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Have the Forum folks considered opening a GPS forum

Maybe the tone and the use of "WE" twice in the reply

M1ka said:
As an interum thing why not focus GPS questions in the gear section. Move GPS threads that develop to other areas to that section just as we do with other topics that a out of place in their section of origin. Quickly people will learn that is where to look for GPS topics. If there is enough flow in the future see what form we can create a section then.

We being an administrator or someone in a position to make a decision regarding forums.Maybe when you said WE,you actually meant the club.
So far-2 negatives and several positives re: GPS.
John
 
bigdelta said:
M1ka said:
As an interum thing why not focus GPS questions in the gear section. Move GPS threads that develop to other areas to that section just as we do with other topics that a out of place in their section of origin. Quickly people will learn that is where to look for GPS topics. If there is enough flow in the future see what form we can create a section then.

We being an administrator or someone in a position to make a decision regarding forums.Maybe when you said WE,you actually meant the club.
I have read very many of your posts since I've been here(not long at all) and the tone of your posts lead me to believe you were more than just a member.
So far-2 negatives and several positives re: GPS.
 
I don't think a GPS forum is warranted yet. At this point, we've got a Gear forum where those things can live, along with a pretty effective search tool to find GPS posts.

I think if we saw folks posting GPS traces with their trip reports and saw more intense discussion about particular GPS practices and such, we'd entertain a new forum. But at this point, the GPS topics we see revolve around which one to buy and how to mount it. I can't recall a single thread where people talk about actually using a GPS, though my memory could be completely wrong.
 
Yes I was using we in reference to all the members on the forum.

I think of the members and all who post as a group. We, the members, have an excellent web staff and support group. I am not a part of that group, just part of the members, but I pay attention to everything we ask of them and think they have a heavy load.

I don't use GPS on my bike but would like learn about its application and issues about using it there.

The suggestion was in support of focusing GPS questions in on area. Many members consider GPS as part of their motorcycle "gear". Therefore; Gear seams a logical place right now. I would much rather lurk and learn than debate the merrits of adding a new Forum Area.

If there is enough interest and volume to warrant a new section they will do it. It just takes time. It took about a year to get the Flea Market up and running and based on a recent post there are still a couple of bugs. If we talk about it and need it they will build it.
 
Thanks Dave

KBasa said:
I don't think a GPS forum is warranted yet. At this point, we've got a Gear forum where those things can live, along with a pretty effective search tool to find GPS posts.

I think if we saw folks posting GPS traces with their trip reports and saw more intense discussion about particular GPS practices and such, we'd entertain a new forum. But at this point, the GPS topics we see revolve around which one to buy and how to mount it. I can't recall a single thread where people talk about actually using a GPS, though my memory could be completely wrong.
Possibly the reason you don't see more posts regarding GPS is because the users don't figure enough folks aren't interested,so why bother.Oh well....
guess we'll never agree on anything.Back to lurking.
 
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bigdelta said:
Possibly the reason you don't see more postes regarding GPS is because the users don't figure enough folks aren't interested,so why bother.Oh well....
guess we'll never agree on anything.Back to lurking.


No worries. It is kind of a chicken and the egg thing, isn't it? Activity we've seen here have made us open additional forums and offer new features on the site, once they've reached a sort of critical mass. We didn't have tech forums when we first started, but when we started to see posts about them, we opened some. Same with Flea Market stuff and same with the How Do I.... forum.

I think when folks start to discuss GPSs (or any other topic, for that matter) to a point where that traffic starts to monopolize the more generally positioned forums we have, we'll look at kicking them off into their own realm.

We're trying to keep the forum interface easy to figure out, without subforums and other kinds of potentially difficult to manage/navigate encumberances.

I hope that makes sense. We're trying to avoid the trap many forums fall into, which is having a gazillion subforums, most of which see very, very little activity.
 
bigdelta said:
but helping us 5%ers would be a nice addition here.

[snip]

Hopefully we can start a new forum for GPS users.
John

actually, while 5% of the "gear" thread titles are relevant to GPS, a review of the total posts regarding GPS is a little more telling.

a search returned 199 posts in the gear forum relevant to GPS. there are (at this moment) 14,954 posts in "gear." that means that 1.33% of the posts in gear are relevant.

so i was perhaps a bit generous with the 5%.

i searched on some other terms too, and made this little graph to show folks how often we talk about certain things:

chart3.jpg

viewing this chart, one could argue that if we create a sub-forum for GPS, then we should also create one for helmets, lights, rain, jacket, tank bags, and seats. and then of course, pretty soon you log in to the forums, and you have to scroll for pages and pages to see all the topic headings.

regardless, here is an important thing to consider: if you as a member want more content, you have to do one of two things. you either have to ask a question that generates discussion and knowledge, or you have to chime in and add to existing discussions. ideally this would occur more often in bike-related topics, since this is a bmw motorcycle enthusiast forum.

this whole forum thingy is member driven, member created. don't let the lack of a special topic heading prevent you from generating and contributing to some really good conversations about GPS units. you are free to share your information, ask your questions, and mine the wisdom of your fellow members. they will see your technical GPS questions, and they will offer advice.
 
