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Thread: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

  1. #1
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    Default Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    Just throwing this out there.... I'm considering designing and building a dedicated kitfox build site to go in tandum with this site. No promises, but I wanted to reach out and find out the key things people would want. What they find missing from existing sites and what would really make it usable.

    I'd like to keep it free in the long run, so would also be looking for sponsors to help pay for hosting etc as well as some design work if I decide to go forward with it (if it's the right thing given what everyone here thinks).

    Or, if you think it's a futile thing to bother with... would like to know that too.
    912 IS
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  2. #2
    Senior Member rv9ralph's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I believe that there is a feature with vBulletin 5.0 that allows for blogging (the Forum is currently powered by vBulletin version 4.2.5). If Steve wants to go through another upgrade and activate that feature, we can keep everything in one place. If cost is an issue, I think the members here that want this feature to be added, there would be enough motivation to push some monetary support towards making this happen.

    Ralph

  3. #3
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I would hate to see this excellent site split up into two sites. Its bad enough already with some folks using Facebook instead of here.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  4. #4
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I have to respectfully agree with Jim. It's probably a poor analogy, but this sort of reminds me of having a small business, as I did for 21 years, teaching, training, and exposing an employee to all of your customers and contacts, and then the guy goes out and starts his own business, taking customers with him. I think that the builder's "logs", if you will, are an important and relatively large part of this forum - one of the most interesting aspects. I wouldn't want to see what has been a great asset to me and many others be harmed if the volume of posts diminished, possibly resulting in the loss of sponsors. I don't have any other dog in this race other than, as a user, I'd hate to see anything happen that would harm this site. I appreciate the work that it undoubtedly took to start it and make it into what it is today. In all fairness, I'm also sure that many of the builders starting out on the old Matronics site felt the same way when this site started becoming successful. Anyway, I hope my comments aren't out of line.
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I don't disagree that fracturing things can be more frustrating, that's why I'm asking. Here' my thing... I love following builds, but with all the extra chat and questions that happen in those build threads it's often difficult to actually follow the build and even more difficult to pin point the bits you want to look at. Specific parts of the build. My thought is that if there was some structure it would be easy to say " Hey I want to see everything about rudders" and find it no matter what order it was done in.

    Forums are great, but they are not designed for tracking progress of projects and easily allowing (especially new people) the ability to review what others have done. For example, I know several build threads have bits and pieces of Oratex covering. Even with the search feature you're still clicking through pages and mixed search results to find those.

    I'm not out to make more work for myself - I have enough of that. Nor am I out to make any money. I just want a better experience for getting build information.

    My 2 cents.
    912 IS
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  6. #6
    Senior Member bbs428's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    With regard to a dedicated build site that is separate from this one would not be beneficial imho.
    I would not support that. Anything that splits this site would be in error and would decrease the
    traffic and undermine this site.

    I would be for and propose a sub-forum titled "builds" or "current builds" or something similar.

    In regards to searching or difficulty in searching for specific content, it is a challenge, no matter
    what your looking for, to word your search correctly so the search engine can pull up the desired
    information.
    In my case I have always found what I was looking for, even though it took me numerous attempts
    at the search wording. Frustrating but not impossible.
    Somebody said that carrier pilots were the best in the world, and they must be or there wouldn't be any of them left alive. — Ernie Pyle

    Brett Butler
    Flying: 1998 Model 5 Outback, 912ul Zipper 110hp, G3x avionics, ss7 upgrades

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I think a sub-forum here would be sufficient? We just need a place all the builds are together without searching.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    Keith,

    My position in the food chain here is simply a builder and flyer who wanted a place to land for information sharing about Kitfox aircraft. Just like John and JIm.

    Teamkitfox has, above all, been a stable platform which provides a place for kitfox builders and flyers to share the full breadth of information and tribal knowledge that is so useful to completing a build and connecting people.

    lists of various types do not historically have the stability which Teamkitfox has had. That historic stability is a hallmark of Teamkitfox; and, is not all that easy to achieve in the long run. To be useful, an entity has to be there in the long run. Teamkitfox has done that.

    Maybe this is a little tongue in cheek, but possibly a store down the road from me which sold general kitchen supplies was criticized by an individual for not specializing in left handed corkscrews specifically to be used for opening wine bottles only under the full moon. Let's say a corkscrew shop opened up next door - which store do you think is here today?

    It might be useful to recall that aviation interests in general are a pretty darn small part of our society, splintering what we have is not likely to increase and expand the general good.

    The administrators and advertisers on Teamkitfox have, over a fairly long period of time, carefully constructed a very useful and functional site while guiding list members down the path of constructive information exchange.

    We have a gem here in Teamkitfox.

    I'd say practice with the search function a little, read your aircraft build manual, connect with your local EAA chapter, be active in your local airport and that will best help a person get their plane built.

    If you think the List is missing a something that builders need, maybe a suggestion to the administrators about adding a function to this site is appropriate.
    Dave S
    Kitfox 7 Trigear (Flying since 2009)
    912ULS Warp Drive

    St Paul, MN

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I'm not trying to bite off a piece of this site... maybe it could be a dedicated section, but I disagree an open forum style of build log works well. Searches in forums are notoriously terrible and don't take advantage of any of the latest and greatest technologies. I know how to search, it's that results are terrible. There's also many of us that don't have EAA chapters anywhere close or local airports or any knowledge of anyone else local building as well. Nor do many of us have that kind of time on top of everything else. Often the internet is the only way to get answers - and it bothers me that it's so difficult when I know that info is here already.

    Maybe there's a way to create a plugin for this forum that would allow a dedicated build log architecture. Then a build post could easily link to discussions in forum topics without cluttering up the build log itself.
    912 IS
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  10. #10

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    Default Re: Dedicated Kitfox Build Log Site - what would you want to see

    I agree with everything that has been said about splintering off the build logs. The thing that I hate most about the internet is having to go to multiple sites to find the information I am looking for. While the search function within Teamkitfox may not be the greatest, it works, and everything is in one site. If what you are proposing could be done within the framework of Teamkitfox, I would agree that it could be beneficial. Otherwise, I believe you would be un-intentionally diminishing this site.

    just my 2 cents

    Bob Krause

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