OKA Forums
- Rick Whitworth
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I am a fierce advocate of free enterprise and open competition but have to wonder why we have THREE OKA forums where the SAME info OFTEN appears on each. The posts are often the same but the interesting parts, the replies and answers all differ which means having to wade through each site.
For a start, I put this comment here to avoid that very issue.
This site, as originated by Hal Harvey and championed by many advocates inluding David Ribbans contains a wealth of searchable information categorised under at least some form of index.
Yes, I admit to be being a pre social media IT user, but too often I have seen robust systems swept aside in favour of lesser unstructured popular replacements, facebook often being a contributer.
I post this with trepidation because the last thing I would hope is for anyone to in any way abandon oka4wd.com in favour of the facebook sites.
Another pertinent point that has been skirted around before is website IP ownership.
Does it reside with all those members and originators who contributed to build the data or with the domain owner?
The OKA facebook sites are currently the most popular place to be.
It comes down to the merits of each.
...Be be brutal, what do you think?
Rick Whitworth:  OKA XT 149.    Digital Twin.   Loaded 4x4.
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- Peter_n_Margaret
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Cheers,
Peter
Cheers, Peter.
OKA196 tinyurl.com/OKA196xtMotorhome
Mob.0428171214
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- Tony Lee
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Tony
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- Tony Lee
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Next question is why are there two sites, or three if you count the recent one.
Getting rid of this one won't change having to view multiple sites if you suffer from a severe case of FOMO
Tony
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- Paul Scherek
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Rick, for my part I will keep going on this site. If this site closes, I most certainly will not be joining any facebook sites. This site has, as you say, the heritage of Hal Harvey and David Ribbands and I firmly believe that the memory of them and all they did for Oka owners deserves to be preserved.
I certainly don't plan to join any sites that help the advertising revenue of Mark Suckerberg!
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- Tony Lee
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I'm not at all adverse to certain aspects of Facebook and actively post to several groups on solar power, international overlanding, motorhome specific groups and a couple of others, all very closely intertwined with my lifestyle - or rather, my pre Covid-19 lifestyle.
What I don't engage in are friends - I have two that I have actually met and stayed with - and personal stuff up on walls or whatever. Family stuff is strictly via whatsApp
One of my big reservations with Facebook can best be explained by an example.
I have been a member of an 28000-strong group on Chinese diesel heaters for a fair while. I have 3 of them so believe in getting clued up before they break down - as I do with vehicles I buy sigt unseen. So being an active member and helping lots of people out, I was getting heaps of notification every day. They suddenly stopped and it seemed as if that group had disappeared completely. What actually happened - I think - is that I was banned without explanation and the site hidden from me.
I suspect it was because I contradicted the expert owner once too often but I don't really know, and all my posts have vanished from my account. One consolation is there are at least 10 similar groups on Facebook if I ever need something.
Obviously it could happen with this forum, but it seems as if Facebook is considerably more precarious and arbitrary than regular Web sites.
And obviously too, anyone can start their own facebook group with hugely less effort than required to set this forum up.
Tony
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- Holmz
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Tony Lee wrote: Thanks Paul,
I'm not at all adverse to certain aspects of Facebook and actively post to several groups on solar power, international overlanding, motorhome specific groups and a couple of others, all very closely intertwined with my lifestyle - or rather, my pre Covid-19 lifestyle.
What I don't engage in are friends - I have two that I have actually met and stayed with - and personal stuff up on walls or whatever. Family stuff is strictly via whatsApp
One of my big reservations with Facebook can best be explained by an example.
I have been a member of an 28000-strong group on Chinese diesel heaters for a fair while. I have 3 of them so believe in getting clued up before they break down - as I do with vehicles I buy sigt unseen. So being an active member and helping lots of people out, I was getting heaps of notification every day. They suddenly stopped and it seemed as if that group had disappeared completely. What actually happened - I think - is that I was banned without explanation and the site hidden from me.
I suspect it was because I contradicted the expert owner once too often but I don't really know, and all my posts have vanished from my account. One consolation is there are at least 10 similar groups on Facebook if I ever need something.
Obviously it could happen with this forum, but it seems as if Facebook is considerably more precarious and arbitrary than regular Web sites.
And obviously too, anyone can start their own facebook group with hugely less effort than required to set this forum up.
Exactly right...
FB is a social media site, so for get together, or social signalling it is unparalleled.
And I guess if someone's spgets knickers in a twist, then the social part ends up as a banishment and getting voted off the island?
For technical information, then a technical site seems more apropos.
I see the same Q&A on FB for what part number is X... or what are the numbers for filters, belt and hoses.
It is like FB is the Google of everything.
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- Holmz
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Rick Whitworth wrote: Time to throw a gremlin in your diff or is that a cat among the pidgeons....
...
This site, as originated by Hal Harvey and championed by many advocates inluding David Ribbans contains a wealth of searchable information categorised under at least some form of index.
...
Another pertinent point that has been skirted around before is website IP ownership.
Does it reside with all those members and originators who contributed to build the data or with the domain owner?
..
I believe that the domain owner, is the Hinorable Ms Liz Harvey.
And I do not believe that the contributors and originators have any ownership of the domain.
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- Rick Whitworth
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Holmz wrote: I believe that the domain owner, is the Hinorable Ms Liz Harvey.
And I do not believe that the contributors and originators have any ownership of the domain.
1. are you certain that Liz still owns the domain?
2. Just the point, surely the website IP ownership (ie the Intellectual Property of data created by and vested in by its members) and the domain ownership are different things.
