The Future of DSMStyle.com Please read and Comment/Vote

[AJ]

Well everyone who has really been involved with making this site what it is for the most part knows me and knows DSMStyle.com has always been something I have been proud of. It's a passion I have had for a few years now and think I will for a long time down the road. I have though about just giving it up several times, and just getting 100% out of cars. Would make for a simple life, no? But it's just not me, and not what I plan to do.

DSMStyle.com has come a long way. Many people have had a chance to make some really good friends due to this site. Myself included. Many people who don't even have DSMs anymore frequesnt this site.

But I think maybe the time has come for the biggest change ever suggested for DSMStyle.com and that is the name. I have recently purchased the domain www.midwestdsm.com. The only thing I have it for is to just sit there and point to this site. To maybe draw more members from the midwest in. But Before I go changing anything to the main name of this site, I figured I would come here and ask for honest opinions of those who have been though everything here and have stood by DSMStyle.com over the past few years. I also want to hear from the new members that have signed up as new as yesterday and see what their views on it are. I think it's only fair that the members of this site get their voices out there before anything is changed.

So please come on out and speak your mind. Be honest in what you have to say. It in no way will be held against anyone for any reason. Please keep on subject, and please keep all meaningless off subject banter out of this thread.

Out of simple respect please take this thread serious for once and give it a bit of your attention. I like to think after everything DSMStyle.com deserves that minimal bit of respect for once.

So DSMers or not, speak up and let your voice out. This is your time.

DSMStyle.com or MidwestDSM.com?

Thanks,

Allan

DSMStyle.com Owner since April 2nd 2001.

[Jakey]

My vote goes 900% towards staying with DSMStyle.com. I believe the MidwestDSM.com is way too generic. Take a look at the vast majority of the other DSM clubs/groups out there, Quad Cities DSM, Southeast DSM, Rocky Mountain DSM (not quite as generic), etc. DSMStyle.com is one of the few regional DSM clubs that is a truly unique name. I firmly believe that is what makes this place something special versus so many of the other generic clubs out there. I also believe that by leaving DSMStyle.com and moving to MidwestDSM.com would lose a great deal a respect from people as there are generic regional automotive based websites consistently popping up that are about as worthless as a website can get. DSMStyle.com is a known name all across the DSM community, not just on this board. 'Style' is a name that is also recognized by DSM'ers. When speaking with Jacek about something related to the site we refer to it as 'Style' and as far as I am concerned I will always refer to it as 'Style.'

I should also mention that I do not honestly see a point in pushing hard to recruit more members from across the Midwest. It would be great to expand the DSMStyle.com horizon but let people come naturally, I don't see a purpose in specifically recruiting. Get a couple of other shops on board and they will bring members with them. Bigger is definitely not better although. I spend a lot of time reading on Tuners but it is way too evident that priceless knowledge is going to waste on there because of there being simply too members. I can think of two 'Wiseman' on Tuners who used to be very active but are no longer because people's bullshit pissed them off on too many occasions.

Think of the movie Field of Dreams when the 'Voice' says to Kevin Costner, "If you build it, he will come." Allan, you have built this website from the ground up and like the 'Voice,' "You have built it, they will come.'

[Matt D.]

I vote for not changing. DSMStyle.com is what it is today because not only have you wanted it to be this way but you've allowed us members to help make it this way it is as well. The name has a certain ring to it and even local car people who don't even own DSMs know of this site or the "club".

Reaching out and opening the doors to the rest of the DSMers in the midwest is an excellent idea and I look forward to meeting new people, but changing the name won't help accomplish that.

[tpunx99GSX]

I vote to stay Dsmstyle.com because i have dsmstyle stickers on my car and i really dont want to have to change them. LOL JK I do however feel like what matt says, dsmstyle is known and has credit beyond just the name. We have the fastest dsms in the country on this site and people know that Tuners sucks, mndsm is a yahoo group that is hard to keep up with, NABR sucks in my opinion just because im not fast enough to get it but im sure it would be cool if i could be in. Keep the midwestdsm.com pointing to this site to get more members but dont do a full change.

[JET]

I know AJ is looking to broaden the site. To do this I think it would help to change the name. I am pretty split though, when a site gets too big it loses the feeling of family. Last year I probably knew 80% of the people on here personally, it is already down to 50% (for regulars). If we get too big I don't think it will be the local hangout anymore. It would be nice to get bigger and have some kick ass gatherings though. There are good and bad points to it. In the end, it is your site Allan, head it in the direction you want.

