I just posted stats in our NAM Moderator Section. I also put a post up on what I heard while at MOTD. A very common comment and something that both MA and NAM share is the repository of knowledge that can be easily searched. "Once on Facebook you can never go back and find it." So in other words, you can always "promise to wave" but you cannot always "find" what was said last month.
@Sully On a "searchability" and tag note, I'm not sure why but when searching for threads on this forum most of the time nothing pops up. I've been posting how-to's just to add some helpful content for newer R56 owners and there's been a couple times that my initial search yielded no results then after posting I searched with more (more than should be needed) key words and found that something has already been posted. Also, when searching for threads using the Googles NAM pops up on the first page, the MA posts are most times on the 2nd or 3rd page. I'm sure that's why one draws more new users than the other, which is both good and bad for MA.....
Qik - Agreed, the initial search was underwhelming, have you tried in the last 1.5 weeks? I put in a new search platform and it seemed to be working based on some test @MCS02 and I ran (granted limited). Regarding google search, that is a different challenge. Google builds algorithms for where things land based on relevance its an ever changing target. With the old platform some of the "SEO" search engine optimization hadn't been updated in a few years. Thats actually an area I'm working on after I get the new classifieds up. I will be focused on tagging, structured content, plus continuing to clean up some of the organization (feedback always welcome). Also, the migration to the new platform "broke" a bunch of links I had to later go back manually and repair via re-directs. On the plus side, I do see our "google" search increasing.. but I have a lot to there. Agreed - that is one of the biggest challenges with facebook.. it falls into the internet cloud never to be found again. Most people use FB because its easy from mobil and is a stream across all channels. Thanks for the feedback!
The folks that developed V-Bulletin were bought out by IB in the same period that they also bought allot of forums including that which Mark started. Those folks than went out on their own, similar to Nathan, and developed a new forum platform that I am pretty sure MA is using. It appears that a good search function was not their highest priority and MA is about in the same place NAM is relative to trying to find something on the site via the site search function; you find everything but what you want. We even have a Google option on our site but it still will not provide the same information you get if you go out to Google and perform a separate search. MA might have a better chance getting its search function to work better. We have tried on the other side but I do not see it going to happen. In the forum business there is also the 1% rule whereas as of all those that visit a site, only 1% will take the time to join and then respond/participate. There are so many FB types that if they do not get a response back in 60 seconds they go someplace else. We call them OHWs. I saw some folks that I had been on TarHeel MINI Club runs and they had no idea that either NAM or MA existed, "we use Facebook to interact today." Yes, we using forums are dinosaurs, unfortunately.
Depends on the topic I spose, It's always down a ways when I search for something. Maybe the more we check the more/sooner it'll pop up.
Facebook like Myspace will pass. I don't think forums are dead. Or maybe I am just hoping. There already signs FB is cracking under its own weight. I believe if we can show people the value of our forums they will use them. As far as searches go, weather they work or not....at MA we never ever tell someone to search. We answer the question even if we have answered it several times before. This builds the community. It is ok though, to tell them to check their battery, even if they have checked it and its new......its always the battery!
You know what the best MINI forum out there is? Its any MINI forum. For me the typical millennial is not using a car forum. I will attempt to find out how many members log in via FB. When I envision the average MINI forum member, that person is a a boomer that listens to rock music. The millennials that I know with a MINI have no knowledge of a us. On searches, I have made allot of posts and read even more. OK, my brain has seen better days so many times I know I read something somewhere on the site that can help answer a question but for the life of me cannot find it even with the search function. No, I do not close the fuel door without screwing the gas cap back in place, at least not yet.
Agree on the Facebook and typical search options. I recently implemented a new search feature on MA. I believe it works MUCH better than before. Have y’all tried.. would love feedback... or maybe this is feedback post search. I just tried a search for “fuel pressure” here is the results: https://www.motoringalliance.com/threadloom/search
Might be a not so pretty sight if you tried screwing on the gas cap after closing the fuel door...especially since the gas cap is tethered!
Yes your search function is pretty good, you can use a two word phrase and it does not offer up numerous results with either one of the two.