New Feature - Forums for WBCCI Units

[Janet H]

You asked and we listened: We are pleased to offer private discussion areas for individual units of the WBCCI.

This new feature is available (free of course) to established units as well as those just organizing. It can be used for club discussions, rally development, to post announcements and even for voting through the use of polls. These special access areas can only be viewed by members of that private area/forum.

If your unit is interested in setting up a club forum, please contact one of the AirstreamForums.com moderators. We are happy to help. Each units forum will have a leader chosen by your unit who will act as your special areas’ moderator. Your moderator will grant access to joining members, keep conversation within the bounds of the AirstreamForums.com rules and keep your clubs area running smoothly.

Find out if your unit has set up a special access forum already by clicking on "WBCCI Unit Forums" on the quick links menu (left side of each page). We hope that this new feature helps your unit communicate and grow.

[2airishuman]

it is interesting no one has commented yet on this 'new feature'...

no one asked me of course but i don't see any reason to have it.

and i don't like it.

basically i undertand this to be 'private forums' ?

we will only be able to read or post there IF we have permission of the door keeper?

are there any other sections here like that....

except the moderator areas?

the wbcci has their own web site. it would seem they could set up unit/region chat areas there. and control or limit access.

only wbcci members could rightfully access those areas and the feature could be expected as part of paid membership.

but why here?

how about private forums for argosy owners only or mohos...

or people with less than 50 posts or more than 1000?

or girls or boys?

or vintage only...like that isn't just around the corner now....

i've got a pretty good idea why this is coming about but i'd like to learn more about it before commenting further.

right now i think it stinks.

and it sure seems to violate the forum tenet of...

"encouraging candid, open exchanges of views and the rapid distribution of information originating from many sources"

so someone enlighten me...

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

so i just checked the 'private area'...

not only do real units have private posting areas but 'proposed units' do too?

i fully support the 4cu but it currently isn't a real wbcci unit...

so can mals have a private forum? we are paid wbcci members too?

this really isn't a good thing for airstreamforums.com

regards
2air'

[uwe]

Weird, indeed.

[Janet H]

We opened these forums after many requests. They are intended for organizational business and to help units with members spread out be more facile. We thought about it, discussed it and now they are available. We have tried to be responsive to our members requests.

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

so i just checked the 'private area'...

not only do real units have private posting areas but 'proposed units' do too?

i fully support the 4cu but it currently isn't a real wbcci unit...

so can mals have a private forum? we are paid wbcci members too?

this really isn't a good thing for airstreamforums.com

regards
2air'

Hi 2Air,

I see great value in these private forums. For the NEU, we will be able to hold "virtual" board meetings! No more traveling 2 1/2 hours both ways just to decide if we should approve a $100 expense for postage for a MAL mailing.

I see us reaching out to NEU members who could not attend meetings, being able to provide them with useful information about our events AND getting members to sign up as rally hosts, clean up crews, etc.

This is all goodness. We will not stop our regular traffic on the forums, these private forums will just allow the NEU to enhance our communications with our membership.

[68 Overlander]

Not a bad idea, in fact a great idea but why here? Doesn't Airstream provide a portal for that? My concern is that it becomes groupie and somebody will inevitably quasi quote something from a meeting. I'm just thinking of the integrity of it.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by myboyburt

I see great value in these private forums...these private forums will just allow the NEU to enhance our communications with our membership.

hi myboyburt....

i agree that is exactly what it can do....

and you should do it on the wbcci member website....

we pay dues to wbcci...

IF we want or need wbcci support, should it not come from the wbcci?

i've got no issue with the wbcci supporting club membership by whatever means and to whatever degree club members request.

private unit threads are EXACTLY what the the wbcci should offer membership...

but this isn't the wbcci website.

wbcci membership should not receive any special 'features' on this forum...

commerical vendors are not allowed to promote their businesses...

the wbcci (a commerical enterprise) should not be allowed to recruit members, collect dues, plan events or conduct business here...it isn't the wb website...

i don't think the membership here, the server space here, the human resources here should be used for the focused needs of wbcci units.

and the FCU doesn't even exist yet!

so myboyburt i've got no issue with the potential value of unit forums on the wbcci forum website...

but i see a huge downside having this on the airstreamforums website and a big negative in trends like this...

which will affect the open and candid exchange of ideas and info...

so why here?

i don't know who the 'we' is in janet's post,
but i would take 10-1 odds that IF a legitimate poll/vote was taken of airforums membership on this new feature it would lose big time.

cheers
2air'

you are correct randy

the wbcci at www.wbcci.org has it's own forums. they have links for many unit websites.
it turns out that andyR who owns these forums hosts several of the unit websites and i think that is great.
perhaps that is even why the request was made....
but just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done...

and private forums here is a really really bad idea.

