Can someone please just send me an email when...

[AVIONX]

Can someone please just send me an email when this project comes back out of the FFR SKUNKWORKS??? LOL. I have checked here 10 or more times a day, almost every day, for more than 2 months, and seen nothing. I'm going to wear out my www.factoryfive.com keys :)

[Canadian818]

Maybe an email list, cause your not the only one.

[MuddyRoverRob]

I think it's a master plan to have us all buy the more expensive existing kits... ;-)

[mn_vette]

Sign me up for the "818 Updates from Dave" email list.

[Evan78]

A feature I really like about vBulletin (the software powering this forum) is that you can "subscribe" to a particular forum in addition to individual threads. Go back to the 818 forum, hit the "Forum Tools" item near the top right and select "Subscribe to this forum". I selected daily updates so I receive an email once a day that tells me what threads are new. Weekly updates is the other option.

Here's an example email:


Dear Evan78,

You are subscribed to the forum The New Factory Five 818, there have been 1 new thread(s) and 2 updated thread(s).
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/forumdisplay.php?28-The-New-Factory-Five-818

The following threads are new:
************
Came Across These Designs
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?4870-Came-Across-These-Designs
In forum: The New Factory Five 818
Started by: Vman7
Last post: 01-15-2012 09:29 AM


The following threads have been updated:
************
Design Model - O's - Feedback and Suggestions
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?3962-Design-Model-O-s-Feedback-and-Suggestions
In forum: The New Factory Five 818
Started by: RodneyO
Last post: 01-15-2012 06:18 AM
************
Track concept inspired by the 818
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?4833-Track-concept-inspired-by-the-818
In forum: The New Factory Five 818
Started by: speedboy
Last post: 01-15-2012 08:51 AM


All the best,
Factory Five Forums

Hope that helps.

[skullandbones]

That's pretty funny. I thought that was "tongue and cheek" and then someone comes up with a real answer (Way to go Evan!). I think an annoucement on Today like, "Breaking news: FFR comes up with a revolutionary new design!!!!" would be appropriate (I wake up to it). Oh well. WEK.

[Evan78]

Haha, yeah, I assumed it was tongue in cheek too. I'm pretty sure the majority of users are unaware of that feature, I used vBulletin on a daily basis for years before figuring it out. Once upon a time, I setup my own copy of it and hacked in a feature to provide the option of being emailed immediately when a new thread was created. I wish they'd build that option in, seems like an obvious one.

[spaceywilly]

This link takes you to Dave's new posts. Since anything new comes directly from him, you can check there to quickly see if he's said anything new. That's what I usually do.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/search.php?do=finduser&userid=13&contenttype=vBForum_Post&showposts=1

[Evan78]

Good idea. Here's a search of Dave's posts restricted to the 818 forum:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/search.php?searchid=299817

[Sultan]

I check this site twice a day and I really love the idea of being on an email list. I just want to know when Dave is providing new or additional informantion.

[Gary in NJ]

I'm with you Avionx. I really don't have much interest in reading posts where people are disagreeing on facts that don't yet exist. I just want to see the official correspondence from Dave. Kick me when that happens again.

[AVIONX]

I think it's a master plan to have us all buy the more expensive existing kits... ;-)

DUDE!!! Don't even joke about that. I keep looking at the GTM...The only thing stopping me is driving an awesome $55k+ car with an interior / interior features that is humiliated by a new $9999 hyundia.

[Xusia]

What's a hyundia?!?

JUST KIDDING YOU!!! :D

[BrandonDrums]

I have an idea. Similarly to how we started a public google spreadsheet for the 818 naming competition (that never happened), let's start a shared, public google document where everyone can put their email address for email updates.

Whoever sees an update on the 818 from Dave can then copy and paste all of the addresses into their email client and email everyone. Whoever mails out with the list will have to separate all the emails with a comma. That's easy just use the formula in cell B1 (for this spreadsheet) =A1&", " which will add a comma and a space to whatever is in the first cell, then you can drag using the little square on the bottom right of the highlighted box containing this formula (which will initially be B1) down the whole column to apply the rule to all the addresses. Highlight all, copy then you can paste into the "to" line of the email.

I'd put the formula in but some email clients require a semicolon instead and that would need =A1&"; " instead.

Here's the link to the public spreadsheet for our little mailing list.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvDS1xzrQ5HQdEd5SEVKb2JBb0VXLVVwYnZzSTZQV lE

no names please, otherwise it's a good way to get added to all sorts of random databases. I know because as an online marketing professional, we pay big bucks to research mailing lists of all kinds, email addresses only to keep this list nice and worthless except to us.

[Xusia]

Hey Brandon,

You can do that far more safely by using a form. This form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dENpZFV5ajFGTjR5R0kybTNrYWYwUXc6M Q

submits the information to a spreadsheet. I set this up as an example. If you want to use it, that's cool, or if you want to make a form for your spreadsheet, that's cool too. I have no ego in this, so just let me know (so I can delete my example). What I would suggest is to share the resulting spreadsheet ONLY with those who have submitted their email addresses. That will keep it out of the public eye, and [hopefully] put a lot more people at ease about providing their email addresses.

