Directions For Volvospeed

[Che'_Moderator]

With the server migration complete and everything back to normal it it time once again to sit down and plot a direction for the site. I look to outline a few issues and address a few possibilities in this post. Volvospeed being fairly diverse for it's size faces a large number of concerns on a daily basis. The largest guiding forces are:

The site itself

Building and growing interest in the Volvo brand

Logistical issues

The S60 project car

The Site

From a strictly technical standpoint the site is sound, stable, and running. Content trickles in and we have a growing member base. The question that must be asked and answered periodically is "Is the site better now than it was 6 months ago". If the answer is no than there is a problem somewhere in the chain. Volvospeed has carved a very deep niche for itself. So deep in fact we have almost become a stereo type. With the world changing, new cars coming out, new members coming and going, we too must change and adapt. The moderators can only address technical issues and try to steer you in the direction of change, but the rest lies with you. So do you think the site is better now than it was six months ago? If at least 20 members do not even take the time to read and reply to this I say no.

Building Interest In The Volvo Brand

We all know we do not have the support from vendors or media that a marque like Honda, or BMW would have. We pride ourselves on being unique. This uniqueness is also our bane. Prices on parts are high, support can be low, and information scarce. This is why building the site and it's resources is critical. For continuing success this is a MUST. This means more active forums, greater turn out at shows and more support for the good vendors who do support us.

Logistical Issues

These include everything from funding to content generation. Funding is a major issue that drives several decisions on the board. Operational costs on the server alone are upward of 600 dollars a month after software costs are figured in. Give aways, freebees for the moderators, any type of review, buying cameras, or even just a new piece of software all add to this. This should only concern you in the sense of your content in posts. Before you post something outside of off topic ask yourself is you posts adding anything to the site or only detracting from it. Do not tell new people to search. Help them out. The site is free and paid for. 1 extra post does not cost anything. Lastly support the vendors who support the site. If you look around other forums you will see lots of static banners or sponsored forums from larger companies. These banners and sponsorships cost upwards of thousands per month. Volvospeed does not run these for two major reasons. First and foremost the few companies who approached us had practices in marketing that were un-acceptable to us. We are not going to generate revenue at the cost of being censored. The second reason is the larger companies simply are not stepping up. They are perfectly happy to do group buys where they only take off a token amount for all of your sweat labor and resources all while offering nothing in return. If this is the way you want the site to be run let me know. I am perfectly fine with taking on a few less than trust worthy vendors and using the money for shows and server costs. Volvospeed catering to vendors or catering to you. That is all up to you

The S60 Project Car

Must like the site itself the car is funded by tens of thousands of dollars of my personal money. If I wanted a personal project car the S60 would have been my last pick. I did it as a way of supporting the site and drawing new members. So far it has done a great job of this. Costs are well into the six figure range at this point. Building has stalled while I restructure the site and its revenue agenda. This car is critical is bring creditability to both Volvospeed and all other Volvo tuners.

With all of that hopefully you have a better idea of where we stand. This does not mean you should only come to Volvospeed. You should support all of the forums that support you. Frequent the one that supports you the best and gives back what you think you deserve. In the mean time Volvospeed will cater to whomever offers the most loyalty. In the past it has been the members but the tide is shifting towards vendors in the current trend continues. I hope the silent majority will stand up now and speak their minds.

[TM850R]

I think everything is going well right now. I say keep up the good work Chuck! If this forum wasnt good, I wouldnt be on it 24/7.

[JMK33]

If this forum wasnt good, I wouldnt be on it 24/7.

Same here...i've learned pretty much everything I know about volvos from this site..and I plan on continuing that. Thanks :tup:

[tgill]

.i've learned pretty much everything I know about Volvo's from this site..and I plan on continuing that. Thanks

I have learned a ton from this site and i really appreciate all the hard work put in by everyone.

[theForgottenone]

I do enjoy spending some time on this forum as long all Volvo respect other Volvo models.

I do think VS have the best in term of support, membership and reach to everyone in term of recognizing Volvo brand. And yes, I anticipate to see the final end result of the S60R project. Keep up the good work Chuck

[TM850R]

My only suggestion is for someone to update the FAQ's and Cosmetic Reference pages. Some of the links and threads are non-existant now. It would be nice to have those either cleaned up or redone. I know its a lot of work and thats why I am hesitant to say anything about it. It would look good to new members that are told to read through the FAQ or Resource pages, to have everything updated and clean.

Just a suggestion. I dont want to come off as busting anyones balls here.

[javadoc]

I think it's better than 6mths ago, sure. We are 'typecast' though, and you're right Charles, need more P2 membership and interest. That 'other' site seems to have a strangle-hold on that market, but that can easily change with support for those owners.

