Hi
I was a casual user of the old forum (user: jasonp80 http://www.mx5ocforum.co.uk/search.php?search_author=jasonp80 ), but really liked it.
Can I ask why you felt the need to change, the old forum software was much more standard so easy to navigate. The new one feels far to cramped due to large side borders and shortcut columns.
The layout also looks much worse, the border spacing the website out throughout no matter how large your resolution is really annoying, this is basically forcing people with larger monitor to loose workable space.
I expect the reason for change may be to integrate better with the website which has been achieved but at the exspense to the usability of the foums. I appreciate i pay nothing and its up to you, but this may put people off coming back so often due to it being harder work to use.
Invision do great usable forums as an alternative to the old setup.
Keeping forums looking near enough the same as each other is a good idea in my opinion as this makes them easier to utilise.
Thanks for taking your time to read this, and thanks for all that run this great community.
Hi jason, have a read around the forum, it’s all been asked and answered 
I guess you could also say why did Mazda make the MK2 then the 2.5 and even the MK3 then they have even face lifted that!
Why everyone was happy with the MK1 or may be it has something to do with added features etc that the old car / forum could not support.
I have looked around the forum for the answers Geoff the beholder has said about but am obviously an idiot so am posting here.
I agree with the OP thoughts and am personally appalled at this forum change. The new forum seems to function as well as blind pew drives a car. I thought the new forum was going to be an updated version which had new features and user customisation as well as the familiar (but slightly altered) feel so that the entire old forum could be slipstreamed into the new.
Unfortunately given its aesthetics and non-friendly design I would believe this will be the death of the forum. Sharing information should be an easy process I’m even sure where to post my modification ideas now. The powers that be have clearly seen integration as the way to go but integration is meant to be flawless not an abomination. I hopefully some more updating will create a more friendly interface and help the transition but so far it is not good.
I am sorry to post something like this as the OC forum has been fantastic for me over the years but this re-design is just horrid.
I’m still giving the new forum a chance, but sadly it’s not doing it for me.
I can see no benefits to the new forum, I don’t like the layout, issues are taking too long to correct, and I don’t think I’m alone thinking the old forum was a far more comfortable place to be generally.
Credit due to Martin, who seems to be tasked with manoevering this ugly beast into shape single-handedly.
Much debated, discussed and explained at great length on our old forum. A big reason for the change was a total integration with our website and our membership database. That makes all the membership management loads simpler and stops that feeling that the forum is nothing to do with the Club. It gives us the opportunity to offer stuff via the forum exclusively to Club Members should we wish to do so.
This was only achievable by using forum software such as this. the php type forums are not, so we were told, compatible with that sort of integration. Community Server by Telligent is a very flexible solution, used by numerous large organisations for all sorts of things. Its at the heart of several other car Club forums including another popular Mazda forum I’m not going to mention here. It was offered to us as a solution, and having looked at it and used it elsewhere it works well.
I personally like the overall look and feel of this forum. php based forums all have a dated look in my opinion. Now I agree we have a lot of features missing at the moment, but they are available as modifications and when we have some of the more basic problems we have found sorted we should be able to get them sorted.
I think lots of us are all change averse to be honest and no more than with software and online. I hate the new facebook, I don’t like the changes ebay made recently, I don’t like Word 2007 and the stupid Ribbon MS have introduced. The list goes on…
And its not been single handed work…
Martn, Geoff et al, I have to applaud your continuing patience and kindness in continuing to answer the same question that has been asked time and time again over the last 3 or 4 weeks - it must get really boring having to repeat yourselves to people who are apparently so indignant and have such strong emotions over a forum they clearly haven’t visited in so long that they missed the change happening! The forum has changed: deal with it, people! lol It’s not exactly difficult to post here, it’s just different!
I’m one of the (two?) people that likes the new forum - sure, it takes a bit of getting used to, but most good things do…
Martin and the rest of the team are working hard to get any issues sorted as quickly as possible, and no doubt are feeling a little like their efforts are not being noticed, which is one of the sad facts of doing any sort of administrative/behind the scenes work (especially when it comes to computers).
Make that three of us Ramsey[;)] There are a few things about this place that I don’t really like, but I reckon it’s a step forward not backwards as some are saying. However, I have been using it for a few months and am now familiar with the layout, so maybe it’s easier for me, just takes time. I know that the change to an integrated forum will take a lot of the admin load off the shoulders of the system admin guys, and I really think that the new garage arrangement is a big improvement. We all just need to use the forum and review again when the major bugs have been ironed out . Ah well time for a beer and a laze in the sun…
Sorry but I can only see this new forum along with the integration split the community into OC members and other groups. Integration should have been for all groups involved so it was a true community organised by the OC not our little mx5 naughty corner.
Integration can be done with anything it takes effort which most administrators (not OC people like Martin and Geoff) will never want to do. After all the machine will read alll the coding it only if they can be bothered to allow you and then support you in your efforts. I do however think Martin et al have done well to sort this so far but it needs WAY more friendiless adding.
I actually don’t want to ask my questions on this forum because it feels stuffy and old (and I can only assume this brings a feeling of no confidence). I’m afraid this will push me away from here (hopefully until it is resolved) and my search for advice will go to a more welcoming style forum.
Also when i sign in it take loads of redirections to get to the forum. Why not have a forum button that works not talks about activation.
Let’s run a poll of the OC members and find out how many club members prefer the new forum to the old one?
At the end of the day the Owners Club is for the club members, do they have no chance to voice their preference on the forum of their club?
