Should KiwiBiker be actively promoted?

**inlinefour** · 13th January 2005, 08:54

Originally Posted by Hitcher

A discussion in another thread raises the issue of whether this KiwiBiker site should be actively promoted through New Zealand motorcycle magazines and other overt channels.

This is our gargre. Should we be in the business of actively growing its membership, or should we just continue to let it evolve organically as it has done to date?

Active promotion comes with some fishhooks, as noted in another thread (if I knew how to link I would, so some help please...).

Vote now!

If its just left to the "circle of friends" concept that most are agreeing with then does that leave the doors shut for other kiwi riders who have just as much right to join as the rest of us?

**MSTRS:Me** · 13th January 2005, 09:06

Originally Posted by Honda

If its just left to the "circle of friends" concept that most are agreeing with then does that leave the doors shut for other kiwi riders who have just as much right to join as the rest of us?

Can't see why that would be.....there are new joinees all the time

**James Deuce** · 13th January 2005, 09:13

Originally Posted by Honda

If its just left to the "circle of friends" concept that most are agreeing with then does that leave the doors shut for other kiwi riders who have just as much right to join as the rest of us?

Not at all. That's been mentioned heaps of time. The idea isn't to be exclusive, just to use word of mouth instead of more aggressive methods

**Hoon** · 13th January 2005, 10:26

But then whats the difference between members displaying KB site logos on their bikes/vans/t-shirts etc, and the same info being published in a magazine?? Word of mouth in no guarantee of quality either - what's to stop the idiots telling all their idiot mates?? Are we then not allowed to wear KB shirts/stickers around potential idiots??

Like Spankme has already said, KB is a resource for ALL NZ bikers not just us lucky few who by some cruel twist of fate stumbled across this site while others did not. None of us have any right to impede flow of new members or muzzle spreading the word to other bikers who have just as much right to be part of the KB community as we do. Likewise no one can prevent any member from talking about KB in a magazine, radio or TV interview either.

Besides the paranoia fuelled/security blanket/flawed logic or purely selfish reasons of why someone would be against promoting KB you also have to consider how you expect to enforce it??

If KB were an exclusive club then I would be all for the secret handshakes/wink wink antics but it is not - it is for all NZ bikers.

If you are just trying to stem the flow, all you are doing is delaying the inevitable....better to tackle the problem full on instead of putting it off.

**Blakamin** · 13th January 2005, 10:51

and, as mentioned before, we do have a system for dealing with wankers and trolls and flamers....

**sels1** · 13th January 2005, 10:57

I'm for evolution model, keep it open and free without promotion or commercialisation. Let it grow (as someone put it) "organically"

**James Deuce** · 13th January 2005, 11:08

Originally Posted by Hoon

But then whats the difference between members displaying KB site logos on their bikes/vans/t-shirts etc, and the same info being published in a magazine?? Word of mouth in no guarantee of quality either - what's to stop the idiots telling all their idiot mates?? Are we then not allowed to wear KB shirts/stickers around potential idiots??

Like Spankme has already said, KB is a resource for ALL NZ bikers not just us lucky few who by some cruel twist of fate stumbled across this site while others did not. None of us have any right to impede flow of new members or muzzle spreading the word to other bikers who have just as much right to be part of the KB community as we do. Likewise no one can prevent any member from talking about KB in a magazine, radio or TV interview either.

Besides the paranoia fuelled/security blanket/flawed logic or purely selfish reasons of why someone would be against promoting KB you also have to consider how you expect to enforce it??

If KB were an exclusive club then I would be all for the secret handshakes/wink wink antics but it is not - it is for all NZ bikers.

If you are just trying to stem the flow, all you are doing is delaying the inevitable....better to tackle the problem full on instead of putting it off.

There's no paranoia at all. It just ain't broke. I don't understand the sudden desire to pimp a naturally growing *free* electronic forum in a retailed print medium that has a crossover clientele.

**Ms Piggy** · 13th January 2005, 11:21

Originally Posted by Hoon

If KB were an exclusive club then I would be all for the secret handshakes/wink wink antics but it is not - it is for all NZ bikers.

Oooooooooo - that sounds like something I'd wanna be a part of! Where do I sign up!

I think what people are saying Hoon, is that the way KB's is at the moment is good. We have a great group of regular posters from all walks of life and we have a culture and mood that most of us seem to fit into really well.

I guess, besides the extra work for Spank Me, active advertsing may bring along a lot more trolls and people that don't have respect for KB's and the members. No one is saying that we should cloak KB's in a shroud of secrecy but, I guess it's more about "damage" control.

I tell some riders I meet about KB's (if they are nice to me

) but, as Celticno6 pointed out it's not actually OUR SITE, it is a public forum, for it to become OUR SITE we'd have to have membership fess blah, blah, wank, wank etc.

**jrandom** · 13th January 2005, 11:24

At this point, I'd just like to reiterate the old line from uk.rec.motorcycles.

There Is No Clique.

(Which must be said while performing the secret handshake, also while sacrificing one's virgin daughters on the block of a V-twin at the midnight meetings of the Thing That Isn't A Clique.)

**jrandom** · 13th January 2005, 11:26

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

as Celticno6 pointed out it's not actually OUR SITE, it is a public forum, for it to become OUR SITE we'd have to have... wank, wank etc.

Oooh errr.

Yes, for THAT to happen, there'd have to be a clique.

Good thing There Is No Clique, eh?

**Blakamin** · 13th January 2005, 11:28

of the 1400-odd members we have already, how many actually hang around long enuff to become senior members??? people might just register, have a squiz, decide it's not for them and leave....
I'd say most of KR's readers are dirt fans (i'm not buyin it again coz the road bit sux)... we dont have that big of a dirt thing here at the moment.. they might get bored and leave... or Motu might take care of them... Spanks SV site has 3000 members... how many problems does he have there???

**Coyote** · 13th January 2005, 11:28

At least most dickheads get sucked into cars with big bore exhausts and we only get the few who get into bikes instead

**Skunk** · 13th January 2005, 15:27

Originally Posted by Blakamin

of the 1400-odd members we have already, how many actually hang around long enuff to become senior members??? people might just register, have a squiz, decide it's not for them and leave....
I'd say most of KR's readers are dirt fans (i'm not buyin it again coz the road bit sux)... we dont have that big of a dirt thing here at the moment.. they might get bored and leave... or Motu might take care of them... Spanks SV site has 3000 members... how many problems does he have there???

I changed ID to avoid senior membership... I don't want the site reminding me how old I am...

**riffer** · 13th January 2005, 17:35

Originally Posted by Blakamin

of the 1400-odd members we have already, how many actually hang around long enuff to become senior members???

133. 9% so far.

**Hoon** · 13th January 2005, 18:34

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

I think what people are saying Hoon, is that the way KB's is at the moment is good. We have a great group of regular posters from all walks of life and we have a culture and mood that most of us seem to fit into really well.

Yes but the KB members of a year ago felt exactly the same way and if poised with the same question would have probably had the same response.

My question is who's to say things can't get even better???

You have to take the good with the bad and sure we will get more idiots but for every new idiot there is another 100 potential great members. I'm all for doing anything within our power to reach these new people (especially if its for free) but it seems others who have already made it are ready to kick out the ladder from under them.