Inappropriate or Irrelevant Content on Bimmersport

[bravo 35]

Hi all,

The subject of what is inappropriate or irrelevant on this site is a matter of opinion, and a matter up for debate.

We have a broad range of members here from all different ages and backgrounds, and we want everyone to enjoy the site. This is a site for BMW ENTHUSIASTS, of all ages, races, sexes, and social backgrounds.

We are a BMW site, not a chat room. We want the majority of the content to be about BMW's. BUT, we are a social lot, and we like to have the odd bit of friendly banter, jokes, and fun. (Not to mention the odd beer together out in "the real world").

The problem is when either of these aspects gets too dominant, or when posted content is offensive (and offensive content is in the eye of the beholder).

I like to see members getting along and enjoying themselves, but when this makes other members feel like the site is not serious about BMW's, or the site is inappropriate for them to view, and leave this really gets me upset.

Similarly, if our members think the site is boring with no social atmosphere, they may leave which would also upset me.

So, YOU all need to respect each other's differing views. BUT you also need to let the mod crew know when you see something you don't like. It is up to YOU to decide what should and shouldn't be on Bimmersport.

The easiest way to do this is to start using the "Report" function on posts you think are inappropriate. And you need to use it without fear of being singled-out. I hate that it's called a report function as the admin team consider it more like a "like/dislike" button that you can use to send your opinion of a particular post or thread. We'd love to hear about any posts or threads that you feel aren't in line with what bimmersport is about.

The button is located at the bottom left of all posts.

This is easier than sending a PM to a specific mod, and in most cases we will simply take a look and remove anything objectionable. In some cases we may warn the original poster, and in others we may open the topic up for discussion.

We want YOU to decide what you want out of this forum, and using the built-in report function is the easiest way.

I'm going to leave this thread open for any discussion about the forum you want to make. I will not close the thread as I believe that such discussion is helpful. I will, however remove any posts I deem not in fair play.

Thanks everyone, lets make Bimmersport an awesome place for us ALL to enjoy.

Graham

[Forrest 35]

I just want to throw my hat in the ring and say, obviously a small portion of this post is aimed at the now famed 'the lounge' thread, Livi did ask in her OP if it was okay for this sort of thing, and 350 posts and 12 hours later it took to get closed, I know you mod people have other stuff to do etc, but I did see several mods viewing within a few hours of its birth and wondered why it wasn't stopped then? the posts were all of the same vein of nonsence.

But anyway I agree with what you are saying Graham, the mods and admin to a great job at keeping the forums clean and tidy so may it continue.

- Nathan

[ED1RTY 2]

Win.

Keep it real..

Bimmersport real

[Livi 0]

So this is livis official apology:

I am sorry for any inappropriate comments etc that i have made. I understand I shouldnt have said some of the stuff I have been saying. This is lesson learnt so I will not be making the same mistake again.

As for The Lounge , I thought it was going good , untill stuff got a bit heated.I thought it was a good idea to have a bit of down time where people can just basically "relax" and have random discussions or what ever they were thinking randomly.If it was easier to mod that thread it would of been better, but as we were all posting so quick it was a bit hard to keep track. Just wish it didnt turn to cr*p but I do understand it is a BMW forum...just thought since it was off topic etc. Anyway I fully agree it had to be closed as some posts ruined it.

so once again sorry for the inappropriate comments, hope i am forgiven

other then that GO BIMMERSPORT

[Antallica 15]

This has happened sooner or later on every forum I've been apart of (OCNZ, Kiwibiker etc.), at the end of the day it will have to be as simple as exercising common sense (and the PM system).

[bravo 35]

Livi and Nathan, this was not aimed at the lounge thread, but yes, this thread was created in some ways because the lounge thread typifies the extreme end of the "social" type posts that some members don't like.

Livi - you were given permission by Simon, so no need to apologise for thread itself (although some posts were not really appropriate).

Nathan - yes some mods were viewing (myself included). Simon and I were busy PMing each other whether it was a good idea or not. We decided to give a few hours and see. We received a few complaints, and we weren't happy with all we saw, so we pulled it.

