I have just joined a VERY exclusive club:

[BubbaZanetti]

the "moa members with too much free time on their hands club":

http://www.retr0.com/dkhirons/moa2000.jpg

[Burnszilla]

loraz hasn't been around in a while. he's out riding his uly.

[Xaque]

You're bragging about having no life?

:stick

-Xaque-

[Mika]

I started my morning read threads so that I would keep my count down and not have to join those guys, and now your bragging!?! :stick

[Hodag]

:type

that was hard

wait until tonight, I'll catch you
Nyquil and peppermint schnapps for my cold

they'll be some doozy's coming

[username]

you've joined the "i can read and type faster than most people" club.

i'm only six posts away from the veg? dang, i think i can pass him!

[username]

i'm only five posts away from the veg? dang, i think i can pass him!

[username]

now i'm only four posts away from the veg? dang, i think i can pass him!

[userw5]

the "moa members with too much free time on their hands club":




Congrats!!

[BubbaZanetti]

wait until tonight, I'll catch you



it was sort of like a race, it felt good to win

[kbasa]

I wish Loraz would come back.

[PAULBACH]

I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member.

[tessler]

Congratulations on hitting to big Y2K old man. I mean, jeez, aren't you just in the least bit curious as to what all those Poplars, Sycamore, Oaks and Maples are doin' out there in the crisp New England landscape you inhabit ;)

(and I just hit 602 and I'm not even home!)

[Hodag]

I wish Loraz would come back.

I get 4-5 pms (insults) a day from him over on ...you know where......


I think that big twin rattled something loose

[Mika]

544 pages of user names.
414 pages of members that have never made a post.
Some tooke the time to add cool avatars etc.
Was it something I said that kept them form posting?
Nah, had to be someone on the heavy hitter list. :brow

[The_Veg]

Holy crap, I can't believe I'm in the top-posters! And here I didn't think I was good at much. I don't care if Username passes me, in fact I expect him to since he got a much later start than I did. NOW who's got too much time? :nyah


And I agree about Loraz. I miss his wit around here.

[BradfordBenn]

Congrats Bubba. Now all we have to do is catch KBasa.... hmm I wonder how long he is going to be out travelling :laugh

[robsryder]

One thing worth keeping in mind is that this club has around 38,000 members.

It is sobering when one considers the very small fraction of members that this resource appears to serve.

Perhaps more effort should be made to make the rest of the membership feel welcome and make the internet / web / forum more appealing.

[Mika]

One thing worth keeping in mind is that this club has around 38,000 members.

It is sobering when one considers the very small fraction of members that this resource appears to serve.

Perhaps more effort should be made to make the rest of the membership feel welcome and make the internet / web / forum more appealing.


How?

I am being serious here. I credit the forum and the clubs web site for making me interested in being active beyond paying dues and reading on. If you look at the posts of the heavy hitters many are made greeting new members and answering requests for help. How do we make it a resource that people will want to use. There have to be so many great people out there rich with insight and infromation that are not participating. How do we involve them?

[robsryder]

The things that I like about the internet-based MOA resource may not be what interest others. The one truly common denominator for all members is the magazine.

Perhaps it is time to poll the members about what they want.

My thoughts...

Some articles / tutorials in the magazine on basic stuff like logging on to the website would be helpful to many members that may not be as computer literate.

A library of technical articles, similar to those maintained on the ABC website would be great. I have often referred to the camping section and have directed others (even non-BMW owners!) to that excellent compilation of information.

More links to other sites and requests for links back to the MOA website would be great and help let others (non-MOA members) know about this resource (perhaps join the MOA, buy a BMW, etc.)

For example, the ADV website has many BMW riders and gets a lot of participation from folks around the world. I believe that the MOA website should have links to particular threads on ADV with requests for backlinks. I've found that the ADV has some truly wonderful trip reports. The one about the man and his wife riding their Airhead GS through South America is a real pleasure to read - the MOA should point everyone to this great thread.

An on-line archive of prior issues of the magazine would really be nice.

Although a bandwidth hog, some on-line tutorials / interactive stuff might be attempted - times could be selected so interested members could use other available high-speed internet resources (i.e., public library). Duane Ausherman has done this for his wheel bearing seminar, as I recall.

Having something similar to (or concurrent with) the weekend tech sessions that the Airheads have around the country could help folks become acquainted with the internet and MOA website. A couple of computers and a near-by high-speed internet connection and a few "coaches" might be needed.

Emphasizing the strengths of the internet over the printed magazine:
- more pictures
- video
- faster turn around
- everyone that chooses to log-in to the forum has an equal voice (yes, I do recognize that some are intimidated)

[I still would rather take the magazine with me to the loo than the laptop with wireless card!]

On the AirList questions periodically arise about adopting a forum-style rather than the text-only e-mail based list. The consensus is to keep the text-based e-mail list. Does the MOA have any other options for folks that like text-based information (that perhaps is easier with dial-up internet access?)

BMW Corporate spends money advertising their bikes on many fronts. Why not have a section with clearly marked BMW advertising materials (pictures, videos, etc.) If BMW would pay some nominal amount, then they (BMW) would be targeting potential customers and the MOA could use the money to get more storage / bandwidth / etc. for storage of pictures, articles, videos, etc.

... as I said, these are my thoughts of the moment. [It's also nice to be able to edit mispelings out of posts after the fact :-)]

[Mika]

Thank you.

[SheRidesABeemer]

I think the forum looks daunting to crack for some. Some people, who are less humble than...well, me, don't want to post something and feel like an intruder. The chattering regulars make others afraid to get into the clique.

