422 replies to this topic

[Scallywag630]

I think it's time to call it a day in this, everything that has been said has.
There's no point going on over the same things some people will not except what's gone on and vice versa.
To solve this the mini/MINI united not divided forum is up and running and we would be grateful if now any one with a question about the MINI you would direct them to us at www.miniunitednotdivided.freeforums.org and if any one with a classic we then can send to TMF if we are unable to help.
Hopefully we can add a link to TMF and vice versa so that we can work with each other in the mini family and finally lay the ghosts of the past to rest.

I'd like to be one of the first to congratulate you on your new forum. I hope it works for you. I am sure, as soon as your membership reaches a level where there's a good cross section of experience available, we would be more than happy to refer BMW MINI questions to you rather than MINI2.

[Tanya]

A simple solution, in my eyes, would be to include in the opening posters window, a tick box in which you show the post to be relative to either new, or classic minis. Then include a filter setting in account settings, as to whether you wish to view the posts flagged as classic, or new, or both.

If this is workable, I feel it is a good idea. I think it would be a good idea to put somewhere with the MINI posts that this is predominately a mini forum, but does have some members who as well as having an interest in mini, also have one in MINI, so maybe interested and able to help. However, also put links for appropriate predominately MINI forums and also for joint MINI/mini forums like the one that dave585 is involved with. I suppose the key is wording it so that it is clear that TMF does have some members interested, willing and who maybe able to help MINI owners, but also makes clear that possibly for a greater level of expertise, that there are other forums available to help. Members can then make an informed choice about whether to make a MINI post or to go another forum. A filter system would stop those who have no interested in MINI from seeing MINI posts. I would like to be able to see posts relating to mini and joint mini/MINI, but not MINI, so if the filter was an option, I would appreciate it.

Edited by Tanya, 29 December 2010 - 07:50 PM.

[Scallywag630]

A simple solution, in my eyes, would be to include in the opening posters window, a tick box in which you show the post to be relative to either new, or classic minis. Then include a filter setting in account settings, as to whether you wish to view the posts flagged as classic, or new, or both.

If this is workable, I feel it is a good idea. I think it would be a good idea to put somewhere with the MINI posts that this is predominately a mini forum, but does have some members who as well as having an interest in mini, also have one in MINI, so maybe interested and able to help. However, also put links for appropriate predominately MINI forums and also for joint MINI/mini forums like the one that dave585 is involved with. I suppose the key is wording it so that it is clear that TMF does have some members interested, willing and who maybe able to help MINI owners, but also makes clear that possibly for a greater level of expertise, that there are other forums available to help. Members can then make an informed choice about whether to make a MINI post or to go another forum. A filter system would stop those who have no interested in MINI from seeing MINI posts. I would like to be able to see posts relating to mini and joint mini/MINI, but not MINI, so if the filter was an option, I would appreciate it.

This is a lot of work and would include a raise in bandwidth. A simple polite referal to an appropriate forum has always worked up to now and does not involve TMF staff in any extra work or increase in bandwidth. I am sure, when dave585's forum has grown to a level when a good cross section of advice can be given, we can start refering MINI questions to him rather than MINI2.

Edited by Scallywag630, 29 December 2010 - 09:12 PM.

[tuktuk]

As someone who drive a Bini, i dont think we need a Bini section on here... and to be fair even if there was i wouldnt post in it.

Why not have a pinned topic somewhere for Bini owners to say visit this this or this site for info on Binis

job done

no spilt milk

nobody crying

everyone can live their lives without the hardship of reading about another car

isnt life hard

[Ethel]

How would you identify which posts are about Minis and which are about Minis?

We do our best already by focusing on the classic variety and leaving the BMW variety for other forums.

You could always access TMF via a Google search, filtering out any keywords you don't want - or you could just ignore any posts, topics or sections that don't interest you.

[Beej123]

The reason this forum IMO is the best, is because of the HUGE amount of knowledge that is on here and im assuming the same level of knowledge is not available on the MINI?
So a MINI related question surely wont be as well answered or at best you have to wait a few days until one of the MINI guys are about?

So if you want to be part of the community then join up, voice your opinions and help others where you can, if you need tech help with your MINI then surely a different forum would meet your needs far better?

Treat the BMW MINI as though they had called it the 'BMW Small Series'
Putting asside biases and the classic owners born hatred, its a different car

I dont want to push MINI owners away, i dont have any more of an issue with the MINI than i do with the Fiesta or the Corsa but my advice for you, if you want the best feedback and the best knowledge, find a site that specialises in your car

Or am i being naive?

