oh and there is a google analytics plugin for phpbb
https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/extension/googleanalytics/?sid=d8d0ff247bb48fe41907dcfb86294fdb
Have looked into doing this for the North East Lotus Owners, fairly cheap to do but not got round to it yet. The other option is to get the dealerships / specialists on board to spread the word to any exiges they get in for servicing.
Interesting stuff 
I confess to posting far less on t’internet in general these days - most has already been said on our marvelous cars.
It’s meets and members projects (both Lotus and non Lotus) that floats my boat
Sorry I have not been around that much, its been a funny/busy year really. (did I say I bought a porsche?)
The forum I read the most nowadays is seloc but only really the Chapman arms, there is a good mix of general banter and world news so I find myself checking there before the BBC…
Maybe exiges needs something similar? I know there is the Muppet show but the name and ‘when good threads go bad’ does not make it sound conducive to somewhere you would post general chat. Then its right at the bottom or the screen, I know it sounds daft but I never really scroll down that far 
General exige talk tends to get the general chat on here but is not really billed as that so maybe newbies from seloc etc consider it as an equivalent of seloc chat ie more car related chat and not word news or silly threads and banter.
I think that is what helps to make seloc so popular, people like myself check in long after they have sold their cars to just read/chat about general bollox… When a forum is quite specific people tend to drift in and out. ie now I am a little out of touch and find I do not have much to contribute about exiges or as much interest in finding out how to drop your IC air temp by one degree 
If you look at seloc (again sorry) but the Chapman arms is by far the most popular and updated room, maybe something similar is worth a try? I know it can get out of hand in there so perhaps a little more moderation would be required but hey ho you have to try these things 
Love ya all
Boothy
Is it that there is a general movement away from forums to the likes of Facebook? Could we start a page there to direct traffic to us?
yeah integrated into general social stuff, two don’t really interface that well though as FB don’t like you leaving
Do you use Alpecin shampoo Boothy? 
I don’t (need to) btw
Forgoodnesssake don’t got to social media as some of us. (Well me anyway) don’t want to know and have trouble enough with mobile phones let alone “face ache book” or whatever. :cry
Someone mentioned that most S1 owners now have most of the I nfo they need and cars don’t change hands that often. S2 …well some of us are still learning but I am realising they are less of a DIY car (too many electronics). So less need for enthusiast help. And as for the S3. It’s in porsche territory so. Even less DIY…
By all means have a Chapman Arms but why duplicate SELOC?
I like what we have …
Just my h’pth worth to try to get in the hall of fame before I shuffle off.
Keep having fun guys.
I agree with Clive.
After finally gaining entry into the exclusive roof terrace that is Exiges.com(after a few years of waiting), I like the close knit nature and camaraderie that exists. Seloc to me is not necessarily something we should aim for, I dip in and out of it but it’s one big animal with many different cliques within it (in my opinion).
By all means shake up the layout of the sub forums; the approval system has had a shake up which is the biggie. Facebook will hit the guys who don’t frequent the usual sites, but they may be few and far between. It seems if you go to the trouble to go on the net you either end up at PH, MLOC, lotus forums etc.
Would LoT help promote the site at all? I’m sure you’ve used them plenty of times in the past…
I also think some window transfers would be good too ahmm!!
And all of this from someone who’s yet to meet any of you!
Just need more mods and or trips to discuss
Possible simple change would be to show the current newest thread in each section on the main/home page? Then at least there is more temptation to click to go in?
I know I never click on S2 or S3 for instance, but seeing a thread title would get me to click regardless of having no S3, for example.
“View unanswered posts | View active topics” on the top left will give you the heads up view.
I think the forum would benefit from being grown, especially buy some of the newer owners. However yes we’re not after being seloc.
I really think you guys missed my point but kind of expected those responses as soon as you say the ‘S’ word…
The point was not to try to emulate Seloc, the point was that by having a general chat forum like the chapman arms it enables people who are no longer driving exiges to contribute and chat with old friends.
That is imho why seloc is so successful, love it or loath it people stick around long after selling their cars.
The point above about modding S1’s is also valid, being a forum for exiges most S1 and S2 things have been done to death, the S3’s are still pretty new and also considerably less affordable for most people so I cannot see them being about in the same numbers hence less threads.
So I can only really speak from my own experience of being around the various lotus forums for fourteen years, the only one I frequent at least once a day even though I no longer have a lotus is seloc and I only really go in the chapman arms.
I rarely read seloc chat and I never look at technical… I am not in any of the cliques (I agree fully there are a few) and take some of it and its characters with a pinch of salt. But it’s a light hearted way of catching up with world events, general car/lotus stuff and football.
So in trying to answer the question of why its quiet here and how to improve traffic that would be my suggestion, a general chat forum sat below S3 specific topics in the general section. You can all thank me later
Edit- it needs a good name too…
I’ve been away for a couple of days down in Devon and just read through after my mini-rant and I think there’s some great ideas :
- Have a section for general guff not related to Lotus - I’ll see if I can raise David.
- Revise the forum layout to better represent today’s needs - as above.
- Get exiges to be the go-to destination for S3 owners too - who of the S3 owners is gonna take the lead and tempt the S3 boys away from TLF?
- Find ways to inform/attract new members - maybe if we get some cards printed for Anglesey, everyone can pick up a few to have in their wallet?
I think the lifeblood of the forum has always been car modifications, car purchases, racecar campaigns, track days, meets and banter amongst a set of eclectic but somehow likeminded set of petrolheads. I think there’s plenty of material for 2015 so with some new blood let’s hope we can have a bumper year 
Oh and if anyone wants somewhere really lovely to stay in South Devon I’d highly recommend the olde-world charms of The Lamb Inn near Crediton - oh if only we had a place on exiges to post this kind of stuff
Looks a great place, he’ll of a long way from oop North! Good choice!
Well I’m probably one of ‘those guys’ who joined and haven’t really contributed. (my apologies)…having 2 young children doesn’t help but I occasionally glance over the forum.
Due to time restrictions I was just browsing the s1 and General chat, until today that is.
Upon looking through the S2 and S3 sections there are some interesting threads although not just s2 or s3 specific…why not make the 3 sections into one, at least that would give each thread more exposure? Just my 2p
Anyway, I’m going to do a suspension refresh over the next couple of months so I’m sure to be asking some stupid questions as I go along so please be gentle.
I find the opposite with 3 young children 
You coming to Anglesey again Dris? Not tempted by Spa in the summer?
If you find yourself down that way its a real unpretentious honest gem of a place…no parking though.
Definately coming to Anglesey (great day last year), just need the finances to built back up before being able to book it, same with spa.
Whilst I have a bit of a facebook phobia and general disslike to it, there is something to be said about using it to redirect people over to the main site here. I’ll look at starting a page for just such a task
I find I read here now more than post. Mind you, I haven’t gone to any other forum, this is the only one I really look at to be honest, I don’t really get the time to look at more than this one. I do read every thread though.
I guess I don’t post as much partly because I am still depressed at having to let my S1 go I guess. I will be back though. I have taken the time of having no toys and been looking at loads of different stuff. I have come to the conclusion that my next ‘toy’ has to be more road orientated than track. I hate to say it, but I think I am bored of going round in circles. I enjoy the social side of track days now, more than the participating in them. But with all of that said, currently a nice mildly sorted S1 elise might be my next port of call. Then once I have all of my ducks back in a row an S3 Exige.
Engine wise in the S1 elise, I think I have also gone off forced induction. So dare I say it, but it might have to have one of those dodgy jap things that begin with ‘H’ in the back. I’d have to do something a bit different though, but don’t know what yet.