I've tried over the last year to start topics (non BREXIT) and so has some others. But there's not much posting by the regulars.
And when we have topics that some return to the funny postings (like the joking in act AdBlue v Oil) thread we get Pat post a staid response to tell us all what AdBlue really is. Yes we know but we wanted some banter.
So should we all be thinking this forum is dead? No new members and the old ones cannot be a***d making new threads or contributing to new threads?
There are many posters on here (e.g Pat) that don't create new threads very often*.
* Yes there was the appeal one which I am assuming all on here local to the chap in need ignored the request for help. I hope he's sorted Pat.
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>> And when we have topics that some return to the funny postings (like the joking
>> in act AdBlue v Oil) thread we get Pat post a staid response to tell
>> us all what AdBlue really is. Yes we know but we wanted some banter.<<
Sorry, I was trying to helpful because there are so many people who actually believe it is pigs wee. #misunderstoodagain
>>
>> So should we all be thinking this forum is dead? No new members and the
>> old ones cannot be a***d making new threads or contributing to new threads?
>>
You know my feelings on that, look after the old ones and the new ones will follow.
>> There are many posters on here (e.g Pat) that don't create new threads very often*.<<
So, I'm mentioned twice in this post as being at fault for something? Is that likely to encourage me to start new threads?
I actually made a long post on the broadband thread last week comparing price v service but no-one responded preferring to comment on the *other* thread that was extremely popular at the time.
>> * Yes there was the appeal one which I am assuming all on here local
>> to the chap in need ignored the request for help. I hope he's sorted Pat.
>>
He is sorted, and help was offered from posters on here via email, which I was very grateful for.
Please don't criticise if I don't respond immediately, we are just dashing up to York hospital after a phone call to say Ian's Dad has had a stroke. I suspect car4play won't be uppermost in my list of priorities for the next few days.
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Thu 5 Apr 18 at 02:52
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I would be quite sad if this site did expire. New posters would be nice, but when I read various other sites (not necessarily motoring) and read some of the none sense (and worse) posted I’m not too sure that we’re missing much.
Happy Thursday, MD.
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I hope Ian's dad is okay Pat. All the best.
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How's Ian's dad doing now Pat? Okay I hope.
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He's doing well thanks rtj. We're back up to Scarborough this weekend to give Ian's sister (who also lives in Scarborough) a weekend off from looking after them as his Mum has MS too.
Hope to get up there on Friday night after Ian get's home. Just hope he goes to sleep while I drive the V90 so he can't see the speedo or MPG:)
Pat
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I'd like to throw something into the mix.
Up to three years ago, I had no smartphone and was reliant on a laptop, which made it easy to browse the site and comment. These days, while the browsing is OK, I don't often post because the site is not smartphone-friendly for posting. Yes, I know there are ways round and yes, I'm sure a lot of people do it, but the faffing around really puts me off unless I have a real point I want to make.
Is it more than a coincidence then, that the increase in use of smartphones as a main device, and the non-friendliness of the site for posting, are linked?
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>> Is it more than a coincidence then, that the increase in use of smartphones as
>> a main device, and the non-friendliness of the site for posting, are linked?
This info any good? Granted it's from a few years ago, but RSS feeds are still available.
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=90
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>> Up to three years ago, I had no smartphone and was reliant on a laptop,
>> which made it easy to browse the site and comment. These days, while the browsing
>> is OK, I don't often post because the site is not smartphone-friendly for posting. Yes,
>> I know there are ways round and yes, I'm sure a lot of people do
>> it, but the faffing around really puts me off unless I have a real point
>> I want to make.
Same for me as well. To be fair to C4P , the same applies to internet browsing generally, which is a miserable experience on most websites using smartphone browsers. It's one of the reasons that al the big websites (Amazon, eBay, Facebook, YouTube etc) provide dedicated smartphone apps that give a decent user experience, rather than try to make their sites work on both desktop and mobile platforms.
