newmercman:
You can’t get more anonymous that we are here, obviously a username like chrisarbon doesn’t achieve that and we know Bewick is Lord Dennis Smith of ■■■■■■■■■■■ windrush is Pete and I’m me, but there is no need to reveal who you are, where you work or worked etc. So if guests don’t want to comment in order to protect their identity then how much they reveal is up to them.
No photos are required like social media and you have to click on a particular topic in order to read it, unlike a news feed on Facebook, so there’s little chance of seeing things you don’t wish to see.
There is no racism or bigotry of any kind tolerated here, no ■■■■■■ or offensive images, apart from the odd picture of a Foden lol, so really there’s no reason for anyone not to join, unless they just don’t want to.
The like/dislike feature is, on the surface a good thing, however it can also reduce comments as people just click like or dislike instead of posting a comment.
Have a care there youngster , casting aspersions about the lorry I have a fondness for . Only a person baffled by the intricacies of the 12 speed box would insult such a fine machine . I shall sit in my rocking chair in a huff , pah .
I could be like a lot of other readers where my natural default setting is to come onto Trucknet and read the threads and comments, then if i do have a comment, picture etc i then go to login and post. I must admit i mostly only tend to read the Old timers thread but this has the greatest interest to me, and really enjoy the informative, amusing, Frustrating (CF!!) threads and long may it continue.
At current moment having to self isolate in a hotel in Norway awaiting to join a vessel to go offshore so, can see plenty of free time for viewing!
They are only children Dave so please make allowances for them lad, they know not of what they speak! Facebook has the ‘like’ feature and I never bother using it, yet I get notifications telling me that ‘xxxxx liked your comment’ etc! Pointless to me but hey ho, each to their own. I am anonymous on many forums, however a couple of folk on here know me anyway but apart from them my surname is possibly not wideley known? One forum I am on, ‘Traction Talk’ which deals with steam machines, has posters who do use ‘screen names’ but they also have to put their actual name and rough location for folk to see as well which tends to put off any ‘keyboard warriors’ that might join to cause issues. I am a member of the forum relating to where I used to live and one lad on there (a moderator) has upset that many folk during his life and daren’t publish his real name, I know it though as he was a family friend.
newmercman:
You can’t get more anonymous that we are here, obviously a username like chrisarbon doesn’t achieve that and we know Bewick is Lord Dennis Smith of ■■■■■■■■■■■ windrush is Pete and I’m me, but there is no need to reveal who you are, where you work or worked etc. So if guests don’t want to comment in order to protect their identity then how much they reveal is up to them.
No photos are required like social media and you have to click on a particular topic in order to read it, unlike a news feed on Facebook, so there’s little chance of seeing things you don’t wish to see.
There is no racism or bigotry of any kind tolerated here, no ■■■■■■ or offensive images, apart from the odd picture of a Foden lol, so really there’s no reason for anyone not to join, unless they just don’t want to.
The like/dislike feature is, on the surface a good thing, however it can also reduce comments as people just click like or dislike instead of posting a comment.
I have been awarded many “accolades” over the years most of which are not repeatable “zb” "“zb” etc But I have never been ennobled !! So as my Noble Lords in the House of Lords receive a daily retainer just for turning up so as long as I make at least one post per day on TN would I qualify for some sort of payment ? Cheers Dennis.
ChrisArbon:
Bewick has highlighted the guest to member ratio a couple of times and the lack of contribution has seem a slow decline in the TruckNet forum as a whole. The Ex-pat section used to be a sack of vipers that no-one wanted to put their hand in; now it is a good week if it has a new post. I think the forum is long overdue a re-vamp. I am a member of other transport related forums and they have a much more pro-active and modern approach. Membership stickers and tee-shirts, regular meet and greet get togethers at shows. TruckNet hasn’t evolved much since it started and seems content to drift along with no stimulation. Maybe that is what some people are happy with but it looks like a slow death to me.
A simple tweak to the lay-out could give people the chance to “Like” or “Dislike” a post. Thus giving the poster some reaction to their contribution and it might get a few more guests to log-in. Most forums now have this feature, often with points being scored and running totals for contributors. The forum probably doesn’t need badges, stickers and tee-shirts but it does need posters.
