Who Wants PM's?

[PalmerWMD]

Never going to happen to the Q45 forum or the J30 forum. Plus as far as I know the only other forum that competes with NICO is Fresh Alloy But the Q section isn't as active as Nico's.

I am obviously not worried about Freshalloy taking from Nico .its the secialty sites I am thinking of.

FA is extremely similiar in concept to Nico and when we were crippled by this even back when we will still extremely strong.

PM's are ver dangerous to a site that runs on a recipe of being inclusive of all models, becuae the draw a specialty site will have.A well run Nico have a bigger draw to get folks in but thatcan be perverted by others misuing Nico as a portal.

Its happened elsewhere it would be arrogant to think it cant happen to Nico.

[Infinitiguy19]

I know what you mean I used to belong to a forum that used IPB software that had tons more features than NICO, The staff there thought they were Gods....

The features were cool but it was a computer forum so it wasn't anything special.

Point is I know that there PM system was taken over several times and there was little they could do to stop it. The members who received the foul messages forwarded them to the staff and the staff banned the members. But as you can imagine running a forum and having to look out for such people is stressful.

From what I hear the NICO staff is stressed enough and with NICO being such a big site I just think PM's would cause more harm than good. Nico was hacked several times before a couple of years ago and now its even bigger than it was so just imagine.

But Q45 and J30 specialty forums don't exist as far as I know and if they did I dare them to have as much info as I and the rest of those forums have.

[Tyler]

i always thought i wanted pm's but there are a lot of good arguments in here.

but the way i see it, im here to stay either way, pm's or not.

[LongBeachCoupe]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

[Infinitiguy19]

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

I am not sure it works that way, At least on another forum software that I am aware does'nt. Its either on or off as far as I know.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

I don't agree with any of the "OMG that other site stole our members" BS. I can almost guarantee that 95% of the members of this forum belong to other Nissan/Infinit/Specific Car forums. I myself belong to 3 or 4 240SX forums along with a couple of generic Nissan forums, along with several local sites. Does this make mean I'm going to leave and not come back? Absolutely not, I belong to those other forums mostly for the classifieds sections or the tech sections. hell I've been a member of a couple 240 related forums almost as long if not longer than I've been a member on here, but I have an 1/8th of the posts on those sites that I have on here.

I don't see any of the core members leaving NICO b/c they got enticed to go to that other site. Not all of us lost our way when times got tough *Cough* Fred *Cough*. members will come and go, it's part of the game, just like any business, customers will come and go, but if all the rest of your competitors are offering something that you don't offer, even if you offer something they do for higher quality, you won't bring in new customers. If every other site has PM's you pretty much need to have PM's to stay fresh, but throw in an extra twist, like Live Chat, or membership discounts , or something and not only will you stay fresh, but you'll be ahead of the game.

If you are that worried about the PM feature being abused by spam bots or anything of the like, just add a security feature to it like you need XX posts before it becomes available. No spam bot is going to make it 25 or so posts in order to get the PM feature, the mods and admins will catch it before it gets that far. Not to mention this will pretty much coax people to not only use the search feature (which needs an overhaul BTW) but also open up and actually become a member instead of someone just passing through.

[Joe]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

you honestly dont think some moderator or staff member wouldnt get a PM about someone spamming?

ive been on large boards that have had that problem and its taken care of just as fast as the post spammers.

and fred, really? pm's will be the downfall of nico? thats a bit of a stretch dont you think? ill guarantee people here are members of other forums. the reason people post here is because we have the best content. the only way nico will fail is if the other sites "stealing" people have better information.

FA failed because it was a s***ty website with bad members and a niche market.

[Jesda]

We do have a problem with people using PMs to avoid paying for advertising and such on the Cadillac forum, but the feature doesn't work until you've been active for a little while. As Chaotic Warlord said above, it keeps the spambots out. And new posts from brand new members have to be moderated by one of us anyway.

[bobotech]

If someone wants to recruit people for another board, they can always email the members. Unless you want Nico to be completely closed to any type of private conversation between members, there will aways be an easy way for someone to privately contact someone else.

Hampering ones ability to enjoy a site just because you can't manage a forum well to keep members around should not be a deciding factor.