There is a third party Android and iOS app called Tapatalk that lets you read and post across multiple forums from one app. The interface is lovely, and it's really user friendly, with posts displayed properly, and new posts being a doddle to make through a nicely laid out form that is the proper size for the screen, and is easy to navigate.
The problem is that is only supports certain forum platforms, and C4Ps isn't one of them.
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>> There is a third party Android and iOS app called Tapatalk
Shame they gave it such a naff name.
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It's not a very good app. Not on Android at least.
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>> It's not a very good app. Not on Android at least.
What issues have you experienced? I have been using it for the past couple of years or so for Babybmw.net, ffoc and a couple of other forums and it works really well for me. The ads are a minor irritation, but otherwise I can't really fault it.
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Tapatalk works just fine for me. Though it is indeed a dumb name.
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>> Is it more than a coincidence then, that the increase in use of smartphones as
>> a main device, and the non-friendliness of the site for posting, are linked?
That's probably what stops it growing - I browse on a phone sometimes but it's too difficult to make any but the shortest post or reply even with a reasonably large screen. It's only because I use a laptop at some point every day that I post anything longer.
However, quite a few recently have been effectively driven away. There are some people on some topics who should just be ignored.
Other missing posters have possibly died.
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I don't think that the forum is dead just that it's very small and getting smaller. So you only need a few people to have a quiet period and it goes quiet on here, plus most topics have been covered before meaning you know some of replies before they even come.
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And now the end is near,
We’ve been up every single byway,
But Pat says we’d all still be here,
If we had only done it “my wayâ€
Apologies to FS
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Whatever happened to Meldrew (misnamed, as he never exhibited grumpiness)? Or Armel Coussine who, in Dr. Johnson's term, was clubbable, a bloke's bloke?
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You'll struggle to find a bunch with a broader spread of knowledge than the regulars on this site.
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Agreed especially in such a small group we do have a wide spread. Compare it say PH where the poster numbers are huge but a lot are very samey when it comes to background and views.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Thu 5 Apr 18 at 18:46
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>> Compare it say PH
Porn Hub?
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>> >> Compare it say PH
>>
>> Porn Hub?
>>
Pistonheads, a popular internet based chat forum m'lud ;-)
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People move on or can't be bothered to become involved.
Some post have plenty of readers so don't be shy and write up.
Had an interesting afternoon talking to an old boy of 82 working on his sailing yacht.He still sails on his own to the continent and has a son working for Tom Tom in Amsterdam.
Nice boat 50 years old looked seaworthy.Love to go with him once if the missus lets me.
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"an old boy of 82 working on his sailing yacht. He still sails on his own to the continent"
To the incontinent more like.
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>> You'll struggle to find a bunch with a broader spread
too many pies and beer I guess.
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>>But Pat says we’d all still be here,
If we had only done it “my wayâ€
<,
Well, the other way hasn't worked so who knows?
Perhaps you should have listened to me all the time:)
Pat
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>> Well, the other way hasn't worked so who knows?
>>
>> Perhaps you should have listened to me all the time:)
Pats given up and got a new past time, passed her today
www.facebook.com/PATSBAPS/
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I read C4P most days but the lack of a mobile version and the fact the cars have become more of a commodity means the number of posts has reduced or certainly the interest in them. If the site were more mobile friendly then i think that will increase its appeal.
Also extend the groups to maybe include classics talk. This is being taken over by Facebook.
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The problem with FB seems to be that people post mainly utter drivel. Not sure why it is.
I only started using it because another forum I used migrated there.
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And now they've sold your personal details or simply given them away.
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Plus monitoring every word sent by their Messaging app.
Creepy.
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However creepy you think it is Roger, let me assure you it is more.
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>> And now they've sold your personal details or simply given them away.
They haven't done either. In fact they've bought more.
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..............and Zuckerberg's politics being of the American Democrat "luvvie/ liberal/ left type, means that so-called right wing groups are quickly shut down. The same happens on Twitter, I understand, although I do not use it, so that's a very much apocryphal opinion.