Another option for the uber paranoid: Create a separate email address. If you use gmail it's even pretty easy to automatically forward any messages sent there to another email (like your main one) if you want to avoid checking another email account. When you feel like you no longer want the temp email (because the project is done, you are getting too much spam, whatever), you just delete it - no effect on your main email. There are instructions all over the internet (Google is your friend, here - use it!).

Just trying to contribute and be helpful... :)

[Evan78]

Even better would be an automated mailing list. If I had some free time, I'd set one up.

In the past, I've used Mailman:

http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/index.html

It would get the job done, require no administration after initial setup, and keep addresses hidden to everyone except the administrator.

[BrandonDrums]

Hey Brandon,

You can do that far more safely by using a form. This form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dENpZFV5ajFGTjR5R0kybTNrYWYwUXc6M Q

submits the information to a spreadsheet. I set this up as an example. If you want to use it, that's cool, or if you want to make a form for your spreadsheet, that's cool too. I have no ego in this, so just let me know (so I can delete my example). What I would suggest is to share the resulting spreadsheet ONLY with those who have submitted their email addresses. That will keep it out of the public eye, and [hopefully] put a lot more people at ease about providing their email addresses.

Another option for the uber paranoid: Create a separate email address. If you use gmail it's even pretty easy to automatically forward any messages sent there to another email (like your main one) if you want to avoid checking another email account. When you feel like you no longer want the temp email (because the project is done, you are getting too much spam, whatever), you just delete it - no effect on your main email. There are instructions all over the internet (Google is your friend, here - use it!).

Just trying to contribute and be helpful... :)

Yeah man, sounds good to me! However, I tried the form and it didn't take me to the document but I guess you just have an example up.

My spreadsheet has no names on it so I can just delete that and you can start one with the form. Then perhaps we can make a new thread announcing the mailing list?

[BrandonDrums]

Even better would be an automated mailing list. If I had some free time, I'd set one up.

In the past, I've used Mailman:

http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/index.html

It would get the job done, require no administration after initial setup, and keep addresses hidden to everyone except the administrator.

This is cool but I think the point would be just for who anyone sees an important update to be able to mail the whole group. Otherwise it would require a single person to own it. However, if someone wants to track messages regularly every day then I'm all for it. I just thought it would be cool if we all agreed as a group to send out an email to everyone on the list if one hadn't been sent when dave posts a new 818 update.

But, whatever everyone wants is a-ok to me!

[Evan78]

I agree Brandon. The Mailman mailing list should allow anyone who is on the list to send emails to the list that go out to everyone. The website isn't great and doesn't lay out basic features such as this, but I'm pretty sure it supports that functionality.

Another option would be a Yahoo group. I've also used those in the past and you get some address like FFRupdates@groups.yahoo.com that would go out to everyone who is a member and elected to receive group emails. Emails could only be sent to the group by members so that not any old spammer can send out to everyone.

[BrandonDrums]

I agree Brandon. The Mailman mailing list should allow anyone who is on the list to send emails to the list that go out to everyone. The website isn't great and doesn't lay out basic features such as this, but I'm pretty sure it supports that functionality.

Another option would be a Yahoo group. I've also used those in the past and you get some address like FFRupdates@groups.yahoo.com that would go out to everyone who is a member and elected to receive group emails. Emails could only be sent to the group by members so that not any old spammer can send out to everyone.

I dig it, the yahoo group sounds especially easy. Want to take the lead on that?

[Xusia]

Hey Brandon,

The form isn't designed to take you the spreadsheet. That's the beauty - it's submission only. What I had planned was that I would share it with those who submitted their email addresses. After it's shared with you, then you could open it. I just didn't set that up since it was an example.

Personally, I think the Yahoo group thing sounds easier, but I've never used it so what do I know!

[Evan78]

I dig it, the yahoo group sounds especially easy. Want to take the lead on that?Okay, done.

Anyone who wants to join the mailing list, go join this group:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/FFR818/

The email address is FFR818@yahoogroups.com. You must be a member to send messages to the group.

I set it to require approval of new members. I've learned from past experience that spammers will join and start spamming if allow to.

[BrandonDrums]

I guess this never took off lol.

Did anyone else get that FFcars.com "newsletter"? It was pretty spammy but could have been cool, they randomly send a newsletter to everyone who's ever registered at ffcars.com with recent threads and featured discussions.

Done correctly, a newsletter for this forum would be amazing, like a real one. I'm coming back here less and less often because it takes more and more time to find updates about what's going on. I had visited here 2 days in a row not realizing in one of the threads someone had posted some gokart pics they took when they visited FFR lol.

I just have a feeling after SEMA we're going to come back to 100 new members asking those old questions over and over and us old folks are going to have to work to get the conversations on point again. I think we need a regular newsletter and some of the main transmission/engine/design threads made into sticky's or this whole forum is going to get buried with redundant junk threads come November...

Heck, I'm making a poll...

[gwader]

Tell me about it!

https://thisbrownngirl.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/rollingtumbleweed.gif

[vozproto]

I just decided to buy a motorcycle again and deal with the FFR 818 whenever it comes out.
I got bored of waiting and talking about the same stuff over and over again.