And why does everyone on this website seem to have a bad attitude toward anyone posting any information even relating to something on topic - with a "bugger off if you dont like it attitude?"

Last week the moderator closed a post because i apparently "messed" it up by going off topic when asking questions relating to freedom and reasons why i should join - as so far the only time i have needed access to the "other" parts of the forum were when one person asked to discuss his car - now if it takes over 3 months to even hear - let alone know what "freedom" is on here - then:

A: You should advertise better

B: Make more Discounts available

C: Make more incentives to join...

So far the only incentive is - join to keep up with the technoloigical forefront of todays technology... well the forum has not changed once since ive been here and nor do i see anything worthwhile using other than what i have as a basic "forum user"...

Now the forum is obviously making money elsewhere with advertising etc - so why need an extra £12 a month from everyone when other forums can provide better services / discounts and incentives than here by far?

I hope you all can discuss this in a reasonable manner - the fact that i do not own a skoda should not be a "get out of here" card - its an enthusiast site - not a 10 yr old stick a note on your bedroom door "skoda only" site now is it?

Dave

Now the forum is obviously making money elsewhere with advertising etc - so why need an extra £12 a month from everyone when other forums can provide better services / discounts and incentives than here by far?

Do you have any idea of the hosting costs for this site?

I believe that they are in the order of hundreds of pounds a month - far in excess of the couple of quid that briskoda gets from click through advertising.

Personally I get a lot of enjoyment and information from Briskoda and would be happy to pay the 12 quid towards the running costs without getting any other benefits.

If you don't want to then you aren't obliged to

I realise i am not "forced" to join - but so far judging by the response i have had so far - i am in no position to even be inclined to pay the money for freedom membership as it is not worth what im getting from it...

Name one benefit that will be useful to me from the £12 payment and what i will gain from paying this?

I am not saying that people should'nt pay - im asking what reason is there for me to join?

Also i am fully aware of the costs involved in hosting such a site - however considering that the services etc availble here are nothing compared to that of other forums that charge £5 a month - then why oh why is so much membership money required?

Dave - if you don't agree with the way the Freedom system operates, or what it offers for your £12, you're in no way obliged to pay.

What people are annoyed about, myself included, is your negative attitude towards the site. We're a pretty friendly bunch on here, IMO anyway. But if you don't like what you find here, whether it be the posts, the information exchanged or the members in general, then it might be best to find an alternative forum(s) to visit.

To answer your thread title, there's nothing wrong with Polos. I had a 6N2 GTi for a bit of last year. I continued to use this site and was never made to feel unwelcome. And I've now got an Ibiza and this approach continues. Not owning a Skoda, even if you've never owned one, does not exclude you here.

If you're nice to people, people will be nice to you - I think that's the general message I want to get across

Steve

I am not saying that people should'nt pay - im asking what reason is there for me to join?

Also i am fully aware of the costs involved in hosting such a site - however considering that the services etc availble here are nothing compared to that of other forums that charge £5 a month - then why oh why is so much membership money required?

My outlook on the payment is that I enjoy using this forum, get benefits from being on here with regard technical information, so I want to give something back. I don't feel I'm alone in this outlook, as Alex's comments above reflect.

£1 a month is more than fair, in my mind. I'd pay it even if absolutely no extra benefits were offered. What other forums charge is irrelevant, to me anyway.

Steve

Fair Comment to other forums charging less - thats up to them - but i cannot justify paying the money when nothing is going to benefit me on here other than as mentioned - being able to see one pic in 3 months....

I am not saying its unreasonable to charge £1 a month - its a fair price - i just dont like everyone saying that if i dont like it then lump it - why do they take that attitude? and why do they not try and get me to join and make more money by showing me what is to offer and what is good about freedom - in other words - if the attitude of freedom members is always shown in the way portraid in prior posts etc when queried - again - what is there to be worthwhile on the freedom areas!!! :confused:

Also i am fully aware of the costs involved in hosting such a site - however considering that the services etc availble here are nothing compared to that of other forums that charge £5 a month - then why oh why is so much membership money required?

£5 a month :eek:

No wonder they can afford to do more for their paying members.

Out of interest , what other forums do you use that charge?

What do they cost and what do they offer?

sorry thats a typo - £5 a year......:eek: :eek:

that is clubpolo.co.uk/forum

my normal club i use for my technical queries etc - i come on here to discuss / review and generally gain a feel for the skoda community - of which - in person i have been fine with - but online - my oh my do you get a load of tempramental bunny boilers!

Now they have just introduced a UK based server with new features including :

FORUM - now running the latest version of Invision Power Board, which contains many new features...

BLOG - This is a new addition to the forum, and allows keeping people up to date on your day to day activities without cluttering up the forum.

