The way that you're describing it right now is as if the air underneath the hood is static. The air flowing in through the front grill also helps to keep the air intake box cool. The air flowing in through the cowl just aid in that process. So no, it doesn't defeat the cold air intake concept at all.

 

Here is one

 

Hey,

Where did you get the black out for the Door handles, Petrol cap and the Fender indicator from? I am guessing you have done the head light trims and the badges to? I want to do that also but don't know where to get them from. Thanks in advance

 

I would suggest everyone read this announcement. In particular this section;
Fanboys
The same policy will be applied if you continue singing the praises of your favorite vendor over and over and over and over like I've been seeing. Its time for the vendors to represent themselves...not their customers representing them. Again, put your review in the review system and move on.

Mark

 

Why? That announcement has nothing to do with this thread. I mean, everyone should read it but was it really necessary to post that?

 

Deleted in the interest of keeping this thread alive

 

To keep this on topic, I'll send you a PM.

 

Although I plan to be a Voltage customer at some point in the near future---before I get the RMW cam and retune--I think Mark was trying to point out that Voltage isn't a vendor on the site, and it's by his choice not to become one, yet he's getting as much marketing $$ out of the "guerilla" promotion here as a paying vendor.

It's obvious that Dale has a great product here that people want. It'll take less than one sale to cover his vendor fee--if he were serious about running a business--to me that's a very fair trade.

Back in the day, MTH was the same way. I was glad to sing the praises of a great product, and so were tons of others--yet MTH refused to become a vendor. That poses a dilemma for NAM.

What is wrong with Voltage not being a vendor and getting free advertising? I think it's necessary for a small business to get their feet off the ground and test market their idea to the community before deciding whether to make an advertising commitment..but once that's proven, it should be a no brainer, that to make this community work, vendors need to support it. If their product is really a good one--their customers will continue to talk and support it and paying a nominal fee is a given.

Try this on other forums, and you will get banned, and the thread deleted. I'd say NAM has been VERY generous in letting this continue as it has.

It's just time for Dale to step up to the plate and support the community and we can all promote the heck of him otherwise it's just going to be a matter of time before actions will be taken that none of us want.

Richard

 

Richard is spot on in his above assessment. Voltage was contacted and they refused to spend anything with Internet Brands to become a vendor on the site. Since we know there are members that live locally to Voltage and have their products we have seen posts that seem to be promotion on the behalf of the vendor. We call this shilling and it won't be tolerated on the site going forward.

I can fully understand that people stumble on products that are of interest to the community and that casual discussion won't be a problem here. I like to provide the benefit of the doubt but when I see a user bring a vendor and his products up over and over again it looks like something that is more than just a casual mention and we'll be asking the member to tone it down.

While you can't define a specific thing we are looking for I generally know it when I see...it has a lot to do with the member's previous posting history.

Mark

 

Mark,

While I agree with Richard I take offence from you saying I am shilling. If I was getting product for free I could understand your opinion. Since you have yet to contact me on the subject you took it upon yourself to make your opinion without finding out the facts first. You never asked me to tone anything down. You decided to call me shill instead.

This is exactly the same thing that happened when I started talking about RMW. I understand your pressure from paying vendors but it does stink that we (members) can not talk about any products from non paying vendors. I guess it is what it is.

I found voltage in a thread from another member here on NAM!!! I contacted them and purchased the intake from them. I also don't understand your comment about the location of Voltage to me?? What the hell does that have to do with anything?? Do you understand how big SoCal is?

This all comes down to the same thing. $ for NAM.

Bryan

 

You're right I didn't contact you first. I was going to but here we are. You know the guy at Voltage and you likely know he refused to join as a vendor. Its not money out of my pocket as I no longer receive any advertising revenue from the site. Given that you have posted several times about Voltage it seems like shilling to me and needs to stop. Frankly I'm tired of all the shilling, hating, and fanboys on the site and it needs to end.

I'm sorry that you disagree with my assessment but it is an impression that you have created not only with me but many other members of the site that have contacted me over the last few months. Its time for it to end so let's end it.

I know you are a knowledgeable modder and have much you can offer the community as a whole. I'm merely asking that you tone it down.

Thanks

Mark

 

 

Unfortunately, it also goes against those that are playing the game fairly--the vendors that are paying the monthly fees. If a non paying vendor continues to market themselves on the same forum that his competitors are--then how does that affect the community??

Unfortunately, it's the $$ that keeps the site running, and the paying vendors are the ones footing the bill, even for those vendors who are along for a free ride.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Last I checked Voltage never marketed themselves.

 

No matter what was going down right and wrong, seems less than professional to call someone out in public when you are the supreme commander. A PM would have probably handled it.

Sorry Mark, just how I see it. Like you said in your global rules directive, going back at someone instead of using the report post function gets a person in trouble too. The less hostility that gets posted in public and handled privately will probably make this closer to the place you want it to be.

