Please Read - a new idea for DOC

[John Tien <johntien99@xxxx>]

Dear List, (Please visit:
http://delorean.0catch.com/index/delorean_forum.jpg)

As it is Easter Holiday (and I am stuck in UK because
Hong Kong is bad with SARS), I and my friend Matthew
have time to worked hard and develop an online forum
for DOC. I had this idea because there are problems
with sending attachments & problems with too much
emails filling up mail boxes in a very short time when
everyone is sharing their thoughts. A forum works
basically like Yahoo Groups that DOC is using at the
moment, but it has more function. Main benefits using
online forum are:

1)Attachments can be uploaded to the server that the
forum belongs to, and so no attachments will be sent
to anyone?s e-mail and ?explode the mail box?. Every
time people want to view the attachments, they can
simply download them by a click.
2)Every time you visit the forum, it will tell you how
many new posts are created since your last visit, so
you can check them according to your will.
3)Users of the forum are divided into different user
levels? For example, Martin Gutkowski is the moderator
of the Technical information area of the Forum; Chris
Parnham - moderator for Shows & meetings; Andy for the
Club Mag section? etc. Then the user levels goes on as
?Members ? Normal Users? and ?Guests ? Not registered
Members?.

-Moderator is in charge of the section they look
after, generally answer questions in their field.
-Members are normal users.
-Guest can be anyone on the internet. They can see
posts that are allowed for them to see. If messages
are set ?for registered users only? they have no
access to them to give our club members some privacy.
The idea of having Guest user level is to allow non
members to see some posts, photos?etc and hopefully
gain them some interest in joining the club.

4)Different posts are divided into different topics,
so people can check them according to their will/
need. So far I have these topics inserted in the
forum:

~DOC News~
General Notice ? Usually general notices put up by the
administrators
The Club Magazine - Post things that you want to be
published on the DOC mag
Shows & Meetings - Time tables, Show Details, Time
Arrangement... etc
Club Gear - T-shirts, Polish, Diecast Models...etc
The DOC UK Website - News on Update, Change of ISP...
etc

~Technical Information~
Engine - Starting Problems, Hot/ Cold Start
Problems... etc
Transmission - Gearbox problem (Automatic/ Manual)
Exhaust - Stainless Steel Exhaust, Free Flow
Exhaust... etc
Suspension - Lower Suspension problems
Brakes - Brake Problems, Discussion... etc
Exterior - Polish Problem, Dings Removal... etc
Interior - Color matching problem, Cleaning problem...
etc
Steering - Shaky Steering, How to change Steering
Wheel... etc
Electrical - Wiring Problem, ECU Repair... etc

~Others~
Spare Parts Request/ Sales ? As title
Right Hand Drive DeLoreans - News and thoughts on RHD
DeLoreans
DeLorean Collectables - Diecast models, T-shirts...
etc
Chat - Share whatever you want to say here... doesn't
need to be DeLorean
Website - Shares DeLorean sites you find
Gullwing Cars - Share other gullwing cars you know

The only difference between Yahoo Groups and the Forum
that I and my friend are working on is instead of
checking your e-mail for DOC messages; you go to the
forum website (which will be www.hkdelorean.com) to
check them. This ensures that you can check these
messages anywhere in the world without the need of
e-mail programs like MS Outlook. You can always go
back and check previous messages using the search
function, so to reduce same questions being asked
again and again?

Please tell me any thoughts and ideas on this as I and
my friend would like to make a ?prefect? discussion
tool for DOC?

Regards,
John Tien 286 (working day and night to make this
works)


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