This thread is mainly because we want a way to guauge public opinion, and I thought we could utilise the report feature for this.

This is not a dig at anyone in particular, as the "serious" members can be equally guilty of being killjoys.

Thanks for your comments.

As Livi said -GO BIMMERSPORT. That's the idea.

[Driftit 2069]

Ok. Well I am all for keeping the crap out of the forums.

I help run another club www.nissansilvia.co.nz (SNZ). Over the last year and a bit we pretty much lost all our long term and helpful more knowledgeable members, due to a huge influx of "Drift" retards and immature kids.

It got to the point where there was no postings of value anymore. And when we started cracking down on the idiots they continuously picked fights with the mods and other users. It got to the point where we had to lock our Off Topic and Bitching and Moaning sections.

In the end SNZ split. There is now a bunch of people on a private invite only forum, that have created their own copy cat "Ziptied.com" style forum. Which did infact take away some of our better members. Even though it was created by one of the main trouble makers on SNZ. Sigh..

Don't ever let Bimmersport get this way.

As for the mods. Make sure you clearly explain your reasons to lock and delete threads etc. This caused huge issues with us.

[DRTDVL 0]

This has happened sooner or later on every forum I've been apart of (OCNZ, Kiwibiker etc.), at the end of the day it will have to be as simple as exercising common sense (and the PM system).

I'd just like to second this, a few forums i'm on still have a "Lounge" thread so to speak but it's been rehashed a few times, and as such the people that tended to cause the crap filtered out and left the forum leaving it as more of a chat room for members to post random things and talk about general crap, which in no way as stupid/attackfull as it was previously. 

In princable i like the idea of "The lounge" as feel something like that would be good, but for the first week or 3 it would need careful monitoring by mod's/admin's to help set the tone of the place. Unfortantly it's very easy to say things you wouldn't normally say on the internet as there is no one in your face to potentially knock you lights out for being a <insert generic term that you deam relevent> and that inherantly is the problem with the internet.

Bimmersport is a great forum... I love the fact you guys have a motorsport section, and thats the main reason i'm here even tho i don't own a bmw (which i was expecting to cope a lot more crap about if i might say so). I'd like to think i've been able to provide some helpful information to others that is relevent, as i know i have learnt a few things on here that are directly relevent to my pugs. 

I'd just like to say thanks to all the Admin's/Mod's and members for actually caring enough to actively try and make things better, whether it be by giving threads a chance or by closing threads/ deleting posts that are inflamitory. You will always get members that try and push other members buttons and it has lead to the downfall of many a good club/forum - many never recover from it, to those members that feel offended (and no doubt there are some) please remember that most people are on here for the same reason - and as it appears these mod's / admin's don't suffer fools gladly... 

Thoughts of a Peugeot Owner on a BMW Forum... 

[jjs 64]

Ultimately, I think posters should exercise a bit of self control.

I enjoy the side threads such jokes, topical current affairs, non-BMW related car discussion. As for a "lounge", I don't think bimmersport is the right forum.

IMHO the problem comes down to the posters themselves. I don't want to stereotype here, but the slammed/glorified boy racer crew that is growing on here seems to be draggings things down. There is not enough discussion on the core BMW enthusiast issues, and if no jokes, topical current affairs, or non-BMW related car discussion was allowed, the site would be dominated by the immature boy racers and there would only be a little bit of core BMW discussion. If this happened, I would get driven away from bimmersport.

[Mike.Gayner 0]

I have no idea what sparked this thread, but it seems like a good place to vent my opinion of this forum. Members of this forum have clearly created their own little in-club which is not at all friendly to new members like myself. Eg I made a post in this thread (where everyone was voicing their disgust about the wheels in the link) where I said that I quite like them, bust mostly because I have a distaste for most of the wheels that are popular amongst the incumbent population here. Why was that deleted? How is my opinion not valid there?