Put it this way, you wouldnt take your toaster to the jewlers to ask for advice


however this may read, i dont have a problem with the MINI or MINI owners or people that like the MINI or BMW for creating the MINI, i just think you might get more help somewhere else

[Tanya]

My understanding is that the idea is to consider having a small section for MINI, in the same way that totalMINI has a small section for mini, and nothing more. Therefore, it would never be expected to offer the level of knowledge and expertise that totalMINI has on MINI or TMF has on mini.

I have been on totalMINI to see how having a small section for mini works, and it seems to work well. Also while reading some of the posts I began to realise that what a poor impression of some MINI owners have of some mini owners and how some of them have been abused and their cars damaged. The ongoing consequences of this is that some MINI owners, while they are attending Bingley at the end of the month are not coming in their MINIs as they are concerned about leaving them in the car park in case they are damaged.

Now, I am sure and hope that the fears are unfounded, but their fear is real. I would like TMF to be a part of the mini community that is welcoming to MINI owners, while acknowledging that we are a mini forum. This does not mean that we will be full of MINI owners, they have their main forum, but for those of us who already see mini and MINI working together or who have an interest in both MINI and mini this would be welcomed. I believe anyway in which these divisions that have created some bad feeling between the mini and MINI scenes could be closed would be a good idea.

TotalMINI (MINI forum) have a mini section, many or probably most mini shows and events have MINIs attending them so other than clearly the resourcing of it (bandwidth, setting it up, moderating it etc) personally I feel that TMF having a small MINI section would be welcoming and a positive progression.

[Beej123]

My understanding is that the idea is to consider having a small section for MINI, in the same way that totalMINI has a small section for mini, and nothing more. Therefore, it would never be expected to offer the level of knowledge and expertise that totalMINI has on MINI or TMF has on mini.

I have been on totalMINI to see how having a small section for mini works, and it seems to work well. Also while reading some of the posts I began to realise that what a poor impression of some MINI owners have of some mini owners and how some of them have been abused and their cars damaged. The ongoing consequences of this is that some MINI owners, while they are attending Bingley at the end of the month are not coming in their MINIs as they are concerned about leaving them in the car park in case they are damaged.

Now, I am sure and hope that the fears are unfounded, but their fear is real. I would like TMF to be a part of the mini community that is welcoming to MINI owners, while acknowledging that we are a mini forum. This does not mean that we will be full of MINI owners, they have their main forum, but for those of us who already see mini and MINI working together or who have an interest in both MINI and mini this would be welcomed. I believe anyway in which these divisions that have created some bad feeling between the mini and MINI scenes could be closed would be a good idea.

TotalMINI (MINI forum) have a mini section, many or probably most mini shows and events have MINIs attending them so other than clearly the resourcing of it (bandwidth, setting it up, moderating it etc) personally I feel that TMF having a small MINI section would be welcoming and a positive progression.

I totally agree with what you are saying, i was just saying that proper MINI forums would be more helful technically, as there are more owners about.
Could it not be as simple on TMF as to have a rule that if you are posting about a MINI you have to put MINI in the title? Or maybe even have an icon dedicated to MINI related topics?
This would use no more bandwidth or take any more time to do and would mean that if you didnt want to read a MINI topic, you didnt have to, it also means MINI owners dont waste their time looking through mini topics.

Im also aware that the love of the classic mini seems to be like a religion and therefore has it own extremists!
Nobody deserves to have their car damaged in any way regardless of what it is.

They are being punished enough having to drive a MINI around all day JOKE, JUST A JOKE

[Ethel]

I can't help but think if someone is a big enough idiot to damage someone's car because of its branding, then giving it special place on TMF might feed their resentment and make them behave worse.

Our intention is to be MINI friendly & MINI owners should feel welcome to use the forum, just not start topics about their MINI in sections exclusively for sharing information on Minis - Technical & Problems, Styling....



Beej,

That would be great only, from experience, users aren't always good at posting in the right sections and Mini, MINI, Bini, Cooper... aren't used reliably enough to distinguish if someone's talking about the big, new one or the little, old 'un.

[tuktuk]

to be honest ethel if someone has enough hatred in them to damage a car because of its branding they need very specialised help pmsl

some people are just not right in the head these days

if i was to sit and winge on an internet forum about a car, a piece of metal on rolling wheels, designed to get someone from a - b, then i would be seeking that help too

[littlemissmagic]

My understanding is that the idea is to consider having a small section for MINI, in the same way that totalMINI has a small section for mini, and nothing more. Therefore, it would never be expected to offer the level of knowledge and expertise that totalMINI has on MINI or TMF has on mini.