Just out of interest Chris, if other forums have shirts & stickers available (‘merch’ I believe the young 'uns call it), do you have to buy the stuff?, or are there membership fees etc?
Do they have paid staff to organise the merch? Are there adverts to raise cash?
Personally, I don’t need a shirt or sticker to tell everyone where I’ve been, and by what I’ve seen of some other forums -Farcebook in particular, I’ll take the group of contributors we have here any day.
I certainly spend more time at TNUK than any other ‘old timers’ forum - but as I still work 50 odd hours a week , time is precious.
Not sure a ‘revamp / face lift’ is warranted either - is that going to bring better content?
I think that people of our generation who have contributions to make will do so without the ‘bling’ - just speaking for myself, but I get a bit miffed sometimes when anything from the BBC to the bank has ‘upgraded’ their app, ‘for a better user experience’ - which just takes me time & a headache getting to grips with the new layout.
For me, the forum is like a club - its the people in it, not the decor of the building that make it a comfortable place.
Just my thoughts,
Just out of interest Chris, if other forums have shirts & stickers available (‘merch’ I believe the young 'uns call it), do you have to buy the stuff?, or are there membership fees etc?
Do they have paid staff to organise the merch? Are there adverts to raise cash?
Personally, I don’t need a shirt or sticker to tell everyone where I’ve been, and by what I’ve seen of some other forums -Farcebook in particular, I’ll take the group of contributors we have here any day.
I certainly spend more time at TNUK than any other ‘old timers’ forum - but as I still work 50 odd hours a week , time is precious.
Not sure a ‘revamp / face lift’ is warranted either - is that going to bring better content?
I think that people of our generation who have contributions to make will do so without the ‘bling’ - just speaking for myself, but I get a bit miffed sometimes when anything from the BBC to the bank has ‘upgraded’ their app, ‘for a better user experience’ - which just takes me time & a headache getting to grips with the new layout.
For me, the forum is like a club - its the people in it, not the decor of the building that make it a comfortable place.
Just my thoughts,
Cheers all, Keith
[/quote]
You are right about the changes for a better user experience and there is a lot to be said for “If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.” I would think a slow forum also suits the moderators; far less contentious issues to deal with. I get a lot of enjoyment from TruckNet, especially since Covid 19 and lockdown have curtailed my plans for retirement. I have tried to reciprocate my consumption with some input but there seems to be an awful lot who do not. A re-vamp would also cost money but there are forums out there that come online recently that make TruckNet look dated. Have a look at Overland Bound website for something with bling.OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY.
As for user names; I think everybody should use the name on their birth certificate unless you are a married man on a dating site looking to play away.
jshepguis:
I could be like a lot of other readers where my natural default setting is to come onto Trucknet and read the threads and comments, then if i do have a comment, picture etc i then go to login and post. I must admit i mostly only tend to read the Old timers thread but this has the greatest interest to me, and really enjoy the informative, amusing, Frustrating (CF!!) threads and long may it continue.
At current moment having to self isolate in a hotel in Norway awaiting to join a vessel to go offshore so, can see plenty of free time for viewing!
“Offshore”? That’s a new excuse for ducking out of the breakfast club meetings! You’re getting as bad as that chap with the ancient Foden!
ChrisArbon:
Just out of interest Chris, if other forums have shirts & stickers available (‘merch’ I believe the young 'uns call it), do you have to buy the stuff?, or are there membership fees etc?
Do they have paid staff to organise the merch? Are there adverts to raise cash?
Personally, I don’t need a shirt or sticker to tell everyone where I’ve been, and by what I’ve seen of some other forums -Farcebook in particular, I’ll take the group of contributors we have here any day.
I certainly spend more time at TNUK than any other ‘old timers’ forum - but as I still work 50 odd hours a week , time is precious.
Not sure a ‘revamp / face lift’ is warranted either - is that going to bring better content?