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>> ..............and Zuckerberg's politics being of the American Democrat "luvvie/ liberal/ left type, means that so-called
>> right wing groups are quickly shut down. The same happens on Twitter, I understand, although
>> I do not use it, so that's a very much apocryphal opinion.
>>
Your statement about Zuckerberg and the shutting down of right wing groups on Facebook is demonstrably untrue.
You will find pages on there for the National Front, the BNP, the NRA and various other right wing groups. Britain First got themselves banned when their leaders were sent down for religiously aggravated harrassment. Nothing to do with Facebook.
Some of the most inane right wing drivel I've read anywhere has been on Facebook.
For clarity, I have no tolerance for political extremism of any kind. Far left groups are just as odious.
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>> ..............and Zuckerberg's politics being of the American Democrat "luvvie/ liberal/ left type, means that so-called
>> right wing groups are quickly shut down.
I think our very own C4P right wing group has just displayed its paranoia again. Not to mention ignorance of global matters. Facebook and twitter was instrumental in electing the very non "luvvie/ liberal/ left type Donald Trump.
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I know websites can be a pita displaying on mobile due to size, but I have 4 business sites administered by a friend and they all work across all platforms, mobile, laptop and I pad.
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Good point about using this site on a mobile, it's not great. I only use my phone for browsing on here. I can't remember the last time I used a laptop to look on here.
How about everybody else?
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Khoosys should have all the statistics available as what Browsers are using the system. How many accesses etc - but I suspect he will not publish the actual figures, but maybe prepared to give % indications.
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Missed the edit, I think the last time I had a PC at home was about 15 years ago.
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I have occasionally used my mobile on here but it's a lot of faff, so mostly use my tablet or desktop. Depends whether I'm in bed, or up and about.
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Nearly solely desktop for me. That will change in the coming months.
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>> Nearly solely desktop for me.
Same here, or rather mix of desktop and laptop. Unlikely to change in foreseeable future.
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Lap top, desk top, slab pad & Mobile.
Hey there is a film title in there somewhere.
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So thats a combo of Win 7, Win 10, Mac OS Sierra, Android Ice cream Sandwich & Android Nougat
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Oldish MacBook for me, doesn't like sites with loads of graphics, PIA but I'm not upgrading soon, only view using my mobile when I'm out (text boxes can be an issue).
I avoid iPads at all costs, never got on with touch screens and the quirky way iPads work.
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Desktop only, I never use the phone for internet apart from emails and the occasional look at Youtube.
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I wonder how PC sales will hold up to householders in the future? Will many 20 somethings buy one in the future?
I can't see us buying one, bit big, nowhere really to put it. Although I've no work to bring home, i guess those and homeworkers would have different needs.
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I am a technical dabbler and like (and sometimes need) the extra power of the desktop, and better flexibility of a screen, keyboard and mouse.
As a legacy from being a fully fledged homeworker (as opposed to intermittent) I have a proper office setup with office desk, comfy office chair, all the connectivity and power I could ever realistically need, and suitable lighting. So I tend to browse much more at the PC than on mobile devices by choice.
I also have a small footprint PC in the TV cabinet, with wireless keyboard with integral mouse-pad, for times when SWMBO and I want to browse jointly (e.g. holiday planning) or watch media (e.g. holiday pics). The TV is a smart TV with internet etc but using the internet is clumsy. Through the soundbar, the PC is also used to provide the music for our now-traditional New Year's Ever party - managed remotely using Teamviewer.
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>> I am a technical dabbler and like (and sometimes need) the extra power of the
>> desktop, and better flexibility of a screen, keyboard and mouse.
That's another reason to have one if your interested in computers. I can't say I have ever been interested in them, just that they work.
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I doubt that many people now have a Desktop anyway. Sales to the home market have been in decline for years An iPad or similar plus a phone is adequate for most things. I still have an Apple desktop machine, mainly for photo editing but it’s not a necessity.
