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Jim Daniels passes the torch
#1
Posted 05-13-2011 09:43 AM
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At this point I would like to try to build on the site, get some more participation and make it a place we can all come and talk about the class we all love. No topic will be off limits. I am open to suggestions of how we can make it better. My general philosophy will be hands off. The only thing I wont tolerate is constant flaming and obscene language. Other than that, it is a open forum.
I would like some opinions on how we can make the site better and more popular. Post your ideas below and/or email me.
Ideas for Monthly or weekly web chats?
General suggestions and or ideas.
If anyone is interested in helping out with the site or has suggestions, please email me at Jim@Eaststreet.com
Thanks guys, looking forward to the future of the site.
Jim Drago
East Street Auto Parts
Jim@Eaststreet.com
800 700 9080
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#2
Posted 05-13-2011 11:44 AM
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#3
Posted 05-13-2011 12:03 PM
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#4
Posted 05-13-2011 02:52 PM
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JD or JD own the site domain and rights?
Why does it matter?
Specmiata.com can be turned back on and is up if you type in the right URL. What to do with non SM racers is the question.....
Given the poor SM racer turn out and technology apprehension, I say turn back on the SM site home page for SM topics and keep MR for all other.
BUT, Mr. Drago can decide that.
For the record, this site was never a SM substitute but a place where all Mazda Racers could be. Sign ups and traffic had grown stagnant, change was and is needed short us (web community) begin Formula Ford all over. There will only ever be one SM site, SpecMiata.com!!
Thanks for the years, see you in my blog once I have time to post......
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"Never Stop Challenging"
Jim Daniels
Auto Sports Consulting / Coaching
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#5
Posted 05-13-2011 05:06 PM
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Things are going to change, people will come and go. If you base the community decisions on what some think about the past rather than looking toward the future it may lumber off into obscurity. Just because you light the other site back up doesn't mean all will be right with the world again. It might even do more damage. Whomever is running the site right now has to decide what the focus is going to be. I think it was great to give a nod to all Mazda racers but to build a community inviting to all Mazda racers the operators have to do more than put the site online. They have to build and promote it with those other Mazda racers. The SM crowd was already a decade long community. It's not likely we'll get very many of the pro teams here on a regular basis. They're busy and frankly if I were in their shoes I'd want a format where I could control the message like Facebook or Twitter. I think this resource is best for Spec Miata club racers and builder as a way to connect both individuals, clubs and SM businesses.
#6
Posted 05-14-2011 06:31 AM
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#7
Posted 05-14-2011 06:52 AM
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-Chris
#8
Posted 05-15-2011 07:23 PM
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I like the idea of this site, but it just has way too many sub-forums. I've seen it on other sites where traffic decreases as the number of sub-forums increases. Most of the SM discussion is equally applicable to any Miata being road raced or time trialed or sometimes even autocrossed.
-Chris
JD and Jim, this might be a point, sometimes less is more with so many sub-forums the converstations get broken up into little rooms and unless you are able to scroll through all of them to pick up on what is interesting you just do not participate.
Less is more.
Frank
TnT Racing
SCCA Ohio Valley Region
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#9
Posted 05-16-2011 06:36 AM
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JD and Jim, this might be a point, sometimes less is more with so many sub-forums the converstations get broken up into little rooms and unless you are able to scroll through all of them to pick up on what is interesting you just do not participate.
Less is more.
Indeed. Less is more. I visit this site (at least) daily and to my growing dismay, I find the same topics that were up the day before with few reposts and still fewer new topics. The dillution of the SM community resulting from the broad array of (esentially vacant) forums and the attendant loss of community may not be the result of that broadening, but since there's no other factor to consider, it sure looks like the guilty party.
Coke brought back the origional after the new one stuttered. Maybe we need to resurrect the old site.
Rick
2009, 2010 & 2011 SCCA Great Lakes Div. Reg. SM Champ
2006, 2009, 2010 & 2011 Cincy SCCA Reg. Driver of the year
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Set up by: RAFT Motorsports
SM: The safest race car in the world. It can just
barely kill you.
