The official hotboat.com "We get letters" thread

[gn7]

We get letters, #5:

"With all the members that have signed up over the last year, does it bother you at all that it seems to be the same 5-8 members posting in the sandbar hour after hour, day after day?

And is there any way to change this and get other members posting up?"

Interesting question. The numbers of lurkers on the site daily is actually quite high. Most seem to lurk around (which is fine) but do not post. So it strikes me as odd when I get a question like this. Yes, we have signed up a lot of new members. But for some reason it seems many of them do not post. Unfortunately I cannot answer why. Maybe they're waiting to see if anyone else will post first?

Unfortunately I do not have an answer to your question.

Thank you,
HB

I will take a shot at this for you Vic, but don't take it as a slam, it IS NOT. Its a personal observation of the undeniable facts.
YOU are on the inside. You can't see the forest because the trees are in you way. All sites, regardless the "topic theme" of the site have their core group. However, some websites that have a "topic theme" really have very little discussion on that topic. Odd but true. This not the only boat site that functions this way, and its not hard to tell that this site is really more of an off shoot of THAT website, than other boating sites, or even its "name sake" site. This NOT that HotBoat.com. I know, I was a member too. There may some similarities in the forum you and others hung out in, but that was ONE forum on that site. Same could be said for PB today. There are those that never venture out of Open Water there. But is NOT the most popular and most posted in forum there. There is more talk about boats, from people that own boats on that site and others, than all the non boat discussion COMBINED!
Now go look at the "other" site and see the amount of Lounge Lizards posting. Then look in the forums talking about boats. See any similarities?

This site functions more as a Facebook page than a boating theme website. Its the direction the owners and original members that left the other site took it.
Question is WHY was this site started? Because you liked the other site, just not some the people on it? Or some of the content that was allowed? Too much negativity? What ever the reason, it was YOUR reason and that's COOL. But don't expect it to be any different except you are in control of the language, politics, pictures, etc. Other than that, ITS THE SAME DAMN SITE! Different players in a different party, but its still an on line party. Its social chat room, for a core clique.

It is what you choose to make it.

[Sharp shooter]

I will take a shot at this for you Vic, but don't take it as a slam, it IS NOT. Its a personal observation of the undeniable facts.
YOU are on the inside. You can't see the forest because the trees are in you way. All sites, regardless the "topic theme" of the site have their core group. However, some websites that have a "topic theme" really have very little discussion on that topic. Odd but true. This not the only boat site that functions this way, and its not hard to tell that this site is really more of an off shoot of THAT website, than other boating sites, or even its "name sake" site. This NOT that HotBoat.com. I know, I was a member too. There may some similarities in the forum you and others hung out in, but that was ONE forum on that site. Same could be said for PB today. There are those that never venture out of Open Water there. But is NOT the most popular and most posted in forum there. There is more talk about boats, from people that own boats on that site and others, than all the non boat discussion COMBINED!
Now go look at the "other" site and see the amount of Lounge Lizards posting. Then look in the forums talking about boats. See any similarities?

This site functions more as a Facebook page than a boating theme website. Its the direction the owners and original members that left the other site took it.
Question is WHY was this site started? Because you liked the other site, just not some the people on it? Or some of the content that was allowed? Too much negativity? What ever the reason, it was YOUR reason and that's COOL. But don't expect it to be any different except you are in control of the language, politics, pictures, etc. Other than that, ITS THE SAME DAMN SITE! Different players in a different party, but its still an on line party. Its social chat room, for a core clique.

It is what you choose to make it.

I think Bob is right on this.

[WESTERNAERO]

I think Bob is right on this.

I think Bob is sorta right on this.

[HB Vic]

It is what you choose to make it.

I guess that's the bottom line Bob. But it isn't what I choose to make it, its what you choose to make it. You can choose to share your experiences here, or not. That choice is yours, not mine.

And please don't forget, we're only just over a year old. People are still finding their way.

As to the why? I started this site because I didn't really like most of the other ones. So I wanted to do something a little different. Maybe that isn't too evident now, but that is the long term goal. If I had endless resources and capital, it would come to fruition sooner vs later.

I can take criticism Bob. I'm not perfect. And by no means am I any sort of internet wizard. Just a sorta regular guy who loves boating, and doing my best to make this place a nice place to hang out for anyone who chooses to do so.

[Eli]

I guess that's the bottom line Bob. But it isn't what I choose to make it, its what you choose to make it. You can choose to share your experiences here, or not. That choice is yours, not mine.

And please don't forget, we're only just over a year old. People are still finding their way.

As to the why? I started this site because I didn't really like most of the other ones. So I wanted to do something a little different. Maybe that isn't too evident now, but that is the long term goal. If I had endless resources and capital, it would come to fruition sooner vs later.

