Item for sale

[Nigel Hampson 1Participant @nigelhampson1]

I'm afraid the sales facility is intended for regular contributors to the Forum as stated in the topic title.

Regards,

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 22/03/2014 14:43:57

[Nigel Hampson 1Participant @nigelhampson1]

[Nigel Hampson 1Participant @nigelhampson1]

I have bought Model Boats Magazine for over 30 years and have contributed to this forum in the past – what is the problem here???

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Hi Nigel,

The problem is the one which faces many specialist interest internet forums in that people (and indeed small traders!) are inclined to simply use them as free sales boards to escape the charges made by auction and other sales sites such as Ebay.

The purpose of this forum is to facilitate the discussion of model boating matters and the sales facility is very much secondary to that. Many forums impose a minimum contributory post count before members are permitted to sell although I prefer to make a judgement. Allowing a free for all with sales would quickly clog up the 'Latest Posts' facility which many of us look at every time we log on.

The site records show that you joined using your current ID on 22nd March this year and your only post has been a sales item. You have provided no information about yourself or a Model Boats subscription number from which I assume that you purchase the magazine retail. You appear to have had a previous ID dating back to 2007 but no posts are recorded against this.

The magazine does allow free classified ads so you are very welcome to use this facility to sell your items.

I hope this explains things.

Regards,

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Well put Colin

[Nigel Hampson 1Participant @nigelhampson1]

Thank you for the explanation Colin.

I can't say I agree with you however.

The fact that a "For Sale/Swap" page is incorporated into the forum pages surely suggests that it is there for all to use – and for the benefit of everyone – irrespective of how often someone posts on the forum. The fact that I have only posted one message is surely immaterial – just because I do not comment very often does not mean that I am not a frequent visitor to the pages, where I scan the posts, read through many threads and pick up much very useful information and tips.

Incorporating such a rule simply deprives everyone of being able to pick up bargains and equipment, sold by other people in the hobby – usually at very much reduced prices, because they know it will be going to other modellers. This smacks very much of the "Old Boys network/Golf Club" routine – whereby only regular "Club members" are welcome to partake.

It is exactly this form of elitism which is killing the hobby and which puts off many younger members from getting involved in established clubs – barmy nonsensical rules, put in place for no good reason.

If that is the way Model Boats magazine is going, then you are very welcome to keep it as the "Members Only" club it has clearly become – I for one won't waste my time with it any more.

Good Luck for the future – with this kind of attitude you are really going to need it.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Nigel,

Sorry you don't agree but the topic heading does specifically state that the for sale facility is for regular contributors only. Not sure how we can make it more clear than that. This is pretty much standard practice for internet forums of this type so I don't really see why you are objecting unless it is to obtain free advertising.

You seem to miss the point that this is a model boating Forum and not a sales outlet! There is no elitism involved whatsoever. People can and do pick up bargains from Ebay etc. all the time and we are certainly not in competition with them! Horses for courses.

There have been two instances recently when people have attempted to exploit the sales facility with numerous offerings and that does clog up the system as most people on the Forum prefer to discuss model boating matters rather than view adverts.

If we were in the business of running a commercial sales facility then we would charge accordingly but we aren't!

As I said in my previous post, the magazine itself offers a free classified ad facility and you are more than welcome to use that facility.

Hope this helps,

Colin

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Nigel, So sad to read your post as you are not really understanding what Collin has so correctly made . Members are allowed to sell items if they are regular contributors to the forum and most are in agreement .This not a members only club and I am sure the forum would welcome comment from you on your chosen topics..You, it seems have a lot of knowledge which you might want to give freely Think again Nigel Ebay charge for their services so maybe a few posts are a small price to pay

[Nigel Hampson 1Participant @nigelhampson1]

Hi Colin,

SO by the logic you are using in your post above there is no need to have a sales page whatsoever – so why bother with it at all?

If it is so onerous to you to not have the forum used as a "Sales Outlet" – why bother having a sales page?

I stand by the comments made in my previous post. The only reason to only allow "Regular Users" to post items for sale is to perpetuate an old boys network mentality.

"There have been two instances recently when people have attempted to exploit the sales facility with numerous offerings and that does clog up the system as most people on the Forum prefer to discuss model boating matters rather than view adverts."

TWO postings "clogging up the system"? What are you using as a server a Vic20 from 1984? What a ridiculous comment to make.

And as the forum is split into different threads and categories, anyone not wanting to view sales items simply does not have to open that particular thread to view them – simple.

I would assume that you do allow members to view the threads of their own choice and don't also have a "Members Only" bunch of threads that only some people are allowed to explore?

Whatever you want to do – it's your forum and you will run it as you see fit. But I won't be party to such nonsensical elitism – which is what is blatantly going on with such a ridiculous rule concerning a sales page.

Can you please close my profile as I will not be using this group again.

