Members Only forum section

Goldryder wrote: To be brutally honest Stephen, is this to do with the club membership fee and what you get out of it, or more to do with the fact you have a certain amount of sour grapes due to being banned for 24hrs for swearing the other night? You made it perfectly clear that you thought it was unjust that you got tugged without any notice. Maybe I am incorrect, in which case I apologise, but the timing does seem a little bit strange.

this has absolutely nothing to do with my temporary ban, however unjust i think it may be to ban someone without sufficient warning, and im still waiting for an explanation as to why this occurred.

i resent the fact that you bring it up, trying to show me in a bad light perhaps?

lets get away fraom bmw... i mean would you honestly expect to turn up to a ferrari owners meeting in a skoda octavia and expect to fit in?  my case rests

@Stephen:- you were banned by one of the moderators for breaking the rules. You were lucky you weren't banned again since thain as I (and all the other moderators) recieved complaints about a post you made last night! A reason does not need to be given but from what I gather, you had recieved plenty of advanced warning!

Anyway, getting back on topic. This fourm has about 4000 members. Who is going to sit down and sort these into club member or not? Who is going to pay for their time doing this? Furthermore, in order to do this a list of club members will have to be given to the person doing the processing. Im sure many members don't want a non office or committee person looking at their membership details which would be protected under FoI legislation! 
This job of processing member/non-member would have to be ongoing (adding new club members, removing people who haven't renewed their membership, etc.).
By the way, I neither want nor will accept this type of role!

WRT the last point about non-members attending events, I believe that this is only certain types of event. The better driving (track) days organised by the club are members only afaik. Also, for example the Irish region had a meeting today about how the year went and what kind of thing to do next year. Non members would have no voice in this at all! I have also found that non members coming to an event usually results in the person joining the club as they enjoy themselves  at said event!

...erm.

there isnt much to say realy as regards to benfits of being a club member..

1, saved about �100 on car insurence through club.
2. saved about 20%+ on RAC cover (about �22).
3, could have saved on cost of travel inn if I'd known they did discount at the time.

...any more, car parts, certain BMW garages etc... the list goes on.

...and all for �35. Bargain I'd say.

As for a members only site, what exactly is going to be discussed on this secret society section? I didn't join the club to be an elitist, I joined because I happen to like BMW's (currently on third one at mo). If I'm not mistaken, the name happens to be BMW Car Club GB, not BMW Owners Club GB.. And even if I had bought something else I would have stayed a member.

Looks like it's handbags at dawn...
walk 3 paces, turn and swing...

(poor dawn)

stephenperry wrote: lets get away fraom bmw... i mean would you honestly expect to turn up to a ferrari owners meeting in a skoda octavia and expect to fit in?  my case rests

I disagree totally. If I was a fan of Ferraris and was interested in  finding out more about ownership etc I would join the club and turn up to meet in order to speak to owners. I would do all this before actually buying one!

Like I said yesterday, I'm not a full member, for various reasons and have been forced to sell the 635, but that wouldn't stop me coming on the site if the opportunity arises in the future.  The people I have either 'spoken' to via the site or met in person have been extremely nice, open minded people and the site is run exceptionally well.  People would be put off by a private section as it would reinforce the notion that BMW owners feel they are above everyone else.  Which most of us on here, member or not, knows is incorrect.

I have made friendship on here that will  last a very long time after I leave.

Killian is totally correct that the admin side of organising a private section would be horrendous and probably a complete waste of time too.

'If it ain't broken, don't fix it'




Edited by Goldryder

Its like the Beaulieu RS Ford meet earlier this year.  I went to that, the BMWCC was invited along too.  There was a very healthy mix of car marques, not just RS Fords.  Everyone was treated as an equal, everyone was warmly welcomed to look at the cars and to ask questions...no matter how daft the questions might be.

Car enthusiasts are like a big family. Doesn't matter which car you own or rave about or wish you could own given the chance.  Interaction with owners is the very very best way to find out about the real marques..how they drive, problems incurred that maybe the builder didn't realise about...there is a wealth of knowledge to be had on sites like this one, and others like it.  These sites are excellent for giving potential buyers a true and unbiased insight into ownership, the pitfalls, the good bits and the wishlists of things ownerd wished had been built into a marque.

This forum is for announcements and feedback....well in all honesty, the entire site is a source of feedback, and that shouldn't be stuffed behind a barrier.

There is also another, more unpleasant side to a private area that should be taken into consideration.

One site I was on for some time, and have recently returned to after many weeks, has a private area.  Admittedly this 'problem' on the site in question has now been sorted but the damage was still done at the time.  Some members who feel they are being persecuted or have dislikes of others, who are non members, can and do use the private areas to stoke up animosity.  They do this in the full knowledge that the 'target' is unable to see or defend themselves against by virtue of it being done behind closed doors.

I am not saying this would happen on this site if a private area was introduced...I personally think Killian and the other mods run a tight ship and this behaviour would be jumped on immediately...but the opportunity would be there and sometimes the staff aren't on the site to stamp it out straight away and if any nasty or offensive posts stay put for even a matter of minutes, the damage will have been done.

The temptation to use a private area as a personal retribution area is very real and it does happen.  This site is a very friendly one and I for one wouldn't want that to change.  Open sites like this leave no room for unpleasantness, even if some might feel they are being got at, nothing on here is in any way derogatory cos its all out in the open and on the odd occasion it does become nasty, then its sorted very quickly.  Private areas can cause resentment, ill-feeling and to a degree, paranoia amongst people.  Least here everything is in the open, for all to see and for all to comment on or deal with.

A 'them and us' syndrome would come about if this site had a private area, and that would bring the site down eventually.  We are one big happy family and as with all families we have arguments amongst each other, but at least its in the open.


Edited by Goldryder

I have wavered on the side of a members only section, but have now gone back to my original stance on a totally open forum.

Apart from Killians very well made point of who is going to sort it all out, this forum is a tool to encourage people to join the club.

We also get input from time to time from BMW franchise staff, and other independant proffesional people, we certainly dont want to lose that.

And as for your banning Stephen, I have lost count of the times I have warned you, and only not done it at the time as I see you as a good chap who gets a bit excited at times.

i think its pick on stephen thread!he was just asking a question and it seems hes getting slatted for it!

i am not a member was thinking about becoming one but to be honest didnt feel the need to at this moment in time,it wouldnt bother me if there was a members only section where only members could use,it would be a little perk for members that put money into the club.and as for people going on the section and talking about non members etc who cares!!! i can see some of stephens points and i can see others to,to me this site is starting to get a bit petty with banning people and locking threads etc are we not aloud to voice our opinons?i myself havnt been to a cruise or a meeting where it has been a certain make of vehicle other than what i own, even tho i am intrested in all makes of cars,i wouldnt say stop others coming to meets and joining in but within reason,i do take pride in my car and when it is a meet with other bmw car owners we appriciate and understand each others vehicle and respect our cars,if you get people there that are just being nosey etc it would cheese me off!!

 thats my opinon for what it is worth,as i said i see it from both sides just dont think its kool when someone asks a question and everyone jumps on the ban waggon, after all were all here to help each other and make friends.

Edited by mell