Club Powerboat.IE

[Powerboat]

Attention Irish Ribsters or those who like to visit us over here!

Club Powerboat.IE Ireland's Online Boat Club ! - 08 October 2002

Join Club Powerboat.IE our New Online Boat Club.

Not an opposition to here , more of a pal across the water !

This is how it works! (Email based rather than forum based like here) .

With say 100 subscribers ( including you ) , then every time you send an email looking for advice or help etc. your email will automatically go to the other 99 Club Members . In this way we hope to build up a Friendly On-line Community of people who are into Motorboating and Powerboating in Ireland. Some thing very similar to here but with an Irish flavour.

To Join, just visit www.topica.com/lists/powerboat.ie/ and follow the Instructions .

The mailing List will become an Online Boat Club for Irish Boaters who will then benefit from being a cohesive and representative group ! Club Powerboat.ie !

We will also feature regular special offers and competitions for members of Club Powerboat.IE


We also plan on running several RIB raids and Club Cruises around Ireland next year where members can meet on the water for some actual boating.

Sign up now at

Club Powerboat.IE

[Flanker]

Sorry if you think I am rude, but it all sounds a bit daft to me.

Why on earth block up everyones e-mail with messages that then when replied to get sent to everyone else. I think you have to get into the modern way, and get some good tips from John who runs this site. I can't imagine the frustration of opening and closing e-mails every other minute.

This Forum is the at the leading edge of RIB communication, it works so well, why go backwards when the wheel is already invented. Buy John a few drinks and get some tips. Better still get your guys to log on here, why duplicate things and lose all the knowledge here, that's crazy. I am sure there are loads of things we can learn from you lot as well.

Good luck with whatever you choose, at least you are trying to do something positive.

Pete

[Powerboat]

Hi Pete,

I didn't think you were rude but I felt your condescension was a wee bit dissappointing ! Did you think that we might not have thought this through ?

There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems.

The advantage of the Web site Forum system of which Rib.Net is obviously an excellent example , is that you can run a much more sophisticated show - html , bells and whistles , generate member profiles etc.

However a disadvantage is that people actually have to log on to the website to read the messages . Messages don't get through unless that person has actually logged onto the site and worked their way through all the postings .

Another disadvantage for the host sponsor is that very few forum members actually look at the rest of the host web site !

With an email based system , messages arrive with your email ( which most people now check several times a day) so there is much more spontaneity and livelier discussions tend to ensue with a much higher percentage of members taking an active part.

Better still, email based lists have a dramatically lower rate of dormant members and have much lower maintenance implications for the list administrator who is generally over busy and under paid !

Messages are still archived similar to this forum where members can read though postings at their leisure.

Members can also choose to have a digest containing either the days or the weeks postings delivered to them in one email.

One of the most successful lists here in Ireland is the Inland Waterways Association list www.iwai.ie .It is so active , it has actually influenced Government policy on the waterways !

The subject matter on our list will not be related solely to RIBs . We have folks over here who drive PWCs ,Sports boats, Skiboats TSDYs etc. So we will be appealing to a wider audience including our fellow Ribsters.


So there you have it !

There is in my (humble) opinion as someone who has been actively involved in lists of both these types and IT in general for many years ....no right and no wrong here !

Just the best choice for the target audience !

Best wishes ,

Stuart

[Flanker]

Hi Stuart,

Don't take it the wrong way. it was just MY feelings (I'm not humble by the way, I'm me), and yes I did think, and still think you haven't thought it through (you did ask). You did hit the nail on the head though when you mentioned it was for :-

"folks over here who drive PWCs ,Sports boats, Skiboats TSDYs etc. "

Can you imagine how many non related e-mails people would be getting? I like to keep my personal e-mail account limited, I don't want it bombarded with nonsense. It is like the difference between getting the mail you want and expect through your door, and everyone else putting a copy of their letters through as well. I have to sort through enough junk mail already. With the Forum you have control of what you want to look at and where you want to go. As this forum is so intersting I think I look at this more than my e-mail!

I use an XDA which is good as I can browse the web and see this forum, but also have my e-mails sent to my mobile phone. The last thing I want is the e-mail alarm going off all day and night without any control and blocking up my phone. At least with this site you can escape from it, maybe not what advertisers want though!

There are systems as you may well know that will trigger an e-mail when a message you have placed on a Forum has been replied to.

With regards to :-

"However a disadvantage is that people actually have to log on to the website to read the messages . Messages don't get through unless that person has actually logged onto the site and worked their way through all the postings"

I don't know what kind of system you have over there for e-mails, but we have to log on to get them here, I don't understand what you are on about, I'm sorry. Seems the same to me whether I log into outlook or RIBnet.

And as for :-

"Better still, email based lists have a dramatically lower rate of dormant members and have much lower maintenance implications for the list administrator who is generally over busy and under paid !"

Best you speak to John the webmaster, he is the man, and a top man from what I can see (and unpaid I think). There are a few semi dormants on here, but the odd thread seems to rattle their cage and they come to life now and again, voyeur dormants perhaps!