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hi myboyburt....

i agree that is exactly what it can do....

and you should do it on the wbcci member website....

we pay dues to wbcci...

IF we want or need wbcci support, should it not come from the wbcci?

i've got no issue with the wbcci supporting club membership by whatever means and to whatever degree club members request.

private unit threads are EXACTLY what the the wbcci should offer membership...

but this isn't the wbcci website.

wbcci membership should not receive any special 'features' on this forum...

commerical vendors are not allowed to promote their businesses...

the wbcci (a commerical enterprise) should not be allowed to recruit members, collect dues, plan events or conduct business here...it isn't the wb website...

i don't think the membership here, the server space here, the human resources here should be used for the focused needs of wbcci units.

and the FCU doesn't even exist yet!

so myboyburt i've got no issue with the potential value of unit forums on the wbcci forum website...

but i see a huge downside having this on the airstreamforums website and a big negative in trends like this...

which will affect the open and candid exchange of ideas and info...

so why here?

i don't know who the 'we' is in janet's post,
but i would take 10-1 odds that IF a legitimate poll/vote was taken of airforums membership on this new feature it would lose big time.

cheers
2air'

You are right 2Air, it should be the WBCCI site. But it has nearly zero traffic (when was the last time you visited it? It was weeks ago for me and I didn't see anything new posted when I was there).

NEU members for the most part are wicked active here, on these forums. It's a great place for us to reach out to our membership.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by myboyburt

You are right 2Air, it should be the WBCCI site. But it has nearly zero traffic (when was the last time you visited it? It was weeks ago for me and I didn't see anything new posted when I was there).

NEU members for the most part are wicked active here, on these forums. It's a great place for us to reach out to our membership.

well myboyburt i was over there just 15 minutes ago....

over 500 forum members now...including fcu founding fathers ken and ken...

i agree the activity over that has been slow...

but looking at the threads posted recently...

65gt, bryan, fred and others are going at it now just like they should be...

on topics related to the wbcci...

you and i both pay dues to the wbcci...

IF i was a unit officer i'd have long ago requested they open a forum for my unit...

then i'd have sent private emails to each and every member,

expecting them to join the unit thread so we could conduct wbcci unit business....

but not here...it is a very bad idea for these forums to segregate like that.

one of the very best things that came from the name change nonsense...

was the formation of the save wally website....

the folks that took that action have my absolute repect for what they did and how they handled it...

once they hoped off these forums to do it.

we were still free to discuss it here, but they rightly took the business of the effort...

elsewhere....

and they have prospered in ways they could not have imagined by that effort...

your wbcci unit COULD too...

if they asked for and conducted business on the wbcci website...

it would be great for the club and improve readership there vastly...

it is a dangerous trend here.

cheers
2air'

[LuminumTraila]

It would have been nice if this would have happened at the WBCCI site, but it didn't. It happened here. Thanks, Andy, Janet, and others who brought it about.

I've been on the forum much longer than I've been a WBCCI member. The forums have always been much better at internet and communications than the WBCCI has been. The WBCCI is working on it, but still has a long way to go. Since I'm one of those people who often misses out on our unit's business meeting(s), I'm glad to have a way to communicate with other NEU members about business that probably isn't even of interest to other forum members or WBCCI members outside the unit.



-Jamie

[enduroryda]

I love the idea..I was not able to make the fall business meeting of the NEU and would have loved to see the minutes of what went down, especially after all the heated discussions here on the forums. It would help to know what stirred the pot...

I'm with myboyburt on the traffic here. There are many NEU members that frequent this sight and it just seems natural to be able to use this great avenue provided to us to pass along info.

