to it! I see Rons point about dilution of
info, but if Chris is willing to give his professional expertise for free, he is to be commended for it. Robert
R J Collier

The more opportunities for sharing and even archiving discussions and solutions, the better I say. Not all info at any of them is "expert", but there are nuggets of truth and good practice at every one.

The problem seems to me more a matter of where folks feel comfortable and respected, because that is where they will go most often, not where they or their thoughts are marginalized. The rest of the issue is how many do any of us want to go to or deal with in a day. I also think we go where we get the most out of an exchange for the amount of time we have to devote to the activity.
Bob Muenchausen

Well said both of you I think we'd better not go there any more for fear of being sent to Flame Wars !!
Yes there are nuggets of good information in many threads and even the not so good ones can sometimes be developed into very good ideas. If Chris is prepared to support this I for one think its fantastic and comment his efforts.
Iain MacKintosh

Hi guys,

well I had an "interesting" phone call from Richard Monk at the MGOC who was a bit peeved that I had the audacity to promote my new forum on his one!

Needless to say that my messages have been removed!

Still I have had over 100 visitors in the first day.

I had hoped to be able to organise the subjects in a more logical way , but the software has some limitations. I am looking at other software but I think I will cross link the forum to a MGB "encylopaedia" so that the posts become a reference work on the website.

By far the majoity of issues are to do with MGBs so the work will concentrate on this model.

It may even result in the "Dummies guide to MGBs" which someone suggested I write!
Chris at Octarine Services

This dummy could use a guide Chris. Thanks for all your help!
Greg Bowman

maybe richard wants to sell this bbs to the chinese!
mog

Maybe....

... however, I have now found some new software that is much more upmarket and is on 30 days free trial.

The BIG bonus is that you can add photos!!! AND... you can go back and edit your own posts AFTER you have posted them - great for apaling twypists lik mee...

I have transferred all the messages from the other one so it looks a bit odd because I seem to tbe chatting with myself!!
Chris at Octarine Services

I would be first in line for that book. I'm a big dummy with five MGs.

I also subscribe to the "more is good" camp. I frequent four MG forums and all four offer different perspectives on the hobby. If there were only 100 MGs left in the world then there would be no need for more resources online. But with the thousands and thousands of them on the road, the more MG-related sites and discussion forums the better!
Steve Simmons

MGOC censoring content. Sounds a bit paranoid. It did occur to me that the MGOC BBS is an excellent market research facility for the club shop. I don't see any harm in an alternative group. There are plenty of car forums out there anyway. It looks nice as well.
B D Hird

I am a regular user of the MGOC site. It is excellent, particularly for UK based folks as that is where the majority of users are. It's the only reason I pay my MGOC membership! I am a tad surprised that they censored Chris as he often post very good advice there and is a 5 star MGOC mechanic. Maybe they are worried they would have to update their forum to allow pictures and other useful features!!

New software looks far better than the first stuff you tried. Do I get a prize for being the first member after yourself?

Iain
I D Cameron

I find the MGOC technical help line great and very informative. I don't know if its availabile out side the UK. This service does cost the members, no complaints about this ,just a factual observation.
Chris Betson always talks sense and a practical, knowledgable and respected forum from Octarine Services would be most welcome
Bob
R Etches

Yup - I think the new software is going to meet the needs and looks really good too!

Here is the direct link to the board without the need to go on my site first (though you are always welcome!)

http://octarine.mywowbb.com/

Have fun and tell your friends.
Chris at Octarine Services

Chris your advice to me on my problem with the overdrive was well received, I will certainly bookmark the link to your forum and will read avidly. I probably won't post as I do not think my current knowledge of the B is anywhere near my limited knowledge of the midgets. But I do know a good thing when I see one.

If you ever decide to publish the book, let me know and I'll sort out the page artworks for you.

regards

Andrew
A I McGee

Andrew,

OK - you are on!

But the BBS is for asking questions too!

Even if you just lurk on the BBS, do register as a member.

I suspect that I will concentrate more on my own BBS from now on, so if you think I can help then you know where I am!
Chris at Octarine Services

NEVER can have too many places to look for advice. Chris, your efforts are to be applauded. Tought enough running a top shop.

I have added your page to my favorites

Thanks
Bruce Cunha

It can be tough starting out a new forum. A while back when MG Addict started, the poor guy got a ton of flack for starting up another MG forum. It was undeserved in my opinion. His forum is getting stronger with time and befre long it will be quite active I'm sure. I wonder if some of the people posting on it will be the same ones that gave him a hard time! Chris' forum will most likely take off faster than average because of his reputation in the MG world.
Steve Simmons

I have now started to add MG related events to the BBS so if you want to add your local ones please feel free - go to the Calendar and add a new event - make it Public so we can all see it.

I have used an information order on my posts - Where it is / Description / Phone / website, please stick to the same for your posts.

Chris at Octarine Services

Hello Chris,

A year ago the french forum has moved from the BBS to a more up to date type of forum. We did that for some reasons the main one being the BBS was getting too technically old while some young pals are used to some features. Anyway i don't want to enter into the details but it is too bad to see the BBS not evolving technically. To make a good forum does not require some special skills (i never opened a computer book in my life!).

But i'm not here to bash the BBS, i just have a few comments about your forum to make it work :
- First, put a larger link at the top of your webpage.
- Second, as we did in the french forum, non registered are allowed to posts.
- Third, i would have some concerns about the kind of forum you are using : the community is too small, it's much better to opt for types of forum like phpBB or PunBB. Thousands of websites are using these technologies, they have hundred of developers. They will ensure their forum will stay compatible in the long run with new technologies, so all the data remain readable for years.

regards,

Arnaud
Arnaud

Arnaud,

Thanks for the comments.

I take the point about the link on the webpage - I will look to make it more prominent now the forum is up and running.
I am also working on getting it high in the Google ratings as is my main webpage.

I am not so keen to allow non registered to post - it only takes a moment and it helps prevent the spread of automated spam.

The BB software is php and SQL based so it should be quite future proof, it is reasonably priced and I like the look and feel of it. It doesn't try to do too many things but gives me the control I need to make this a datbase rather than just another forum of jumbled comments.
Chris at Octarine Services

Chris, this is looking very good and promises to be a very useful reference before too long. That's the trouble with other forums, they just are a jumbled listing of posts and your proposed database is by far the best way to go for quick and accurate information. Best of luck to you and hope it builds up quickly.
Iain MacKintosh

There are very few forums that allow non-registered users to post. Those that do end up with spam problems. Most modern forums also use email verification to disuade false accounts. which many people use to flame other members. On this BBS you can actually type in your name as someone else and post posing as them! It's happened to me a couple times when some idiot somehow got insulted about something I said.
Steve Simmons

End of day 3 and we have 65 members, 17 topics, 105 posts and 4043 page views!

I think this might work!
Chris at Octarine Services

Our forum has no spam problem and is quite well referenced in the french google at least.
There are many ways to avoid spam.

Anyway Chris, it is a good start. Once your forum will be more established, it will feature in our recommended web lnks, no doubt about that !

Cheers

Arnaud
Arnaud

chris, i am also into land rovers and we have many forums over the net, don't be put off, forums of different types attract different input. it is often refreshing to skip between forums for input.

d buck

Hi- thanks, I am not put off at all - the embryonic board has coming up to 100 members in the first week and I am slowly building the structure of the board and populating it with some information as well.

It is quite different in logic and presentation from the other boards so I think it will get its own following.

Chris at Octarine Services

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2006 and 20/03/2006

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.