Sorry I won't be joining for the reasons given, but anyway good luck, you will soon see what happens.

As you say everyone is different, try it, if it works I may need to eat my mouse!

Pete

[John Kennett]

Pete

There are pro's and cons to both systems. Just because you don't like email lists doesn't mean there's no place for them.

In many ways mail lists (and usenet) are better than forums as they are quicker to read -- you can download all your messages quickly then scan through them rather than going page by page.

Having messages delivered as email does mean that everyone on the list gets every message, as it doesn't rely on them actively doing anything to get them. Sure it's easy enough to check the RIBnet forums, but what if you have a dozen lists or forums that you follow? Using email lists means you only have to check one place and by setting up email filters it is very easy to separate list traffic from general email.

On the other hand web based forums are generally more user friendly, make it easier to follow individual discussions and are much easier to search and browse. They are slower, although this will improve as broadband is taken up more, and are more resource intensitive.

Both systems can be moderated if required, and require a similar level of input from the administrator.

For what it's worth, I regularly follow or participate in three web based forums, and ten email lists. I used to be a heavy usenet user too, but have managed to kick the habit for now.

If you're interested, have a look at www.rib.net/usenet.htm for more about internet newsgroups. They can also be searched at www.google.com/grphp

John

[Flanker]

John,

Thanks for the info. I am aware of the other e-mail system but MY choice is a Forum. I find that I have more control in what I do or do not look at. I use e-mail as a work tool, the last thing I want is more of those, this Forum is refreshing change.

I can only give my opinion, and I have made it clear that it is only mine.

Good luck to you Stuart, as I said the proof will be in how well it takes off, I just know that this site is the best I have seen.

Perhaps it is the different characters and varied experience of those who participate on here (without e-mail), let's face it without the particpants what do you have, a bit of software. You should use this site as part of your market research, if you have found a better one let us know, we could all move there!!!

Pete

[TIM]

There is nothing in the way of this in Ireland, I think its a good thing even though I think that a ribnet style web fourm would be much better, but mabye in the future, I have signd up and will give it my full support.

I get very envious of you guys on the south coast, the weather is better, france is very close and you have a great number of harbours and places to go to. no to mention the channel islands etc.

In Dublin we are quite limmited, there is wicklow 30m away, with not much there, Isle of Mann 90m, hollyhead 60m which we have to do yet, But there is not many Like minded people in ribs to do it with.

SO if the powerboat ie gets me introduced to people and ribsters in Ireland, I am up for it.

And before anyone says it, yes there is plenty of ribs in Dublin, but 90% are used for diving and the other 9% is used for kiddy spins once a week and sking etc , No real serious ribisters, Hopefully we will find some now


Is ther anyway to do a spell cheack on this site???

[Powerboat]

Cheers John !

Think of it like this ...There's a Party at my place and you're all invited ! You don't have to come if you don't like my house or the beer that we drink !!

Pete is absolutely right when he says that a forum or list is only as good as the membership .

Club Powerboat.IE is not meant to be a rival to Rib.Net , but just a different forum aimed at Powerboaters who like to boat in Ireland .

As John said it is now quite common for people to subscribe to several groups on the net . The cross over between groups benefits everyone .

Nice to be back here by the way.... ( I was away for the last few months with the real job !)

Good to see the Craic is still mighty. Long may it be !


Best wishes,

Stuart
www.powerboat.org

[Keith Hart]

There's a Party at my place and you're all invited

Great. When? Is there any free food?

Keith (looking forward to it already) Hart

[Powerboat]

Hi Keith,

The first round is always free here in Ireland !

It's the next 12 you have to pay for !

Best wishes ,

Stuart

[Powerboat]

Small update !

Club Powerboat.IE is now up and running.

We will have our own page on Motorboat and Leisure Magazine from next month. MBL is also launching in the UK in the next month or so !

The following plans are now taking shape.

* West Coast Cruise in Company events on the West Coast next summer aimed at qualified advanced Powerboaters.

* ISA Advanced Powerboat Courses operating out of the Aran Islands. ( 4 in May and 4 in October).

One "stage" style round Ireland race event.

A head to head attempt at the Round Ireland record.

Best wishes ,

Stuart
www.powerboat.ie

[Powerboat]

Small update !

As of next month Club Powerboat.IE will also have a monthly page on Motorboat and Leisure Magazine.

I also believe that MBL will be launching in the Uk in a month or so !

Best wishes ,

Stuart
www.powerboat.ie

[jools]

OK - just signed up - waiting to be approved

Anyway - although it is an "e-mail" list you can view the "forum" on-line - message by message (not threaded like rib.net) - and you can set it so that it dosn't bombard your in-box with mails - options are

1 mail for each post
Digest mail daily
No Mail - web view only

Caths originaly from Ireland - so it would be nice to take Panther over their sometime next year......

Jools

[Powerboat]

Hi ,.....and welcome to the merry throng !

We are just enjoying a nice windy Bank Holiday on Lough Ree.

Plenty of wave action !

I am just adding you now !

Best wishes,

Stuart
www.powerboat.ie