Local forum threads

[WessexMario]

Could the top-level 'new posts' list be changed so that if we want to search/browse the local forums we can, but we don't get notified of new threads on what are local issues?

I can appreciate that if this is the only online forum that Wales has, then it's an appropriate place for their online discussion, but does the rest of the country need this sort of topic force-fed to them?

[patrick]

Hi Mario,

This could be done, excluding certain forums from search but unfortunately it would impact the Welsh members as well and exclude them from their own posts. When you do click for the new posts it does say on the right which forum it is in so you can avoid reading threads you aren't interested in, any thoughts Simon?

Cheers

Patrick

[WessexMario]

A couple of ways it might be done...

- Include all or no regional forums in 'new posts' searches.
- Include only the regional group forum of the user as selected in the profile.

The latter might be best, as I'd like to be notified of Wessex forum entries, and the Wales lot could then be notified only of theirs.

Either or both, just set as default, or have them switchable from the user profile.

I'm sure there are those who want to see everything, and those who are not really interested in local debates and minutae from the further ends of the country.
To have the ability to include/exclude regional forums for the user would be really good.

[John Potts]

Are we really incapable of noticing what forum it's in and NOT reading it if we aren't interested?

[WessexMario]

No we're not, but when you see '3 new posts', you have to first click on it to find out if they're really posts you wanted listed in the first place. If the computer can do the filtering for me, I'd rather it did.
And then, if we don't click on them and there's '19 new posts', how do we remember that there were 18 or 19 from yesterday that we're not interested in?

[DavePrice]

Dear Mario,
I now don't use the "new posts" link under User CP. I instead use the "Today's Posts" link in the block higher on right of page. The display from that then shows which forums the posts are in and so then I only look in ones I know I am interested in...
Dave Price

[John Potts]

Doesn't really matter now. The circling censorship vultures have swooped.

[TimChilde]

Or we could go back to the system on the old forum, where the local forums are only available to the members of those groups.

Personally, I don't care either way.

On a similar but different issue - am I right in thinking the 'our vehicles' section is wide open? Probably not a good thing as people, not surprisingly, keep posting pictures of the vehcles for all to see.

[Roz]

On a similar but different issue - am I right in thinking the 'our vehicles' section is wide open? Probably not a good thing as people, not surprisingly, keep posting pictures of the vehcles for all to see.

Why exactly would this be a problem?

[Simon Bentley]

Because some people are paranoid about their vehicle identity being stolen - if you are that bothered then blank out your number plate when posting pictures - simples.

[John Potts]

Because some people are paranoid about their vehicle identity being stolen - if you are that bothered then blank out your number plate when posting pictures - simples.

Or when driving it anywhere there might be a crook watching? :D:p

[Roz]

I've never understood that logic......

[Tony Ferrari]

I suppose it is easier for your average car thief (or cloner) to sit at the comfort of his/her computer to find a car of their choice to steal and then discover your address by paying some filthy lucre to the DVLA.

Certainly beats hanging around on street corners in all weathers and if by chance the right car comes along, having the bother of following you home.

Or of course they could just drive past and see it parked on your drive :D

[Teresa Herefordshire]

I've been told it's more likely they steal a car, hide it, then look out for a registration number on the computer on the same type and colour of car so that they can duplicate the number. Then if they commit a crime with it the police would contact you not them. So it's virtual car identity theft rather than the theft of your vehicle itself.

[Tony Ferrari]

That was the reason for my comment about cloning.

Reminds me of when I worked for a local authority and we discovered an apparently abandoned, relatively new Audi A3 with light accident damage but otherwise OK.

So we made the effort to contact the owner, who happened to work for Northamptonshire Police. When I told her we had her car in Hatfield she was certain we didn't as she was looking out of her window at Police HQ and could still see it in the car park!

When Hertfordshire Police got to work, the two were absolutely identical even down to the same VIN number but it turned out ours was the clone much to her relief.

Seems the work was most probably done when she was trying to sell her car, perfect opportunity to come round, take a good look and record all the relevant numbers to be copied.

[John Potts]

I still think the answer is either;

1. Don't post your motor on the net.
2. Blank out the plate.

Surely, all the pictures of member's motors have been posted by the owner. I'm sure if someone else posted 'em they'd take 'em down on request?

[TimChilde]

It doesn't really bother me, but I thought I'd mention it as we had such a long paranoia thread about Google Maps.

[Roz]

It doesn't bother me either.
If I really wanted to get a registration number for an identical car to the one I'd just nicked, ebay or autotrader would almost certainlty give me what I wanted without trawling through pages and pages of sites like this.

[John Potts]

Ah, but paranoia about the internet is such an easy malady to catch ;)

[stephendrabble]

It doesn't bother me either.
If I really wanted to get a registration number for an identical car to the one I'd just nicked, ebay or autotrader would almost certainlty give me what I wanted without trawling through pages and pages of sites like this.


Ive had my number used.. they done always match make and model...
mine was used in Kent on a ford festia..

police just looked at the T2, made a note in there little black book and walked away..

[WessexMario]

I still think the answer is either;
1. Don't post your motor on the net.
2. Blank out the plate.


or 3. photoshop your photo so that the number displayed is one that belongs to a marked police car. :D