Proposal for a "World Wheeling" Forum

[Eagle]

I've had a couple of PMs from one of the NAC members who, like me, is more interested in setting up his XJ (only one, poor deprived lad :tear: ) for long-range excursion duty rather than super hard-core boulder bouncing. He asked if it might be possible to set up an area where our members (and friends) in other countries can post pictures and write-ups of wheeling trips and conditions in their respective home countries. As he points out, the current pictures forum is more aimed at "glam" and flex shots of individual rigs.

I like the idea -- any chance we could make it happen? Here's his second message to me:

Well, the way I saw it, the picture section is for rigs. Kinda says that in the description. I was thinking more of a "World Wheelin" section. Post your pics of the rig in the other section, this is for showing the rest of the world what is available in your area and what you and your buddies do. Let us see what you saw. Show us what it's like to wheel in Greece or Norway or the Phillipines. We're a big family here, let's hear and see from all the other parts. Maybe the hardcore rock guys won't care for it much, as I don't imagine there is a lot of that spread around the world. Not all of us like to go out and break parts. We like to use our Jeeps to get places and see things that we may not have normally gotten to see in the time frame we have. Maybe we should
post a poll asking what is thought of the idea? ...

marshall

 

[F. F.]

It could be a good idea.
However, the perception that the current Picture Showcase forum is all "flex and glam" may be because nobody posts other stuff?

One thing though, if it was to share "exursion" type stuff and images, setting it up like the Picture Showcase forum would not be good. The images are deleted at ~30 days age or so in order to keep the forum database from bloating with pictures. The sort of use you have in mind is not suited to periodic purging, as the information is valid longer term.

A forum catagory like you suggest is worth a shot, but I would say folks need to link the images, rather than attach them. That keeps things managable on this end, while allowing for good post retention.

 

[Eagle]

A forum catagory like you suggest is worth a shot, but I would say folks need to link the images, rather than attach them. That keeps things managable on this end, while allowing for good post retention.

I don't think a linking requirement would be a drawback at all. Does this require BOD blessing to move forward, or can we just give it a shot? Do we want some kind of guidelines, so we don't get a lot of "My afternoon with the guys in the mudpit down the road" kind of stuff?

 

[sidriptide]

i second that notion of a new forum category... i already post my trail ride pics online.. but its usually in the chapter page... a link and short narrative would be great for drawing interest for your own "backyard" as well as a place to find your next destination.... whats wrong with "the mud pit down the road" eagle?? action pics are action pics IMHO

mike

 

[XJguy]

+ international members and info = IXJA (International XJ Association or Intercontinental XJ Association)

XJguy

 

[Glenn B]

+ international members and info = IXJA (International XJ Association or Intercontinental XJ Association)

XJguy

I doubt is going to change the name anytime soon. We have, and continue to have Internation participation in the forums and on the trail.

 

[Grizzley]

I guess I should put my 2 cents into here as I'm the one that started this back channel.

My idea is to have a place where we could post links to "trip" reports/pics that we've participated in, in our area of the world. I realize there is no way that the server could handle pics being uploaded on to it. Links would do fine. One of the Mods would have to contact members whose links fail after a time to keep it clean, but I can't imagine how much other babysitting it would need.

Don't we want to see what it's like to wheel in Greece, Germany, The Phillipeans, Australia or where ever. I can't imagine that others here haven't wondered what it's like when they read posts for help from another country. How many countries were represented in that post about visits? That's what kind of got this started in my head. I know they all won't post. But maybe if items start getting posted about runs in the states others will join in.

I don't think that exclusions like the mud pit down the road would work. We have to admit that XJ's are built by their owners to handle what ever they are going to be put through. If it's mudding, touring, rock climbing, street rodding or racing, it would show what's going on in their part of the world. It's going to be awfully hard to exlude any form, as that may be the only thing available. Maybe it should be "World Gatherings". Should it be only XJ oriented, don't think so. I would imagine that the writer/linker would be an XJ owner or why else would he/she be here in the first place. But how many of us go off on runs with other 4x4's along too. If we set too many rules of content, we may be making a big mistake and kill it before it has a chance to get started. We may find in six months, and I'd love to see this, that it has to be broken into sections like country, state, activity or whatever because of the amount of posts. If there was any guide line at all, I would like to see a requirement that place and activity be in the title.

I haven't played the "Devil's Advocate" with this long enough to have answers to questions that might come up. I also haven't been around the site long enough to understand all the rules that we play by here. Sometimes pics get posted in Chapter Sections or special sections. If they're in the Chapter section, should they not be cross-posted into the World section? If this is about how the wheel in their area then a Chapter run would probably fit right in. Yet cross-posting is frowned upon, so . . .

Alright, so I started this thinking that it should be Trips but have ended up opening it up some. I think it's needed as an outlet and eye opener for all. I can't imagine that Eagle, Gojeep and I are the only one's interested in touring the backroads and camping in tents or seeing what other people are doing. I'd love to know how many hits Gojeep got after he posted that the Tasmania report was on his site. I hope I haven't opened a large bag of worms, but a little one might be ok.

We're the North American XJ Association, but in reality, we welcome the world into this site and have fun doing it. Show us your world.

Marshall

 

[GSequoia]

...The images are deleted at ~30 days age or so in order to keep the forum database from bloating with pictures...

The posts are not deleted, it's just your way of viewing them that filters them out. Look at the bottom of the forum and you'll see a drop down menu that says show threads...from "The past 30 days," just change that to "The beginning"

Sequoia

 

[F. F.]

The posts are not deleted, it's just your way of viewing them that filters them out. Look at the bottom of the forum and you'll see a drop down menu that says show threads...from "The past 30 days," just change that to "The beginning"

Sequoia

Naw, I am pretty sure they are removed after 30 days or so in that particular forum.

 

[ScottyDog]

That would be really cool to see XJ's in other parts of the world, and the trips they go on!!

I'm waiting for the day one of the Chinese XJ's are lifted and trying to climb the Great Wall of China!!!

Scott Suyeto

 

[Eagle]

i second that notion of a new forum category... i already post my trail ride pics online.. but its usually in the chapter page... a link and short narrative would be great for drawing interest for your own "backyard" as well as a place to find your next destination.... whats wrong with "the mud pit down the road" eagle?? action pics are action pics IMHO

mike

"Sid," I think the kind of local trail ride stuff you're talking about is a different animal entirely. What a few folks from the [___] chapter did Saturday afternoon isn't anything that has lasting interest. My understanding of what Grzzley had in mind is more the type of genuine excursion reports that people like GoJeep post. I don't see a need for another forum to post pictures of "Mud Pit #237" or "Chicken Run 3," but I think if someone were to take their XJ on a trip say trans-Canada to Alaska, that would make for an interesting read and would be potentially of longer-term interest than "Mud Pit #237." The afternoon in the local mud pit shots can go in a chapter forum, in the existing pics forum, or in Non-Tech.

JMHO