Lack of activity

[Jim Maier]

I pretty much keep myself entertained at night reading and participating on forums when nothing else is going on.  Forums are a great place to learn and discuss almost anything.  Why is it that kart forums are so dead?   Specifically 2-stroke kart forums?  The 4-stroke guys have it good over at Bob’s 4 cycle.  Very active.  Does the two stroke crowd hold everything so close to our chest that it can’t be discussed?

It’s not just 2 strokes, we race quarter midgets too and a forum with even the little activity that this place has is non-existent.  With all the quarter midget racers out there this has me baffled.

What do you all think?  Why is there so little 2-stroke forum activity?  Why do the 4stroke guys at Bob’s have an incredibly busy forum?

I am very much in the learning phase of karting so I don’t have much to add yet, but do enjoy reading these forums.

[David Cole]

Hello Jim,

After 10 years of working on the site, people who come here are looking for something specific. Most topics are questions, such as yours, around a certain topic. A majority of those in the karting community watch, rather than participate in the forums here. Our focus is around building the sport, and answering those questions that new racers may have, while keeping everyone in the community informed as to what is going on.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Brian Spek]

lots of good questions answered in the classic/old version of ekn as well:

http://www.eknclassic.com

 

[FREDDY SANDOVAL]

Hi, Cole

Jim and Brian hit it right in the nail

I have been a loyal forum participant/member since the year 2000, and I have noticed how we went from a pretty good economy to a real bad economy, which affected our sport and industry brutally

But I have also been around long enough to enjoy the good times, and funny moments with some of the members here, it has always been an awesome community, where everybody contributed for each other.

Jim mention in one of his concerns the word “activity”

Brian mentioned that some good questions have been answered in the old forum, and that is also accurate. But many new members still don’t know how to get there, or the surge bar can’t find the topic you’re talking about.

 

I miss some of the old members that we lost through the changes of a new forum, which I’ve gotten used to it btw, I do get around pretty good now.

I think we can agree that we might have lost about 50% of our guys here?

My question is: Have we done anything to reach out to them, and see how they’re doing?

Or What we can do to help them or accommodate their needs to be able to navigate this forum? I know that there has to be some kind of contact information such Email addresses, phone numbers?

There were a whole bunch of guys from shifter karts, and 2 strokes here, constantly chiming in and joking about an event that took place, or a repair/rebuild that went south, and turned into a humoring experience, etc.

I remember Michael Goebbel  posting all kinds of stuff, answering questions, or just about anybody talking about any topics

2 questions were posted by me, in 2 different sections, about what gear ratio would be a good start for a certain track? It’s been almost a month, several viewers but not one single reply. Please! at least someone give me a “BS” story, but please at least talk to me, and let me know I’m not alone, give me some hope! Lol.

I personally like to chime in and be involved with the community, answering any questions that are asked in almost any section of the forums to the best of my knowledge

Some people say thank you and some don’t, and some will take forever to reply, but that’s not my point.

I would like to have more cooperation and activity from all members

You can count on me for that, however I do need help from moderators and members to get the ball rolling and continue to post threads to encourage karters.

 

Please note that I am not been in any form of negative criticism, but constructive criticism instead.

I do appreciate all your efforts you and many others have made to maintain the forum alive, I probably couldn’t imagine what you go through, but thank you for all that you do.

 

Sincerely yours Freddy Sandoval (Fast Freddy )

 

[David Cole]

Hello Freddy,

The new forum continues to grow, and gain members every day. The last forum was over 10 years old, and we are nearly at 25% of the total members signed up during that time in just 14 months. We have opened the door for people from the old forum to join the new one, as the basic functions of the forum are the same, however, some of chosen to not participate, and some just like to read what is going on.

The summer time has always been a slow time for the forums. The winter is when most of the ‘discussions’ happen. We continue to focus our efforts on introduction of the sport to new people, rather than the ‘off-topic’ discussions which can be saved for other sites.

