Suggestion: A Member Statistical Repository

Syzygy

Member
Here's a question to the old-timer members: how many times have you seen a new post for:

1) "how fast have you gone?"
2) "does anyone have the B&M short shifter?"
3) "who is turbo'ed?"
4) "what color of car do you have?"
5) ...add 100 more here...

Now, there's nothing wrong with this. A new member wants to know stuff. Even when he does the right thing and searches before posting, he sometimes gets anachronistic information.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'd like to see one of our web programmer members come up with an interactive form (tied to a back-end DB) for each member's entry and updates. The statistics and detail could then be available for all (especially new members) to see.

Heck, we could have pie charts, cross-references and quotable "news-at-eleven" stats, as well as the chance to engender a stronger community bond between us.

So, guys...whaddya' think?

Does anyone have suggestions for what could be included?
 
I'll prime the pump, here (radio button = (), textbox = ________, checkbox = []):

For the uninitiated-

Radio buttons are used when only one choice is possible.
Text boxes are free-form entry.
Checkboxes are for more than one answer per question.

1) Paint: Color - Mica Blue (), etc.
Problems - ___________

2) Short Shifter: none (), B&M (), Kartboy (), etc.

3) Stickers ()

4) Turbo: none (), Spoolin (), etc.

5) Racing: never (),
...............sometimes (),
...............all the time (),
...............my name's Michael Andretti ()

The sky's the limit! :D
 
sy, email me more info( details, what to include to start...etc) ill code it, and send it to enry.
 
Sounds like a good idea Syz. I'm not a techy kind of person, so I have no idea how you guys are going to go about making this happen, but good luck!
 
Youre going to make this board so mechanical that it drives people away. The purpose of any board is to discuss issues even if they come up over & over again. This board has a low member count as it is now, don't make things any dryer!
 
2002VividYellow said:
Youre going to make this board so mechanical that it drives people away. The purpose of any board is to discuss issues even if they come up over & over again. This board has a low member count as it is now, don't make things any dryer!

I disagree...it would make things easier for just a quick lookup. There's no reason to re-discuss something unless a new pont comes up...in which case you can start a new thread.
 
Kooldino said:


I disagree...it would make things easier for just a quick lookup. There's no reason to re-discuss something unless a new pont comes up...in which case you can start a new thread.

Look around 3/4 of the people that visit this place are Mods. Also goto other boards that have FAQ areas, hardly anyone uses them.
 
Quick lookups

Kooldino said:


[... snip ...] for just a quick lookup. There's no reason to re-discuss something unless a new pont comes up...in which case you can start a new thread.

That's why we have a FAQ page/datasheet/section/area/link coming up, right? Otherwise, all other topics should be freely RE-discussed on this forum board.

Not all searches are relevent because the answer(s) you are looking for may be hidden under a topic or subject you least expect just by browsing. You know searches usually turns up with a few non-related topics as well. Three or fewer letters searches will not work.

You will continue to tell the new folks where to look for information that has been discussed 100 times over in the past. No matter what new search form you come up with. I have no problem telling other people there are answers already posted for their questions if they use the search engine. Of course, it would be helpful (and generous) if you tell them what to search to narrow it down closer to the exact answer.

So I'd just suggest getting the FAQ page set up. Tell the new members to search for the topic if it has been previously touched in a satisfactory discussion or just look in the FAQ page (only if you are sure the answer can be found there!).

I do not see why it annoys everybody to just post ... "Search for JOHN BLOW TURBO SYSTEMS" and you will find your answers to any topic that has JOHN BLOW TURBO SYSTEMS listed in them. And make sure they are at least four characters to make the search engine work. I do agree that if the SAME question is being asked 3 times over on the SAME day then that is a bit excessive since they could have read just a little bit of this forum board to find the exact answer being given earlier.

Why not just add additional car information to be filled at the member info page with some of what Syzygy mentioned?

As far as I can tell, we have MP3s, Protege5s, Protege ES, etc etc on this board. No way to grasp what CAR or mods each individual has unless they put valid description under their sig or avatar. Gets confusing sometimes under the performance section where all the cars are bunched together and some odd model-specific topic pops up in it.