Also, who cares about being unique? "Oh, nico is unique without PMs!". So what? I look at Juggalos and Juggaletes and even though they are unique, I sure as hell don't think think their uniqueness is cool or desirable!

[Chaotic_Warlord]

Nice ICP reference there Bobotech.

[Jesda]

Also, who cares about being unique? "Oh, nico is unique without PMs!". So what? I look at Juggalos and Juggaletes and even though they are unique, I sure as hell don't think think their uniqueness is cool or desirable!

A Law and Order episode a couple weeks ago trolled the Juggalos. It was fun Googling them and seeing their outrage.

[nissangirl74]

Thanks for all in the input and info. TBH, this is the only forum I frequent so I don't know anything about PMs other than what I have heard here. We have more people who have voted FOR them, but those who oppose them seem to have more passionate arguments.

[bmike818]

Please make sure that we can turn them off, if we do get them.

PM

no PM

[krimsonviper]

Down with the PMs!

[skydragoness]

Nearly as good as a screen door factory:http://www.factorytour.com/tou...r.cfm

Well make sure you let me know when you're in the Philly area!

We have DuPont and the proof is in the contaminated waterways.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

We also have a little town outsidie of Wilmington that is the Mushroom capital of the world... Just saying.

[Bubba1]

We also have a little town outsidie of Wilmington that is the Mushroom capital of the world... Just saying.

Are you talking about Kennett Square, Warlord?

Of course I had heard Philly's previous mayoral administration had a reputation for being a mushroom capital, they kept everyone in the dark and fed their constituents a lot of shiat...

[Chaotic_Warlord]

Are you talking about Kennett Square, Warlord?

Of course I had heard Philly's previous mayoral administration had a reputation for being a mushroom capital, they kept everyone in the dark and fed their constituents a lot of shiat...

Avondale actually. Nutter is no better than Street was, at least everyone knew Street was a scumbag when they voted him into office, Nutter scammed everyone in the city to get into office.

[PyR0NiAk]

We do have a problem with people using PMs to avoid paying for advertising and such on the Cadillac forum

People already do this through our emails. Every time I post a WTB thread, I get an email from a non sponsor trying to sell me something.

I say up with PMs if only so I can reach a seller faster to ask their paypal info. There's nothing I hate more than someone saying my offer is good, and then having to post to the thread or email them to ask paypal info and then hope they refresh and respond before I get offline. (And that's assuming "I" refresh before I get offline.)

[LongBeachCoupe]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

[Bmore-coupe]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

Is this your new copy/paste post Brian. 2 times on one page.

[PyR0NiAk]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

People already do this through our emails. Every time I post a WTB thread, I get an email from a non sponsor trying to sell me something.

[troskinatior]

At first I was totally for PMs but now I'm against them.

If you do add PMs, you should have the option of writing a message for people to read before they PM you.

[skydragoness]

Avondale actually. Nutter is no better than Street was, at least everyone knew Street was a scumbag when they voted him into office, Nutter scammed everyone in the city to get into office.

Huh? I'm pretty sure Kennett Square has that title. I mean they do hold that festival...

[Chaotic_Warlord]

Huh? I'm pretty sure Kennett Square has that title. I mean they do hold that festival...

They may have the mushroom festival but take a drive up there, Kennett Square's a very richie rich township, take a drive up RT 100 you won't see the mushroom farms until you get into Avondale, trust me you'll know you're therre because of the smell and all you'll see are mushroom greenhouses, warehouses, trailer parks and distributors. I don't know about you but if I just spent $1-3 Mill on my house the last thing I want is to smell a mushroom farm.

[PalmerWMD]

Palmer brings up a valid point.... Many times "spammers" lurk and google their business names, and then will post on nico trying to generate sales... we see this issue and "nip it in the bud" but no one would be able to see/monitor who is trying to make illegitimate sales or influence members in PM..

Maybe instituting a 10 post minimum before pms are active?

Thanks!!

Sometimes folks who haven't been here from the beginning forget how much Nico itself built forums with that method and hence think it can't happen here or wont be significant.

Examples form Nico owns past:

a)Our 350 Z forum got nearly all its good article writers by soliciting members form other sites some of which then made their home here permanently.2 or 3 of our most key 240 Moderators came in this exact way form zilvia and Freshalloy to Nico.