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Visian said:
dude... you have way too much time on your hands! ;) :rofl

nice ANALysis! :p

i figured i'd hear comments like that. i wonder how long people think it took me? i timed myself while i was doing it so i would know how much time i spent on it.

take a guess... :D
 
Ipod you say?

Hijack On...

Can you record your cd's to an Ipod?

Hijack off.
 
Thank God we have the Flea Market

and it all goes back to 1 thing and 1 ONLY-GPS users won't post on a forum unless they know other users have an interest or bother asking a question.If they had a forum to due so,I believe the board would see more GPS posts;i.e.-why throw my line in the water if the fish aren't biting and nobody is catching anything?

I surrender-where is the banging your head on the wall smilie when I need it?
Thank God we have the Flea Market.
John
 
bigdelta said:
and it all goes back to 1 thing and 1 ONLY-GPS users won't post on a forum unless they know other users have an interest or bother asking a question.If they had a forum to due so,I believe the board would see more GPS posts;i.e.-why throw my line in the water if the fish aren't biting and nobody is catching anything?

I surrender-where is the banging your head on the wall smilie when I need it?
Thank God we have the Flea Market.
John

Come on John you start banging your head and surrendering every time you donÔÇÖt win on the first attempt, no one is going to want to play with you. Who wants to rally behind an issue when the starter burns out? :stick

Be kind on the Flea Market. In the time that it took to put it together we went through the Media Editor change, hired a part time contract employee and keep in mind most of the media team work someplace else for a living. They volunteer. With that stuff in place now your obstacle is basically day to day operations and projects already in the queue.

LetÔÇÖs see. They just moved servers, had an open house, have an archive project with the past issues of ON that we (the members ÔÇô we) have been asking for along with the other things that I am not aware of.

Keep the pressure on by showing interest. Like I said before IÔÇÖd rather be learning while lurking than discussing forum sections. Start asking your questions in GEAR and keep showing the numbers to the project schedulers to keep the ideas place in the queue.
 
Did someone say GPS?

The link may have already been posted, but there is a decent gps specific forum at GPSCity.com . Probably there are others; like any subject these days, the internet forum opportunities seem limitless...

Regarding the use of a gps, I still read maps (an atlas stays by the recliner with my stack of motorcycling magazines), but I do enjoy having the gadget as part of my riding equipment.

I have a three year old Garmin SPIII Colormap that has some propriatary limitations with respect to memory and detailed maps. The firmware includes all interstate, and major state, city, and county roads on North America. For detailed maps of the southern US, I am still using the 128 MB Garmin memory card that came with the unit.

Newer releases of the particular model line have overcome the SPIII detailed data limitations by using flash type memory for storing detailed maps.

Next, while I rarely depend on the gps for turn by directions, I do like the sense of perspective it gives for traveling and touring: distance to next turn, projected arrival times, etc. In terms of reliability it has never failed.

Finally, once a waypoint is saved getting back to it is never a problem. Choose the waypoint and hit "route to it" and by the time I'm suited up, it is pointing the way.
 
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The Flea Market is my favorite interest

M1ka said:
Come on John you start banging your head and surrendering every time you donÔÇÖt win on the first attempt, no one is going to want to play with you. Who wants to rally behind an issue when the starter burns out? :stick

Be kind on the Flea Market. In the time that it took to put it together we went through the Media Editor change, hired a part time contract employee and keep in mind most of the media team work someplace else for a living. They volunteer. With that stuff in place now your obstacle is basically day to day operations and projects already in the queue.

LetÔÇÖs see. They just moved servers, had an open house, have an archive project with the past issues of ON that we (the members ÔÇô we) have been asking for along with the other things that I am not aware of.

Keep the pressure on by showing interest. Like I said before IÔÇÖd rather be learning while lurking than discussing forum sections. Start asking your questions in GEAR and keep showing the numbers to the project schedulers to keep the ideas place in the queue.