Paul & Katie - I do frequent the forum every day but I go to a specific section that interests me “motorsports” of all the MX-5 forums the OC has the most friendly and busy motorsport section. Thier is no notice in this section to note the site had moved so I was unaware untill I went to look for something for sale.
I know my feedback does not need to be taken onboard, but from running another forum I know me and my team like feedback on what people think and not just the “we love your forum posts” but a complete picture. I gave my feedback in a polite manner without getting personal and the team have taken thier time to answer this in the same way.
Thanks
Jason
If only it was so simple - in theory you are correct, but only in the same way that you could put an engine from a bus in to an MX5.
With enough parts, and redesigning, you could get it in the engine bay, after making the bonnet wider, longer and deeper/higher, and you could connect it to the gearbox/drive train, but you would end up with something that;
1) Cost a lot of money
2) Took a lot of time
3) Is hard to maintain due to lack of space & complexity of parts
4) Problematic due to its uniquness & the above
5) Offers little extra benefit compared to the other options (Like the Rover V8 from last months STHT) which would be easier/cheaper.
Right now, I can see why everybody is going “Why?”, “What are the benefits?”, “What a waste of money!”, but only because the benefits are either not being utilised fully, or are behind the scenes.
There is a lot of admin work being saved, even with simple things such as memberships automatically being recognised - before somebody had to manually setup new members to have the right privilleges (seeing discounts etc.)
There is huge integration possible, with downloadable documents, personalised homepages, newsletters, email updates, to name a few which I’m sure will all come over time.
I don’t find the forum stuffy and old at all. As I have said elsewhere, people know where they stand with PHP forums, like they knew where they stood with the MK1 before the MK2 came out.
There was no real need for the MK2 - the MK1 was pretty safe, pretty fast and handled superbly. However, looking back, we can see why - heated glass rear window, safer for pedestrians, OBD, remote locking, slightly faster…
When most forums start off, they don’t have any members - they come over time, however, the situation here is quite unique, because we do have members, so problems are appearing a lot faster than they are being solved, which is never good. However, support and co-operation from everybody can help sort anything we don’t like, and make even better the stuff we do.
The issue is that the forum is still in very early days - there are issues being sorted out, and people throwing tantrums everywhere (I don’t mean yourself!) which is generally lowering the overall perception of the forum.
The issue is that the club is getting to a stage now where it needs to move forward -
There is not a team of full time administrators working to change details, configure privelleges, and so on, which the new forum either does automatically, or makes a lot easier.
As I said above, there is so much more potential with this - the old forum was just that - a forum. This is a community, which over time can encoproprate a library of technical bulletins, information, photographs, videos, even presentations/training on track days, or drifting. The old forum could merely provide links to external sources that could easily be edited or deleted by a third party.
Weather forecasts (like at MX-5.com), local events and so on could be encorporated in to the homepage to let you know what is happening, and when you’ll get your roof down this week.
Yes, some people are going to be put off just now, but long term, we will get a lot more (happy & contributing) members this way, which is what the club wants & needs.
Excellent post Ramsay,
When you list all the benefits that the new software can bring it starts to make a lot more sense.
I feel that if members had been made aware of the bigger picture from the outset (and potentially what’s in it for them further down the line) there wouldn’t have been quite the backlash against the new site.
But because of that lack of communication, unfortunately what members appeared to get was a new look forum which at first glance didn’t appear to offer anything over the old one. In fact in certain respects it offered less coupled with a hell of a lot of hassle.
The only reason given for the change of software was that of ease of membership administration (what benefit is that to your average member?) but all those cool features listed above - now that’s a different story and if implemented well can make this site truly one that the Club can be proud of.
Tracey has asked Martin to write an article for the next Soft Top Hardtop which will hopefully go someway to explain what he and his hard working team have in mind in the future and how you - as a Club member - can get the best out of the new site.
Trouble is, you’ll have to wait until February for that.
Jon
I must admit that now I have finaly managed to get on the forum and have a good play with it, I really dont think it’s user friendly at all and I’m glad none of the other forums I use have this same type, never seen it before and dont expect to again, looking for stuff here is a nitemare and its so slooooooow for me.
I appriciate that a lot of work has been put into getting up and running but I think this type of forum will drive people away.
But I guess this it is now, will be interesting to see how much membership numbers rise or fall sinse the introduction of this.
Can’t even use a spell cheaker with it, as forum types go I cant believe this got past beta IMO its rubbish [8-|]
Not going to be a big user of it
Cant beleive that to mark the forum read so that you only have new post since your last visit that you have to go to each section and select the mark forum read, how long would that take to do each day???
This is the daftest forum design ever [:D]
8.10 on a wednesday nite would normally be quite a few people here but tonite using this forum we have…
There are 21 guest(s) online.
There are 15 member(s) online.
- Iama Luddite, Chris Edwards, John & Angela Henegan, Big Pete, Alan Todd, Gareth, George 'n Ness, Burty, HighLift, John Parlane, Lancs_Lad, noh, Irishfinn, Leon Widdicombe, Swanny
Thats pants
When you view posts you have not read, there are two drop down boxes, one says “All Forums” and the other “Show All” - change “Show All” to “New since last visit” 
Thx Ramsay [:)]
Can someone PLEASE DO SOMETHING about the fact that staring at this forum for more than 8 minutes gives me an absolute torrent of a headache? the whites are all blotched with black visually…like this optical illusion
and it’s all down to the white being next to the grey…i can’t be the only one suffering…I just can’t look at the site anymore it’s like wearing a pair of shoes that are just too small, and consequently it’s fine for 5 minutes and then it’s just annoying