P.S. I will now await my lashings

 

Man oh man....do I really have to explain this again???

 

No lashings and I can accept the criticism because it was constructive. That said, we have had a long running problem of fans, haters, etc. on the site and because of this I feel it is important to bring this up directly in the forums. My intent is to give everyone that may have been doing this, knowingly or unknowingly, a chance to examine their posting style and tone it down. That way everyone has full disclosure on the level of expectations and a chance to correct the impressions they may have created.

Mark

 

I don't think that's necessary Richard. It's NAM's site and NAM's policies, be them right or wrong (they are available for all to read). The loser in this process is the consumer who comes here to find new products. Think of all the (possibly) great products out there for Minis from those who are not vendors here. Every now and then one pops up (like this intake), and gets shot down for not paying for the right to advertise.
If anyone has any questions about this intake, feel free to email me (shooler1@hotmail.com).
BTW, I am not part of Voltage, so receive nothing for my honest assessment.

 

Perhaps I'm not making myself clear....

There is a difference between casually posting about a vendor/product and posting about how great something is over and over and over again. There is a pattern that develops and that is what I'm trying to address.
It appears as an attempt to work around the vendor policies of the site.

I think its totally appropriate for product and vendor discussion to be on the site because it is all about sharing. What I'm asking for is that if someone seems to know inside information about a company's offerings, they sometimes provide a type of support on the site, or act as a subject matter expert that is the pattern we are trying to prevent.

The majority of members on the site don't do the above therefore when a member's name keep popping up all over the place, and its usually on the same subject, it raises our alerts. If a member isn't doing this on purpose and gets warned about it then he/she should go examine all of the posts they have made and try to understand why we might have developed the impression we have.

In some ways its like ****. You can't really define it until you see it. Because of my day-to-day involvement with the site I've been seeing this type of pattern in some key areas of the site and am trying to resolve it before it drives away members and vendors that have played by the rules we set in place many years ago.

Mark

 

I do know some of the history, as I have read the forum since 04. Having stood back and observed, I've seen the three sides, admins, haters, and fanboys. Part of it is just going to be the process of selling performance parts, and certain expectations on all sides.
But, being the analytical type, I would enjoy getting together with a few peers and suggest solutions to everyones benefit. If NAM as a whole could put something together, it would benefit the entire forum.

 

it sounds like one vendor in particular has complained loudest about this particular thread mainly due to who started it. If I'm off-base here, please, correct me, but it's what seems clear from having watched this thread from afar but not posted in it.

 

BTW - I think this is a terrific looking intake and I wish that Voltage would reconsider joining. I think this would be another great option to really dress up the engine compartment.

 

That isn't the case. This was brought up because of contact with Voltage (they wanted ad info) and decided then they didn't want to join. We then started seeing posting pop up about it soon thereafter from a member that happens to be in that part of the country, with one on his car, and we had contacted previously about acting as a representative of another company.

That is the impression that has been created and instead of taking immediate action on this I'm asking everyone to examine their posting styles. This will insure that if an impression like this is incorrect that they will have the opportunity to correct it before I'm asked by Internet Brands to take more direct action.

Mark

PS - I now need to take some time for the family so I will follow up as necessary later tonight.

 

Hey I've been in these shoes from almost day one on NAM. In that, when I find a product I like, I'm all about telling people that it's a cool product. NAM doesn't mind that. They don't delete threads or posts about sharing information. I'm really glad Bryan brought the attention of Voltage to the site cause honestly, I want one for my MINI because of it. If I hadn't seen the pix or the constant discussion of it, I may or may not have thought twice about it.

If you read any of my past 35+ writeups here on NAM, I'm always linking to various sources for the parts in those writeups, like Harbor Freight--they aren't a vendor, but they sell some cheap tools that work ok, and is commonly available for most people--the stores are everywhere.

But you don't see people posting everyday about HF, or their latest tools, or changes to their website, etc.... Yesterday I made a post about Edgeracing having a sale on their Enkei RS7 wheels--which I just bought a set for $99 each. I'm going to repaint them to make them mine. =)

Fortunately they are a NAM vendor, but even if they weren't, I'd still tell people where I found a great deal.

Mark has made it clear to me, that it's permitted and encouraged to freely share information about products and cool stuff, and this Voltage intake has been an ongoing discussion for the past month--it hasn't been shot down. There is no need for people to email you to discuss the product as far as I'm concerned..it should be done in public for the greater good of the community.

Richard

 

Just to play a devil's advocate here, but does this apply only to Mini products? What if I post about a local pizza joint that I like and makes a great pizza. And what if a few other folks check it out and post about their experience and the great pizza. Will NAM then contact the establishment and ask for advertising $$$? And should they refuse will we no longer be able to discuss pizza made at this place?