If you are asking questions, you need to make sure you are in the correct section. Your question is best suited for Road Racing. Try posting there.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Bob Spedding]

I’m very new to the forum.  I like the look of the website.  The one thing I think would help the forum is an easy way to post photos. I took tons of photos from this years Robopong,  went to the FAQ on posting photos but was unable to get it to work.  I use shutterfly as my web photo storage place.  I’m sure it is something I was doing but making it so photos are easy to post would be a big help.  Just like Freddy, I’m not criticising as I know what a monumental task it is to run a website, just a friendly suggestion as most people are visual people.

Thanks and keep up the good work!!

[David Cole]

The photo posting is the same as the old forum. You have to store it on a webpage, like Shutterfly, copy the IMAGE URL (the location of the photo on the WWW), click on the image icon that says ‘Insert/edit Image’, paste the URL in the source line. Just like the FAQ states. Let me know if you have any more questions.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[David Cole]

All that to say, regardless of all of our format preferences, kudos to the EKN staff for maintaining a place where we can still meet….and here’s hoping we can turn the new site into what the old one offered PLUS the new benefits too

Thanks Ted. That is exactly what the forum is meant, a place to where we can all meet. Social media has a lot to do with the change of voices on the fourm, but we still remain the place to find out information on the sport we all love.

Thanks Vernon.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Ted Hamilton]

I may take some flak for posting this, but it’s my personal observation, so…..

The old forum, while very basic in format, was very discussion based, and as a consequence it was to 2-cycle and sprint kart racing what Bob’s 4-cycle is to dirt oval 4 stroke racing.  There was a diverse and pretty vocal subscriber base, and there were commonly 200+ posts for me to catch up on if I missed a day of browsing.  Due to the sheer numbers and volume of regular posters (vs. lurkers), questions were answered quickly (and usually accurately.)

This new site is not, IMO, a forum-centric site.  It’s much more media and press-release friendly, with the forum retained as a nod to the tradition of the old site, and to provide some means for archiving the old information and generating some more current info.  Whether by design or simply unintended consequence of stylistic choices, the new forum section is harder to post in, harder to find information in, and less comprehensive for the moment, but it does have the added benefit of posting (third-party-hosted) pictures and such.

My observations are not to “bash” the admins — they simply made a choice in the best interests of their business and trying to focus on serving the karting media needs instead of letting us forum posters largely control the site content (by volume.)  I would bet that David or  the other admins would concede losing a large percentage of the posters, but would point out that what’s here addresses many other needs — such as what race results are, what races are coming up, and what’s generally going on in the karting industry.  Those questions were often lacking in answers / content on the old site.

Personally, I preferred the classic site as I’m a old BBS guy.  If you don’t know what a BBS was, you probably like the new site better. :)  All that to say, regardless of all of our format preferences, kudos to the EKN staff for maintaining a place where we can still meet….and here’s hoping we can turn the new site into what the old one offered PLUS the new benefits too.

~Ted

www.facebook.com/hamiltonhelmets/
2014 Praga Dragon / IAME KA-100

[Vernon Head]

I’m still here, have been since 2000. I have to admit the change in the site set me back for at least a year. But I’m back to checking every day for new posts

[Bob Vehring]

Having been a member of both the 2 cy and the 4 cy forums since they started, I would sum up the differences like this.

The 4 cy guys like to fight

The 2 cy guys avoid it

Thus the entertainment value is completely different

[Michael Zahorski]

I’ll admit I am new to the site and karting, which is why I have been looking more than posting. I am just trying to soak in all the good information. I have made a few posts, but there have also been times that I tried to make a post, and after I hit submit, it didn’t publish the post. This left me to having to re-write my post again and I didn’t feel like it. Not sure if that issue is more related to the site, or the computer I was on at the time I wrote the post.

However, I do enjoy reading the posts and I am starting to learn more.

[David Cole]

Welcome Michael. Please email us if you have issues posting – webmaster@ekartingnews.com –  It is related to what internet software you are using. Internet Explorer is the main issue.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Keith Bridgeman]

The old forums use to have a lot of good battles that were fun to read but not anymore.  Maybe its do to the fact that almost all series are spec series with very little debatable rules conversations.   Also conversations are happening on Facebook now that take away from a topic that might have been put on here.

http://bridgemanbroskarting.blogspot.com/

[Daryle Redlin]

I think you may find that people are no longer talking on the forums due to some series putting rules in place that state they can ban you if they don’t like what you say about them in the public forum. If you go to an event and have some comments in the past people would just post it, now   people think twice about it and say nothing instead. I’m not sure if that is better or not. Sometimes its good to hear what people are concerned about, it allows the sport to grow and become better.