[Spoony]

I think the forum has definitley improved since I joined. The one thing that concerns me about volvo credibility are the car shows. A meet isn't considered a car show because it doesn't have the same impact as many people crammed in a venue staring at the cars in perfect presentation. Ben (855R), Doug, Alen, and a few others have attended legitimate shows and some have won trophies. Car shows are a means to get the volvo name out there and represent an under dog company. The problem is that we only seem to compete with saabs and other euros ie carlisle. By attending HIN, Ben was representing volvo among a vast amount of japanese automakers who could possibly strike an interest in creating products.

This leaves me to wonder why there aren't more people submitting their cars into large venues. Most people want to be sponsored but that involves attending a certain amount of car shows (for some companies) and I don't believe many of the members on this board have time for this. I think people on this board have pride for their car when it comes to beating a 350Z on the highway but when it comes to the show- the Z will be there while the Volvo will be somewhere else. If people want more credibilty for their cars, they need to take the responsibilty to prove it to the gearheads. There are hundreds of reasons not to own a volvo but we all own them for the love of the company and the potential in these cars (or we just love the comfort and reliability).

In my opinion, volvospeed is stuck at a point. The S60 project car is an amazing craft of workmanship. The question is: what will the public think when it's released? Will they change their ideas about the stereotypical grocery-getter? Or will they shake their heads in confusion about the platform that was chosen. For volvospeed to survive and grow as a website, it really doesn't matter what we think to a point. We need to attract more members who are willing to learn or share information about these cars. I agree with chuck about the "search" statement. It really isn't helping anybody when one member tells a new member to search when it's almost nearly as helpful to find it for them (because somebody on this board DOES have the time) or just answer them with the appropriate response.

Quite simply, I'm addicted to this site and would hate to see it plummet into corporate sponsorship because I know people have opinions about certain products that have failed on them. With the inability to post these negative experiences, other members would not be capable of warning other members who were interested in said product.

I can't think of anything else to say right now.

[Trunks850R]

i must admit, with as busy as i have been with work these last several months, looking for a new house, trying to sell mine, blah blah blah i havent been able to spend as much time on here as i usually have. This site has saved my ass several times and i have always been grateful for it. without this site i would have blown the motor in my first 850 within the year, instead i put 50,000 miles on it and sold it in better shape than what it was when i bought cause of this site! I always try to get in on group buys when it comes to shirts, hoodies and what not, just to wear out for advertisement. my car has 3 VS stickers on it(2 in each back window and one on the deck lid in place of the Volvo emblem)!

plus when i get bored at night its fun to get in the chat room and talk about stupid stuff after a few drinks!

Doing a fine job chuck, im proud to be a member here

[T-5BattleWagon]

I joined this board for two reasons, I was looking for an 850, and because I have been a Volvo employee in the past, and again am now. I have found all the information I have needed to not only purchase a quality volvo, but also enough information to fix it in a cost effective, non-dealer needing manner. Some people may wonder why someone at a dealership would want to fix it independent of the dealer, I am educating myself on how to work on volvos, which not only includes learning at the shop, but also learning by doing on my own vehicle.

I have found numerous posts on things that have sparked my interest that nobody at the dealership had even thought/ heard of, (LED dash lights), and I am now in the process of converting mine to LED, and it is a cross- make interest generator. People from my Honda classes are interested in the how to of the retro-fit, and even some of the old school hot rodders are interested in the progress.

In the end, I could not have spread "volvo awareness" without this forum, and couldnt even have fixed my own new to me volvo on a budget without this site. This experience has made me realize that I should not only become a supporting member to keep the board alive, but also to keep the board from becoming another corporate controlled means of advertising. I have also put 3 volvospeed.com stickers on my car, to help silently spread the word.

Thanks Chuck and the moderating team. Your help/ time/ effort has been appreciated, and will continue to be.

[Che'_Moderator]

My only suggestion is for someone to update the FAQ's and Cosmetic Reference pages. Some of the links and threads are non-existant now. It would be nice to have those either cleaned up or redone. I know its a lot of work and thats why I am hesitant to say anything about it. It would look good to new members that are told to read through the FAQ or Resource pages, to have everything updated and clean.

Just a suggestion. I dont want to come off as busting anyones balls here.

Here is the short version:

Blah blah blah not organized

Blah blah wiki blah help blah out out please blah

...........................................

[caliwagon]

How does VS now compare with VS six months ago?

Well, it has been just about 6 months since I joined, and I haven't left yet. I'm on my third Volvo now, and my third Volvo forum. VS has been a great asset and encouragement--a great place to give and receive mechanical advice, cosmetic ideas, etc... Sure, you can buy a Haynes to learn to change your brake pads, but not how to install a boost gauge, or something like that.

On the other hand, I've been very disappointed (more lately than ever) with immaturity around here. Granted, a lot of VS members are in High School, or early college. That's fine (heck, I'm only 24), but this is not myspace.com. I could really do without all the gay jokes and random other junk posts and threads. Apparently people are 1) so addicted to VS and 2) have no life, that they feel the need to post their junk here. Myspace is ready and waiting for you. It's fine that we have an Off-Topic forum, but why does it seem that everytime I click "view new posts" I get a majority of threads that have nothing to do with Volvos?