[smily]

2air,

I agree that the WBCCI can do the same thing and is warranted.

But the last I checked, this forum is FREE.

What is the big deal with a WBCCI unit area? If you choose to use, then do. If not why tread on others?
Why have a problem with a free service that costs you nothing??????
It is almost as if you have an ownership in this forum, is that the case?
If you do own a share of this forum then I stand aside for your position.

I for one feel that the WBCCI can use ALL of the help they can get and if this forum is willing to help, then so be it.

Relax.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by smily

2air,

I agree that the WBCCI can do the same thing and is warranted.

But the last I checked, this forum is FREE.

What is the big deal with a WBCCI unit area? If you choose to use, then do. If not why tread on others?
Why have a problem with a free service that costs you nothing??????
It is almost as if you have an ownership in this forum, is that the case?
If you do own a share of this forum then I stand aside for your position.

I for one feel that the WBCCI can use ALL of the help they can get and if this forum is willing to help, then so be it.

Relax.

How does taking official business away from the official WBCCI site help the WBCCI?

[LuminumTraila]

Originally Posted by uwe

How does taking official business away from the official WBCCI site help the WBCCI?

It's not taking anything away from the WBCCI website. ASforums has created something that doesn't exist on the WBCCI website. If the WBCCI wants to create this on their website, they are free to do it.

[smily]

Originally Posted by Janet

You asked and we listened: We are pleased to offer private discussion areas for individual units of the WBCCI.

This new feature is available (free of course) to established units as well as those just organizing. It can be used for club discussions, rally development, to post announcements and even for voting through the use of polls. These special access areas can only be viewed by members of that private area/forum.

If your unit is interested in setting up a club forum, please contact one of the AirstreamForums.com moderators. We are happy to help. Each units forum will have a leader chosen by your unit who will act as your special areas’ moderator. Your moderator will grant access to joining members, keep conversation within the bounds of the AirstreamForums.com rules and keep your clubs area running smoothly.

Find out if your unit has set up a special access forum already by clicking on "WBCCI Unit Forums" on the quick links menu (left side of each page). We hope that this new feature helps your unit communicate and grow.

I do see where discussion and conversation is mentioned along with some other minor benefits but "official"?????
Looks about as official as anything else on this forum (disclaimers everywhere ) and I have been hanging out here for a few years now.

[jcanavera]

Personally I find this a very kind gesture to the WBCCI community and quite honestly those folks from WBCCI who haven't ventured here before will hopefully stay around and participate in the public side of the forums. I think they will be quite surprised to see the amount of information here.

I've already contacted our unit president regarding this and am awaiting his response.

Jack

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by dougjamie

It's not taking anything away from the WBCCI website. ASforums has created something that doesn't exist on the WBCCI website. If the WBCCI wants to create this on their website, they are free to do it.

Also keep in mind that we were here before Airstream's forum also!

Jack

[Goin camping]

Thanks AndyR for doing this. Not only will this aide the FCU which I'm all for but it allows other non computer savy Units to gain easy free online communication. A step into the future for the Units willing to take it.

[Janet H]

Moderator hat off: I am the web mistress for the OR unit. I approached the WBCCI about hosting a site for the OR unit. They were unable to oblige. I asked for a link to the OR unit they were unable to oblige. This forum was happy to help.

I think this may be an example of an organization changing from the bottom, up, rather than the top, down. I agree that the WBCCI should provide these services. But since they don't and there is need, members find other ways.

These forums are set up only after a request has been made and each unit must make their choices. Each unit conducts business a little differently and finds ways to communicate with it's members and not every unit makes the same choices. Here is another choice.

Moderator hat on: We have open WBCCI forums in our community section and have for years - it has been a good thing. There have been all kinds of discussion. Recently The WBCCI set up a members forum and that's a good thing. I have often wondered if they would have set that forum up if this forum wasn't here. I bet not.

There is some club info that should not be published on an open forum e.g. minutes, some discussions etc. As an example a club could post a poll "proposed caravan/expenses - do we want to spend our resources on this"? This is not appropriate on the forums open boards but is a dialog that unit members might want to participate in.

Maybe the WBCCI will follow suit on their website - maybe not. But anything that promotes Airstreams, WBCCI and increases visibility is good.