 

[Jim Silverheels]

Seems when Al Nunley bowed out of the forum fights  the amount of posts dropped.  Come back Al, thats an order! Why be prim and proper all the time, lets take the gloves off once in awhile.

[Walt Gifford]

yea Al, compression means nothing and you don’t need an air density gauge or EGT to tune a carb.

FAA certified jet engine and aircraft technician,
Nicholson Speedway class champion 2001,
Yamaha KT100 Service Center,
41 years karting experience

[Brian Degulis]

First you take all the threads posts and comments acumulated over 10 years all the stuff that posters took the time to think about , put into words and create threads or reponses and you throw it all into an archive to die.

Then you make all the members sign up all over again. At first the process is clumsy and frustrating.

Then you make posting photos a mystery obvisouly it still is to some and it is not the same or as easy as the old forum.

Then somehow you make difficult or impossible to copy and paste without turning your post  into some that looks like a secret code.

So some get frustrated and walk away. Then some that aren’t frustrated get bored from the lack of content and walk away and so begins the death spiral.

 

WAKE UP it’s not social media or the time of year or the economy and people didn’t suddenly decide to stop talking and just read. Who ever decided to make the switch in the manner it was done knowingly or not came up with the perfect formula to kill a forum.

 

Brian

 

[Juan Jaramillo]

Brian Deguilis hit it right on the spot. I used to come here every night and hit “post since your last visit” and it was great, lots of information, jokes, arguments, etc. I participate in different kinds of forums like tumpertalk for mortorcycles, x-h20 for jetskis, etc and they all work like a furum, like ekn used to be. What an information crime was made by David Cole. Hrs and hrs of knowledge were put on the forum. This new forum is useless and clearly David and whoever else is responsible do not care. It’s called “feedback” for a reason. Just read the post. You should offer us the files containing the information in the previous forum se we can reactivate the forum as clearly you guys are no interested in doing it.

[Jim White]

Brian is spot on. I’ve always posted and enjoyed the old forums. It’s taken me weeks to figure out how to make a post again. I recently switched from IE to Firefox in an attempt to be able to post again. It looks like that worked.
Any of the old school guys who can actually help the younger guys learn probably gave up long before I did.
Spin it anyway you want but the “upgrade” killed the forums.

[Ray Chiappe]

Jim, I’m looking for the “Like” button right now.

[Evan Fraser]

I have to agree that the crash in activity coincided with the change to the new forums.  The old forums were old and change happens, that’s the way of the world, but in my opinion that’s what killed off the regular activity.  Before the change I could spend hours reading the different topics (admittedly I was newer and had so much more to learn).  Now a “recent” post is one that’s less than two days old.  I’m not pointing fingers though.  EKN did what it felt was necessary and to this day you still have the EKN 101 article to try to bring existing members in to the new site.

Hey Daryle I’m curious, what kind of series do that?  Being banned for criticism, constructive or otherwise, is just censorship.  Sadly very typical of the world we live in these days.  Maybe if you’re going to mention specific series’ PM me so you don’t get banned :)

Evan Fraser

#43 - Formula K FK01 / Briggs LO206

West Coast Kart Club

[Mark Dismore Jr.]

I have to agree, the new forum software isn’t user friendly. After I hit log-in to post this comment I had to click all the way back through the forums just to post this since the log-in is on a different page. Why can’t I just log-in right from the forum page? Little stuff adds up to, “screw it” for a lot of people. I think the main points have all been hit, it isn’t FB and Twitter, it’s the UI here.

vBulletin board software FTW!

 

[FREDDY SANDOVAL]

I understand from a business point of view that it is in their interest to “FOCUS” on the media and promoting the sport to encourage people to join our awesome sport, and I also understand about the clicks that are out there “FOCUSSED” on big money people only.

And I also understand how important it is to run a business, as I own 3 businesses

But it is extremely important to continue making sure your consumer/client to stay extremely happy and satisfied with you and your product, and your service.

