F-Chat -Poll - Everyone Vote - Owners Only Forum

Sorry, im a bit confused ....are you talking about
(a) a section dedicated to F-owner's only or
(b) turning f-chat completly into an F-owner forum only.

If it's (b) then I TOTALLY disagree. There are people on here who don't own a Ferrari or have owned a Ferrari in the past and know alot more than some current Ferrari owners. I highly disagree with (b)

Just my 2 cents

Vasco

 

I'm not... I know what he wants.

 

I am not an owner, but agreed with Lawwdog that there should be an owners forum, so I voted for yes.

 

i agree

 

Looks like a close race so far

 

I wouldn't be opposed to an owners only forum. One question though. How do you prove your an owner or verify that someone is not? Personally, I don't want to be providing to much info. Also, limiting access just means less viewers to respond to your question.

Though, I voted yes because I think the idea has potential and I guess could be changed if it didn't workout.

 

OOOPS, i agree with you mario, i change my vote to yes..

 

Many people come here before they buy a Ferrari....

If you make a owners only room.... make it so ALL can read, but only owners can post.

Other-wise you lock more and more information behind closed walls, and who does that help?

 

There is a owner-only forum -- it's called "Technical"



I voted yes, but agree that it needs to be readable by all.

 

thats a pretty good idea

 

Not an owner...but voted "Yes".

 

If there were an owners only forum than I think that would defeat the purpose of the site. What do a bunch of non owners want to sit here and be excluded from talking to the owners. Owners wouldn't talk to non owners if an "owners only" forum is put up. The solution is to have something in your name indicate if you're an owner or not. Have owners names appear bright red if they own an F car. That's the solution.

 

Great idea & totally agree. Especially since I don't own a Ferrari yet but try to soak in knowledge any chance I get.

 

I have a site as that. It is the Ferrari site of owners.

12 cylinders or bust

A site of real owners only (12 cylinders)

 

mario, do you think if you have an owners only forum the site may lose members ? even though there are the other forums here, they may feel left out or inferior and just go else where.

 

I think that it is a horrible idea.

First of all, you already have the subscribed sections. The VAST majority of subscribers are owners. The few who aren't are extremely deveoted to the marque and familiar with it.

As for your concerns, I find them very hard actually to identify. I am unclear about the level of discourse you are looking for in an owner section that could not already be available for you in the subscriber section if you so chose. You seem to suggest that your questions about the marque obviously can't be addressed by non-owners (I'm unclear why not) and that your general discussion about the cars cannot be appreciated or participated in fruitfully by non-owners (I'm even more unclear why not.) A possible consequence of your proposal is that all the meaty talk will be taking place in a restricted section, and your proposal will have the effect of WORSENING the very problem that you perceive: namely, that GFD will be primarily "6-speed or F1" threads, with nobody answering the questions anyway.

The addition of a section would not only be pointless and neutral, it would do harm. You make the statement, "I do not have a specific instance to share where I was disgruntled when I posted a question, but, I see many new people coming to this site daily asking questions and the standard response is "do a search"." as though this were indicative of the problem with new "non-owners" coming into the forum and somehow disrupting our conversation. On the contrary. I see this as a problem not with the newcomers but with the stubborn, non-welcoming old guard already here.

Furthermore, and by extension, the consequences of such a section would be two-fold. To avoid what you perceive as noisy newcomers, much of the interesting discussion would be moved to the "owners" section. With the heart of the Ferrari discussion existing in a closed section, how can the newcomers who are so ignorant in your eye possibly learn anything or gain a full exposure to the passion that is Ferrari? (Especially considering the cool welcome that you yourself admit newcomers already receive!) What will be left is a General Discussion Section that is relatively boring compared to what it is now, missing some really vital contribution. Newcomers ave a lot to learn from owners. And - dare I say? - owners have a lot to learn from newcomers.

I have recently expereienced the same question at a Club where I'm a member. There is a main bar on the second floor. This is where people go to hang out. It is where the community congregates. There also happens to be an extensive roof terrace at the top of the building. Suggestions have been made to open the terrace in the summer months and set up a bar there. People would love being outdoors! But there are two problems. Either people would be split evenly between upstairs and downstairs, which would be bad for the community and bad for the purpose of going in the first place - to see your friends and make new ones; or, almost everyone would be upstairs and the second floor bar room - which is a wonderful, beautiful room - would sit empty. These possibilities would both be horrible. The solution is to have a few special events up on the terrace once in a while. (Rather like how the subscription sections can be/are used now, wouldn't you say?)

I see nothing whatsoever positive about the proposal. It will do owners harm. It will do non-owners harm. And it will do the community wrong.