Thoughts on people who just use the classifieds and dont contribute to, My views do not represent the admin council :) Options

[Aaron Cox]

What are your thoughts on people who just use the classifieds and dont contribute to the community?

these are just my thoughts.

I mean, its a free service, and these people are benefiting from it... why cant they at least give back to the community? you know, hang out here, peruse the board, contribute tech data where needed, or show up to events and things?

seems pretty selfish to me.

just my thoughts.

am i off base?

mainly the people who just endlessly "pimp their stuff". you know?

[LowGT]

I think as long as they're not charging $250 for a shift knob they are an asset to the community.

I went through this with another forum I'm on, but if their prices are fair, they are honest people, and have parts in good shape then they provide quite a service to us guys trying to rebuild/repair.

[Aaron Cox]

I think as long as they're not charging $250 for a shift knob they are an asset to the community.

I went through this with another forum I'm on, but if their prices are fair, they are honest people, and have parts in good shape then they provide quite a service to us guys trying to rebuild/repair.

what if their prices are kinda steep? ala just here to make money on people?

[Allan]

73 2.0 on 7" and 8" fuchs, 1900 lb's and 110 HP (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[914-8]

you're always gonna have those types.

no biggie. IMO they do contribute by posting stuff for sale, that's stuff that some of us may need and may not otherwise have seen available.

even if it's priced on the high side - it's an open market and if it's too high, it's easy to just pass.

(that's just casual sellers though, running a full blown business through the free board shouldn't be allowed unless some agreement is reached).

[VaccaRabite]

I'd rather have the stuff here posted for sale, then have to look around for it. I don't have a problem with it at all.

Zach

[neo914-6]

Aaron,

There are many types of members and a list of high posters. You and many of them are what attracts members. Instant information, don't bother to search just post a question. Nice for some but it gets old if you keep giving the same information over and over. I know alot of people who prefer not to visit this club often or at all for various reasons.

I see no problem with a low poster using the classifieds. People have parts needs and this is a means to fill them. I go to many forums when I look for information or buy and sell parts but I happen to primarily participate here.

[nomore9one4]

Whats all this talk about charging fees? Besides I just come here for the free donuts, but the coffee is lousy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[drewvw]

I can certainly empathize with what your saying....give back to the community a little and don't just take take take all the time.

But as others have said, mandatory participation in the forums could lead to a dimished marketplace....tough call.

[Aaron Cox]

i should clarify. low posters are great! if they are asking questions and stuff in the garage. thats awesome.

everyone starts somewhere.

i guess im leaning on ratio of garage to classified posts........
like 1:50 LOL

[balljoint]

(that's just casual sellers though, running a full blown business through the free board shouldn't be allowed unless some agreement is reached).

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Some people are just shy.....or afraid of letting people know what town in Southern California they are from.....for obvious reasons. So maybe they are reading threads and doing searches and working on their cars and selling stuff in the classifieds but not posting much otherwise. As far as running a business in the free classifieds goes, well then as a decent sort of fellow I would want to make sure that I contributed in some way shape or form, just to say thanks and make sure that I continued to be considered a "member". But that's just me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[rmital]

I've posted my share of WTB's....and got many PM's.

Some were from those that are just here to sell stuff. Most were reasonable priced. Only a couple weren't.

I've gotten a good education from this site so I could tell the difference.

I got to say that there are some very generous 914club members. Saved me lots of cash and got parts to me so I could keep progressing on my project.

[blitZ]

I have a feeling Aaron is refering to a few posters who have an actual parts biz where they use the vendor section exclusively.

[Joe Bob]

I don't like it...most the parts sellers tend to be buttheads and the prices are steeper than what the usual enthusiast sells for.

The regulars tend to know who's straight and who isn't.....the newbies will be the ones who get hosed.

We either should charge "vendors" for the right and/or put up a disclaimer and/or make the vendors have a label or badge that says they are a retail or parts seller by trade.....

I do remember getting fucked or an attempted fucking by some people when I first started doing internet parts buying and selling. Fortunately I have a pretty good bullshit detector.

Some vendors have straightened out....I hear Patrick Motorsports is less of an asshole now....butt I still won't buy spit from heem....AA STILL sucks.....

[nomore9one4]

I have a feeling Aaron is refering to a few posters who have an actual parts biz where they use the vendor section exclusively.

Well, I say "No Soup For them! I think any business that advertises on ANY site should have to pay. Whether the site is free or not. Unless it is a plastic surgeon and they are given to the community in there own silicon way (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[drewvw]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

These guys put a lot of time into the site and have run it for free for a long time now.

Maybe create a "vendors" group or something and work out a reasonable fee system.

[LowGT]

I've been a long time member over at www.probetalk.com when I had my last project. I have almost 9000 posts over there and still post even though I don't have the car. Let me tell you how it went down over there.

-First, sell whatever you want, free.
-Then, there were legit business owners who were vendors and paid a fee.
-Then since they paid fees, it was illegal to mention or refer members to non member vendors.
-Then some people started selling parts all the time and had few posts, they soon became considered vendors and weren't allowed to sell anything anymore without paying the fee.
-Then it was illegal to "advertise" items for sale in your signature, ebay links, off-site links, or even whisper about good or bad dealing with vendors or non-vendor members.
-Then people started low-balling vendors prices to members by offering parts through PM. Those people were banned for good, or temporarily.

Basically, the original idea was sound. But then it turned into protecting the vendors' rights since they pay their fee to promote/sell their stuff.

I understand what your saying, but I would just hate to see the non-club travel down that road. It's funny to see people talk about overmoderation here, but over on Probe forums with 26,000 members and 1000 members online at any given time, you can't even sneeze in the wrong forum without a 3 day ban. It's become rediculous. This forum is a breath of fresh air compared to over there.

Dan

[Jenny]

Maybe create a "vendors" group or something and work out a reasonable fee system.

But as soon as you've got paying vendors, you'll have venders bitching about vendor bashing. Just watch... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

This was exactly what happened to our very own asshole on rennlist. Not that he was a vendor, but he said something about a product that was sold by a paying vendor of rennlist, and promptly got a verbal lashing. A club's gotta protect it's bread & butter.

Jen

[736conver]

What are your thoughts on people who just use the classifieds and dont contribute to the community?

these are just my thoughts.

I mean, its a free service, and these people are benefiting from it... why cant they at least give back to the community? you know, hang out here, peruse the board, contribute tech data where needed, or show up to events and things?

seems pretty selfish to me.

just my thoughts.

am i off base?

mainly the people who just endlessly "pimp their stuff". you know?

I agree. It does seem selfish. It always kinda bug me. Especially when they list multiple items and everyone elses items get pushed down

[lapuwali]

How do you distinguish "classifieds users" from "lurkers"? I'm not sure there's a difference. In every Internet-based community I've seen over the past 15 years, the ratio of people who lurk to people who post is roughly 10:1, almost without exception. Most people just feel they don't have anything to say, or can't say it well. Some of this is simple shyness, some is intimidation. All too many feel they'll be flamed or even mildly criticized for what they post. A great many just don't feel engaged enough with the community to participate.

Of course, there are also those people who post a great deal w/o saying anything useful. Every community has those, too.