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I'm still using a Dell desktop, could get away with a laptop if I had one , but anything less than a 15.6 screen is definitely out!
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>> And now they've sold your personal details or simply given them away.>>
It's gone on for years - why do you think, for example, Tesco and other supermarkets brought out loyalty cards?
They provide all the information needed by them to ascertain your shopping habits and purchases, just as other organisations gather data by similar methods.
Google has similar techniques to Facebook for sweeping up personal data on people and qually use it to their (financial) advertising advantages.
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You're being a bit naive there.
Tesco does have a lot of info on customers who use the Clubcard scheme. But Facebook users have let them collect a lot more information by far. So Tesco might know I bought something, Facebook users often let them access all emails, contacts, texts, and websites visited.
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Don't really see where he's being naive.
Ok it's got more extensive and detailed, but Tesco have indeed been at it for years.
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>> I read C4P most days
>>
>> Also extend the groups to maybe include classics talk.
>>
I agree with both points.
I can't really see the point in talking about modern cars. Even to people who like them there's nothing much to say. They work well, do their job, but are boring. That's it.
But the topics that ought to work are
Motoring - rules, driving, penalties, insurance, navigation, etc
Classics - for those that like them
General discussion, household problems, advice, DIy etc - it works well on this forum, much better and in a more friendly way than any other forum I know.
I think politics should be banned here. General discussion about the political scene and the workings of parliament might be OK in moderation, but no party politics.
there should be more active moderation, intervention by the mods to delete posts or issue warnings.
It would be a great shame if C4P folded. We need more members - there must be more than 20 intelligent interesting knowledgeable people in Britain, surely?
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C4P works fine on my cell phone. That's usually how I read it, because typically I'm out and about a lot.
Since there are essentially no topics here which cannot be discussed, then surely one can assume that if they are not being discussed, then there is no call for it?
I see no reason why any subject should be banned. Reading each and every thread is not compulsory. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple enough, surely?
And mostly the moderators do a good job of keeping stuff in the right thread. Though I recall in the past that policy has been criticised as well.
Moderators have no chance. Whatever they do there will always be those who think they should do more. Or less. There is no point in moderating the way one customer wants you to, because there'll be another who hates it.
In the end, they are volunteers and doing it for no better reason than they want to. So I believe they should do it the way they want. If that doesn't work, then it typically resolves itself one way or the other.
The skill in moderation is when the owner chooses them either because he thinks they will be a good fit, or because he has few alternatives. Telling them how to moderate is too late and in any case doesn't work.
If you want new readers then think why would they come? And it's nothing to do with arguments, or whining, or any of the rest of that often cited s***. It's because it is a clique of people who all know each other and each other's opinions on virtually anything talking about a very limited subject area. The very thing which we have made it, which presumably means how we want it to be, is the very thing that stops it growing.
If it did grow, which it won't, but if it did it would not be C4P. And we come here because it is C4P.
For me;
The moderators have got it about right, even when they pass me off.
Stephen has a good understanding of what this is and a realistic view of what it can be.
The users should just get on with it.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 8 Apr 18 at 18:47
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>>
>> If you want new readers then think why would they come?
If you want new readers? Where are they going to come from?
Many of us were solicited back in the very early days when HJ was down. If you didn't know of the existence of C4P, how would you find out?
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And I'm guessing that the moment when HJ was down was the high spot of the membership here.
It started only because of the unavailability of something else. Since that "something else" returned the membership of C4P has only gone down.
There's an important message there; C4P has no attraction to anybody who isn't already here. And it never has.
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The only question really is how long can the forum last. We are down to about 20 regular posters now s not so long I guess.
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Is there any reason 20 odd posters won't keep posting for some time to come?
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Exactly my thoughts..
Go on HJ and count how many regulars they have (a few post here as well), I bet there are less than 20!
What they have are the high number of one time question askers who never post a second time or where they have spam posters clogging up the current page.
