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baptistbusman1
Senior Member
USA
175 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 06:08:27 AM
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I'm just curious here, but I remember years ago this forum was going non stop, all day, every day. Now it seems it is only during business hours on school days. No weekend posting. I'm wondering if we are only posting when we are supposed to be working, lol. I miss some of the posters like ModMech and others that knew everything and would answer questions anytime. |
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aaronwilmoth80911
Top Member
538 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 06:54:56 AM
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I don't use the forum nearly as much as I used to mainly due to joining the Facebook page for school bus mechanics. Now I'm an admin for that page, so I see most all activity that goes on there. I try to drop my 2 cents on this page when I think I can help, but since Facebook is more mobile friendly, that's typically the route I go with. |
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td083
Senior Member
195 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 07:08:30 AM
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I want to join this group ^^ |
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unclefish
Senior Member
113 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 09:02:37 AM
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I'm here cause I don't have facebook. and like I ask the kids on the bus? BY THE WAY ARE ANY OF YOU GOING ANYWHERE INTERESTING THIS WEEKEND TO STARE AT YOUR PHONE... |
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RonF
Top Member
867 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 12:22:26 PM
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I look in on this everyday, work that is. |
US Army retired CMBT |
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tigger2
Advanced Member
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 12:53:21 PM
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I still check in often, in the past we had a more mixed fleet Fords, Navistar and Freightliners. Now our fleet is all Freightliner C2 and HDX transits. Not many questions on these units. |
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aaronwilmoth80911
Top Member
538 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2020 : 2:22:24 PM
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td083, search up school bus mechanics on Facebook, answer the questions, and you're in. |
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exmod110
Senior Member
150 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2020 : 05:55:13 AM
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I check in work daily, but the fb page is easier to attach pics and vids to. an image or vid can be worth a thousand words.. |
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Dvorak
Senior Member
United States
95 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2020 : 10:35:21 AM
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I check this forum a few times a week. I use it more often when I'm stumped on a problem or looking for advice on something. I'm not on Facebook. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2020 : 1:35:06 PM
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As you all know I'm and admin here. I tried, a couple years ago, to get this forum updated. I really thought it was going to happen. Talked to Nicole and she said she would have the tech guy call me and discuss it. I was going to try to get the other admin involved as we got rolling on it. Nothing happened. When this was going on I didn't have FB on my phone. I really didn't want to be on FB while at work. Well, things have changed and I can now justify using FB on a limited basis at work. This forum could have been big. It had a great following and, for the most part, people were friendly and helpful to each other. I still like to come here, you guys are like old friends. But the heyday is gone. I'm not sure if it would come back even if it was mobile friendly, could post pics, etc. I'd be willing to give it a try if the powers that be wanted to try it. I'd say if you all are interested in reviving it give Nicole an email. Just like right now, it would nice to tag "admin" and she would get a notification. We could set up notifications if someone talks about, say, "Allison 545 Transmission". I suspect the development of an app and the maintenance would be too much for the return on their money. Just my two cents |
Bryan |
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ACL
Senior Member
USA
53 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2020 : 2:08:37 PM
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So where is the action happening now? It was mentioned that mechanics are on a FB group, but what about drivers? |
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Bluenozer
Top Member
Canada
644 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2020 : 02:46:12 AM
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on break time during work , and you dont need special graphics and stuff you just need good guys that know their sh*t and guys that are willing to learn this is my social media
I understand that. The thing is, the Facebook page is so much more user friendly. A dedicated forum, like this, could be made to be better suited for our needs though. I'm just not sure the return on investment will be there. I'll ask Nicole about it again. |
OEM trained in wiring and all engine platforms for over 20 years
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ACL
Senior Member
USA
53 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2020 : 05:44:53 AM
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I just realized the forum software (never heard of Snitz Forums before) hasn't been updated by the developers in over ten years. That's dead and dangerous by software standards, and we should expect the IT folks at SBF to just delete the whole thing one day when they realize what a security risk it could pose to the rest of their website.
Until that happens, let's share the alternatives. I personally like forums, but they do seem to be going out of fashion. Really don't want to go to FB. I am in a few groups.io groups; they work really well. Sort of like Yahoo but way better (written by the guy who started the Yahoo groups). I don't see any existing school bus groups there, though.