I guess I was expecting (naively) that a BMW forum would have a modicum of intelligence compared with other car forums, but alas most of the members here are the same breed to be found in the Toyota/Honda/etc forums - the same people who get pleasure from loud exhausts, big shiny wheels and thumping ridiculous sound systems.

/vent

[bellicose 9]

I have no idea what sparked this thread, but it seems like a good place to vent my opinion of this forum. Members of this forum have clearly created their own little in-club which is not at all friendly to new members like myself. Eg I made a post in this thread (where everyone was voicing their disgust about the wheels in the link) where I said that I quite like them, bust mostly because I have a distaste for most of the wheels that are popular amongst the incumbent population here. Why was that deleted? How is my opinion not valid there?

I guess I was expecting (naively) that a BMW forum would have a modicum of intelligence compared with other car forums, but alas most of the members here are the same breed to be found in the Toyota/Honda/etc forums - the same people who get pleasure from loud exhausts, big shiny wheels and thumping ridiculous sound systems.

/vent

Mike, that was my thread 'bout the wheels and would like to know your opinion as that is one of the reasons i started the thread.

[bravo 35]

Mike - please PM bellicose or repost in the original thread if you wish to stray from the topic at hand.

I have no idea why your comment was removed, or by whom. I can look into it if you'd like.

I agree with you wholeheartedly on the way some members greet newcomers, and we try to moderate this where we can.

However, I can't help but notice that you have a very strong opinion about some subjects that is fairly contrary to that held by the group in general. This is fine, but as with any community, if you are a new member, you need to first establish your credentials with the group and earn their respect/friendship before loudly voicing controversial opinions. Liken it to a dinner party with a group of old friends, if you will. A new comer to the group voices strong opinions loudly all night. The group dismisses the newcomer as rude, and opinionated despite the fact the newcomers points may have been valid.

I think this is the reaction you are experiencing. Feel free to voice your opinion, but try to do it in a non-confrontational way, and in a way that allows others to feel as though you are open to hearing opposing views to your own. A "my way or the highway" attitude is not how to win friends or influence people.

Even in your post above you speak in a condescending way to those who choose to modify their cars different to yourself, and yet you expect people not to retaliate?

We value all new members and their input. But try to remember it is the new member who must try to fit into the community, not the community which must try to fit with the new member(s).

[Guest Ari Gold]

graemes keyboard posted what my iPhone could not. That's exactly how I see your situation Mr. Gayner.

[Guest Simon*]

This is good. Get it all out people

I don't think you need to apologise Livi, and I explained what the issues were so as far as I'm concerned that's all sorted. The "Lounge" was a bit of an experiment, and unfortunately it failed.

I let it go and didn't read it til this morning, so if I did seem to be lurking in there Nath, I wasn't paying attention and I sure wasn't making any attempt to moderate at the time. Now that you've all seen what can happen with a lot of crap posts in one thread like that, you can see why we're worried about all the "chat" messing up legit threads.

My main thing I personally moderate for on Bimmersport is personal attacks. Obviously discrimination, etc gets addressed too but I get pissed off when people rip into each other. My rule of thumb is, just because it's the internet and your feeling all brave behind the anonymity of your computer, don't post anything you wouldn't say to someone face to face. It is possible to have an opinion, and god knows we're all entitled to them, without calling someone else a retard or the like just because they don't agree. If I had a button that could give a smack in the mouth to anyone who does it, I'd be using that sucker all the time.

I'm all for humour and a bit of piss-taking and I fully expect to get it back (and I bloody well do!) but there is no call to make derogatory comments about other members.

[pjay 8]

but alas most of the members here are the same breed to be found in the Toyota/Honda/etc forums - the same people who get pleasure from loud exhausts, big shiny wheels and thumping ridiculous sound systems.

/vent

You just keep on doing it to yourself don't you. Spend more than 5 mins on the Honda/Toyota forums, and you'll see they're actually more about performance over aesthetics.

I shake my head at you sir.

As for the topic on hand. Ive already said it before - just keep social networking to social networking sites yo.