2)For example the early Nico teeiming Infiniti forums were the result of a select activist members transferring nearly the entire yahoo infiniti owners group to here (all in the open since no Moderators there).

This is how Greg was recruited into Nico BTW.(Months later I felt guilty about destroying that community for Nico when I went there and saw someone post " what happened to our activity?where did everybody go"

3)Now that I think about it at least a few years back we got 30-50% of our subject matter SME's this way for Nico by cultivating key folks on other sites.

As an all models forum Nico will suffer if PM's get switched on. Do it and find out.

[PalmerWMD]

1)Not all of us lost our way when times got tough *Cough* Fred *Cough*.

2). No spam bot is going to make it 25 or so posts in order to get the PM feature.

1) I did Not lose my way and had good reason. Did I overreact to some things ? probably yes but it was matter of emotional involvement.

2) 25 is not enough, in the past we spent 100 posts on other sites to become "one of the guys" there before pulling folks to Nico via PM's. (If this is still a state secret Mods feel free to delete my entire post, but its a much more common technique now than it was back then, when we wrote the book on how to build a car forum.)Lots of folks have now copied our play book and that's why I am concerned about PM's on Nico.

I don't think its paranoia, just prudence and the distillation of many years of experience doping that exact same thing on behalf of this website.

[PyR0NiAk]

Thanks!!

Sometimes folks who haven't been here from the beginning forget how much Nico itself built forums with that method and hence think it can't happen here or wont be significant.

Examples form Nico owns past:

a)Our 350 Z forum got nearly all its good article writers by soliciting members form other sites some of which then made their home here permanently.2 or 3 of our most key 240 Moderators came in this exact way form zilvia and Freshalloy to Nico.

2)For example the early Nico teeiming Infiniti forums were the result of a select activist members transferring nearly the entire yahoo infiniti owners group to here (all in the open since no Moderators there).

This is how Greg was recruited into Nico BTW.(Months later I felt guilty about destroying that community for Nico when I went there and saw someone post " what happened to our activity?where did everybody go"

3)Now that I think about it at least a few years back we got 30-50% of our subject matter SME's this way for Nico by cultivating key folks on other sites.

As an all models forum Nico will suffer if PM's get switched on. Do it and find out.

I really don't think the 240sx community would go anywhere. I understand your point, but at the same time, people stay here because they LIKE it here. I love NICO and it's the first thing that gets mentioned when people ask me about my car. I owe every bit of my Nissan and turbo knowledge to this forum and I make it very well known to my friends. I'm a member on Zil (that other site) because of the larger classifieds section, and I still very rarely check it. I think the only reason those other sites shut down is because this one had more to offer in some way. Be it, more features, a more knowledgable staff, or even a better community. The amount of posts I have for the amount of time I've been a member shows how frequently I use this forum, and that doesn't even show how much I lurk. There are plenty of members that I'd bet money frequent this more than I do. Simply having PMs won't cause this site to shut down. I have other sites and non-sponsors email me on a regular basis because they grab my email from my profile. I still remember a conversation with one, asking why they weren't a NICO sponsor and they informed me they use to be but their original internet sales guy had retired. I ended up not buying from them. If people are going to leave this site, it's going to be for other reasons, not because someone PMed them.

[AZhitman]

People already do this through our emails. Every time I post a WTB thread, I get an email from a non sponsor trying to sell me something.

You need to forward those to us - preferably [email protected].

Hell, I don't care if you buy from them, although you're only taking away from the companies that support our community...

But i WOULD like the opportunity to know which companies don't have the sack to actually just violate the rules in broad daylight.

[Infinitiguy19]

Zilvia: Has way to many rules to follow and not the best Q45 site in the world.

Fresh Alloy: Has the M45 and Q45 section combined together, Not the best thing....

Yahoo board: Was a mess and hard to follow, Yes I maybe new but I have seen it. I even have about 13,000 posts saved from there.

All in all Nico may not be perfect sometimes but its far better than the above. and really it the members that make the board, not the software. Still though PM's might slow down NICO, cause lots of SPAM....

But there is nothing we can do to stop it by looks of the votes on this topic.

But no matter what happens to NICO I will stay with it.