Then there is the ever popular average age stat. What is it now 57? Probably not your biggest web users. We've seen it here, people touting the benefits of talking and meeting people in person. Gasp.

I think someone said it in the ATGATT thread, you can't always save people from themselves. You can't always make the horse drink. :dunno

[PacWestGS]

Congrats Bubba if that is what you're looking for. I still have a ways to go, but that's fine with me. Need to work more and ride less, not gonna happen. Most of my posting happens because I'm on the road with laptop.

Gail, during the Rally I figured after the Forum Fizzle that the average age of forum regulars is much closer to 45 and probably less if you take all the youngin's in to count...

I'm just happy to be happy and happy to be here... :groovy

Doc

[riderR1150GSAdv]

One thing worth keeping in mind is that this club has around 38,000 members.

It is sobering when one considers the very small fraction of members that this resource appears to serve.

Perhaps more effort should be made to make the rest of the membership feel welcome and make the internet / web / forum more appealing.

Totally agree!

[GSTom]

Then there is the ever popular average age stat. What is it now 57? :dunno

I'm quite a bit younger than that at 54 (soon to be 55). I like the variety of topics here on the MOA forums. Sometimes I jump in for a post or two, and sometimes I just lurk.
This is my favorite forum (next favorite is the Rounders). I have a K bike and two airheads, so there is always something of interest. I prefer that the forum stay at arm's length from political topics, as there are other forums for that.
I wish more members would post ride reports with photos as one finds over at Adventure Rider(my next-next favorite forum).
(Back to lurk)

[The_Veg]

Of course too many forum users could make the message volume too cumbersome and the thread-pace too fast for many people. As is if I go four or five days without checking in it means sitting a good long spell to catch up (this will happen Monday since I'm riding up to OKlahoma for a long weekend today).

[PacWestGS]

Holy crap, I can't believe I'm in the top-posters! And here I didn't think I was good at much. I don't care if Username passes me, in fact I expect him to since he got a much later start than I did. NOW who's got too much time? :nyah

Apparently I do - :nyah

Where's my cookie :doh

The big 2000

Doc

[Burnszilla]

Apparently I do - :nyah

Where's my cookie :doh

The big 2000

Doc
Doc, you would be on top if they counted the amount of words per post rather that posts. :stick :p

[PacWestGS]

Yep :p

[Belquar]

Doc, you would be on top if they counted the amount of words per post rather that posts. :stick :p
:type :rofl

[ultracyclist]

If you want more member participation, then make them part of the process, rather than the object of the game.

Polling members is a good idea. But, if a member does not use the website, then the other avenue is a survey in the ON. What do you do when you get a survey in a periodical, on the phone, etc? Most people toss it.

The organization would almost have to provide an incentive in order to get survey participation. Would the organization be willing to extend an annual membership for six months if a member completely filled out a survery?

By the way, writing a survey is art, science, and a bit of luck. If the person taking the survey does not see relevance in the first few questions, it gets tossed. I did some reseach on this in college. No, I am NOT and expert, but there is more to this than what meets the eye.

my 0.02.
ultra

[ultracyclist]

RE: Robsmoto post....

His very first point is the most important. "computer literate" is 75% of the game.

The population group of this club is on the average more disinguished in year (I din not say older) than other organizations.

Many baby boomers can do the basics on line, but that is it.

Therefore, "userfriendliness" is the critical issue.

[SHawn_P]

I think the forum looks daunting to crack for some. Some people, who are less humble than...well, me, don't want to post something and feel like an intruder. The chattering regulars make others afraid to get into the clique.


Gail, I think you may be pretty close here, at least in my case.... I lurk and post sparingly in small part because I haven't met personally any of the folks here (I know it is my own fault).

However, I have come to know some of the regulars via their posts here (and elsewhere) to the point where I can just about guess who is going to say what and in what 'tone'.

For me, it is not unlike standing around with a group of friends - some talk and some don't depending on the topic//mood/etc (and sometimes you just walk away).

The initial entry here is a bit like the feeling you have the first day of school at a new school... After a couple days, the butterflys are gone...


mini-hijack - Veg, enjoy OK -- you down in the SE looking at leaves along Talihena?

[Motor31]

RE: Robsmoto post....

His very first point is the most important. "computer literate" is 75% of the game.

The population group of this club is on the average more disinguished in year (I din not say older) than other organizations.

Many baby boomers can do the basics on line, but that is it.

Therefore, "userfriendliness" is the critical issue.


I disagree with you on the computer literacy issue here. In my RV side I talk with a rather significant and rapidly growing segment of "boomers" and they are very computer literate. Computers have been extremely common in the work place for going on 20 years now and the "boomers" are comming out of that environment. Many are finding out the best way to keep in touch is by the net and they are very active ion e-mail. Even in looking at floor plans the RV manufacturers are planning in things like a computer work station regularly and it is a common item instead of an option.

Just because there is some grey up top, don't assume the rest below is in the ice age. Our membership is heavy on the 45 to 60 age span and those folks by and large have been exposed to computers and the net more than you think.

[ultracyclist]

Yes, it would have been better if had some qualifiers in my statement. Chalk up a point in your column.

But I stand by my "userfriendliness" concept. The net may be a great info exchange tool, but there is a lot of psychology involved in getting people to respond the way you want.

I am curious about something though, that being the average age of 45-60.
That is obviously a national range. Most of rad riders I have met either on the road or in the shop, are in that age 53 + or -. I am going to my first Rally in 2007, so I will be curious about this.

[Motor31]

BMW riders tend to average the upper ages as the brand is neither something a younger rider would normally want for style or performance and very few could afford them, particularly new.