As clarification, not meaning NAM is a woeful forum but instead (IMO), surprisingly woeful forum participation for such an enthusiast vehicle as is MINI (and of course Mini classics).

After I bought my (sig) MCS a few months ago, I checked out all MINI related forums found on the web here and abroad. This one is clearly the most active of all, yet pales significantly by comparison to other such forums I frequent, including specific to certain truck, jeep and motos of which I'm enthusiastic. New threads and subsequent related reply posts often go unanswered for days (if ever).

Why is that? Many of those who actively participate here seem passionate about their cars. Why is it that seemingly the vast majority of MINI owners are ambivalent to the brand? Has the MINI brand now become simply a fun alternative to more mainstream transportation? If so, seems a sad era has dawned.

Open to comments and postulations that might follow (or not)...

 

Did you compare number of cars sold to the other cars with more activity?

 

Worthwhile counterpoint comment - thanks!

Other forums I participate in are perhaps higher sales volume vehicles (F-150, Jeep Wrangler, BMW moto) but my point still goes to ownership enthusiasm which tends to exceed actual annual sales numbers. For example, perhaps compare daily post counts on BMW auto and Porsche forums (neither which I'm a member) to what I see on this and other MINI Cooper enthusiast forums. There seems to be a dynamic missing with this brand as pertains to learning about functional and/or performance modifications or simply maximizing enjoyment of the ownership experience.

Again as clarification, this topic is about relatively small percentage of MINI owners that participate in forums such as this - not meant whatsoever as criticism of NAM...

 

There are enthusiasts and there are appliance operators. The 'company' has re-directed it's focus to attract the latter and enthusiasts are becoming a rarefied entity. One indicator of this is the diminished number of wave-backs from the Gen 2 and especially the Gen 3 operators. I firmly believe that if you asked one of them about MINI forums you'd get a thousand yard stare in return.

 

Most of the questions that get asked have been answered before (threads on intakes popup every week....). I am tired of giving the the exact same reply a thousand times. Then, when you tell them to use the search button, they get mad. So I don't bother replying anymore.

 

Yea a lot of the same questions asked literally everyday, this forum is great it also has a great archive of info, people are too lazy to search however.

 

Perhaps they (new members) just want to engage a current member rather than just read through old posts that drone on and on, often times with no result. Yes there is a huge archive of information here and the vast majority of questions can be answered by looking at the FAQ / Issues summary or by using the search feature but isn't this supposed to be a social place?

Perhaps the newer members shouldn't be punished just because they are late to the game? It's hard to maintain membership when people don't feel welcome.

I too participate in a number of forums where I chat with like minded folks about sleds, bikes, RC toys, Audis, Acuras, you name it and every forum has its own unique flavor which mirrors the membership. Try a Honda motorcycle forum out some time. Not much to discuss regarding mechanical issues so there are many debates regarding oil types and tires with the odd regulator rectifier failure to moan about, LOL. Lots of ride reports though so it's just the nature of the beast.

These little cars (Minis) are not without fault which is why we need each other to navigate the troubled waters of ownership. Flaws create character which is why they will endure and so will the forums that support them.

Just my 2 cents.

 

plenty of opportunities to engage with current members, asking how to get more power from your MINI, no matter which model has been answered enough where people get tired is all.

 

It's because Mini owners are all out driving.

 

I feel this quite a bit. I sold my previous Mini five years ago, and back then the forum was always hoping. Not just with random questions that have been answered multiple times, but interesting posts. This isn't the only Mini forum that is like this. I was so excited to get back into Mini ownership and the connects made online. This seems like a dud this time around.

 

Coming from Hi-Performance boats, Jeeps and classic GM stuff I know what you are talking about. Very few MINI owners fix and modify their cars. My local FB MINI group is frustrating. They all get excited over someone's new window sticker but no comments on the new lowering springs you've installed. And if someone has a issue it's take it to the dealer... These is a wealth of info on this board if you search.

 

I've been on many different car forums and the one thing I notice missing here as well as the 'other' Mini forum is social conversations. Everything seems to be technical 'how can I' stuff and nothing about other topics that might involve a little controversy or different opinions.

 

In years past I've shared some of the many road trip web links I've collected. You just don't see any 'We're heading out to ###ville next week, anybody know some great roads to take on the way?' posts any more. I did have a route idea exchange with a guy from C.O.R.N. recently about their annual Black Hills trip if that counts.

 

I'm new and have a similar sense as the OP.

I also own a Saab which besides being a defunct brand, isn't that high in sales either.

I see far more participation in that forum.

As to searching. I've spent a few hours trying to get an answer to a technical question, but have yet to find it.