true but it wouldnt be long before the small section for MINI starts to get bigger and bigger until its a joint forum.... then back to all the problems mentioned before (posting in wrong places etc)




oh and i just wanted to point out, i have had my classic mini damaged by a MINI owner so it does work the other way round too. they went out of their way to damage my car and even got under the bonnet (so they must know about classic minis) because he didnt like the fact my mini ran so reliably and wanted to make it look bad, making his BMW MINI look great.
Not all MINI drivers are like that, just a small minority, same as with the classic mini

[hawky443]

Im just new to the forum and understand where you are coming from.
I think the guys on here are great as they know what there talkin about, i have visited many fourms before and none have been up to scratch.

in the TMF rumes it states

The BMW MINI

TMF is BMW MINI tolerant and posts that are in any way offensive towards owners of BMW MINI's will be removed and the forum member will be warned. Continual disregarding of this will result in further action being taken.

TMF however is focused on the Classic Mini, therefore it is appropriate to direct any technical advice on BMW MINI's to a more relevant forum if you cannot answer the question.

I belive that this is a friendly community that would be happy to help though there knowlage is of a diffrent car, witch is no to say wouldnt get good advice if you ask for it.

[Tanya]

My understanding is that the idea is to consider having a small section for MINI, in the same way that totalMINI has a small section for mini, and nothing more. Therefore, it would never be expected to offer the level of knowledge and expertise that totalMINI has on MINI or TMF has on mini.

true but it wouldnt be long before the small section for MINI starts to get bigger and bigger until its a joint forum.... then back to all the problems mentioned before (posting in wrong places etc)

I do not believe that this will be the case as MINI have totalMINI which from what I can see is a friendly, helpful MINI forum. Also, the small mini section on totalMINI has not grown and swamped totalMINI, as there is TMF. For these reasons, I feel that no one need worry about being overrun by MINI.

[oh and i just wanted to point out, i have had my classic mini damaged by a MINI owner so it does work the other way round too. they went out of their way to damage my car and even got under the bonnet (so they must know about classic minis) because he didnt like the fact my mini ran so reliably and wanted to make it look bad, making his BMW MINI look great.
Not all MINI drivers are like that, just a small minority, same as with the classic mini

While I do accept that damage to mini and MINIs can happen both ways, my understanding is that it is more likely to be a from mini owners/enthusiasts to MINI owners/enthusiasts. I think, or though I maybe wrong, that this is rare, however, the concern it causes coupled with the more general anti MINI remarks and comments that a few MINI owners have reported do cause/maintain an unpleasant divide. The type of comment I have heard are along the lines of 'that's not a real Mini so what's that doing here' (said with some venom) and the booing from some of the crowd of MINIs that I witness at last year's Southern Mini Days I think are unnecessary, unpleasant and I believe the mini scene would be better off without them. Anyway, even if it small, that better mini/MINI relations can be promoted I believe would be good.

[Scallywag630]

I do not believe that this will be the case as MINI have totalMINI which from what I can see is a friendly, helpful MINI forum. Also, the small mini section on totalMINI has not grown and swamped totalMINI, as there is TMF. For these reasons, I feel that no one need worry about being overrun by MINI.

I really can't beleive how naive this statement is. No more classic minis are being made, so there is a finite number of ownwers/enthusiasts taking part in any forum, especially a forum that is not geared to their car. On the other hand you have a car that is being mass produced and hence has an increasing number of owners who will,at some point, outnumber the classic owners. If there are so many people wanting a joint forum, why has the one recently formed only attracted 16 members. Let Totalmini do whatever they like....TMF will remain a classic mini forum.

[Tanya]

I do not believe that this will be the case as MINI have totalMINI which from what I can see is a friendly, helpful MINI forum. Also, the small mini section on totalMINI has not grown and swamped totalMINI, as there is TMF. For these reasons, I feel that no one need worry about being overrun by MINI.

I really can't beleive how naive this statement is. No more classic minis are being made, so there is a finite number of ownwers/enthusiasts taking part in any forum, especially a forum that is not geared to their car. On the other hand you have a car that is being mass produced and hence has an increasing number of owners who will,at some point, outnumber the classic owners. If there are so many people wanting a joint forum, why has the one recently formed only attracted 16 members. Let Totalmini do whatever they like....TMF will remain a classic mini forum.

If TMF were to get a small MINI section, the forum would still be overwhelmingly geared to mini, and rightly so. I believe that as numbers of minis inevitably slowly dwindle, the demand for a good mini forum will increase. There is a huge wealth of knowledge and experience within TMF and I believe that if you want a mini question answered quickly or advice and a variety of opinions on anything to do with mini, TMF is your best bet. I fail to see how a small MINI section, that only those who are interested in (mainly for those who are interested in both mini and MINI or who appreciate the positives of the relationship between mini and MINI) would read and post in, would alter that.