Organizations and the bulletin boards

[John T 744]

Alot of organizations do not subscribe to open discussions about them on the net.

If you are a believer of Organizations that represent this industry what's your stance on this. I'll post a pole and besides checking off which one you would prefer to go with on the poll, how about elaborating why you picked what you did..

I'll start. I am a believer in having an organization that has a bulletin board for members and non members. I would like to see part of that board closed off to members only so they can possibly enjoy some more benefits then non members from the bulletin board but I would also like to see a big part of the board open to non members also. This way non members can ask some questions that they may have that can be answered by many other members instead of just a couple of voices from the main offices. I know when I first joined the PWNA I was also curious as to what other PWNA members thought about there membership and I wanted to get these answers online. When I felt I needed more then that then I would make some phone calls.

I will say this. A bulletin board like this would have to be heavily moderated to keep it as professional as possible. Anybody that has disagreements about the org should be heard but No mud slinging at all would be tolerated and a post that gets that way would have to be removed immiedetely. Yes this can be time consuming but it does offer another platform of mass communication and it also gives another avenue for the organization to grow.

Anybody else??

[John T 744]

Do not use any Organizations as examples. Lets be Generic and go by the thought process of "If there was an org. that represents the industry" then go from there. Keep it fresh as if there where no orgs ever in existence yet....This way this poll could be brainstorming fun with absolutely no finger pointing. As if this....was the beginning.

[RPetry 564]

John,

I voted for "Members Bulletin Board open partially to non members"

My real choice was not listed. It would be full and open access to everyone, members, interested contractors, and the public.

Any org. wants and should market their wares. "Hiding" behind PR and copy, while being "exclusive" in access and a policy of strict information control, does not fly in today's open source, open information internet world.

As an example, my website provider, A Small Orange, is a small company down in Atlanta, Ga. They have a separate bulletin board that anyone, shoppers, users, employees, whomever can read and join to post. The content and open policy of their board was one of the primary reasons I decided to select them as my web hosting service.

Any org. also has in house stuff that should be kept in house. This is easily accomplished by an unpublished sub-domain bulletin board that authenticates members only. Here the BOD, management, and members can hash out org. business.

[PLD 14]

I voted for "Members Bulletin Board open partially to non members".

1. Members need a private area to discuss issues, hash out dirty laundry, and just generally have a benefit that is not available to non-members.

2. Open to non-members: Who wants to join an org they know nothing about? Newbies register, participate in the BBS, gain knowledge, and then realize that there is a benefit and that they are only getting part of that benefit.

[PLD 14]

Any org. also has in house stuff that should be kept in house. This is easily accomplished by an unpublished sub-domain bulletin board that authenticates members only. Here the BOD, management, and members can hash out org. business.

It doesn't even have to be that complicated. Even this board has forums that are only open/visible to moderators. There's even a special super-secret forum where the illuminati gather to discuss what a jacka** I am.

[RPetry 564]

Hah! Philip claims:

There's even a special super-secret forum where the illuminati gather to discuss what a jacka** I am.

You mind emailing me the secret password? I got enough pent up ranting and raving to choke a horse.

Clarification: Not about Philip. Best humor on this board. His "reasons edited" comments alone are worth a through search and time going through recent posts. All are good, some are side-splitting!

[HotShot 34]

reminds me of one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. The dentist that Jerry and Kramer go to has a playboy in the waiting room...

Jerry: So you feel the need to use a lot of foul language at the dentist office?

Kramer: When they stick that needle in, I let the explitives fly...hahahahaha..

I think an open forum is a good thing, but it should have a super-secret members only section for the "good info" and to talk about Phil :D

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We had a forum for TGS Site Supporters once....lasted about a day...people didn't want it.

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Beth,

I think Philip's post was a bit of "tongue in cheek". Know mine was. I opinined against that idea when first proposed.

Open source, open communication. Freedom. The masses are just beginning to wake up. No more proprietary secrets and BS marketing.

[squirtgun 122]

It doesn't even have to be that complicated. Even this board has forums that are only open/visible to moderators. There's even a special super-secret forum where the illuminati gather to discuss what a jacka** I am.

You aren't alone Philip.

[racechaser 64]

We had a forum for TGS Site Supporters once....lasted about a day...people didn't want it.

Beth

Who exactly was that because I was so totally PUMPED about it I couldn't wait. I understand the people who weren't site supporters may not have want to have been left out, but that's their choice. There was a solution for those people, CONTRIBUTE and be a part of the closed section.

