Best MINI forum for a Newbie coming from an Alfa !
Discussion
I currently have an Alfa 156 JTDM 150 but due to the high mileage and general bodywork condition, I am now looking for a MINI, but know very little about them. Having owned 2 Alfa 156s, I am very familiar with all the Alfa forums (!) as there is no Haynes manual for a 156 !
Anyway, which are the best Forums for MINI, ( apart form this one obviously!)
Anyway, which are the best Forums for MINI, ( apart form this one obviously!)
If its a 2014 onwards car you're looking at then www.minif56.com
Quite an active, knowledgeable bunch
Quite an active, knowledgeable bunch
I'm talking new MINI here. Having been on here, MiniTorque, MINI2 and some other traditional forums for quite a while, I've found that they are beginning to struggle a bit for traffic. Because everyone is going to Groups and Clubs on Facebook. Like it or hate it. Have to say I've never liked it as a platform but I've had to swallow my distaste and use it extensively.
One reason these Groups and Clubs on FB are proving so popular is how specific to particular models, never mind marques, they are.
As you probably grasp, I have a Gen1 R53 Cooper S. I've been on a closed FB Group called R53 Owners Club. It was only set up in Jan of this year. A week or so ago it passed 4,000 members. It is 100% focussed on MY exact model. Most of the members are in the UK. So the relevant activity on there for me blows away these general marque based forums.
For example, on here, looking quickly down page one at the thread starter headings, of 20 threads only 3 or maybe 4 have any even potential relevance or interest for me.
On R53OC, potentially EVERY post has potential relevance. And if I need advice, post, go out off-line for 4 hours, come back, get back on, there will be a storm of answers. Some are ill-informed and inaccurate, but that happens on any forum.
There is even an FB Group called The N14 Survivors Club - for the poor unfortunates with Prince engined Gen2 R56 cars to discuss their woes! Has a few thousand members!
For sure the functionality and useability of FB isn't as convenient as 'proper' forums because we, the users, are using it in a way that its architecture was never designed for nor envisaged to accomodate. An elemnet of putting a square peg into round hole. Plus I find it a little awkward, convoluted and tricky to use. A lot of it isn't particularly intuitive.
As The Buggles said "Video Killed the Radio Star". I'm afraid Facebook is going to kill these generalised forums.
One reason these Groups and Clubs on FB are proving so popular is how specific to particular models, never mind marques, they are.
As you probably grasp, I have a Gen1 R53 Cooper S. I've been on a closed FB Group called R53 Owners Club. It was only set up in Jan of this year. A week or so ago it passed 4,000 members. It is 100% focussed on MY exact model. Most of the members are in the UK. So the relevant activity on there for me blows away these general marque based forums.
For example, on here, looking quickly down page one at the thread starter headings, of 20 threads only 3 or maybe 4 have any even potential relevance or interest for me.
On R53OC, potentially EVERY post has potential relevance. And if I need advice, post, go out off-line for 4 hours, come back, get back on, there will be a storm of answers. Some are ill-informed and inaccurate, but that happens on any forum.
There is even an FB Group called The N14 Survivors Club - for the poor unfortunates with Prince engined Gen2 R56 cars to discuss their woes! Has a few thousand members!
For sure the functionality and useability of FB isn't as convenient as 'proper' forums because we, the users, are using it in a way that its architecture was never designed for nor envisaged to accomodate. An elemnet of putting a square peg into round hole. Plus I find it a little awkward, convoluted and tricky to use. A lot of it isn't particularly intuitive.
As The Buggles said "Video Killed the Radio Star". I'm afraid Facebook is going to kill these generalised forums.
I really hope that isn't the case... forums can be so good. I joined my first one 2002 (CorsaSport - Almost completely dead now)
ClioSport is luckily thriving still, at least 5 new pages to read through every day if I choose to. The social side is even better than the technical side.
MiniTorque is God awful. It'll die soon.
ClioSport is luckily thriving still, at least 5 new pages to read through every day if I choose to. The social side is even better than the technical side.
MiniTorque is God awful. It'll die soon.
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