I posted a new thread asking, but do not expect a response. :(

 

small community and it's spread out, forum politics I guess

the search function kinda sucks, old threads with broken images and it's clunky at best I prefer to use google search and limit it to the site I want

 

This forum has a wealth of knowledge. I've only been here a few weeks. I've done things that I wouldn't have been able to do without the information contained here.

The answer to every question, probably not but the answers to most questions and lots of people willing to help you find or figure out an answer. Maybe when you have more than 7 posts people will be more willing to invest time into your questions.

I love this place.

 

Sometimes what irritates me about new questions (on any forum, not just this one) is the lack of research done beforehand and the lack of detail in the question. Something like "can I fit XXX inch wheel on my MCS?" should be easily searchable on google yet is asked here a lot. I can google that in 10 seconds and find the answer. The key is knowing what to search for, you may not get many results searching for that specific string but something like "minimum wheel size mini cooper s" or something might work better. Being a programmer and having a background in tech support has given me lots of experience in googling

As for the second point, I like to see what you've tried to do to diagnose the issue, or any details surrounding how you got that CEL in the first place, any sort of information that would help the community figure out what's wrong with your car. It's painful having to ask question after question of clarifying detail if the OP does not include much to start with.

Perhaps it's time to make some sort of central wiki that can be updated with this type of information, so that people can search the wiki before posting a new thread. Much of this information is already out there, the tough part is finding it.

 

What makes you think that people will search the central wiki? Not everyone is at the same level of education or intelligence and therefore you are going to get people who can't or won't search for a variety of reasons. Best bet is to gently point them in the right direction with a starting point of information. Otherwise you just get frustrated and wind up as a shriveled up hermit eating pop tarts in your living room.

 

The typical mini buyer has changed....
And as such, the forums, and even Facebook has changed....
While many of the gen1 buyers were modders, and many if the earlier gen2 guys were, the marketing and even the cars that MINI produce have shifted...and the forums reflect this imo.
MINI has changed the course of the brand....they are after a more well heeled customer looking for a more refined car that can spend more money, and MINI has become a "lifestyle" brand....
And as such image is more important, or the image you project is....hense the advertisements they run....
Not saying what the cars do, how how good they are, but trying to say you drive them for different reasons ...
What I am saying is while there is still a group of modders, the brand has been shifted away from this group...we can argue all day, but they did it...many folks don't like the change....
But things change....
So what's left....
Well, a few former owners who like to help, a few long-term folks, and lots of newbies asking first car questions without searching....gets old, and repetitive. They search...maybe look at 2 or 3 threads, and don't find their answer, and yell for a solution....then disappear....till the next solution...
Do they ever hop in to help others...often no... sometimes they do...
But on forums I have heard the 98% of folks are freeloaders. 1% occasionally help, and 1% are superuser's...seems about rights
Thanks to all the posters that have helped....I learned by reading and doing....then tried to help others.
Unfortunately you cannot guilt a person who doesn't care into helping cause they will never read this....
Oh well...
But reality is many items are harder to do and less friendly than in older cars....so fewer wrench on them....

 

Good point Minnie. I enjoy spreading the MINI love but sometimes it gets to be too much for me time for me to stop eating those damn pop tarts and get out of my living room!

 

...and my favorite of all time honest to gawd really happened question:
"What time is the midnight buffet?"
You don't have to stumble thru forums for riches like that.

 

Hopefully no one goes by post counts as some sort of barometer for meriting help.

That would be some elitist BS.

I can't recall ever checking anybody's post count ever. Either I have an answer/suggestion and I share/post it or I don't. I continue to help on Saab forums and even occasionally on vehicles I don't own anymore.

I would think newbies need more help than seasoned owners for most things anyway.

 

Too much is made of the search function by some members. It's a safe bet that pretty much every topic and mechanical failure has been discussed at one time or another. If every one was proficient at using the search function there would be no more conversations but the forum would turn into nothing more than an encyclopedia.

 

Many a time I have used the search engine, found an answer to a question then listed the link in a response. The 'Advanced Search' function provides a lot more versatility than just typing in 'crank damper' in the drop down and hoping for the best. It's more like a google search...which is really the way to go. The really best way is to dump the problem on a reliable indie shop and find a great brew pub nearby and just wait.

 

Seems to me, an enthusiast forum is much like a physical club with face-to-face members. As such, new members should be encouraged to participate and contribute as a result. Just like those clubs, new members should represent "new blood" and future leadership, if willing to step up rather than just sit quietly in the background. Yes, there are leaders and there are followers. Its usually a challenge to get new folks to step forward (physically or virtually) but that's necessary to avoid burnout of those who are carrying the load in a form of 80/20 rule (or more practically, 90/10 rule). IMO, posts from new forum members gone unanswered isn't conducive to achieving that objective...