Site Activity Ideas

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captain_john
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Site Activity Ideas

Post by captain_john »

Spike wrote:
tmbg wrote: My only complaint is that there's not more activity. I need more ways to kill time at work!
Well then we need to get more people. I think we get discounted a whole bunch because we dont have tons of people hanging out. Therefore, its hard to attract people, especially with VAF being so large. We need to work on letting others know about this place.

John
If we used this place for the group buys, the stats would go off the charts!

Spike, You really need to work on a place for that.

Maybe for the next buy?

:? CJ
Last edited by captain_john on Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Spike »

I split this off as its going to go down a path outside of flap brackets ....

John, I sent you a PM.
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svanarts
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Post by svanarts »

We may not have the traffic of the other forum but we also don't have a lot of the other problems that go with a lot of traffic. I don't like having ads blaring at me. Just one man's opinion.
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Naw, nobody wants ads.

We need to make it easy for people to join. It seems like the only new members we get are the ones that want to sell Viagra and male enhancement products. I am all set in that department!

:o

I mentioned it about a year ago, but a link on the homepage should be "how to join"! On it, there should be information like, what this place is like, what it is for, what you get for joining and reasons to sign up.

Believe it or not, some people don't understand this stuff!

THAT would be a great first step!

8) CJ
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TomNativeNewYorker
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Post by TomNativeNewYorker »

captain_john wrote:We need to make it easy for people to join. It seems like the only new members we get are the ones that want to sell Viagra and male enhancement products. I am all set in that department!
Group buy? ;-)

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

:lol:

Sorry, I only do group buys on things that I need!

:wink: CJ
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Post by spikescopilot »

In October of 2004, Spike thought it would be neat to move the VAF from Yahoo! Groups to more web-enabled forums. He suggested it, but the owner(s) of the forums did not like the idea. He made an offhanded comment to me about having his own forums. So I made it happen. I bought the domain name, provisioned a server, installed the software, configured the forums and made up the cute little airplane icons that you see next to each forum name. And so rivetbangers.com went live at approximately 10:30pm on October 14, 2004. We never expected it to get even this big. It was a personal website.
captain_john wrote:Naw, nobody wants ads.

We need to make it easy for people to join. It seems like the only new members we get are the ones that want to sell Viagra and male enhancement products. I am all set in that department!
Unlike some other sites, Spike and I aren't trying to lure millions of visitors. This site is a nice friendly place where people can talk RV. Questions get answered. Information gets shared. Friendships are developed. We're meeting our original goals.
captain john wrote: I mentioned it about a year ago, but a link on the homepage should be "how to join"! On it, there should be information like, what this place is like, what it is for, what you get for joining and reasons to sign up.
Rivetbangers.com isn't a club. It's a website. The front page says the following about who we are and "what this place is like":
rivetbangers.com front page wrote:Rivetbangers.com is a privately owned and supported site that is focused on promoting and supporting the community of RV aircraft builders. Through the use of document shares, resource listings, and its integrated forum, gallery, & email software, Rivetbangers enables users from various countries to share their experience and knowledge of arguably the best selling kit aircraft of all time, those marketed by Vans Aircraft. Welcome!
The "Forums" link comes to the front of the forums where people will find a "Register" link if they want to post. Otherwise they can read anonymously. Our hit counter will testify to the fact that we have a lot of people who just like to read.

The "List Serv" link goes to a page that instructs you on what a listserv is and how to sign up.

The "Email Digests" link goes to a page that instructs you on what the Email Digest is and how to sign up.

The "Document Share" link goes to a page with lots and lots of links to documents that you will find handy as you are building. No registration required there.

The "Builders Resources" link goes to a page with hundreds (thousands?) of links to personal blogs, kit manufactorers, part retailers and everything else you can imagine. No registration required there.
captain john wrote: THAT would be a great first step!

8) CJ
First step to what? This site takes a lot of $$ out of our pockets and time off of our hands. It's not a business; it's a hobby. Rivetbangers.com is doesnt need thousands of users or a constant growth curve. It's not a commerical enterprise. It's John and I sharing our passion for flying and building with the world. The problem is that the site is starting to cause Spike and I some pain.

Our users want new features. Our users want us to grow. Because Spike is terribly busy with his job right now he doesn't have the time to add every new feature that every one wants. That tells me that the site has grown to the maximum that we can handle. This isn't a full-time job for either of us. We each commute a minimum of 2 hours every day. We have families. We have a church. John is involved in his EAA chapter. Our weekends are spent working on the house and doing chores.

We love you all dearly, but we (read Spike and I) are not in a position to be able to handle growth right now. Give us some time to get things sorted out. Spike's job should get a little less hecktic once the holidays roll around. We'll have a lot of the house renovation work done then too. We'll get to work on your feature requests then. We might consider some site growth too; who knows. If I have my way, we may even consider turning rivetbangers.com from an RV-specific builder's site into a site for all builders.