Let’s say I introduce someone new to the sport, after months, days, hours, including trips to the track to use my own karts ( I have several ) All that investment, talking about how awesome racing is, and has been for so many years

Finally they are completely sold on the sport, then you introduce them to this awesome forum that I’ve known for so many years, for any questions they may have, right after I ran out of answers

So they become members of this forum, type in the 1st question in this super active forum

I can tell you that I can put up with a lot, but the new comer may get very discouraged after his questions get ignored for weeks, or months, he may find himself lost and confused with his new investment, and suddenly he goes WAIT A MINUTE, FREDDY! THIS IS NOT THE RACING FAMILY YOU TOLD ME SO MUCH ABOUT IT, What happened to all the fellow racers that would take their shirts off their backs for you, and to welcome you to the sport?

I thought you say “THE MORE THE MARRIER”

 

My point is:

I don’t care how you slice it! There has been a neglection here, and we all know it

Mr Dave Cole, You corrected me about posting my question about shifter kart gear ratio for Button willow and Willow Springs (Big tracks)

Saying that I should have placed them at Road Racing

I’m not an idiot, anybody in their right mind would know about any issues related with shifter karts, especially for a gear ratio at a certain track, for your info I actually placed them in shifter karts, and TECH TALK, I figured with 2 different sections I couldn’t go wrong

Please don’t treat me like I’m stupid, I have treated you with respect

You know that there is an issue here, and we are trying to help

How du you suggest we maintain the sport and the new racers?

Do you have any ideas, besides the media, and being focused on the important races?

Oh, And the typical “Welcome to the sport” greetings

 

 

Please understand That I was offended with your comments back to my post, I did not appreciate it at all.

It is extremely clear to know that people are reading and not posting, as you mentioned, and if people are reading, including myself. I know for sure that we are reading more than 1 section, Correct? So please DO NOT Make me feel like I posted in the wrong section, knowing that shifter kart racers are familiar with tuning at different tracks, including road race tracks. How can you go wrong with that? There is a big possibility that someone who does sprint track has also made a trip to Laguna Seca, Infinion, Sonoma, Willow Springs, Button Willow, etc.

I’m sure someone may know, or remember a good starting point for set up

And if fact, there was a nice guy here who finally was sympathetic enough and kind to give me some advise for one of the tracks I was asking for, and that was nice of him. (and he did not find me at the “ROAD RACE SECTION”

I hope we’re clear with this one.

And I simply wanted to overcome this issue we have as a family, and I thing both of us understand that if this industry is hurting it affects us both of us, and the rest of our guys here.

 

 

 

These are my 2 cents

I hope we have a smooth sailing now.

Freddy

 

[FREDDY SANDOVAL]

BTW

Congratulations!

This has been the most active thread  we’ve had in a long time

That’s pretty cool

I kind of like it. Lol. Anybody seen Michael Goebble? I miss him a lot, he was really funny, and his videos too.

[Rod Hawkins]

Wow, this post hits the nail on the head. All this was done and it was called “progress”. I am not sure what kind of progress or how some people define success, but this isn’t a way to do it. I have gone from checking this site almost daily to checking it a couple times a week. There just isn’t enough content or new activity. No matter what BS excuse is given, those are the facts.

Brian Degulis wrote:

First you take all the threads posts and comments acumulated over 10 years all the stuff that posters took the time to think about , put into words and create threads or reponses and you throw it all into an archive to die.

Then you make all the members sign up all over again. At first the process is clumsy and frustrating.

Then you make posting photos a mystery obvisouly it still is to some and it is not the same or as easy as the old forum.

Then somehow you make difficult or impossible to copy and paste without turning your post into some that looks like a secret code.

So some get frustrated and walk away. Then some that aren’t frustrated get bored from the lack of content and walk away and so begins the death spiral.

WAKE UP it’s not social media or the time of year or the economy and people didn’t suddenly decide to stop talking and just read. Who ever decided to make the switch in the manner it was done knowingly or not came up with the perfect formula to kill a forum.

Brian

[David Cole]

Guys, I’m in Lancaster covering an event this weekend. Those in California should be here watching or even racing. It’s a great event with a great city hosting the sport, promoting it through a $10,000 scholarship program with Carter Williams to race all of 2014.

