I don't like the way this forum is controled

[alquazi]

I hope the title got your attention.

The reason I'm starting this thread is to express my disapproval on the way this forum is controlled. I have had some posts deleted, and every time some one goes off topic you get multiple "off topic" warnings.
I understand that the reason is to have some control over threads, but it feels like your in a military camp.
I have been in a lot of forums, and I know some have no to little control and that's not what I'm asking for. There should be monitoring and control, I just think it is too much in our forums.
I have never seen so many moderators posting for offtopic in any other forums.
I would like to here your thoughts. And PLEASE moderators nothing in this thread is off topic.

I hope this thread doesn't get deleted :rofl2:

[mahmoud_bedewi]

qassim u read my mind
i had a similar issue today and i expressed my thoughts to one of the moderators, i am sure the moderators,in other words friends we are talking about Ali, Ayman .....etc, will be co operative and friendly and minimize usage of their power
this is a forum for fun and information, so donot drop the fun part :please:

[alquazi]

this is a forum for fun and information, so donot drop the fun part :please:

That is the best way to put it.

[Haissam]

good to hear your feedback guys

but i think the thread title is a bit too harsh relative to the subject it addresses.. yes in some situations we go a bit overboard with the smiley but that's nothing personal...... sometimes going offtopic spoils a thread but in some cases it can be acceptable :) so it's on case to case basis IMO

i agree it's an online forum and should be somehow flexible, but we do have our rules & regs which are required to be an official BMW Club that reflects its professionalism on it's online forum :)

your message is received and will be addressed :)

[Ayham]

If everytime I read/heard an OT argument I was paid AED10, well I'll still go to work in the morning.... :)

Brothers, I'll let you into something that I, as a Club President, encounter when meeting with officials and sponsors; They spend sometime on these forums before deciding on an endorsement for us, that's me and YOU. More than often I received the notion that it's a somewhat not serious place and one cannot dig out or keep track of the info they want due to the "previously" ridiculous amount of OT posts in almost all the threads.

Now, the question was whether we would allow this to go on or not. Definitely NOT, and for the betterment of every single member in here. How do you think you guys pay a mere AED400 for an HPDS round? And how do you reckon we were offered the best spots in all the events we've been "invited" to be in? How do you think we made it on TV and will still do? Also being live on air?

Yes, it's because of this "seemingly" strict policy. However, it's not all blue, we do allow a certain amount of OT'ing in all threads AND we've opened a dedicated thread and made it a sticky called the OFFTOPIC Thread.

I hope this message is clear...

[mahmoud_bedewi]

i respect every word here, but i would like u to take a tour in the threads, some so called "off topic posts" get untouched, i can give examples if needed, even moderators go off topic sometimes and no one comments
i am not taking it personal but i think it is better to speak out than just staying silent since frankly today i wasn't happy coz my post was chosen from among a string of similar posts and it was deleted, so why did u leave the others?
btw guys i sometimes delete my own posts seconds after posting them if i think they are inappropriate or will harm the thread but some humor or friendly comments won't harm

[elchemor]

off topic have a very vast understanding and explanation, but a comment on a comment on topic would not be off topic i would say.

Comments that seems off topic to some, may be very much on topic to some others.

if i want to comment on something that is on a specific thread, it will be complete nonsense to take it to the general chatting thread !

nevertheless, I agree, that one should not keep going further, but somehow control their comments.

it is very difficult to control these things, specially in forums like this one, when almost everyone do know everyone else, and have some type of friendship with everyone else.

right or right ? :D

[Ayham]

Precisely the point, we don't want to open any flood gates. Then it's why this and why that. And the remaining OT posts you've seen are a testament that we do have some flexibility in here. I've been on forums for way too long to know this fact; allow it once and you lose the thread, eventually leading into a full loss of forum reputation. Want some local examples of such forums?

When a "pictures thread" posts spiral into "who opened his door first while drifting", then you know there's something going out of control. I'm sorry, but sometimes the best cure is burning...