I think that people of our generation who have contributions to make will do so without the ‘bling’ - just speaking for myself, but I get a bit miffed sometimes when anything from the BBC to the bank has ‘upgraded’ their app, ‘for a better user experience’ - which just takes me time & a headache getting to grips with the new layout.
For me, the forum is like a club - its the people in it, not the decor of the building that make it a comfortable place.
Just my thoughts,
Cheers all, Keith
You are right about the changes for a better user experience and there is a lot to be said for “If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.” I would think a slow forum also suits the moderators; far less contentious issues to deal with. I get a lot of enjoyment from TruckNet, especially since Covid 19 and lockdown have curtailed my plans for retirement. I have tried to reciprocate my consumption with some input but there seems to be an awful lot who do not. A re-vamp would also cost money but there are forums out there that come online recently that make TruckNet look dated. Have a look at Overland Bound website for something with bling.OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY.
As for user names; I think everybody should use the name on their birth certificate unless you are a married man on a dating site looking to play away.
[/quote]
That last bit [emoji38]
Real names are good until you get into the realms of the John Smith type names, imagine 3 or 4 people with the same name commenting on the same post, John Smith arguing the point with John Smith, it would be anarchy.
newmercman:
You can’t get more anonymous that we are here, obviously a username like chrisarbon doesn’t achieve that and we know Bewick is Lord Dennis Smith of ■■■■■■■■■■■ windrush is Pete and I’m me, but there is no need to reveal who you are, where you work or worked etc. So if guests don’t want to comment in order to protect their identity then how much they reveal is up to them.
No photos are required like social media and you have to click on a particular topic in order to read it, unlike a news feed on Facebook, so there’s little chance of seeing things you don’t wish to see.
There is no racism or bigotry of any kind tolerated here, no ■■■■■■ or offensive images, apart from the odd picture of a Foden lol, so really there’s no reason for anyone not to join, unless they just don’t want to.
The like/dislike feature is, on the surface a good thing, however it can also reduce comments as people just click like or dislike instead of posting a comment.
The bit I miss, and it used to be compulsory I think, you could probably lie, but the location came in handy, especially when someone asks for a job near me, without telling us where they live.
newmercman:
You can’t get more anonymous that we are here, obviously a username like chrisarbon doesn’t achieve that and we know Bewick is Lord Dennis Smith of ■■■■■■■■■■■ windrush is Pete and I’m me, but there is no need to reveal who you are, where you work or worked etc. So if guests don’t want to comment in order to protect their identity then how much they reveal is up to them.
No photos are required like social media and you have to click on a particular topic in order to read it, unlike a news feed on Facebook, so there’s little chance of seeing things you don’t wish to see.
There is no racism or bigotry of any kind tolerated here, no ■■■■■■ or offensive images, apart from the odd picture of a Foden lol, so really there’s no reason for anyone not to join, unless they just don’t want to.
The like/dislike feature is, on the surface a good thing, however it can also reduce comments as people just click like or dislike instead of posting a comment.
The bit I miss, and it used to be compulsory I think, you could probably lie, but the location came in handy, especially when someone asks for a job near me, without telling us where they live.
newmercman:
You can’t get more anonymous that we are here, obviously a username like chrisarbon doesn’t achieve that and we know Bewick is Lord Dennis Smith of ■■■■■■■■■■■ windrush is Pete and I’m me, but there is no need to reveal who you are, where you work or worked etc. So if guests don’t want to comment in order to protect their identity then how much they reveal is up to them.
No photos are required like social media and you have to click on a particular topic in order to read it, unlike a news feed on Facebook, so there’s little chance of seeing things you don’t wish to see.
There is no racism or bigotry of any kind tolerated here, no ■■■■■■ or offensive images, apart from the odd picture of a Foden lol, so really there’s no reason for anyone not to join, unless they just don’t want to.
The like/dislike feature is, on the surface a good thing, however it can also reduce comments as people just click like or dislike instead of posting a comment.
+1
IMHO the ‘like/dislike’ is great for pre-school and infants; by the time you’ve got up into the juniors at 7 you’ve grown out of it and are bored with it. In the Junior School you’re taught to qualify your approval / disapproval with something vaguely intelligent. You’ll notice that the TNUK version of ‘like’ is ‘+1’. Not that difficult.
