How would you make FerrariChat.com better?

What you say might be true for those pros who do not post. But when the mods ban "contributing" pros with no way of coming back, these few voices willing to give out information are silenced. Rifledriver is a rare breed dealing with the DIY know-it-alls. Others don't have that thick hide and go off the reservation with seemingly no form of redemption. I think one way to improve Fchat is keeping (and increasing) the number of pro contributors. Somehow DaveRocks came back. Is there a way for the banished pros to come back?

 

Let me 1st say that I'm not trying to argue with you. I have nothing but respect for what you have built on Fchat. So thanks for that!

That pro section is not available to the rest of us. I know DaveRocks is not a pro. I only mention the name because he is the only person I know who has come back from a ban. So I wonder if there is a way back for wayward pros. There are very few of those 21 who post to the rest of us. I'm here daily since the beginning of Fchat and we have Eddie, Howie, and Brian and maybe another 1 or 2 who I forget who post to us with any regularity. We lost fastradio to a ban. Honestly we DIY guys are mostly the blind leading the blind.

Maybe, I am the minority who find real value in the posts of these pros. Anyway, Fchat is your house and I respect your rules.

 

Wait, wat?? What is the Pro section, and how does one get access?

 

The mods only permaban someone without warning and without recourse if they're spammers. Most any long time user is given warnings, temp bans and finally a permaban only if they fail to adapt their behavior. I just checked into fastradio's record and he was given 2 warnings, a long temp ban, and then a permaban. So fastradio should have full awareness of why he was permabanned. Other pros have had temp bans and returned and are still posting.

As far as a "way back", it is possible to reverse some permabans, depending on the severity and type of the offenses and the attitude expressed by the user toward them. Basically if they contact Rob and acknowledge awareness of what they did and a positive attitude to correcting and avoiding those behaviors in the future, some users have been given a second chance. But each case is individual and depends very much on the user's attitude.

 

You don't, unless you're an acknowledged pro. It's basically their break room.

 

David Feinberg was perma banned for a comment he made in response to a post I made regarding trying to make a 348 SDECU. There was and is no product made or even in the development stages. In his post, h e stated that he felt it could be made. Period.

If you think I am misquoting here, I suggest you review that thread and Davids comment that created a permaban.

Again, the thread was a conceptual discussion regarding the feasability of making a 348 SDECU. There is no such thing and there is no such thing being developed by David.

 

There's a history there that goes beyond the last incident, which is mostly between Rob and him. If he's interested in coming back, he needs to contact Rob as stated above.

 

If there was a history, this "infraction" did not warrant a behavioral admonishment let alone a permaban. He was not self promoting anything. There was and is nothing to promote. It was a discussion amongst a few people about the idiosyncrasies of the 348 SDECU and as David has an EE degree and knowledge about such things, he stated that it could be made.

I do not think he will be back and the community lost a valuable asset in the process.

 

Carl, let me fill you in on my situation....

During the restoration of my 95 B project car, I decided to tackle the sticky parts myself as a DIY guy. While developing the process and finding a good coating (which have now been long replaced by much better, professional products), I decided that I might like to start a business doing this. Users where asking me "what paint did you use" and for anyone that knows me, I like to help the community and I always answer questions that I see.

I was not answering those questions as I was not sure what I was going to do with the business and I was having preliminary chat's with Rob. So, I posted something to the effect "Guys, please hold any questions until Rob and I work out sponsorship" I told Rob about that post and he deleted it (rightfully so) but by that point, a certain member saw it and decided to make a monster issue with it in my thread and go on and on.

That issue fueled the fire and I also over reacted to how Rob was responding to me as I did not know he style at that time. So, angry at Rob, I called him out and I own it. I was banned for that reason.

As time passed I realized my own actions and via a friend, Rob and I started to chat again. I had an alias, he knew it and publicly allowed it. A short time after, I became a sponsor.

What most people don't see and I did not either is that Rob protects his sponsor base. Being a sponsor here is a large commitment and us sponsors don't like to see others freely promoting their services, especially when they sponsor other forums and not Ferrari Chat.

 

Oh well "pride and conviction" are funny things. We all see things in our own way. The rules are the rules and I get that. Considering the contribution of the pros I just thought a longer rope would be nice. If they already get that as you have posted...great! I have no standing. You have to admit they put up with a lot for no compensation as far as I know. In fastradio's case when you asked him a question you got a real answer. I'm lucky to have alternate access to him. Unfortunately, the Fchat community will miss out.

 

Well guys...I was not trying to start trouble. I'm interested in this from purely a Ferrari Technical perspective. I only know DaveRocks came back and don't really care that he did. He is here and it is all good. I only mention fastradio because he is the latest pro that is perma-banned that I know of. As Rob points out the "21" have 90,000 public posts. He has got the stats I just have my impression from being here.

My only interest is keeping pros to enhance technical discussions. There is still much to be learned from the pros even by an advanced guy like myself who has been offered jobs by pros. Yin says the pros are getting a fair shake. So be it. I put my opinion out and there has been discussion the rest is up to people in control.

 

If FChat remains an open forum I don't see how it can be made better. What's better anyway?

 

To bring the topic back around, there are a few small discussions in a few threads in classifieds(not just mine) about either a daily limit on posting in classifieds and possibly even a separate forum for literature. It was sparked by a couple users that will post or bump 30+ ads at a time, pushing everyone elses ads to the backpages...it goes for everything, the issue just happened to involve Ferrari literature.

 

Suggest logging in takes you straight to your Subscription Threads as heck that is why you have logged in, ie: you want to follow the discussions you are having.

Pete

 

Bookmark your User CP to access FChat and you'll go straight to it every login. That's what I do.

All the best,
Andrew..

 

I suggest once logged in that the sites home page is your subscription page, as that is the purpose of users visiting this site; checking on their discussions.

So I guess a shortcut, but currently everyday I log in, I then have to click Quick Links and Subscriptions.

I'll give NeuroBeaker's suggestion a go ...
Pete

 

Yep, works for me too. Just take care to not unsubscribe from your favorite subscribed forums as the unsubscribe link is always right below...

 

Viglink


Everytime I click on a link it goes to viglink

Totally useless

 

What is viglink?

I've never seen it.

Mike

 

Viglink is a ad system that takes key words in the forms and converts them to a link to sell a product. I'm a buy and seller of ads with them personally and know them quite well.

However something here is off as it is hyjacking the posted links to a vigilink page. Something the site admin needs to address as you need "root"

Lets see if it works here with this phrase, bid now

ex: go the the classifieds ebay cars for sale
the 355f1 listed click on the links to it they go to a set viglink page, even if this link works and not goes to viglink

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/ebay-ferrari-auctions/548945-1999-ferrari-355-f1-spider-ferrari-355-f1-rosso-corsa-11975-miles-sale.html