I’ll address your concerns next week when I get back to the office. Rather than bitching about how this site sucks, list things you would like to see updated, as we continue to still add new features to the site each month.

And for those unable to post, glad to see you have been able to do so now ;)

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Tim Koyen]

David- there would be more posts if you handed out BEEF SANDWICHES with every 10 posts.  Just saying…

 

KartLift Kart Stands
DeepSeat Kart Seats
877-777-8020
------------------
Don't bother PMing me, it doesn't work. Email is best: tim@kartlift.com.

[Jim Maier]

I use forums for my business, and I own several forums.  When I go online it is usually to visit and participate on a forum.   I got into karting right when the old ekartingnews was chugging along.  Then the switch happened and the forum died and I have yet to find a good site for sprint karting since.

I tried for the longest time to register here but was unable.  It was just a few weeks ago that I tried again and was finally able.  So I can participate again.  But there are likely lots of people in this same boat.

A forum needs to be much more than just informational posts about an industry.  It needs to be a place that like minded individuals can visit to discuss their common interest, but also BS with their pals.  There needs to be a section for off topic stuff for example.

When the site was migrated over why was a programmer not paid a couple hundred bucks to bring in all the old data?  In fact it could still be done.  I agree that the software should be changed to vbulletin to male it easier to use, then bring in both the new and old content.  Have accounts merged via username, email, and if different emails are used then by user request.   And finally there will be a site with the appearance of lots of activity.  At that point it will be up to the users to be more active.

[Mike Bray]

Bob’s should be called “Bob’s Clone Forum”, not Bob’s 4 Cycle Forum.  It’s all about clones and the inherent silliness of trying to take a cheap Chinese copy of a utility motor and make it a racing motor.  If you venture over there be prepared to throw logic out the window as it doesn’t exist.  Why else would grown men pay $1500 for a clone motor when they could pay $500 for an LO206 with more power and reliability?  When logic leaves a discussion drama and fighting ensues which is all you find at Bob’s now.

And don’t ever try and point out the silliness of a clone motor, Bob the Censor will remove your post before the ink dries.

If I want WWE type entertainment I read Bob’s.  If I want good information I read EKN.  For me that’s what it comes down to.

 

[Ben Matthew]

Did someone really just invite Al Nunley to post again???   He has been confusing and confounding new karters for decades now with all of his “theory”.

While I am a relatively new member here I have long been a member of Bobs as well several other sports related forums.  The loss of activity seen on the EKN Forums is very similar to the loss of activity on all of the forums that I have participated including Bobs.

The change away from the old V-bulletin style boards killed many forums, but I personally think it is more a case of evolution.  Forums are for old guys that like to debate and discuss.  Instagram and facebook give the younger generation direct access to the people that can best answer their questions.

This old fart however will continue to read and occasionally post on these forums and others until they completely die out.

Thanks EKN !

[Dan Dragoi]

Hi David,

My posts are getting very old (more than 3 months) and i cant seem to bump them up anymore.  I always waited for 3 weeks.  Has this feature been discontinued?  What am I doing wrong?

 

Thanks,Dan

571-730-9947

[David Cole]

Not sure what you mean. I see you have two threads you started in Classifieds that are near the top of the order.

David Cole - EKN Managing Editor

[Chris Bany]

Brian Degulis wrote:

First you take all the threads posts and comments acumulated over 10 years all the stuff that posters took the time to think about , put into words and create threads or reponses and you throw it all into an archive to die. Then you make all the members sign up all over again. At first the process is clumsy and frustrating. Then you make posting photos a mystery obvisouly it still is to some and it is not the same or as easy as the old forum. Then somehow you make difficult or impossible to copy and paste without turning your post into some that looks like a secret code. So some get frustrated and walk away. Then some that aren’t frustrated get bored from the lack of content and walk away and so begins the death spiral. WAKE UP it’s not social media or the time of year or the economy and people didn’t suddenly decide to stop talking and just read. Who ever decided to make the switch in the manner it was done knowingly or not came up with the perfect formula to kill a forum. Brian

Bingo!

[Alan Michel]

ohhh man!!  I was excited for a minute..  started reading this post and thought things were active again.   then realized it was from 2014 lol

 

 

[Author]

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