Deleting such posts is never personal folks, just always ensuring the Club maintains its hard-earned reputation. And as said, it's on a case to case basis, we hope you trust our judgement.

[elchemor]

you should maybe create an off-topic thread, and move all the *considered* off-topic to it ??!! lololol

[Ayham]

Theoretically; impossible :)

I think the title of this thread and the individual views make us look like dictators and that people don't have fun in here, while it's the complete opposite as per everybody's feedback for the past 2 years....

*sigh*

[springz]

Word TO Mr. President :bow:
If They Dont Do That We Wont Grow ...
There Are MAny Eyes On THis FOrums Now ... Sponsors.. Dealers Etc.
Keeping THis Forum Clean Will Grow The Chances Of Getting Recognized And TAking THis Forum To the Next Level ...

We All Go Offtopic Sometimes ... Even The Moderators .. Its Normal

I say Keep it like That ...

[Nabil]

I never thought a joke in a "friend's" thread would spiral to this!

Im shocked.

But other than that, yes moderators do get off topic and yes thier posts get deleted or moved, yes everyone comments "off topic" when a moderator goes off topic.

The club wouldnt have reached where it is now if it wasnt managed the way it is.

If no one does anything wrong, no would get his posts moved or deleted.

[Ahmed.Sallam]

guys ,
I think always trying to be in the middle is the best maybe too much control is not okay and will cause things to go personal but making it a circus is also not that good for the clubs image.
Personally I didnt got any post deleted till now only once the title was edited and it was okay for me.I even argued a lot about a sponsor which is like a red line for some to talk about and still there was freedom to talk about it ..so yes there is a space of freedom but the question is how to increase it without making it a circus this has to be discussed nicely though between us under suggestions or whats off topicing and whats not.

Ayham on another note Boss i personally admire ur effort and desire but if sponsors dont take us seriouslly personally i dont care for that i belive in this clubs indivisuals can do it better than anyone out
coz they have one thing others dont and wont have which is passion and true love for what they are doing so lets just cool down the tension about sponsors do this or sponsors do that otherwise it would turn out from being BMW FAN or Lovers club..it would be like the sponsor club itself so lets just avoid falling into this trap and make the circle of responsibilties little bit bigger between us an believe me it would work just fine.
One suggestion we can enable chat on this forum as real live chat i think it can reduce hell of off topicing just an idea

[hiten86]

Well, its honestly quite surprising to have seen a (if I may say) 'rebbellion' on here.

I'm not going to to comment on what's right what's wrong now, but all I've got to say is on a more deeper level, everyones got his/her opinion, and in that very opinion he/she finds themselves on the 'right' sidem

I might say that peeing at the roadside is an expression of freedom, but my very bestfriend could think of it otherwise, ethically and morally wrong.

Whatever said and done, everyone is entitled to their opinions and P.O.V.

And the good thing is that you're right! Its just that the other person feels otherwise. Abd that's the only reason clashes happen.

End of discussion.

[SSense]

First of all I thank Alquazi to open this thread and post his view about this Club, respect to all the opinions/suggestions by all members...

We as moderators never said you shouldnt go offtopic, you can, even admins/moderators do, thats one reason why we all are good friends.. When the topic goes a little OFF the topic its fine, but when it goes WAY OFF the topic then that's where we have to put the boundaries.. Some useful threads cant be allowed to be flooded with such offtopics and irrelevant posts because new members would find it hard to find the origin of the thread and will have to go through off posts while digging for the important posts..

To make things easier for all, to make things look good and to keep the Club reputation, we do what we think is the best.. In the end no one should take it personally, we might all be Club members in here, but out of this forum we're more than mere members and friends, we all know that..

P.S: Mahmoud, Im sorry for your posts being deleted today, im sure you'll understand and wont take it personally :)

Alquazi, let us know if you still dont agree ;)

:grouphug: