And ya'll wonder where the technical discussions went to...

Think we can all stop the grandstanding now please.

 

In terms of the original topic. I think most of it comes down to demographics. I've noticed it a lot while browsing the clubman forums. It makes a lot of sense that you'll start bringing in various demographics (and thus new interests) when MINI starts marketing cars that reach out to even more people. Just wait for the SAV release and the new members that come with it, that will throw a whole new demographic into the mix.

It's been the same issue all along. MINI created a car that somehow reaches a ridiculous number of demographics. You get 17 year olds and 80 year olds. You get people with stripped out race cars and you get a Mother and Father who pack up their children and dog for a long drive. It's only becoming more apparent because many of the original members from the tech side of things have left the site for various reasons and with them went many of the tech discussions.

Give the R56 a little more time. People will start tearing into the turbo and try getting crazy with things. It should help out the tech discussion a bit (hopefully). I know that 02 and early 03 were pretty boring when it came to tech discussion. The only mods really available were a few simple intakes and exhausts . It took a while before we could start comparing coilovers or intercoolers.

For some people that is where the value lies. People find value in sites for different reasons. Some come here to joke around and chat about various off-topic things with close friends that they've developed over the years. Others want to come here and discuss technical things and contemplate new projects. Even though there are DIY's for many of the possible mods in the archives, for some it can be sad to no longer see new technical discussions to participate in each day.

 

I went to "Today's Posts", copied the list into Excel, and cleaned it up for submission. Yes it was just one moment in time chosen at random, but it is what it is.

To bring the point more to the theme of the thread, I guess I'm just getting the feeling that the "lifestyle" part of mini ownership is a larger percentage of what goes on here than the "let's take it apart and make it better". This isn't saying it's good or bad, just that from where I sit this looks to be the changes that have happened over time. There are lots of reasons why this could be, and each and everyone of them are open to debate.

Whatever, life goes on.

Matt

 

Despite the more heavy focus on the larger MINI community for a while, this thread has again gone back to talking a lot about the site itself (not counting the personal sniping between some folks ).

Therefore I'm moving it to Site Feedback.

 

FAMOUS NAME GAME
What happened to technical discussions on this board?
Air Horn - An exercise in taking a mod to the extreme!
First Aid Kit Location (08 & 09)
How Many Posts
Opinions on lowering springs installation?
MINIs at CES
Word Association (2005 and Onward Edition)
Show pics of your lowered MINI S!!!
M7 Super-AGS on a Factory JCW
Gorgeous girls in MINIs...
Song Lyrics Game ...
Oil Change How-to
Must be winter, quiet here
Even More Random Thoughts...
New game... Once upon a time
What car from your past do you regret giving up?
C.A.R.B Legal Intake
Free Classic Mini...
Ireland Engineering Exhaust
NOS

Better than before for sure, but still much more lean than "the early days"....

Matt

 

Hmm....Controversy here, controversy on MU.....anyone else see the common denominator here?

 

Hey as much as I like the technical discussions, I've also sat here and laughed my **** off at some threads, no reason why they both can't exist on the same site...

 

+1 Also it can be used as just a discussion thread. Our club as a thread that has 14,000 replys and 175,000 views, just talking and stuff

 

wow, i must not be spending enough time on mu - what's going on over there?

 

lots of cake eating

 

This is true, free cake and pony rides

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...from-audi.html

Matt

 

Yes, we have one. I feel like I need to go out and buy a 56 to participate.

The wife won't like that.

 

thing is...most people who want that don't need that. the stock bov isn't an issue until running MUCH more boost.

edit - it would be very easy and cheap to build a test rig using an air compressor as the source. Unless you know the psi threshold that overloads the stock bov, there's not much point messing with it.

in general, playing around with the bov leads to drivability issues as it affects the afr's

 

so wait - is everyone suggesting that threads containing pix ppl are finding on the internet of random women who may or may not be standing near a MINI, and/or sending PM's of "not so PG rated" pix to each other and all the commentary about anatomy is not technical ???

perhaps the commoners to that thread have suddenly increased their buying of aftermarket performance parts for their MINI's, if for any reason - now they can get home faster to get on the internet and drool and giggle over pictures of women! does that grease be gone stuff that auto mechanics use to wash their hands work good on sticky substances and cleaning computer screens? - maybe they could start a technical thread on how to clean up such little messes or not get caught by their wives/gfs looking at other women on the internet

 

whatever. fashion before function.

 

Fashionably functional!

 

I prefer functionally fashionable. But whatever.

 

Don't know Blimey but functionally fashionable sounds too much like a designer diaper or something..... Guess we'd have to factor the AF ratios first...

 

Hey, i was checking out the main "forum" page and there really isn't a clearly marked general category for "TECH DISCUSSIONS"

mebe a more obvious TECH DISCUSSION with subcategories is needed?

(sorry to actually suggest a solution, as i am a firm believer of fashion over function, for example the Stiletto Heel)

 

Again, you can have technical discussions about fashion just as much as performance. It's entirely possible to discuss the technical aspects that go into designing a stiletto heel (or walking in them i guess?)

Technically the "'modification" area with subgroups for the type of modifications is a place meant for technical discussion. Besides possibly showing pictures of your modification, most of the discussion in those areas would be considered "technical" whether it's discussing the proper way to wire a subwoofer, install bonnet stripes, or get the IAT's down. Technical discussion is defined as "of,relating to, or requiring special knowledge to be understood" which seems to mostly be found in the modification areas of the forum.

A new "tech discussion" area would just be filled with the same information or discussions found in those forum segments.

 

all i'm saying for the less than savvy n00b, a clearly marked tech forum might be a welcome change..

 

i see the point, if it is that threads like who wants a free mini that turn into 60 + pages of cake recipes and tv show references and questions about what color plaid table cloth you have in your farm, etc
- OR - ,
threads discussing bikini clad women and people sharing pictures via PM clearly depict a mentality of joe schmo drivers just diddling around the internet for sake of boredom at home and work vs the serious car enthusiast who is only gonna talk shop 24hrs a day.

the MINI offers a lot of personality and a strong history of performance. it attracts a variety of owners and admirers and as such, a very colorful variety of personalities and interests would emerge on an internet forum. therefore, technical, as mentioned above, would manifest a kaleidoscope of definitions and interpretations.

 

does that then make me Joe Schmoe if i don't seek out any techinical advise, information, or shop talk here?
cause i sure as hell get better tech advise/help/recommendations elsewhere

Maybe a tech advise/info/Q&A could exist on NAM, due to the fact that all other 'technically' inclined threads veer dangerously off topic in the land of m7, i love/hate RMW, Alta, rims/tires/wheel discussion, coil v. spring v. bags..

then Dr O would have something better to do with his time

 

yours is a good point - but i think that any internet forum runs the risk of becoming overly saturated with opinion and/or speculation vs fact/experience. it's like trying to find out about a new pulley - everyone wants to tell you about theirs, or how they feel about theirs or why a less expensive one must be bad, but little evidence really comes out. it is frustrating when you wanna weigh your options on parts to buy, technology to use, but it at least gives you a venue to gather input.

i think a truly effective technical forum would allow a member to post a question that could be viewed by all, but only those with "Technical" privileges could post a response. imagine if you went to a medical forum and asked a question about an antihypertensive (disclaimer - talk to your doctor this is just an analogy!) and you got a bunch of lay people's opinions maybe with a few scattered educated responses. you need to weigh that information accordingly. but if you went to a similar forum where the answers were posted by the appropriate technical staff, then your willingess to accept the answer/data may be higher. however, a forum of opinion carries no cost - one that offers valid, reliable information most likely would carry an expense.