[DeTomaso] Email Forum Opportunity

Tue Apr 19 18:48:24 EDT 2016

Well said Jeff. I couldn't agree more! I have signed up for several car club "new style" forums over the years and after a few times of logging on and looking for something specific I tend to never find my way back. I can think of at least 3 forums that I'm a member of but haven't visited for years; I'm sure this one will turn out the same... What I like about the email forum is I don't have to seek anything out, it just comes to me in real time and I often find myself enjoying threads on topics that would have never clicked on in a "new style" forum.

Gray

-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Detrich
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2016 5:19 PM
Cc: detomaso at poca.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Email Forum Opportunity

This comes up regularly and there are a large number of DeTomaso regulars who still like the old style email forum, me included.  It is open to any Detomaso enthusiast, has a long history and I believe the quality of the responses for tech questions is generally better.

Personally, I don't see why we need a "new" style POCA forum when we already have the PI forum. It isn't really be a "new" style forum, these types of forums have been around for 20 years. And the PI forum works exactly the same way as the proposed "new" one from POCA, is open to everyone, has been around for years, and it has a long history of searchable information that will take forever to build up, especially in a new "members only" restricted POCA forum. It has what is called "dominant market share" (by business people trying to decide whether to compete against an established product like the PI forum with something new) for that type of forum catering to DeTomaso enthusiasts. Why reinvent the wheel.

Furthermore, POCA has had a "new" style forum available for years on the POCA website. Despite several efforts over the years to get it used by the members, it never caught on. Why do we think it will this time? And the big question is, will the experts that so graciously help us on the email forum move to the new POCA forum, especially since none of them moved to the old "new" style POCA forum, and many have not have been active on the PI forums.

For this reason, I truly hope that someone can take over the POCA email forum. Or perhaps POCA members can make their opinions known to the Board that they want to keep the old email based one going.

Lastly, one of the goals enumerated in the POCA By-Laws is to promote the Detomaso Marque. The email forum does that because it is populated by more than just the members of POCA, including many folks looking for a car. What better way to build awareness of the marque. Will a members only forum do the same thing?

My 2 cents,

Jeff
6559

On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 12:31 PM, Michael Shortt <michaelsavga at gmail.com>
wrote:

>    This email forum currently uses the [1]poca.com domain or URL.
>    The new website will be taking it over in the next few weeks and the
>    forum is not
>    compatible with the servers at our new host.
>    We are going to archive all the forum emails and eventually place them
>    in a searchable database on the new website.
>    The new website will have a far superior forum system, like PI Forum,
>    except much better.
>    It will have over 40 topics.
>    Every Chapter willl have their own private forum as well. ( only
>    Chapter members can see or post in those )
>    The BOD has two choices,
>    1) allow this forum to be adopted by somebody who will foster itA
>    A  A ( there are some conditions, regarding privacy issues since all
>    the email addresses are in the archives.)
>    or
>    2) Let it die.
>    There are no other options.
>    If anybody out there wants to take it over, please contact me ASAP.
>    You must provide a hosting solution and you will be the one fighting
>    hackers and spammers 24./7.A  It is no picnic.
>    the new website has amazing security and all these constant problems of
>    people being kicked off will be a faded memory.
>    I know it is not a popular decision, but one that can not be avoided.
>    If you love it, step up and own it.
>    Michael Shortt
>    President
>    POCA
>    --
>    Michael L. Shortt
>    Savannah, Georgia
>    [2]www.michaelshortt.com
>    [3]michael at michaelshortt.com
>    912-232-9390
>    A
>    This email is protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy
>    Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally
>    privileged.A  If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
>    notified
>    that any retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this
>    communication is strictly prohibited.A  Please reply to the sender that
>    you
>    have received this message in error, then delete it.A  Thank you
>
> References
>
>    1. http://poca.com/
>    2. http://www.michaelshortt.com/
>    3. mailto:michael at michaelshortt.com
>
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