I see that as a major reason why VS will remain limited in building interest in the Volvo brand or attracting members of other forums, or even building a stronger funding base. It also seems to be part of the reason why a number of the more mature, very knowledgeable guys don't post around here anymore. It's sad to me that when I do a search, I come up with lots of expert posts, but so much of the stuff showing up now is just junk.

Sorry for the rant--if you read this far what I've said probably doesn't even apply to you anyway!

[Che'_Moderator]

How does VS now compare with VS six months ago?

Well, it has been just about 6 months since I joined, and I haven't left yet. I'm on my third Volvo now, and my third Volvo forum. VS has been a great asset and encouragement--a great place to give and receive mechanical advice, cosmetic ideas, etc... Sure, you can buy a Haynes to learn to change your brake pads, but not how to install a boost gauge, or something like that.

On the other hand, I've been very disappointed (more lately than ever) with immaturity around here. Granted, a lot of VS members are in High School, or early college. That's fine (heck, I'm only 24), but this is not myspace.com. I could really do without all the gay jokes and random other junk posts and threads. Apparently people are 1) so addicted to VS and 2) have no life, that they feel the need to post their junk here. Myspace is ready and waiting for you. It's fine that we have an Off-Topic forum, but why does it seem that everytime I click "view new posts" I get a majority of threads that have nothing to do with Volvos?

I see that as a major reason why VS will remain limited in building interest in the Volvo brand or attracting members of other forums, or even building a stronger funding base. It also seems to be part of the reason why a number of the more mature, very knowledgeable guys don't post around here anymore. It's sad to me that when I do a search, I come up with lots of expert posts, but so much of the stuff showing up now is just junk.

Sorry for the rant--if you read this far what I've said probably doesn't even apply to you anyway!

Thats 9 years compressed into a few pages. Any given time we have at least 10 people really up on their stuff

[64pvolvo1800]

Chuck, I for one appreciate what you have done with this site. I have used the Bay 13 reference materials repeatedly and I've found help ful information in many threads as well. I am not a hgih school or college kid anymore....almost 48 years old now and I'm not really looking at tricking my T5 or my NA out, (can I put a turbo on it by wth way?!) JK. But, I still enjoy seeing what the tricksters are doing with theirs. I'm a Volvo fan from many years ago and have owned quite a few adn have never been Volvo-less since the purchase of my first.

I have been a member for I guess around 6-9 months/? I don't keep track, but when my renewal time comes I plan on buying alifetime if you offer it. Matter of fact, I'll renew it right now for a lifetime as a show of support for what you have done and are doing with the upgrades and such. Let me know how to make that happen please.

I agree with your preference not to go with demanding sponsors who will surely control or pressure you to control the content of the site. I think the membership should support the site and everyone who has gotten some benefit should give back in order to keep it coming. After all, we keep what we have by giving it away! Some of you may understand this statement and some may not.

I confess I have not followed or become informed about the project S60, but I will make the effort to read up on it and get a better understanding.

Again, THANKS CHUCK.

Keep up the good work.

PS I would gladly display three VS stickers on each of my three Volvo's and my Dodge truck, for a total of twelve if they are still available. I already leave notes on Volvo's in parking lots when they look like the owner takes pride in them or tricks them out. I haven't had anyone contact me saying they took the lead yet though.

[Che'_Moderator]

Chuck, I for one appreciate what you have done with this site. I have used the Bay 13 reference materials repeatedly and I've found help ful information in many threads as well. I am not a hgih school or college kid anymore....almost 48 years old now and I'm not really looking at tricking my T5 or my NA out, (can I put a turbo on it by wth way?!) JK. But, I still enjoy seeing what the tricksters are doing with theirs. I'm a Volvo fan from many years ago and have owned quite a few adn have never been Volvo-less since the purchase of my first.

I have been a member for I guess around 6-9 months/? I don't keep track, but when my renewal time comes I plan on buying alifetime if you offer it. Matter of fact, I'll renew it right now for a lifetime as a show of support for what you have done and are doing with the upgrades and such. Let me know how to make that happen please.

I agree with your preference not to go with demanding sponsors who will surely control or pressure you to control the content of the site. I think the membership should support the site and everyone who has gotten some benefit should give back in order to keep it coming. After all, we keep what we have by giving it away! Some of you may understand this statement and some may not.

I confess I have not followed or become informed about the project S60, but I will make the effort to read up on it and get a better understanding.

Again, THANKS CHUCK.

Keep up the good work.

PS I would gladly display three VS stickers on each of my three Volvo's and my Dodge truck, for a total of twelve if they are still available. I already leave notes on Volvo's in parking lots when they look like the owner takes pride in them or tricks them out. I haven't had anyone contact me saying they took the lead yet though.

Thank you for the feedback. We are some what focused on more tech articles right now. By we I mean mostly MrWinky. As for stickers you would have to ask Greg. I do not handle any sales of shirts or anything.