I also think there should be a private section that is password protected. A place where you KNOW FOR A FACT verified members only can post or read about gripes, or even questions about things that the consumer should never be able to see. Like someone else said once, how does he look if he's asking questions about an upcoming job and the homeowner is reading the posts also. Or when people actually say they used 35.00 worth of mix on a $350.00 roof job. Or the fact that we openly say we need $75.00 to make it worthwhile, when "some" people might say that a plumber only makes 50 or 60 dollars an hour.

I know everyone is going to say that these posts being able to come up in a google search is good, I slightly disagree. Homeowners should not be able to read as much as they can and maybe other contractors should be invited here to keep the lowballers and hacks out.

Just my opinion

Scott

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

It doesn't even have to be that complicated. Even this board has forums that are only open/visible to moderators. There's even a special super-secret forum where the illuminati gather to discuss what a jacka** I am.

I know, they are pretty talkative and you won the vote. :lol:

Rod!~

btw, it's the council on the clear on present danger now aka free masons

[RPetry 564]

Scott,

I have to disagree. Information is now pervasive, free, available to those that have the skill and desire to search and learn. Its a new paradigm for those with access to the internet and the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff.

As a business, what do we have to hide? Joe Schmoe looking over your sholder while you work hard, with a few grand in equipment, and the skills and chemicals to do an efficient job? Give 'em the info on line, go ahead, let Mr. Homeowner do the job himself.

I'm a wood guy. For three years I have let my customers know that they can maintain their wood themselves. Written instructions, my supplier and I will provide the stain. I think most like the honesty and empowerment to know that they can do this themselves.

One customer has asked for the instructions. Zero customers have done the work themselves.

Most, at least in my area, are too busy being lawyers, car mechanics, stock brokers, small businessmen, to take care of their property. They know they do not spend enough time with the kids and wife, let alone getting a round of golf in on a busy schedule. Pressure washing their concrete, cleaning their roof, house or gutters, maintaining their deck, is very low on priorities.

Give them the information. Let them know what is what. Be honest and forthright in your business. It is 2007 and times have changed. So have your customers.

[racechaser 64]

Rick

I think you misunderstand the homeowner aspect. My concern is that someone says yes they have the chems to get that stain off or they can order them, then comes on here and asks for advice. If the homeowner finds them asking that question on this site, that may leave the homeowner with apprehension and distrust.Someone who was "newer to the site" brought this up a few months ago.

Scott

[RPetry 564]

Scott,

I don't know, that is a far reach in many cases. For wood, I've seen more than a few ask for help when they do not have a clue how to ask. No pictures, no history of stains, wood type, etc. If they do not do due dilegence and a bit of effort and learning, they deserve no response. And without that info, any responses are guesswork and most likely false.

TGS and other web sites have a ton of information open to the public. Let the public clean and stain their own wood. At least here in NJ, they will contract it out the next time. Guessing 7 out of 10.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

So far, the vote looks like people miss the old PWNA BBS. It was a great board.

I don't know how anything like that will come to fruition in the future but I would support it if it did. I think it could be done a little bit differently than in the past but I will keep that idea under my hat for now because I don't want to get in the way of anything that may be in the works. Unlikely, but not impossible with the new bod members if they chose to pursue it.

In the meantime, we can all have a nice look back and think about it.

Rod!~

[mbryan 48]

In my experience, BBS's and orgs dont mix. Here you have a free forum where you can speak your mind about whatever, and that is why this site and others are so successful. If you try to do the same on an org's BBS's it wouldn't fly.

[John T 744]

In my experience, BBS's and orgs dont mix. Here you have a free forum where you can speak your mind about whatever, and that is why this site and others are so successful. If you try to do the same on an org's BBS's it wouldn't fly.

Matt I respect your opinion and I can see you points making alot of sense but I am a numbers man and when I look at the numbers they can sway me to make certain decisions. When I see the pole up above that a huge percentage would like an organization to have an active bb that is partially open to non members then that tells me this is what most people want and at the end of the day decisions should be based on "What the People want" most of the time.

This is why I always believed in keeping a board linked in with an Organization and the people I talked to mostly agreed with me...except the ones that had the leadership roles. To me the guy at the lowest part of the rope all the way up to the guy at the highest end of the rope them and everyone in between should have a fair say on what an organization does and wants.

This has and still remains my belief that an org. should accomodate what the people want. In an open forum with many people in the room I think I could win this debate...almost all the time. In a close room with 10 leaders and 7 siding with what the leader wants then there is no way to beat that.

An Organization is there for the people...FIRST!! Especially its members and also to non members who might one day decide to join the org. because of all the info they were able to access thru an active Org. bb and also thru them interacting with other Members of that org.