Just think a few weeks ago, many mods and senior members were complaining about how much repetitive crap was filling the feed, people asking the same questions over & over again. Where should I buy, what motor should i buy, what vesc should i buy, my DRV fried, i can’t load the firmware, Vendor XYZ didn’t reply to my email, how to do XYZ stuff…
http://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/members-doing-research
The esk8builders forum will inherently be filled with this kind of noobish help request topics because people who want to build an esk8 are often very confused about the tech and need help, or they are lazy and expect others to constantly reassure them and guide them so that they build a great board. This is unlikely to change.
So how do you fix it? moderate the hell out of the forum? Delete posts? No, that is not viable and if it was going to happen it would have already started, the mods are busy people and have lives, they can’t be expected to filter the garbage.
So you need to think harder break it down to the core you soon realise the solution is actually very simple.
There are 4 distinct phases for folks wanting to get involved with electric skateboarding
Phase 1: DECISION - Buy or Build. If you choose “Build” Go to Phase 2. “Buy” Phase 4
Phase 2: RESEARCH - Weeks & months of reading & asking questions and creating a BOM
Phase 3: BUILD - The fun begins & so do the problems, you need support & guidance and eventually showcase your creation.
Phase 4: RIDE (Built & Bought Boards) - You are king of the streets, you just want to explore the world, have fun, race people, compare performance, boast about how awesome you are, talk about big ideas & the future of e-skateboarding.
Phase 1 to Phase 3 often don’t care much about Phase 4 topics & Vice Versa.
So Why Two Forums?
Different information needs to be grouped, it’s why libraries have many sections; Fact & Fiction. Sport, Romance, Horror.
Example 1: If you bought a boosted board you don’t really need to read endless threads about vesc settings, but you might be interested in knowing about an esk8 event in your local area.
Example 2: If you are trying to get your belts aligned with your DIY welded mount you probably don’t care much about the new evolve board that is $2000
Example 3: If you have a working “complete” esk8, built or bought, you are probably interested in reading about what other riders are up to, group rides, different events, riding styles, different safety equipment.
Example 4: If you have an Evolve board (and know nothing about how it is built) you might feel intimidated / uncomfortable asking noob questions on esk8builders about how to upgrade the wheels to some nice ABEC11 flywheels. Maybe your post will simply get ignored because it’s just too simple? You don’t want to feel embarrassed for asking a stupid question in the wrong forum.
This is not about DIY vs COMPLETE
It’s about growing strong communities of like minded people.
This is not an attempt to segment the market for some secret commercial agenda, it’s about logically organizing groups within society to make sure we can enjoy our time spent interacting in online communities. Our time is precious! we are all busy people so it’s better if you can quickly find the information that suits you best and find like minded folks who relate to you without wasting time sifting through content that doesn’t interest you.
Having all this info & different personalities & different mindsets piled into one bag is a bit annoying & actually off-putting for many. This problem is real and has already created tension in the past.
You don’t go to a death metal rock concert to listen to gangster rap. You just don’t go at all.
Why will the “CLUB” be bigger?
This is simple, there are more riders than people who build, especially since the complete boards are now lower in price & becoming more popular as the industry matures.
The club won’t replace esk8 builders and it won’t be better or cooler, it’s just different. It’s just a better way for “riders” to find relevant info & discussion & feel like they belong to a solid community.
If it makes you feel better, you could simply consider it one big website with two niche categories…