 

Edited By Nigel Hampson 1 on 06/04/2014 20:38:36

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Nigel,

Well I'm sorry you feel that way but it seems to me that you simply rejoined the Forum to sell your kit rather than to participate in model boating discussions which is what we are about as a model boating community. Your comments about 'elitism' are quite irrelevant in the circumstances. Model boaters come from all walks of life and it is our shared interests which bring us together, not some concept of elitism.

Regards,

Colin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Goodbye and good luck, old boy.
DM

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Colin

Just an idea…

How about having the "For Sale section" open to anybody….On condition, that the sellers are subscribers?

Would it work with the digital option?

Bob

[lnvisiblemanParticipant @lnvisibleman]

Posted by Nigel Hampson 1 on 06/04/2014 20:33:52:

Hi Colin,

SO by the logic you are using in your post above there is no need to have a sales page whatsoever – so why bother with it at all?

If it is so onerous to you to not have the forum used as a "Sales Outlet" – why bother having a sales page?

I stand by the comments made in my previous post. The only reason to only allow "Regular Users" to post items for sale is to perpetuate an old boys network mentality.

"There have been two instances recently when people have attempted to exploit the sales facility with numerous offerings and that does clog up the system as most people on the Forum prefer to discuss model boating matters rather than view adverts."

TWO postings "clogging up the system"? What are you using as a server a Vic20 from 1984? What a ridiculous comment to make.

And as the forum is split into different threads and categories, anyone not wanting to view sales items simply does not have to open that particular thread to view them – simple.

I would assume that you do allow members to view the threads of their own choice and don't also have a "Members Only" bunch of threads that only some people are allowed to explore?

Whatever you want to do – it's your forum and you will run it as you see fit. But I won't be party to such nonsensical elitism – which is what is blatantly going on with such a ridiculous rule concerning a sales page.

Can you please close my profile as I will not be using this group again.

 

Edited By Nigel Hampson 1 on 06/04/2014 20:38:36

 

Rearrange these words into a well known saying "TOYS THROWING OF PRAM OUT"

 

Answers on a postcard to Admin only !!

 

Edited By lnvisibleman on 07/04/2014 10:20:49

Edited By lnvisibleman on 07/04/2014 10:21:40

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

There's a bloke like this in just about every club. Fortunately he can be electronically barred from posting anything further, in spite of his bombast but in accordance with his expressed wishes (are you reading this, Colin?). It's the Internet Forum equivalent of shoving the b****r into the pond! I'm reminded here of the great Tom Lehrer, who said that life is rather like a sewer – what you get out of it depends largely on what you put in…….

I think that Bobable's idea of free inserts for magazine subscribers is worth pursuing. It might help sell a few more subscriptions (Hooray!) and any prospective purchaser of advertised items would have some assurance that he is buying from a bona fide modeller and not an opportunist dealer.

Dave M

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I take great exception to being called an elitist by someone who has never met me or who knows absolutely nothing about me, the model boating world simply wouldn't exist if we all made such broad and arrogant assumptions.

I returned to model boating as a stress relief from serious illness and so far have only found kindness and understanding from a group of people that I am happy and proud to call friends.

There are plenty of 'sales' websites out there so I would suggest that Nigel uses their services alternatively he could seek out the services of a good surgeon.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

OK folks, that's enough!

With regard to Bob's idea there are two problems. One is that not all regular Forum posters are subscribers to the magazine (they may buy it in their newsagents) and the other is that the link between the Forum software and the subscriber side (which is run by somebody else) is a bit tenuous. No doubt the software could be amended but I really don't think MTM would be willing to spend the time and money needed.

In the meantime we can simply carry on with the existing system that I make a judgement as to whether a sales post should stand – it works most of the time!

Colin

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Colin

I don't pretend to understand the machinations that go on in the background in MyTimeMedia but the Model Engineer website has a classified sales and want section and seems to manage quite well. As I understand that all the MTM magazines are supposed to be using basically the same website templates it shouldn't be too difficult for something to be worked out.

Watching bemused from the side-lines.

Keith

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Sorry Colin

Are we all on the naughty step if so you had best draw up some kind of rota as we cant all fit at once………….I can do 2pm to 3pm on any day except Thursday.

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Naughty Step? Surely you mean trapdoor,,,,

[lnvisiblemanParticipant @lnvisibleman]

I agree totally with CB,

A dictatorship always works best ????

Book me in for whenever the football is on!

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

There was truth and there was untruth,

The moderator has the power as he controls the present, the future and the past.

Who links this to Nick Hancock?

 

 

10 points for the first to get it right.

Meanwhile I have booked the surgeon

 

Edited By Paul T on 07/04/2014 15:49:19

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Meanwhile I have booked the surgeon

Colorectal?
DM

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Whatever colour you like Dave….

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Dave

An absolute necessity for the removal of foreign objects that have been hammered into place.

Hammer and Vaseline on standby.

Dr Paul

[Author]

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