[Jamez 2147483647]

Created a group for facebook, Bimmersport Group

not sure how many people use facebook tho.

Edited April 30, 2009 by Jamez

[pjay 8]

Meh.. Im in

[diablo23 1]

i say have the serious bimmer thread sections, and a small off topic section called open discussion's where anything goes thats not about bmws

[Guest Simon*]

^That's what we have now. Except it's a fairly large OT section.

The only thing is, we don't want it to fill up with "chat". There's no need for that here, plenty of other sites/means to do it.

[Forrest 35]

Ultimately, I think posters should exercise a bit of self control.

I enjoy the side threads such jokes, topical current affairs, non-BMW related car discussion. As for a "lounge", I don't think bimmersport is the right forum.

IMHO the problem comes down to the posters themselves. I don't want to stereotype here, but the slammed/glorified boy racer crew that is growing on here seems to be draggings things down. There is not enough discussion on the core BMW enthusiast issues, and if no jokes, topical current affairs, or non-BMW related car discussion was allowed, the site would be dominated by the immature boy racers and there would only be a little bit of core BMW discussion. If this happened, I would get driven away from bimmersport.

I agree with all of this, I have had a couple threads turn to crap after asking for legit advice and not getting anywhere, also made a few threads of late asking for advice and not getting any, seems like the focus is now more towards the materialistic threads and not the important ones.

Won't name names but it's easy enough to go elsewhere and find out things about the CARS which is the reason I joined bimmersport originally because I knew nothing. Just my 2c

[Guest Simon*]

In line with the new policy, I will now be moderating topics fairly hard, with the viewpoint of: what would a new user think? That is, if someone genuinely interested in BMW in NZ was considering joining our forum, what are they going to think when browsing through the current threads. I don't want anyone to be put off from becoming a valuable contributor to the site, or an enthusiastic user, because they stumbled on a thread full of crap.

This holds true for the current membership. We are lucky enough to have some really knowledgeable people and some members of the motorsport community as frequent posters here, and I don't want them put off because we've strayed too far from BMW related matters.

By all means use OT. Post your jokes and interesting stuff, feel free to comment, have a laugh if it's there, but NO POSTWHORING (or we'll simply reset your post count to zero), no personal attacks, and please think before you post - if you have nothing to say, then say nothing.

[Guest Simon*]

Created a group for facebook, Bimmersport Group

not sure how many people use facebook tho.

I'll join when I can (no FB at work ). I'd suggest you don't get too carried away with it just yet until it receives Ollie's approval to use the "Bimmersport" brand. If it's going to (hopefully not) smear our reputation here then we might ask you to change the name and remove any reference to this site.

[camera doctor 25]

Great post.

From a personal perspective, I have been a little aprehensive to post lately, as there are a few members that seem to delight in posting argumentative or plain rude replies to posts.

As the old saying goes - if you don not have something nice to say, don't say anything!

That aside, I enjoy this community, and would hate to see the few to ruin it for the masses.

Good to see the admin/mod team are aware and are on top of this.

Great work guys.

[kerrynzl 3]

Keep the forum going as it is !!

Just try and censor some of the offensive language. Remember public TV can be very liberal with language so if it's OK to use on public TV it's OK with me.

What I don't like is abusive PM's or spam [ but we've had a bit of fun with a thread about "viagra" spam ]

Human nature being what it is, We all try and "pull status quo" on each other.

We all wan't to organize things to suit ourselves, but unfortunately we can't because we are all different.

Some people dislike Drifters, some dislike Boy Racers some say "Restoring is Boring" etc etc

The perils of time sort things out .

Over time the wankers will move on [ but so will some good members as well ]

I am also guilty of dishing out a bit of sh*t , so I can expect it back [ it's just a bit of fun ]

but I also try and help out when I can [ we all need saving from Gus's hammer ]

Just Keep the forum going as it is !!

[Driftit 2069]

There are people on here that pretty much post in every topic. Trolls. 90% of what they have to say has no relavence to the topic. Crack down on these people a little and the problem will settle.