JET

[Kracka]

Midwest!

[Super Bleeder!!]

dsmstyle, this is by far my fave dsm board. 1) because i know most of the big wigs 2) the retard count is pretty low

sometimes i go read tooners and talk and even the nabr board, and they i cry. i like this site the way it is!

[Khadgar]

Yeh, I like the name dsmstyle a lot better, I like the idea about expanding but I think that definately keeping the group sorta tight knit is important, I dont think I could ever keep up with everything on tuners and talk like I can on style and it has ended up being the one site I visit most online.

[Raptor]

I vote stick with the name as is. I would not have found the site with the new name. I did searches for anything starting with DSM originally. I also think that the name has earned some recognition and changing it will lose that.

[JDM]

Just add a "National" or seperate "Regional" boards. www.neweclipse.org does that, and it seems to work well... Most local 3g guys are from the Normal ILL area...

Make the Parking Lot a private area if you want to keep the family feel. Everyone allowed to play games is allowed in the Parking Lot.

National imput on problems would probably only benefit those involved... giving it a national name, and keeping a local area for us to BS seems to be a decent proposal for both problems...

Just my two cents.

[CVD]

If I wanted to go to a broader ranging site with hundreds and hundreds of DSMers from various areas, I'd go to tuners.....which I guess is why I dont get on tuners anymore.

Just my thoughts. I come here because I know a large portion of the members.

[Kracka]

Originally Posted by CVD

I come here because I know a large portion of the members.

Agreed, if this site became like Talk or Tooners the site would deffinately lose that personal feel it has right now. Leave well-enough alone I do suppose, the site has already gotten fairly large considering.

[dsm95gsxer]

I think it should stay DSMSTYLE, I like it because its not as impersonal as the national sites. I have a better chance to make some new friends if its a local thing.

[slowbubblecar]

I have a feeling pretty soon that your car will be covered in decals and the dsmstyle one wont even stick out. Have you looked at the fast and furious eclipse decals on ebay? If they are still there anymore. As far as the name, I couldn't care less. A site is a site.

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

I vote to stay Dsmstyle.com because i have dsmstyle stickers on my car and i really dont want to have to change them. LOL JK I do however feel like what matt says, dsmstyle is known and has credit beyond just the name. We have the fastest dsms in the country on this site and people know that Tuners sucks, mndsm is a yahoo group that is hard to keep up with, NABR sucks in my opinion just because im not fast enough to get it but im sure it would be cool if i could be in. Keep the midwestdsm.com pointing to this site to get more members but dont do a full change.

[IndiEP]

I couldn't agree w/CVD more. I only go to tooners if I need to search for something, otherwise I'm here because I know people and whats going on in their lives. I don't think expanding the site is a bad thing but I think a generic reginal name isn't going to hold the repuatation/personality that "style" has.

What are your goals for the site Allen?

[Enes]

i agree to keep the name. but it don't matter to me really.. i am all burned out on internet anyways..

-E

[Raptor]

On one other note, DSMStyle isn't specific to any one state or region, thinking that switching to Midwest whatever will expand our range may backfire. It actually limits membership more than the current name. And you don't need a different name to get more members anyway. The biggest boards in the country don't have regional specific names. Actually our name is DSMspecific and it still doesnt' keep mustang and honduh owners from joining. Keep the name we have, it would likely do more damage than good switching it.

[Jana]

I'm surprised with the number of member's who have voted to keep it the same.

I guess to me it doesn't matter, I do like the sound of MidwestDSM, but I've always loved DSMStyle. I would definately like to see the site grow, but not too large either. I pretty much so agree with most everything that has been said already.

[1ViciousGSX]

I like DSMStyle for the fact that it doesn't make the site have a local or regional feeling to it. MidwestDSM sounds just like that, "If you are not from the midwest, this is not for you" kind of feel. Think "Global", even though in reality that's not really possible, you want everybody to seem welcome here.

I know I've contributed alot to the site in one way or another, and from many states away. But when I found this site originally, I would have thought it was more of a local club with members who were all from the same area if it were named something that specified a region or town or area.

If it's more just in having a name change for the sake of change, there are plenty to choose from. Here are a few to think about;

DSMinence.com
DSMeminence.com
DSMDominance.com
DSMPowerHouse.com
WellHungPerformance.com "We'll show you why the girls like DSM's the best"

Personally, I like it the way it is. Everytime the site changes, it's like starting over again. Name recognition is the name of the game.

[carltalon]

I vote to keep it the same.