What can we Do

[Wideopen]

To get more Interest in the Tech forums?????

Or what are we doing wrong... I realize that unlike TDS we don't get the same questions repeated Over and Over and Over..but It doesn't seem like we're getting hardily any tech here??? Is it our Lack of Arcives??? We wanna know..

 

[hheynow]

As I see it...
There is very little traffic here probably due to this site being rather new. Traffic is vital for a tech forum to be effective. When I start a thread on TDS's 94-97 forum, I can expect MANY replies that same day from MANY who own the same PSD. Not here. If there are 20 members here with my year (94-97) PSD I'd be rather surprised. Time is critical for those with break down problems. Although this site caters to Ford, Chevy & Dodge, it seems to me that most members are Dodge owners. Being a Ford owner, I automatically bypass Dodge tech threads. Not having archives is a detriment preventing one with a problem to search how others have solved their same problem. Since I've been registered here I've noticed that about 100+ new members have joined... and VERY FEW have posted yet. If one is a member of TDS in good standing...why would they come here for tech forums when the depth of knowledgeable members there is vast?...unless they were banned. Fortunately, my truck runs great but I'm done with mods for awhile. I'm here because a handful of TDS members whom I chatted with for about a year drifted over here in March. Our sarcastic & witty posts in the OTHER forum at TDS were being deleted and locked. This site allows us to continue with uncensored freedom. My $.02

 

[Roland_Jenkins]

Just remember, you asked

As far as those that post on the forums go . . what you have here are rejects from other sites. Others are just tired of the way things were being done elsewhere and ended up here.

Some of these are trouble makers who's main interest isn't trucks or tech but hate and discontent.
Not that hate and discontent is a bad thing mind you.

I don't know the answers to your questions but it would take more than that to keep me from speculating.

This site is a Johnny come lately. You are bucking well established sites. l.

Its the new to diesels people we want to attract. They are the ones that will be asking the tech questions. Us older knockarounds can supply the answers

How do you attract new members you may ask. I have no friggen idea

How to keep the new users that visit here, now there I have a clue.
Be polite and supply the best information we have. Save the smart ass remarks for the battlegrounds.

I really hope this site works out. I'm looking for a new home. Right now I'm floating around between half a dozen different sites.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Go get a life. I thought about it but then realized PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE! Screw that

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

I think that hheynow, and Roland both have made good points above!

I would also like to add my 2 pennies though.

I personally dont use the tech forums here because i have had a lot of my "new to my truck" questions answered already. I now have learned enough that i very rarely have any questions about techincal stuff concerning my truck. IF i do i would agree that I would tend to look for my answer on a site that has had the same question asked every day for 3 years...this gives me multiple examples and a very quick reference. Also with more traffic a quicker set of responses is more likely.
SO the fact of the matter is that this site doesnt have the traffic for it yet, nor the history and it takes both to have a good technical reference. HOWEVER, this site has what the other tech sites are lacking! It enables a person to just BS and etc. It is above and beyond any other sites in that category. It also offers a diesel loving crowd which is essential in order to interest me at all.
I think that new members need to keep coming, and they will be the ones that ask the questions that the veterans here can answer. This will build membership, advertise the site by word of mouth, and build up a good archive reference. This will take time since i believe that it is an exponential growth.......in other words it starts slow but as more people hear about it, the site will multiply in size at a faster and faster rate. Hell it took TDS what 5 yrs to get where they are. AND God forbid that this site ever self destructs itself like that site did. With that in mind.......I for one am glad that it is still slow growing!
Hows that for a couple pennies!

Adam

 

[Wideopen]

Thanks You guys I appreciate the Answers ..we're working to make this site a good as it can be .. And I wanted some input from users I have my own opinions but I like to know what everyone else thinks...

Keep em' coming..I wanna know

 

[hheynow]

Originally posted by Roland_Jenkins
Yeah, yeah, I know. Go get a life. I thought about it but then realized PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE! Screw that

 

[Swany]

I think it has the potential, you have enough areas to post, you just need more traffic.

To generate more traffic, you should look into fancy marketing. I can help you with that but everything has costs associated to it and I'm all about milking the system.....


This is probably one of the most risque site's I've hung out at, I would like to see the tech forums grow but I have a feeling that might be a stretch.

 

[Mike]

TDS has nearly 40,000 registered members, this place has just over 1000. As stated above most folks that are here are from sites that are more restrictive on users freedoms. That being said most of us get our fill of tech at those sites and come here to kick our shoes off and not be so "techy". It would be nice to see more technical talk available here, but when you post a tech question and dont get a response for two days here as opposed to posting a tech question at one of the other sites and getting 10 responses within the hour, well you can see why some of the other forums are where we go for tech.

All the above stated is just my humble opinion. I do appreciate this site and enjoy browsing here, I hope it grows into something worthwhile for all of us.

Mike

 

[Quadzilla]

I'm restating the obvious here, but TDS is a much better place to get responses to tech questions, primarily due to traffic. If I have a question, I can either post there and get several random responses, or PM one of the people that I know have the answer. Either way, I'm hooked up in a short time.
I haven't had the problems with the moderators at TDS that some others have, so I'm not hostile about them. I see TDS filling a different niche in the market than Oilburners.
At TDS, the sole purpose of the forum is tech. Here, the conversations pertain to a larger range of topics. Neither is better, they're merely catering to a different crowd.
If the priority is to build the traffic in the tech forums, it would be good to have someone knowledgeable patrolling the forum, being sure every new post is answered in a timely manner, with good information. Someone new waiting two or three days to get an answer will encourage them to look somewhere else for their information.
Just my $.02.

 

[gleninaz]

How did I find the TDS site? I searched under diesel. I found this one from some malcontent listing the site on TDS. You have great battles and T&A so I keep coming back and I do check the Ford forum for any issues on my '04 F-250. I think you will build and I would consider spending money at recommended sponsors so maybe look into better linkage for the site. Your best point of difference so far is a bunch of rude, ass kickin' pigs which is a good thing IMO so keep what ya have and try to infuse more tech from knowledgeable members and add a few more advertisers that are willing to monitor specific forums with helpful info. Good luck.

 

[TheBundo]

Make a 2-to-1 rule. 2 tech posts for every Girls post. It'll be hard, but....

Remove the rule after things get rolling.

 

[Mike]

There goes the neighborhood The Bundo in here now.

 

[HOIB]

Hy Brian, what are you doing here you one band man?????

AHHH chat chit lol

 

[TheBundo]

There's the slight possibility I was here before you guys. A few old-timers on this site know what I mean.

 

[HOIB]

Originally posted by TheBundo
There's the slight possibility I was here before you guys. A few old-timers on this site know what I mean.

Sorry, no offense meant......