I can take criticism Bob. I'm not perfect. And by no means am I any sort of internet wizard. Just a sorta regular guy who loves boating, and doing my best to make this place a nice place to hang out for anyone who chooses to do so.

Isn't boating about 1) boats; 2) socializing?

IMO: It almost sounds like some people want a "boat building" technical only website instead of a "boating" website. If people venture out on this site they can see it has plenty of both.

Forums are as strong as the content their members add to the site.
You want more boat builds? Post it
You want more socializing? Post it
You want more boating content? Post it
You want more pics? Post it
You want "it" post "it". It's that simple.

Just stop sitting there behind your keyboard complaining that you're not getting what you want...complaining isn't going to change it. Bring what you want to the forum and people will appreciate you more for it.



Sent from my Bat Cave

[gn7]

I guess that's the bottom line Bob. But it isn't what I choose to make it, its what you choose to make it. You can choose to share your experiences here, or not. That choice is yours, not mine.

.

Let me correct that a "LITTLE"
Its what you ALLOW it to be.
You are so Kumbaya. You kind of remind me of Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along" Sure we can Vic. Just do this. Then click your heel together 3 times and repeat, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

It is what it is, because YOU and the core group are comfortable with the way it is. Possibly at the risk of how uncomfortable it is for outsiders. Or that it is not what they thought they were signing on for. They thought it was a boat site, and it turned out to be a chat room for a dozen core clique.

This place is like a hot babe. Your smile and words say "welcome", but your body language says "touch me and I will break your nose"

[H2oSki2Fast]

Let me correct that a "LITTLE"
Its what you ALLOW it to be.
You are so Kumbaya. You kind of remind me of Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along" Sure we can Vic. Just do this. Then click your heel together 3 times and repeat, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

It is what it is, because YOU and the core group are comfortable with the way it is. Possibly at the risk of how uncomfortable it is for outsiders. Or that it is not what they thought they were signing on for. They thought it was a boat site, and it turned out to be a chat room for a dozen core clique.

This place is like a hot babe. Your smile and words say "welcome", but your body language says "touch me and I will break your nose"

If this place is so bad, as you claim, then why are you here? And I totally agree with you on the outsiders not wanting to post here, but if you aren't part of the solution.........

[ChumpChange]

Let me correct that a "LITTLE"
Its what you ALLOW it to be.
You are so Kumbaya. You kind of remind me of Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along" Sure we can Vic. Just do this. Then click your heel together 3 times and repeat, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

.......

This place is like a hot babe. Your smile and words say "welcome", but your body language says "touch me and I will break your nose"

The whole ALLOW it to be comment is off base. What would happen if you got to run the site the way you wanted to Bob? Talk all the smack you want, bash people, tell them they're wrong, you know everything.....yada yada yada. Chances are, nobody would be there wading through all the crap until a topic comes along where you do know what you're talking about. There would be no reason to unless you liked to be bashed. It's not Kumbaya but there's a balance when it comes to running a business. You're seeing it from the customer/usery side. If you we're on the management side, your business would be out of business.

And in regards to the hot babes comment....... some of us have never had that problem. Maybe it's you.

[HB Vic]

Let me correct that a "LITTLE"
Its what you ALLOW it to be.
You are so Kumbaya. You kind of remind me of Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along" Sure we can Vic. Just do this. Then click your heel together 3 times and repeat, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

It is what it is, because YOU and the core group are comfortable with the way it is. Possibly at the risk of how uncomfortable it is for outsiders.

This place is like a hot babe. Your smile and words say "welcome", but your body language says "touch me and I will break your nose"

Little story Bob, true story. Years ago, I would say at least 20, I was a little younger then and a hell of a lot more impressionable. I'm a little thick and crusty now and a hell of a lot less apt to judge people based on their outer coating. Anyway, I used to work with a couple of guys who between the two of them couldn't put two positive words together to save their lives.

We called them "Doom and Gloom".

Doom and Gloom absolutely never had anything good or positive to say about anyone or anything. They were two perfect peas in a pod. No one could convince these guys that the sky was not falling and that they were not going to die of a disease infected mosquito bite.

Working with them really was the worst experience of my working career.

I made a pretty conscious decision back then to do everything in my power to stay as far away as possible from the doom and glooms of the world.
I try to be as positive an influence, as I can, in everything I do.

I can't control everything that gets posted here, but I can do my best to keep the negativity away.

So am I all Kumbaya? Maybe I am Bob. Is that a bad thing?? I sure can think of worse things to be

[HB Vic]

The effort to make this site available has been incredible.I do not understand why you are spending so much time on just a couple of high maintenance members.

I appreciate your support, nothing but kind words. Thank you.

I don't consider Bob high maintenance. I think Bob has a lot of life experience