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#10
Posted 05-16-2011 08:22 AM
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Indeed. Less is more. I visit this site (at least) daily and to my growing dismay, I find the same topics that were up the day before with few reposts and still fewer new topics. The dillution of the SM community resulting from the broad array of (esentially vacant) forums and the attendant loss of community may not be the result of that broadening, but since there's no other factor to consider, it sure looks like the guilty party.
Coke brought back the origional after the new one stuttered. Maybe we need to resurrect the old site.
Rick
Rick
Thanks for the note.. We are going to do something. Working on options.
Jim
East Street Auto Parts
Jim@Eaststreet.com
800 700 9080
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#11
Posted 05-16-2011 08:39 AM
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#12
Posted 05-16-2011 11:43 AM
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Rick
Thanks for the note.. We are going to do something. Working on options.
Jim
Jim:
I know you will and I'll keep coming back.
![:)](https://mazdaracers.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png)
Rick
P.S. Ignore that smart ass Mathias.
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#13
Posted 05-16-2011 01:45 PM
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#14
Posted 05-16-2011 02:49 PM
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Glenn Murphey, Crew Chief
Owner Crew Chief Services The Pinnacle of Excellence, Contract Crew Services for the racing community.
Soon to be back in the club racing scene for good
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#15
Posted 05-16-2011 03:59 PM
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I joined SM.com just a month before the transition so I can't weigh in on the old days. I do, however, continue to use those archives to search for "Best Practices" information and I visit MR for current items, opinions and rule guidance. The information I've learned from both sites has been hugely helpful as I prep my first SM/ITA car. Thank you for providing a respository of so much good information and for stepping in with great advice when the topic/discussion requires. I'll tune in however/wherever the information is presented.
Thanks for all of your help.
Kevin Bailey
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#16
Posted 05-17-2011 02:27 PM
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Well go f*@/< yourself, you sonofa|3!tcH.The only thing I wont tolerate is constant flaming and obscene language.
Now that's out of my system... Jim, congrats on securing yet another thankless role that will take more of your time and energy than any of us appreciate and will enhance the lives and racing careers of Spec Miata racers more than any of us realize.
The sites are in good hands and I appreciate all you do for us. Any time you need someone with stunted social skills and no technical knowledge of websites, I hope you will call me!
Steve DeVinney
Retired mediocre driver
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#17
Posted 05-17-2011 02:42 PM
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Oh $h!t, I left my cigarettes in the bar.
J~
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#18
Posted 05-17-2011 08:25 PM
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SM #3
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#19
Posted 05-17-2011 11:15 PM
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FYI, not sure if it will help but.As someone who used to post regularly on the old site and now rarely posts on this site I can say that the new format just isn't as user friendly and easy. The old site I could scan all of the forums and actually see the latest topic next to each forum. Easy to decide if I wanted to read it. I also used the new topics ( or whatever it was called) link to read all of the new posts everyday. It all seemed easier and more user friendly. Colors, format, layout all seemed more user friendly.
From the main page you can hit "View New Content" on the right in black letter, you get the latest.
Also if you scroll all the way down, if you hit "Todays active content" and you get the last 24hrs.
Happy hunting,
Hope to see you back,
J~
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#20
Posted 05-18-2011 04:11 AM
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FYI, not sure if it will help but.
From the main page you can hit "View New Content" on the right in black letter, you get the latest.
Also if you scroll all the way down, if you hit "Todays active content" and you get the last 24hrs.
Happy hunting,
Hope to see you back,
J~
The 'view new content' function on the new site remembers what YOU have read (and not read) across all browsers on all computers. It lists every thread in every forum that you haven't read, along with the author, date, and time of the most recent post. I think this is mist, if not all, of what you are asking for. You can go away for six months, and this link will list everything that you have missed during that time.
At the bottom of the home page there is a 'mark entire board read' link. You can use this to clear out 'new content' that you don't want to read, and don't want to see the next time you log in.
You can change the color scheme, too. At the very bottom of the page, there is a drop down called "theme". Change that to ip.board. everyone I've talked to likes that better.
-tch
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