GALLERY - This will soon replace the members gallery, as well as providing a useful place to store and organise images.

WIKI - The wiki (opening soon), should be a formidable technical reference, covering a wide range of technical issues..

Now technical queries are all dealt with suitably currently - however they are always improving thier services as detailed above - for £5 a year per member...

They may have more users and more members - but then briskoda charge over double and use click advertsing etc to also make money....

Hmmmmm - that help?

Why are you expecting anything from the £12? This is an amazing site, with a full wealth of information, and people on hand to help with any problem you may have regarding pretty much anything you can think of.

The £12 should be seen as more of a donation, a token of thanks, and a means to keeping the site up and running.

This forum seems to be 100% reliable, give or take the odd occasion when updates take place. The software seems to be the best available, its fast, its a friendly place... If you agree, and think you have had some value from the site, then join up Freedom. If you don't want to cough up your £12, then thats fine too.

The intention of the site owner, if I understand correctly, is to keep membership voluntary, and to keep the vast amount of information available, for free. Its not a money making site like some other "enthuisiast" forums.

There are a few perks, but that is missing the point. If you are querying what you will get out of your £12, then again, you are missing the point.

What people object to is the seemingly aggressive and selifish attitude, and posting WAAAAAY off topic about Freedom benefits in a members motors thread is hardly benefitial to anyone.

Benefits for a fiver.

But here, you get all that knowledge and info on the uptodate software FOR FREE.

I was posting on here for a good 12 month before joining freedom, like people say its as much a case of paying because you want to ensure the continuaton of the site because you enjoy it. At the end of the day if Col makes a couple of quid, which at the moment I doubt, then its only fair for the hours he puts in sorting the site out. In the past when other sites have ben down for days on end (scn springs to mind iirc) then their members have been welcome to annex part of the site for their own use at no charge, allthough I believe a few did join freedom out of appreciation! When the xbox360 first appeared freedom members were entered into a free draw, maybe a ps3 will be up for grabs? (THATS A HINT COL ). If you read the freedom benefits there are a couple that stick out, being allowed to advertise goods and chattels, cheaper than an add on autotrader , and ask a tech, however because of the generosity of the members on the site the ask a tech falls down because problems get answered, jobs get done and equipment gets loaned wether you are a freedom member or not! Also the discounts are available wether you are freedom or not eg the insurance deals, group buys and seat surgeons. So to summarise don't bother paying out £12 if you don't belive you you get £12 in value from the site:O personally, speaking as a tight ar£ed yorkshireman, i think its a bargain, and well worth the expenditure if for no other reason than the great people I have met over the last 12 months and now have the privalage to call friends. hth

I see what your saying but querying something in relation to freedom and the response obtained was appauling - despite mentioning i would donate a fiver for my 30 odd now posts...

I do understand that the site is a "good" site - but nowhere near a £12 a year site IMHO...

What features does this site have not mentioned above relating to clubpolo?

More to the point - its not about what i "gain" from paying - its about what it goes toward - and at mo Colin must be making a few quid to be running a xbox 360 competitiion - which just goes to show - he is making money from you all - for not much at all in return.

you may think that his efforts deserve payment - however seeing as even his attitude is far from "moderate" on here - again why should i be obliged to pay toward keeping this site running well as you put it...

Also having a thread title of ...Whats so bad about Polo's? is also annoying when all the thread is about is moaning at everyone about freedom membership

Your attitude amazes me Dave. Have you actually read ANY of what's been written above your post?

Personally, I think you should leave the site now and stick to ClubPolo. Your allegations, which is what they are at best, are undeserved and very very wide of the mark.

Steve

Also having a thread title of ...Whats so bad about Polo's? is also annoying when all the thread is about is moaning at everyone about freedom membership

:iagree:

i joined freedom so my name could be green:)

oh, and polo's are bad, really bad, smelly in fact, need i go on??

I see what your saying but querying something in relation to freedom and the response obtained was appauling - despite mentioning i would donate a fiver for my 30 odd now posts...

I do understand that the site is a "good" site - but nowhere near a £12 a year site IMHO...

What features does this site have not mentioned above relating to clubpolo?

More to the point - its not about what i "gain" from paying - its about what it goes toward - and at mo Colin must be making a few quid to be running a xbox 360 competitiion - which just goes to show - he is making money from you all - for not much at all in return.

you may think that his efforts deserve payment - however seeing as even his attitude is far from "moderate" on here - again why should i be obliged to pay toward keeping this site running well as you put it...

Blimey......

