Are we doomed?

You are quite right with your OP.but then this website is now  probably classed by EGH as not being dumbed down enough a place like Facebook , with what seems is needed in modern society,even if your op was reported it would be very unusual if any sort of positive response would be forth coming,

I agree.

I'm unsure whether it's the crap software being used, a deliberate attempt to discourage it's use, or an attempt to force us to use Facebook or similar.

I have a facebook account but very rarely find anything of interest on it from the CMC.

It is a puzzle. 

Hi TW, we love our caravanning and we use mainly Club sites because we like the cleanliness, quality, layout and you know the standard of the site. I like the booking system and in general am quite happy with being a member of the club which allows us and makes it easy for us to enjoy our caravanning. Having said that there are a few things that are not all they could be and those things are often discussed at great length on this forum which is part of the purpose of it.

Most days I access the forum which I find mostly informative, sometimes amusing, and sometimes annoying when you get some stupid replies to your own post, but that is part and parcel of using a public forum. I do not feel that the forum is that bad, in my view it can be frustrating. I do agree with you on some points regarding input from the club, I think the club should use forum for what it, ie. a place that give members views, good and bad about caravanning and being a member of the club and yes, they should take notice, review, and respond on a regular basis to points, ideas and thoughts put forward on the forum rather than have the view that it is there and that's it.  I think the Club is going through a major change at the moment with regard to its future and it is loosing 'club status' but that is due to chasing turnover and profit, therefore they will not bother with the views a small majority of members who use the forum.

So my view,  keep the forum,  the club should look at it and respond on a regular basis, tweek it to make more user friendly, and listen to the members

Sadly I have to agree.

I have not posted much on here, but when trying to do so on another thread the cursor delays while typing were utterly awful. That was first reported almost a year ago but nothing has been done.

As for Facebook - it may have its place but detailed discussions it is not good for. A quick look round the club pages makes me think 80% + of what CAMC post is actually adverts. So assuming they get paid for the adverts it may actually be a revenue stream for the club - one never knows!

I just wish they would scrap any idea of writing their own forum and go get a package off the shelf. Many are vastly better, and a fair number almost free to use. Developing it in house is frankly plain daft. But all that's been said before

Mike.

I believe because this Forum is integrated within the mainstream website, it is a thorn in its side by taking resources that its servers badly need. Facebook is ideal for CAMC to migrate to because its control is independent.

Nothing has been done to enhance the forum despite the reports given, and agree it is an attempt to force use of Facebook where a reply from staff is posted same day. Very soon I can see a future announcement of the closure of this site.

Either way, the members on this forum are treated badly by the lack of information and the invisibility of staff on here. Excepting CL Maddie who gets a thumbs up from me also.

That’s a good point, Metheven, about the forum using resources that could be allocated elsewhere.

Yes, we knew by 'Frenzy booking day' that various parts of the Website was closed down to direct all available resources to stop overload of its servers, so saying bye bye to this forum would release resources and help speed up the rest of the site. 

That proves that resources are stretched.

I believe by doing nothing to improve this forum, hacking off its members and purposely assigning staff to post elsewhere proves that CT is doomed and hoping we might just go away. Eventually a post regarding its closure will blame members for not using it.

I did not try and book on booking day until 8.15 and at that time the forum was running. The booking system did not appear to struggle as far as the user was concerned. If running the forum alongside the booking was a problem then the club would doubtless have disabled it until 8.45am. 

When I use FB CC page it will be shortly after hell has frozen over