As a manager of the
Bushtracker Owners Group Forum, I am a regular reader and sometime contributor. Last week I got back from a trip in the BT and it took me hours to catch up on all the postings. I reflected at the time that what had been achieved in a little over 12 months was nothing short of amazing! Yes that's right, the Group is only 13 months old - started 17 Feb 2003. In that time we: Collected 265 members
Posted over 5000 messages
Had one very successful rally
Have 33 acceptances already for a Rally in September!
Have seen
Bushtracker International respond positively to product changes discussed in the
Forum
Have seen
Bushtracker International use the
forum as a means of communication with
Bushtracker owners. All that in 13 months. Not bad eh? Now comes the bad news.... I am personally disturbed by the increasing number of recent postings which appear to get very subjective and in some cases have got way too personal. Having been involved in User Forums for many years as part of my career, when this starts to happen, the credibility and the viability of the
Forum is put at risk. Forums such as this deliver maximum value when the integrity and objectivity of the
forum is recognised by all stakeholders - the customer (
Bushtracker owners), the product supplier (
Bushtracker International) and future/prospective customers. We have been starting to make headway but when things get personal or when members elect to post personal correspondence between BTI and themselves, the integrity of the
Forum is diminished. We all say we want to see BTI participate. I can't see it happen when some discussions get down to slanging matches and trust is compromised. As a
Bushtracker owner, I have a vested interest in seeing the
Forum continue to grow and be successful. I have learnt so much from it. I have made friendships through it. My
Bushtracker is a better beast because of it. When the Group was founded, we put together a Charter that talked about the objectives and also set some ground rules. I think it's time to revisit that Charter to ensure that as we use the
Forum, we maintain the integrity and objectivity that delivers maximum value to everyone. Just to make it easier, here's the Charter.... The Charter of the
Bushtracker Owners Group Objective of the
Bushtracker Owners Group The primary purpose of the
Bushtracker Owners Group is to provide a
forum for information exchange and constructive, objective commentary that is designed to enhance the experience of owning a
Bushtracker caravan through: building a sense of community with others who share an interest in
Bushtracker Caravans and in travelling throughout Australia
advice and tips on fit-out
advice and information on itineraries, locations and travelling in general
feedback on product improvement Who can benefit from Participation in the
Bushtracker Owners Group? There are a number of categories of people who might visit or join the Group. Each will have a different reason and will be looking for different information. The visitors and their possible requirements could include: Potential buyers of
Bushtracker Caravans
Interested in owners' experiences with their 'vans
What sort of layout/configuration/options?
What sort of towing vehicle?
Things to consider when buying
What sort of country/track can be tackled in a
Bushtracker? Current owners of
Bushtracker Caravans
Commentary on Tips and Techniques.
Discussion of trips, routes, places to visit etc.
A
forum for communication amongst people with a common interest.
A
forum for arranging rallies etc. The management of
Bushtracker International
A source of feedback from owners on strengths and areas for potential improvement.
A source of customer reference for potential buyers.
A
forum for communication between
Bushtracker International and
Bushtracker owners.
What does all this mean for people who use the
Forum? It means we should present information in a positive, constructive manner.
If you've experienced problems, can you suggest a possible solution?
Respect the opinions of others.
Present commentary in a way that will invite feedback - that way, we all learn a bit more.
Recognise that, given the investment that
Bushtracker owners make, the best results will be achieved through a constructive, open dialogue between Owners and
Bushtracker International.
The more members we have in the
forum, the more we will all learn and benefit. As I used to say to my kids after chewing them out, "thus endeth the lesson" Pete