Not much in return? I'm sorry, but where are you looking. This is obviously primarily a Skoda enthuisiast site, although as mentioned, other marques owners are made to feel more than welcome. If you have a Polo, and great cars they are too , then I don't imagine there is a huge deal of information you are going to be able to source on here. There are about 12000(?) members on this site....... how much server space do you think that takes up? How much time and effort do you you imagine goes in to keeping the site up and running, taking into account membership/content expansion - moderation etc. Whether any money generated by adverts, memberships, or other means goes in anybody's pockets is nowt to do with anyone anyway IMO. This site costs alot of money to keep going, and I would imagine takes every penny to keep it going.

As has been said, no one is making you pay. I'd say the majority of freedom members have paid a £1 a month because they feel they have gained valuable information from the site, and would like to see it continue. If it doesnt affect/bother you, don't pay. It really is that simple.

Club polo - great enthusiast site for Polo owners and the like - how many members?

P.S. Where are the stats for this site anyone please?

Yet again..

the bugger off back to clubpolo comes out...

no-one can justify colins freedom membersip to be even slightly worthwhile unless you own a skoda and need techy info from someone on here...

thats a really mature stance guys...

Now whats wrong with polos was the topic title because it appears all that is stopping me from being able to make posts on this site without criticism is the fact i own one...

therefore whats so bad about them?

Did you lot know the fabia is based on the polo chassis?

Hmmmm

Yet again..

no-one can justify colins freedom membersip to be even slightly worthwhile unless you own a skoda and need techy info from someone on here...

thats a really mature stance guys...

ITS A SKODA ENTHUSIAST SITE YOU FUC.KING NOOB!!

Did you lot know the fabia is based on the polo chassis?

actually the 9n polo is based on the fabia.... the fabia hit the streets at least 2 years before the polo.....

and for the record, i do love the g40...... the are fast as **** too:thumbup:

The problem people seem to have with you is evident in a lot of your posts (and to a part I see what they are getting at). Your attitude to Freedom is more 'what can I get out of it' than 'it's a small token of my appreciation of what the site has done for me' attitude of a lot of the members and your constant moaning of the fact.

People on here are glad to pay £12 towards the running costs of this site, if you are not the so be it.

also patronising unhelpful posts that you seem to enjoy posting don't do you any favours

Finally someone with a decent attitude - thanks shifty...

shifty has started to show me the light at the end of the tunnel - by being mature and stating that just because i dont have a skoda doesn't mean im not welcome...

shame many other forum users here dont take that stance...

As for the running of the site - it isn't my business - however i could have helped out - and also could have ended up contributing if not for the poor attitudes of some on here - way to go briskoda! woo yeah!

As for the owner - please do feel free to contact me and show me where and how the money of freedom members is being piped back into the forum, as far as i can see - its all a bit pay now - advantages come later.....

sorry Dave mate you are coming accross as a trouble making to££er, you are not obliged to pay anything, even when a member requests help, sometimes involving literally £100's of pounds in labour, he does not have to be green to receive it from other freedom members, as for saying Col must be making a profit to offer a 360, iirc it was out of is own pocket again to try and give an incentive for folks to join, iirc membership at the time was in the 10's rather than the 100's. To summarise please feel free to continue using the site but NOT if you are just here to undermine the work of the site owner, or to try spreading poison and discontent among the friendly bunch that are Briskodians.

The problem people seem to have with you is evident in a lot of your posts (and to a part I see what they are getting at). Your attitude to Freedom is more 'what can I get out of it' than 'it's a small token of my appreciation of what the site has done for me' attitude of a lot of the members and you constant moaning of the fact.

If Club polo is so much better, why are you here moaning in the first place?

despite clubpolo being good - im trying to branch out a bit - as getting older means ill need a bigger car at some stage - and a skoda is one of my options so far...

Im simply "moaning" as you forsee this thread - not adding to the amazing community of skoda owners you apparently are - so far all i have seen is a bunch of stuck up mummy and daddy attitudes from a majority on here....

Anyone care to explain then why this attitude is oh so commonly voiced on here?

A question Dave

Why are you so hot and botherd about freedom?

Ive been on the site for just over a year and have had plenty of great advice from members and have also picked up a few bargains from fellow briskodians as well as being part of a group buy

i have decided not to join freedom

like many other members,but i dont seem to have the urge to waffle on about £12 being a rip off

If colin makes money off the site

good for him

despite clubpolo being good - im trying to branch out a bit - as getting older means ill need a bigger car at some stage - and a skoda is one of my options so far...

Im simply "moaning" as you forsee this thread - not adding to the amazing community of skoda owners you apparently are - so far all i have seen is a bunch of stuck up mummy and daddy attitudes from a majority on here....

Anyone care to explain then why this attitude is oh so commonly voiced on here?

You are a blatant troll. And it's working. Well done. You get a badge.

Mummy and Daddy? FPMSL!!!!111!!!!!1!!1!! Do you know the average age of a Skoda owner?