So what's the bottom line? Please, be patient with us. We're trying. But we've been overcome by life at the moment. We would like to see some manageable growth, and we'd love to give you all the new features you want. I promise, we're not ignoring any of you. But life happens. Give us some time. Please?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spike's Co-pilot

http://www.nothingnoteworthy.com (Just another blog)

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Yup!

:) CJ
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I am Happy and Thankful for Rivet Bangers Just the Way it IS

Post by Bob Barrett »

Spike and Patti,

Having been a member for about three years, I like it just the way it is! :) My time also is limited but I always get RB read and sometimes reply. Sometimes I am gone for a week or month and I read all back postings. I do skip threads that I don't have an interest in. But I hope people who read some of my replies know that it doen't ncessarly apply to them. I have on occasion gone on to the VAF site but it doesn't help me much. If I have a question here I know I will get some help in a day or two. My project is a little further along than most but I am still learning and I attempt to share things I have experienced. Building a 6A, I don't dwell much on postings regarding 8's but sometimes there are common areas or themes.

Don't change anything unless it makes life easier for you or you see a benefit in it. 8) 8)

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svanarts
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Post by svanarts »

The other forums remind me of a busy, towered airport. Lots of important people doing important things (arguably.) Lots of business lots of things happening.

Rivetbangers is that quiet, rural airstrip with friendly people and an airport dog. There isn't a whole lot of activity but it's peaceful and folks will lend you a hand without a whole lot of lecture and telling you why you're doing it wrong. We have much less chest-puffage here.

I must admit, I like it just the way it is too. But then I'm a country airport kind of guy. :)
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Post by dons »

That sounds about right to me Scott.
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Post by Cherokee Driver »

Personally, I like the QUALITY of this group. If it got bigger, I would loose the interest in individual projects. I for one am not a very active poster, but I do check in a lot and I am interested in what goes on because I feel I know the folks on this site. (Heck we even sit down and have dinner together at OSH!!!.) :)

As I have told Patti and Spike, I am grateful that they take the time to provide a place to make friends and allow us to share each others passion for aviation. You guys do a great job!

As far as I am concerned, this is as good as it gets! You guys do a great job!
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

svanarts wrote:The other forums remind me of a busy, towered airport. Lots of important people doing important things (arguably.) Lots of business lots of things happening.

Rivetbangers is that quiet, rural airstrip with friendly people and an airport dog. There isn't a whole lot of activity but it's peaceful and folks will lend you a hand without a whole lot of lecture and telling you why you're doing it wrong. We have much less chest-puffage here.

I must admit, I like it just the way it is too. But then I'm a country airport kind of guy. :)
PERFECT! PERFECT! PERFECT!!!!!

Very well said Scott, and I agree WHOLE-HEARTEDLY! I'm happy with the way it is as well.

John and Patti, you guys know already that I feel this way, and I wouldn't change it for nuthin'! Not even for my own Weathervane forum! :wink: :lol: 8)
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Now I know what my problem is!

Post by Bob Barrett »

I prefer grass strips to pavement and/or control towers. Nothing nicer than Stanton (SYN) an old WWII training base affliated at the time with Carlton College at Northfield, MN; Milaca, MN (18Y) or even Clear Lake, MN (8Y6) 3000' X 150' dirt, grass, weeds with 2000' X 25' tal down the middle. It is the orginal self service airport. One or more dogs greet you and if you need fuel, get the gas truck, fill up your plane write out a check to Leaders Flying Service and give it to them. If you rent from them like I do, you keep track of the time on the hobbs write out an invoice and a check to Leaders and give it to them after you put the plane back where you found it. Spike and Patti would be home there like I am! :) We are simple folks but someone will always give you a helping hand. :wink:

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svanarts
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Post by svanarts »

Sounds like some great airports there!
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Post by clreding »

This is the first forum I have ever seen where people are just plain friendly.

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hear, hear!

Post by jwyatt »

Add another voice to the "great the way it is" chorus. I'm not an active poster, rather a lurker, since my project is still in the tailkit stage (working on the 2nd elevator this weekend), but I agree with the sentiment that you can get to know other people's projects well in here. There's definitely a welcome place for the small-town style community. :good job:

PS. my inspiration to make a post -- I agree on SYN (Stanton MN); I just got back an hour ago from taking my wife up on her first trip in the C150 they rent--I trained at the field, in the 150, and passed my PPL checkride 8/25/07. Nice day for a flight touring around the county. A few RV's on the field too--a 4 and a 6A, at least.
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Post by Cherokee Driver »

:welcome: JW. This is a great place to be!!! :)

Post often. I have found the group to be helpful, friendly, courteous... etc. Good luck on your project.

es
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Post by Spike »

Welcome Josh :thumbsup:
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Post by jakec »

First off, great site you guys. I know that running a community like this is NOT easy and it takes a lot of work. You guys do a great job. There are plenty of places on the Web (even homebuilding sites) that are nothing but bickering and screaming matches about whether you should use self-drilling screws to build your jig or not..... :bang: Rivetbangers is NOT that way from what I have seen so far. Thanks for taking the time and resources to make it happen.

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