I just want more smilies added to this forum board... is that too much to ask?? :D:D :D
 
2002VividYellow said:
Youre going to make this board so mechanical that it drives people away. The purpose of any board is to discuss issues even if they come up over & over again. This board has a low member count as it is now, don't make things any dryer!
I appreciate that point (although, certainly, no one has ever accused me of being dry...). ;)

I fail to understand, however, how a board's "low member count" has anything to do with whether the content is "dry". And, while I understand the pure "discussion for discussion's sake" argument, I believe the board's historical and statistical information is important, too. As well, I don't think that access to a tool (or education, for that matter) "drives people away" any more than access to an internet search tool discourages use of it.

I don't believe the basic entry of data regarding our automobiles will make the board more complicated for any given person. Picture it: you arrive at the entry page. You click on the color of your car, you click on the model of your car, you click on the year of your car, you click on the button indicating you have stickers, etc.

If you never want to go to the member statistics page, then you don't. However, it is there when you have the need for it.

Let's say you are considering getting a short shifter for your P5. You can go to the statistics page and query the database (enter it into a text search field) for any members who own P5's with a short shifter. The results say there are 150 P5'ers with short shifters. 100 have B&M's, 40 have Kartboy's, etc. In the list, you notice that the user IveGotARealCoolP5 has one. You recall that you liked his posts in the past.

At this point, you go to the search tool, enter the member's name into the member search and enter "shifter" into the text search box. With more information, you are empowered to make a more specific search. If you don't believe me, consider this: next time you want to find a page regarding teaching your cat to use the toilet instead of a litter box, go to Google and enter "cat". Good luck!

Maybe you just wanted to know which shifter was the most popular. Maybe you want to know who all those turbo guys are. Maybe you just want to know how many members own a mica blue MP3. The scenarios are endless.

The key thing is this: Maybe the guy that you find that has the car that is most like yours hasn't logged in for 2 weeks. Posting may not reach him, so you send him an email or a PM.

What's so difficult about that?

Or maybe we should stop using internet search tools, as well.
 
If you guys want it, we'll do it no problem, it if doesnt gain interest we'll lose it. Its no big deal, we'll try anything. I admit. I asked stupid questions when i first came on here. I remember that i was upset because under my name it said MP3 Novice, and i was like NOOOOOO I KNOW EVERTHING. We just need to make it simple to use and better that everyone else.

kat
 
I see and agree with Syzygy. this data base isn't a place to really answer your questions....HOWEVER...what it can do for you is if you are wanting some specifice information about something....take for example the B&M shifter...you could find out EXACTLY who has them....and you could directly email them...or PM them and get more FIRST HAND information, insted of putting up a new thread....this would go for ANY piece or part that any one of us may have modded our cars with.
 
I just thought of something else too....it could eliminate the SIG where everyone lists their mods....

you simply fill out the "DATA SHEET" that has all that stuff in it, and becomes the MEMBERS DATA, sorta like an extension of our profile....and insted of everyone having these long sigs with all their mods listed....a button would be there for you to click on and it would take you to their DATA page....

but hay.....I am NOT getting rid of my bad ass flaming skull pic!!! lol
 
Sir Nuke said:
...(snip)...I am NOT getting rid of my bad ass flaming skull pic!!! lol
I don't blame you, Nuke! By the way, the other day I passed a railroad car that had your skull painted on the side! I thought...where's my camera? Nuke would love this!

Anyway, I can see it now:

Stickers:

None ()
1-4 ()
5-9 ()
10 or more ()
Car is covered ()
Cool Bad-Ass Flaming Skull Sticker ()

 
Syz, you bring up good points, and I've agreed w/ you from the start. And your points all make sense. You are quite the master debator! Not to be confused with masturbator. :D

Anyway, I say if we CAN do this, then let's DO IT!

Nuke has some good ideas as well...long sigs are ANNOYING. Esp if they have big animated GIFs in them that lag my P700 work machine. :-(
 
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