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It would be interesting to plot the number of active posters on a graph and extrapolate it's decline.
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>>
>> I see no reason why any subject should be banned. Reading each and every thread
>> is not compulsory. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple enough, surely?
>>
Just that politics seems to cause dissension and we were told lead to numbers of members leaving. There was a thread some time ago examining why people had left, and one reason was the bad temper and rudeness shown by some posters in political arguments.
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It just might be that, like so many websites, C4P has its share of those who feel superior to others and regard sarcasm or contempt as being acceptable when responding to others' comments or advice?
I don't believe C4P is on its last legs and sincerely hope that it isn't, but let's have some banter and some genuine input into trying to help others, even though that might occasionally be a little off the mark.
We can only drawn on our own life experiences when helping - or trying to help - others...!
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>> let's have some banter and some genuine input into trying to help others
Which is what's missing. Banter can be fun (part of the thread drifts we're accustomed to) but also we need new threads.
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>>Banter can be fun (part of the thread drifts we're accustomed to) but also we need new threads.>>
Fully agree. Such banter, of the type for instance a group of us who follow different football clubs enjoy on a Friday night over a pint, is far different to the type I mentioned earlier....:-)
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I'm struck by the often high ratio between views and posts. 6 posts and 200 views can't be just 20 people repeatedly coming back to look at the same thing?
I started a thread recently and before it had received any posts it had accumulated 19 views.
Was that really just the entire membership of C4P?
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>> 6 posts and 200 views can't be just 20 people repeatedly coming back to look at the same thing?
I wouldn't think so. Probably a lot of people who don't wish to join this or any other forum, but like having a gander. I seem to remember looking in at the old place for a good year or so before I eventually joined.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Fri 13 Apr 18 at 09:45
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Well, that's good then? It's not a closed society, somehow or other other people do view it, so there is a potential market there?
We just have to try and pep up the things that attract and tone down those that might put people off.
Always be polite and welcoming to browsers, because they might come back another day, or tell their friends.
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>> I'm struck by the often high ratio between views and posts. 6 posts and 200
>> views can't be just 20 people repeatedly coming back to look at the same thing?
I'd say that's pretty much the same as every other forum, views to posts.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Fri 13 Apr 18 at 12:21
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>>>I'm struck by the often high ratio between views and posts. 6 posts and 200 views can't be just 20 people repeatedly coming back to look at the same thing?
Me too. I'd pondered on putting an update report on my now 16yr old 5-series which is still serving well. I thought no-one really replies much to stuff on running such an old vehicle so perhaps no point.
But I looked back almost 3yrs ago when I last reported on it and despite only 4 members on here replying to the thread over 1000 views since then... who are those people??
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I guess there must be automated crawlers and stuff indexing the site for searches (e.g. Google). Didn't Stephen say he'd stopped this recently though?
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Surely that mean that lots of searches are finding C4P?
That's a good thing isn't it, more potential customers? I thought we wanted them.
Like advertising for a lighthouse keeper - most of the applicants will be mad or deluded, but one might just be the one you want.
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>>>Like advertising for a lighthouse keeper - most of the applicants will be mad or deluded, but one might just be the one you want.<<<
Surely the reverse is true here? The mad and deluded would fit in rather well?
Steven could answer the question as to whether the figure for 'reads' are genuine, or if it counts robots indexing the site. I guess that robots do not count towatrds advertising hits. (And that has just reminded me to exclude this site from reinstalled AdBlocker!)
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Please update us Fenlander. I will be one of the thousand who appreciate the effort you will have gone to.
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I'd be interested in what diagnostic kit you use for sure
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OK yep I'll post later re the BMW... which in truth is a tribute to the brand to be rust free, reliable, a smooth drive and with everything working at 16yrs old. Never expected when we bought it that we'd be happily taking it into a 5th year.
Anyway later... just off in the CLK to the posh end of Aldi car park for the week's shop!
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Silly question... so does it record every time I view a thread or only the first time I read it?