What do y'all think? Is there a future for the forum here with updated software, or should we focus elsewhere and get more participation? |
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aaronwilmoth80911
Top Member
538 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2020 : 06:47:32 AM
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The pros about this forum is that attaching images is a hard thing to do, so you don't have to police silly stuff. I get a lot of memes posted to the FB page and it becomes a task to have to police the page. The cons about the forum is not being able to attach an image easily like exmod said. I will say that this page has always seemed a bit more "professional" than the FB page. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2020 : 08:02:15 AM
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ACL and aaron, I agree with most of what you are saying. I think it would be smart to update this forum. I'm not in the publishing business so I really don't know the advantages of having a forum attached to your magazine are. All I do know is that this place is professional, Aaron. If we could attach photos it would be a welcome addition. I don't think it would be too hard to police. I help with a FB page dedicated to IH tractors, it doesn't get out of hand (there are real close to 10,000 members on it). The advantage to a page like this is that people who work for schools can access it where they may not be able to access Facebook. I did put out an email to Nicole at SBF, let's see what happens. |
Bryan |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2020 : 09:38:37 AM
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Thomasbus24, where are you? |
Bryan |
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g0ttadrift
Advanced Member
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2020 : 12:40:41 PM
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bwest, updating this forum will be a welcome addition. I am able to access this at work and it's nice to run out to a bus we have on the lot and look at it to answer someone's questions. Having a mobile version would be nice on the weekends. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2020 : 07:57:19 AM
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quote: Originally posted by g0ttadrift
bwest, updating this forum will be a welcome addition. I am able to access this at work and it's nice to run out to a bus we have on the lot and look at it to answer someone's questions. Having a mobile version would be nice on the weekends.
Thanks for your response. I'd like to hear from others who are reading and not commenting. Please let me know your opinion. |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4546 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2020 : 08:33:46 AM
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quote: Originally posted by bwest
Thomasbus24, where are you?
I'm here, I've just been busy ordering my new gasoline buses!
I'm chained to a desk nowadays, so I pop in maybe once a day to help reset my brain from the torrent of stupidity that comes my way.
I refuse to use Facebook. I had it for about an hour, years ago, entered NO useful info, and it suggested people to add that I had worked with at two different employers of the past. Hmmm... |
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aaronwilmoth80911
Top Member
538 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2020 : 1:55:33 PM
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Bryan, as far as the policing goes, you might have seen my posts from earlier today LOL |
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ACL
Senior Member
USA
53 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2020 : 09:30:01 AM
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I just looked around the Snitz website for a bit and it seems there is an updated version of this. Basically the developer migrated from ASP.net to ASP.net MVC, and the MVC version is only about a year old. The ease of migration depends on what database the forum is currently running on. However, upgrading alone doesn't necessarily do anything for us if the new version isn't easier to use and more accessible to more people. I think it's hard to beat the modern, established forum apps like xenForo (which is not free) or phpBB (which is).
If you want this forum to be more accessible, use forum software that is compatible with Tapatalk. It's a super popular way to use forums on a phone. Tapatalk says it supports " vBulletin, xenForo, phpBB, MyBB, SMF, Kunena, WBB and more." |
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baptistbusman1
Senior Member
USA
175 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2020 : 05:22:09 AM
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quote: Originally posted by aaronwilmoth80911
Bryan, as far as the policing goes, you might have seen my posts from earlier today LOL
I saw that. Just people on my friends list from work drive me nuts on Facebook tagging me in posts with pictures of 4 wheel drive buses, those stupid stop signs that go all the way across the other lane, memes with burning buses saying ‘just turn it off and restart it,’ bus wrecks that say stuff about not texting and driving.....
I should start tagging them with articles on how to use a broom, how to come to work, how to make sure your kids don’t get ran over crossing the road, how to drive your bus so the check engine light from coming on.....let’s fix buses and do our jobs with some integrity and not play like the “steering wheel holders” |
Edited by - baptistbusman1 on 01/26/2020 06:13:10 AM |
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