GU posted:

Could I have the name of the caravan site Max?

Sounds like it could be entertaining, being a caravan tower myself.

No doubt I will something in the meantime.

GU

GU posted:

See I'm learning already. I just realised I left the word "learn" out of the last sentence.

I think I need a nap.

GU

Max - Sydney posted:

Hi GU

The site is groups.msn.com/Caravanersforum/ - see how you go.

Regards
Max

GU posted:

Thank you MAX.

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

Site Link

Revealed 107 matches, no way of sorting by date, but the one of the more recent ones was 3 August 2006 (third one down on list).

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

Correction...28th August 2006...

Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses posted:

Interesting Gary, when I tried yesterday all I got was archive material. One wonders why.......

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

I tried it when the lasyt person tried to start (yet) another thread on it a week or so ago nd still came up with a loooooong list.

Noting your entry above, you may have misspelt it????

Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses posted:

As I said, I had looked for Ironman but with an 'a' mate. It did come up with the archives............ Sure I leave out letters in paragraphs but try to check out where it is in search engines. Perhaps it was the capital 'I' that was the problem.

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

My typing aint the best either LOL

Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses posted:

psssttt, Gary, I saw from the heading we aren't the only ones. LOL

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

...aye sore that two...

Member - andrew B (Kununurra) posted:

The spell check didn't check the heading - noticed it after posting but kept quiet hoping no-one would notice.

Sand Man (SA) posted:

Gary,

Sorry mate but I can't agree with you in any shape or form.

It is totally unreasonable to expect everyone to be instant experts on using search engines, either internal to this site, or external and then criticize that person when they don't do it.

It someone doesn't want to help someone else with an answer to a question, then don't criticize them....just shut up and don't reply at all.....simple.

Member - andrew B (Kununurra) posted:

In my experience, Gooogle gets great information, but is generally by the seller or the manufacturer. The great thing about this site is the 'I put one of these on my car last year and it was a waste of time and money' etc. Maybe we should all start a post with 'I did a search and didn't get the info I wanted'.

This is by far the most polite, well informed and set out forum I have found, and the only one I regularly use as a consequence. I just get annoyed when someone feels they need to shout 'DO A SEARCH', or being critical. The best ones of late are the constant Battery/isolater, and The diesel gas ones. I'm especially interested in the Diesel gas one, as I want to get it done soon, and although its been done and you can find it in a search, as it has only really been in the market for a short time, a new post can get some more recent experiences out that aren't in old posts. Not many people add stuff to a post once it is off the first page.

Cheers Andrew

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

The other thing about doing a search is that you can tack your experience on to the end of an existing post, effectively concentrating all the knowledge in one area/thread to minimise (guess what??) the amount of searching for the next poor soul looking for the exaact same information. If you are not looking to buy then in google add " -ebay - buy - sell" (without quote marks).

Classic example was the Ironman issue where we now have information about the product, its fittment range, and various opinions about its operation and worth spread across 107 threads....Simple searches would have reduced this number, prevented repetition, and made relevant information easier to find in the first place....and left it that way for the next couple of dozen people that did a search for the same information (so as not to be selfish by starting yet another unnecessary thread). Doing a search, even by simply putting the basic product/service into the search box and hitting "enter" (not that difficult!!!!), is simply common courtesy.

Tell me something, do you go to the Supermarket to buy fresh food asking everyone around you for directions to the various products, and then expect the Supermarket to provide you with instructions on how to prepare a meal from what you have bought, or do you look at your cookbook, walk into the Supermarket and look for the products on the list, asking for assistance only when needed, and buy what you need? The first instance you have not bothered searching for yourself, the second instance you have. As anyone in retail will tell you, it's much easier to look after the second person..............

It does come down to "nettiquette", common courtesy to other net users.

I also include the "What is the best .....? questions into the same league as not searching. There is no correct answer, only opinions of what may or may not suit your needs. If you do not elaborate sufficiently on your needs then we really can't help....

People say that the most important things on a forum are the people, I would suggest it is what the people write or have written.

Member - Mike DID posted:

garyinoz - the purpose of supermarket is to sell things - the ONLY purpose of this forum is to allow people to exchange information. So if someone asks for some information (rather than offering it) we shouldn't be surprised, just because it's obvious to us, as regulars, how recently the information was discussed.

If someone asks for some info that was recently covered, I'll find the info and give them a link to the info and explain how to do a search - if I don't have time to do that I'll do nothing. Telling someone to "do a search" isn't helping them - and that should be the spirit of this forum.

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

"...the purpose of supermarket is to sell things...."

Got it in one. They are not there to tell you ewhere every item is, they are there to stock the items on the shelf so that you can go and find them for yourself, asking for assistance IF NECESSARY (not for every item that you want to buy).

The "shelves" of this forum have been stocked with information about most products and services on the maket relevant to our needs. Have a look on the "shelves" first.

I too will help out wherever I can, but with the Ironman issue it was at the point where a poster didn't even scroll down to the bottom of the forum page (where another poster had a similar Q about the Ironman suspension), and I for one simply stated to do a search for "Ironman" as it had been covered several times already in recent weeks. Was I being unreasonable, or were they being lazy?

Member - andrew B (Kununurra) posted:

Yep, I did a search yesterday that confused me, had to do a lot of reading - would have been easier to do a post......

Cheers Andrew

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

Easier for you, but compounded the problem for the next person....................

See FollowupID: 450471

Member - andrew B (Kununurra) posted:

Gday Gary

Toungue was in cheek a bit with the easier to do a new post comment. In some ways, I like the way things get re-posted, sometimes I don't bother reading them if they don't interest me or if I have no knowlege....The search date thing would be good to have back, I'm sure it used to happen. As I said above, once a thread is off the 1st page not much ever gets added to them, so a new post will get more up to date info.

The new post, however, should be a more specific question as info from privious posts could be elaborated upon. There was some suggestion a while ago about having seperate Forums for separate subjects. It was generally shot down (politely). I like to be able to see all topics in this format, but maybe a separate page with the threads in topics would make searching easier, but also make the site more expensive to run....

Cheers Andrew

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

It still would have tied everything together in one "conversation" in the thread, rather than waiting for next weeks/months/years "episode".

As the current format of this forum is, it is always going to be easier to keep everything "tight and relevant" on a topic to topic basis rather than having information scattered throughout everyone elses irrelevant information.

By searching and tacking on to the end of relevant threads you can end up with the "horizontal" thread type forum, instead of the loooooong list of occasionally connected threads we have now.

Sand Man (SA) posted:

Just like you are doing with this thread Gary?:-)))

I would just as soon give a person a link, or explain in more detail, than say "do a search". That will just turn a person away from this forum and achieve nothing positive.

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

Two types of posters:

1. "I've done a search and can not find the information on a particular subject. Does anyone know.......?"

2 "I'm too lazy to look for myself (even to scroll to the bottom of the page), but can you look for me and tell me what I want to know?"

Sand Man, you are welcome to the 2's..............

GaryInOz (Vic) posted:

Addit: I don't really thing the "2's" of this world are likely to contribute anything meaningful to the forum anyway, so the forum may well be better off without them.

Sand Man (SA) posted:

Thanks for that contribution Gary,

Now other forumites can better classify you.