Announcement! Michigan FBody and the Future

[meissen]

12 years ago when I started the site I was overwhelmed with how quickly the site took off. We had the first Meet & Greet BBQ just to get to know eachother and that too exponentially grew to being one of the biggest FBody shows in the area. I don't know if it was just the birth of my son, the changing of the car scene or what but lately my passion just isn't what it used to be. As most of you can probably notice, I'm not on the site much - usually only on Facebook - and even this year I haven't been out to Woodward once. I guess my priorities are just changing and I haven't taken the time to put a lot of energy in posting on the site. Over the past year the site's activity has really dropped significantly, and I think everyone can see the writing on the wall where this post is going.

This year's Meet & Greet will be a litmus test for me to see where my head really is at. But what it really boils down to is that I am considering shutting the site down at the end of this year. Maybe it's the death of MiFBody, maybe MiFBody moves to Facebook, maybe I just leave the forum going and the site limps along until new life gets breathed into the site again. I'm not really sure what I want to do. Michigan FBody has been the one thing I've been the most proud of (aside from my children, of course lol), and the site and the friends and family I've gained along the way really do mean everything to me.

So I guess what I'm saying/asking is keep the activity going - I know we have a ton of people lurking on the site - post. Reply to threads, even if it's just randomness in the Daily Chit Chat thread. I'm going to try to do my part and post more on the site and I hope we can breathe new life into the site and keep it going.

[farmington]

[Atrus]

I agree, Brian, that it's gotten a little stale. I've seen this happen on other forums I have frequented over the years. My advice is to let it ride, and see what happens - things may perk up a bit soon. Seems activity does tend to ebb and flow and have a lifecycle.

Additionally, you have a lot of competing priorities now, and you shoulder most of the burden of the site and events. Perhaps have a board of very active folks who have the bandwith and desire to help that you can delegate tasks to. No reason you need to plan out/set up every aspect of every event. For example, someone could be assembling trophies.

I used to be very active in some other clubs/associations, but life gets busy. Between the kids, work, family, and house chores and whatnot, I just can't contribute much time to MiFbody. I enjoy interacting on the forum....I've only been out to WW once or twice, never been to a M&G. I hope that can change in the future, because my SS is here to stay for sentimental purposes. I just can't put a whole lot else on my plate now or in the immediate future, and I think you're feeling the same way.

[ktl711]

I don't think MiFBody is dead by a long shot, but it does have to change along with the members of its community.

Facebook is fine for a more immediate connection, but it's bad for archiving data like how to replace light bulbs in your 4th Gen radio, project threads, etc. In that regard, it's not much better than the old Shoutbox. Maybe you could maintain the legacy site as a library for the reference materials, and then all chit chat goes over to FB?

[DynoDave]

As Atrus mentions, I too have seen this slow down on other forums. I own a Dodge Charger forum, and it's a lot slower than it used to be. And it was NEVER super busy....and that's OK. Those of us who enjoy it, enjoy it as is. There's not minimum.

It seems like a lot of you "younger" guys are getting to an age where your time for the hobby is changing. It happens. And as also mentioned above, don't ever feel you have to do it all yourself.

[MP81]

Definitely agreed with the above, especially in the past few years. I've watched many forums wane, and then come back. The main Cobalt forum I am on (and a "SuperMod" on) really took a hit when Autoguide bought the site and lost probably 90% of the active members. We don't have too many active members now - but the few we do post many times on a daily basis - and if new members sign up looking for help with an issue they're having, we're there to answer. Worth it, IMO.

I'd say even if activity isn't nearly what it used to be, it's still here (albeit smaller) and to deny that would be unfortunate.

[farmington]

I noticed a huge drop off in posting when the new update came in

[MP81]

I noticed a huge drop off in posting when the new update came in

Definitely - though this is odd, because, while different, it's not like it makes posting impossible...

[Jdseibe]

I have some ideas for the site that could help with stuff, typically a good practice is that if something isn't used it should be stripped away, and the things that are used the most should be promoted, there are some sections on the site that haven't been posted in for years, integration with social media is huge too, if you decide to keep the site going, I'd love to help out with some stuff.

[white96TA]

I have some ideas for the site that could help with stuff, typically a good practice is that if something isn't used it should be stripped away, and the things that are used the most should be promoted, there are some sections on the site that haven't been posted in for years, integration with social media is huge too, if you decide to keep the site going, I'd love to help out with some stuff.

Agreed, especially remove clutter on the main page. Too many modules and scrolling. Keep to the basics, popular categories organized as such and an events section. This lends itself to less maintenance and less archaic information which is missed when updating.

For example the main page welcome message before logging in "With the birth of the 2010 Camaro, we expect well over our 250 vehicle count from 2009." . A simple welcome to mifbody could suffice.

[meissen]

Agreed, especially remove clutter on the main page. Too many modules and scrolling. Keep to the basics, popular categories organized as such and an events section. This lends itself to less maintenance and less archaic information which is missed when updating.

For example the main page welcome message before logging in "With the birth of the 2010 Camaro, we expect well over our 250 vehicle count from 2009." . A simple welcome to mifbody could suffice.

Haha I didn't even know that existed - It's definitely long over due for a revamp. Maybe during July shutdown when I'm off for 2 weeks I can sit down and really go through the site with a fine toothpick.

[landstuhltaylor]

I personally don't like the switch to the latest forum software and it kept me away for quite a while. Seems I wasn't alone in that so by the time I started checking it again there was very little traffic.

[sman]

I think we all understand how you feel and where you are coming from.... But we all want to see it stay up and the M&G keep going. Its the show I look forward to most every year!

Maybe find some people you can trust to help out with the site and M&G to take some of the load off of you guys. Its a lot for just you and the fam to handle. I dont think anyone here would have a problem taking care of stuff if asked (myself included).

Also, is any of this cost related? Not sure what server/hosting costs are.... Again, we are here to help!

[Jdseibe]

Personally, this is what I would do.

strip down the forum to the bare minimum, combine things that can be combined. i think the shoutbox is a neat idea, but seems to be rarely used.

put the focus of the site more like a large car club than a message board, so you would put more info out there for meetups, events, etc. take away all the little things on the site that don't do so well in this format and maybe offload those to the facebook page (contests, promotions, etc).

I think having the project section is a must, and should be brought front and center, it would be neat to come to the home page and of the site and see recent project car updates and a cool visual format to bring people in to read the threads.

I have a ton of ideas that I would like to potentially discuss, im also a pretty handy web developer if you needed/wanted help implementing anything.

[DRYSUMP]

Regardless of what the final decision is, Mifbody has had a fantastic run. Even more so when you consider the life of other forums which have came and gone over the years. The Mifbody crew will always stay strong whether its here, on facebook, the occasional woodward meet, or other car shows. You helped shape, define and build a community of fellow enthusiasts which has grown into a family. I will be forever grateful for the friendships I have made, and the knowledge I have gained through this site. You have always done an outstanding job B, so no matter what, hats off to you sir and a very heartfelt thank you as well!