! :thumb
 
Thanks Rick,you're correct,there ars several GPS

RickM said:
The link may have already been posted, but there is a decent gps specific forum at GPSCity.com . Probably there are others; like any subject these days, the internet forum opportunities seem limitless...

Regarding the use of a gps, I still read maps (an atlas stays by the recliner with my stack of motorcycling magazines), but I do enjoy having the gadget as part of my riding equipment.

I have a three year old Garmin SPIII Colormap that has some propriatary limitations with respect to memory and detailed maps. The firmware includes all interstate, and major state, city, and county roads on North America. I am still using the 128 MB Garmin memory card that came with the unit.

Newer releases of the particular model line have overcome the SPIII limitations using flash type memory for storing detailed maps.

Next, while I rarely depend on the gps for turn by directions, I do like the sense of perspective it gives for traveling and touring: distance to next turn, projected arrival times, etc. In terms of reliability it has never failed.

Finally, once a waypoint is saved getting back to it is never a problem. Choose the waypoint and hit "route to it" and by the time I'm suited up, it is pointing the way.

specific forums out there,but I PREFER to have one for members to access.
Wouldn't it be nice to just come to my MOA forum for my mc needs?
I know,I know......blah blah
 
bigdelta said:
specific forums out there,but I PREFER to have one for members to access.
Wouldn't it be nice to just come to my MOA forum for my mc needs?
I know,I know......blah blah

Hey John, I'm still working on a place for "Rider Specific Skills" in this forum. That has taken a couple years already and is still a work-in-progress. Maybe someday, maybe someday..........................

I'd like to see a sub-menu in gear for specific items like GPS, Helmets, Jackets and such. But, I can also think and see how other forums have created sub-forums that distract from the ease of there use, that this place provides. I can go somewhere else for detailed information, it would be nice to find it here, but I can understand and I'm capable of finding what I'm looking for elsewhere (ADVrider). That's just my opinion and I feel that you find what you are looking for if you look...

I don't know many times - I have missed something important in another forum - because it was buried in a sub-forum and I didn't see it because I didn't look for it...

Y-our M-ileage M-ay V-ery

But I like the simpicity of this place for searching and seeing "New Posts" that is where I go first every day. I may not read everything and IF the title doesn't strike me I pass over something that may be important. If it's still around a day or two later I will look (open) it and read up.. (Just like this thread).

JMHO

Russ
 
Google has a nice feature now. It just recently started happening on my computer. Don't know how long it has been around. Suggestive searching....I don't know if that is what it is called but it is nice. I have a google toolbar on my browser. When I type a query into the space, as I type it pops up with a droplist of other similar searches. Mostly related to my search. That way I get the benefit of other peoples search terms and can use my own or one of the ones I see. It is like when you type a familiar addy on your browser and your computer fills in the rest from the cache...Except you get Google's vast ideas rather than just the crap on your computer. I find it very helpful.

Don't know if that is a possibility to have in our search function on this board or not. As the forum and the data expand the searches become more and more complex. It can be frustrating to look for something and have to dig through 200 threads because the word you used is so common to so many different aspects of the board.

Since subdividing the board can get a little crazy, maybe a sticky on the How Do I page of some sort of search tutorial might benefit some users in narrowing down their searches.

Just some thoughts during some idle time on the night shift.

Brian
 
Brian,I have Google as my default search engine

Belquar said:
Google has a nice feature now. It just recently started happening on my computer. Don't know how long it has been around. Suggestive searching....I don't know if that is what it is called but it is nice. I have a google toolbar on my browser. When I type a query into the space, as I type it pops up with a droplist of other similar searches. Mostly related to my search. That way I get the benefit of other peoples search terms and can use my own or one of the ones I see. It is like when you type a familiar addy on your browser and your computer fills in the rest from the cache...Except you get Google's vast ideas rather than just the crap on your computer. I find it very helpful.

Don't know if that is a possibility to have in our search function on this board or not. As the forum and the data expand the searches become more and more complex. It can be frustrating to look for something and have to dig through 200 threads because the word you used is so common to so many different aspects of the board.

Since subdividing the board can get a little crazy, maybe a sticky on the How Do I page of some sort of search tutorial might benefit some users in narrowing down their searches.

Just some thoughts during some idle time on the night shift.

Brian

but not their toolbar.Even though I have a 19 in screen,is it worth the space to add the toolbar for that capability?Thx
John
 
bigdelta said:
but not their toolbar.Even though I have a 19 in screen,is it worth the space to add the toolbar for that capability?Thx
John


If it gets in your way, you can just deselect it. That goes for the address bar and the explorer bar as well.
 
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