I will go back to check for new replies all the time, if it's monitoring unique users then that's a good number.
But then the view number goes up by one even if I check my own thread!
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It will record every time you view the thread.
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>> It will record every time you view the thread.
>>
So I can try and convince people that my threads must be really interesting by doing lots of dummy viewings?
Not too many of course, because 100 viewings but no replies might suggest it really was boring.
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>>> 100 viewings but no replies might suggest it really was boring.
Niche perhaps... but never boring Cliff... well that's what I tell myself.
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>>
>> Niche perhaps... but never boring Cliff...
>>
I'll save that for my Who's Who entry or obituary. :)
An old work colleague was once given a staff appraisal report saying "He is in the fortunate position of being a square peg in a square hole".
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>>He is in the fortunate position of being a square peg in a square hole.
I must remember that, exactly describes how I feel about my current work
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I once told my boss that I felt like a square peg in a round hole.
The reply was "Keep doing what you are doing. The hole's the wrong shape".
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>>because 100 viewings but no replies might suggest it really was boring.
Simply that nobody had replied, not that it wasn't interesting.
The fact that you got 100 views with no replies actually suggests quite the opposite. That's probably 100 people who read it and were interested in your note, rather than curious about replies.
If you divide the number of views by the number of replies, that's probably a closer representation of the actual number of people interested. Still not accurate, of course. But probably closer.
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>>
>> Simply that nobody had replied, not that it wasn't interesting.
>>
>
I wasn't trying to claim anything about the interest or not, just making the point that the 100 views must presumably be different people - no one would keep coming back to a thread to which no one had replied.
ie C4P must be attracting more attention than just from the 20 members it allegedly has.
BTW the square peg saying is actually an analogy for a rather good fit, not a poor one.
The joints holding the apexes of the principal rafters in our cottage are ancient square pegs hammered into round holes. Pegs are traditionally made of square section wood, taped at one end down to 8 flats. A round peg would be a weak point - a square peg stays tight.
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>> I wasn't trying to claim anything about the interest or not,
"because 100 viewings but no replies might suggest it really was boring. "
Mmmm.
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>> posh end of Aldi car park
I can assure you there isnt one. Unlike Lidl
youtu.be/SYC-U-w41E8
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 14 Apr 18 at 20:56
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Re the Aldi car park.
We shop on a Friday night 80%+ at Aldi. Usually Mrs F's CLK is the car we take. It genuinely hasn't one mark or door ding and while it remains that way she's quite precious where it gets parked.
So at Aldi we go down the end where the shiny Mercedes, BMWs & new Hondas etc go. There seems a common unspoken logic that parking a decent car next to a decent car minimises risk... which has worked so far.
I don't worry about my 5-series and will park it anywhere... weirdly that's hardly gained a mark which of course rather overturns my aforementioned theory.
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I often shop at my local Aldi @ 8 AM when you are actually able to enjoy a chat with the pleasant cashier. Home in time for a bowl of porridge or blueberry pancake, a few gym hours and afternoon walk before ‘early doors’.
The car park park is normally very quiet at that time. The downside of a nice motor are the limitations on where to park it ....I no longer drive to Bradford for a curry and cinema viewing, or Keighley for that matter, it’s the train to Leeds.
Shame really, Bradford needs all the help it can get. Some misdirected Tomahawk missiles could improve matters.
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The Media museum is nice in Bradford we enjoyed our afternoon there.Like so many British towns there are some beautiful buildings all they need is a clean up for the better.
Hull has improved over the years.The Humber Bridge is used more after the Tolls were reduced.That took many years of deciding far too long.The chap in charge of the board was very arrogant when he used to appear on the television when he was questioned about the tolls.
We have too many committee meetings about so many subjects and it often takes years to get things done.
We are still waiting for our Castle Steet upgrade the main artery in and out of Hull.
Never mind I might just see it before I pop my clogs.
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The end of C4P? - Pat