Just one other thing - perhaps if some of the great, informative threads of past haulage companies didn’t disappear overnight, some of the ‘guests’ might be more inclined to sign up.
kmills:
Just one other thing - perhaps if some of the great, informative threads of past haulage companies didn’t disappear overnight, some of the ‘guests’ might be more inclined to sign up.
Just a thought…
Cheers, Keith
Couldn’t agree with you more Keith it really shouldn’t be allowed but whether putting a stop to the practice would have the effect of encouraging more guests to join TN I doubt very much ! Cheers Bewick.
kmills:
Just one other thing - perhaps if some of the great, informative threads of past haulage companies didn’t disappear overnight, some of the ‘guests’ might be more inclined to sign up.
Just a thought…
Cheers, Keith
Why do they disappear? Not sure about attracting guests to join but recently joined folks like me would appreciate them not going. Perhaps an archive area? I feel short changed! Paul.
kmills:
Just one other thing - perhaps if some of the great, informative threads of past haulage companies didn’t disappear overnight, some of the ‘guests’ might be more inclined to sign up.
Just a thought…
Cheers, Keith
Why do they disappear? Not sure about attracting guests to join but recently joined folks like me would appreciate them not going. Perhaps an archive area? I feel short changed! Paul.
Interesting question! Actually, threads are very rarely removed except where things have gone badly wrong. Occasionally, a thread is removed to storage at the request of the Original Poster. This can be to avoid compromising a forthcoming book, for instance. I considered asking for the ERF thread to be stored when I produced my first Lorries of Arabia book but, apart from not being the original poster, I reflected that to do so would be to bite that hand that fed me (given that so many on there helped me with my research) and also that it would selfishly rob posters of their thread.
I have always believed that once a poster has started a thread, it no longer ‘belongs’ to him or her but rather to the collective posters who contribute to it. For this reason, I don’t see the need to host that thread either, as it is not strictly yours to host.
That said, I am always happy to put a thread into storage if I think it will be returned to the public at the earliest opportunity.
I have been lurking for years in fact so long I had forgotten that I had registered. Not everyone will want to post and therefore may not bother to sign on. It does not make much difference to regulars?
I think you’re barking up the wrong tree here. I don’t believe that guests aren’t members, rather than that many are members who haven’t signed in. I have to plead guilty to this myself, in fact I only ever sign in when I wish to post; and that isn’t going to change.
acd1202:
I think you’re barking up the wrong tree here. I don’t believe that guests aren’t members, rather than that many are members who haven’t signed in. I have to plead guilty to this myself, in fact I only ever sign in when I wish to post; and that isn’t going to change.
Spot on! I, for one, have always appeared as a guest, only logging on to answer posts or upload new material. Currently, I log on once or twice a day to do my work as a moderator but ‘read only’ at other times of the day to see what’s going on. There must be a high proportion of members, as you suggest, who only log on when they’ve got something to say.
Personally I always log in, I saved the login information on my laptop and updated it with each replacement, on my phone I use the tapatalk app, same for that, it automatically logs me in. I assumed everyone did that, not so it would appear.
Facebook has the ‘like’ feature and I never bother using it, yet I get notifications telling me that ‘xxxxx liked your comment’ etc! Pointless to me but hey ho, each to their own. I am anonymous on many forums, however a couple of folk on here know me anyway but apart from them my surname is possibly not wideley known? One forum I am on, ‘Traction Talk’ which deals with steam machines, has posters who do use ‘screen names’ but they also have to put their actual name and rough location for folk to see as well which tends to put off any ‘keyboard warriors’ that might join to cause issues. I am a member of the forum relating to where I used to live and one lad on there (a moderator) has upset that many folk during his life and daren’t publish his real name, I know it though as he was a family friend.
But I have never been ennobled !! So as my Noble Lords in the House of Lords receive a daily retainer just for turning up so as long as I make at least one post per day on TN would I qualify for some sort of payment ? 
Cheers Dennis.