Rick Whitworth:  OKA XT 149.    Digital Twin.   Loaded 4x4.
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- ABE
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Regards to all
ABE Tony
ABE Tony
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- mort
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while I have anything to do with it this site will not close down.
Where else do you get a search function going back to 2012.
As Holmz stated F.B. is more a social media site and the forum is more technical.
Hal started and owned the site and all within untill his passing then Liza who has given myself the right to run it with the help of Holmz and Frank we are administrators only not owners.
Martyn
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- Alister McBride
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- Rick Whitworth
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I reckon facebook gives a valuable OKA link to social media and the sites do have valuable content.
But do we need two fb sites with many shared posts that are carbon copies but have different replies??
Also the posts often relate to a wealth of info already here on oka4wd.com.
The posts here don't have to be technical so long as they are OKA related.
oka4wd.com has a wide range of searchable existing topics and new ones can be created for anything to do with OKAs.
The more the merrier?
...Maybe a change could come from group opinion and persuasive encouragement for more oka4wd.com usage and members?
Rick Whitworth:  OKA XT 149.    Digital Twin.   Loaded 4x4.
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- Holmz
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Rick Whitworth wrote: Couldn't agree more Alister.
I reckon facebook gives a valuable OKA link to social media and the sites do have valuable content.
But do we need two fb sites with many shared posts that are carbon copies but have different replies??
Also the posts often relate to a wealth of info already here on oka4wd.com.
The posts here don't have to be technical so long as they are OKA related.
oka4wd.com has a wide range of searchable existing topics and new ones can be created for anything to do with OKAs.
The more the merrier?
...Maybe a change could come from group opinion and persuasive encouragement for more oka4wd.com usage and members?
Since many get their news from FB they seem to want their technical info streaming by there as well.
Sort of like the Wizard of Oz where they can ask the Wzard whatever question they want.
I (We) have no control over FB and their groups.
Whether we want or need 2, we have 2. Adding another "I'll take my ball", type will get us to 3...
(Personally I CBA about it too much, and I appreciate the efforts of many who have helped like the departed(s)'s posts.)
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- Outback Jack
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The original OKA forum and owners group was before Hal has started this Forum. There is only one OKA forum, that is this one.
There are currently three Facebook sites, you can check out the start dates, you will see which one was first.
The difference from this Forum and Facebook is that a corrupt few cannot ban users.
This site got quite toxic several years ago for a year or two. With two sides basically, one who support certain business`s and ones who tried to do things differently or suggest others suppliers etc often shoot down.
no FB group, Forums etc have a monoply any brand/make/ interest etc. There are lots of FB groups, Forums etc that are supporting similar interest, one particular vehicle make/model etc.
At the end of the day, The more interest, groups etc the better we can have to support OKA, the better. It keeps the value of OKA`s up and the sharing of the knowledge.
Some prefer Faceache, some prefer forums etc etc.
Shouldn't the important thing be that we all have a Passion all things OKA. How we get our information, how we get others interested etc shouldn't really matter to others but yourself
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- Paul Scherek
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It was a reasonable discussion - some thought it best to bypass the locals and buy from overseas to save a few pennies, others said that by supporting our local suppliers we could get instant help when needed. This help may be needed in the middle of Australia, and I don't think ANYONE EVER could have such a great record of helping stranded Oka owners as our traditional local suppliers.
It is also easy to see that our local suppliers are not millionaires - they are passionate people doing it more for love than money.
So lets not go down this "Divide and conquer" route.
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- Outback Jack
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However the fact is people got banned by said business`s. Because they would not use them or did things there own way. We own our vehicles, not the manufacture or some other OKA business. How we and what we do to our vehicles is our choice.
Perhaps the suppliers are not millionaires. But they have earnt a living on supplying and supporting OKA owners. Good on the them if they can make a living on something they are passionate about. They do have a lot of knowledge and expertise. They have helped a lot of people get out of trouble. Don't think there has been any question about that,
I stand by that this site did get Toxic and there was bullying in place by definition. A lot of people left this forum because of it. This is not really any different to any other Forum, Faceache page etc. You will get strong opinions on how to do or not do something. The very core of being an OKA owner is being passionate about OKA`s, sometimes people agree on how to do something, where to buy parts etc etc. No different to anything else in life, we choose what we eat, drink etc etc.
As my last post, we should stand as Brothers in Arms despite our own opinions we all have one thing in common. We love OKA`s and are mostly passionate owners.
There is no where like this Forum, it has been around a long time. A lot of people have shared information etc. However its good to move with the times. Faceache is the preferred platform for a lot of people.
What we need to do is keep the OKA dream alive, so it shouldn't matter where people choose to hang out.......
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- Rick Whitworth
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Outback Jack wrote: However the fact is people got banned by said business`s. Because they would not use them
Just a plug for oka4wd,com...
I have been a member of this forum since it first began.
I was not aware that anyone had ever been banned.
I was certainly not aware that any business has ever had any influence on site membership whatsoever and have always been under the impression that membership was free and open to all.
I have always found members to be most helpful, sometimes with a healthy divergence of views but never toxic.
Rick Whitworth:  OKA XT 149.    Digital Twin.   Loaded 4x4.
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- Paul Scherek
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Outback Jack wrote:
However the fact is people got banned by said business`s. Because they would not use them or did things there own way.
..
Lobo, I was around this forum at the time, and that is NOT the way I recall the episode, not at all. There is no point in bringing this all up again, or for people to search through old posts. Best we all just stick to the media we like and leave the other sites alone.
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- Alister McBride
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All up, lets venture to keep things positive and helpful and the forum will serve it's purpose...
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