DVC Fan Forums. Initial thoughts?

[gvel]

Hello All. https://forums.dvcfan.com/ just went live. I spent some time tinkering with the forums and I enjoyed its format. I'm curious to know your thoughts.

 

[PolyRob]

I find it very interesting that it states "no ads," but multiple sections are behind a paywall and a "DVC Price Comparison" calculator showing you how "cheap" resale is compared to direct is actually listed higher above any actual discussion threads.

You also need to provide your cell phone number to World of DVC for registration.

 

[D-Trick]

Tempted to register, but will respectfully pass. I don't want to create a keyholder vacation profile. Nor do I want to have yet another place to spend more time buried in the interwebs.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Thanks for the replies. I will also probably not sign up.

 

[WeIcomeHome]

I was going to sign up until it asked for my phone number to create an account. There is no reason they need my number unless they are going to eventually use the numbers to solicit. I'll stick with disboards.

 

[D-Trick]

Thanks for the replies. I will also probably not sign up.

I got you:

 

[pkrieger2287]

I find it very interesting that it states "no ads," but multiple sections are behind a paywall and a "DVC Price Comparison" calculator showing you how "cheap" resale is compared to direct is actually listed higher above any actual discussion threads.

You also need to provide your cell phone number to World of DVC for registration.

View attachment 1064457

Hey There! - Thanks for the feedback!

We explained on a live stream tonight how any features that are in the Supporter Lounge are basically beta tests for things we hope to roll out in the future.

This doesn’t change the fact that we are not running any type of ads via the platform though.

Right now there are two features which we are getting feedback on from our Patreon community within the Supporter Lounge.

Also thanks for pointing out the phone number! I’ll run that by our developer team, as that may be an oversight since the sign-on is for the entire family of Keyholder brands.

 

[MB_Ellie]

I see quite a bit of negative feedback here from folks who haven't even given it a try. For what it's worth, the format is easy to navigate, I appreciate the tools, and frankly it's more streamlined to browse without ads in the middle of threads, especially on a phone.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I appreciate the DVC-centric atmosphere there. Well and I love being an early adopter and wanted the founding member badge. Tee hee.
I’ll probably stay on both (that said the ads here drive me batty). I can’t really be impartial though - we’ve been fans of DVCFan since before we became DVC members. They really helped guide our thoughts through their shows. And we’ve used the associated resale company to add on several times and had a great experience with them. So far all great experiences.

 

[PolyRob]

Hey There! - Thanks for the feedback!

We explained on a live stream tonight how any features that are in the Supporter Lounge are basically beta tests for things we hope to roll out in the future.

This doesn’t change the fact that we are not running any type of ads via the platform though.

Right now there are two features which we are getting feedback on from our Patreon community within the Supporter Lounge.

Also thanks for pointing out the phone number! I’ll run that by our developer team, as that may be an oversight since the sign-on is for the entire family of Keyholder brands.

Thank you for the explanation and for taking the time to respond. I appreciate you clarifying how those features are being used for testing and that you’re gathering feedback.

It’s helpful to see the transparency and your willingness to address points like the phone number issue.

 

[Liquidice]

Considering a lot of other services ask for your phone number for 2FA, I don't consider it a big deal. Never received a phone call as a result of signing up either and I've had an account for awhile since I rent out points through www.dvcrentalstore.com sometimes.

I've been watching DVC Fan since the days it was part of the DIS and so I joined the forums and have been part of the FB Group for awhile too. The community has always been strong and it seems like a good way to continue building that community and have some fun discussions. Totally get if you don't want to add another place taking up all your time though, there's already a lot of threads and activity over there!

 

[PolyRob]

I see quite a bit of negative feedback here from folks who haven't even given it a try.

It seems like a lot of the “negative feedback” (especially around the phone number) is coming from people who actually tried to register for the forum, so they did give it a try.

 

[Liquidice]

It seems like a lot of the “negative feedback” (especially around the phone number) is coming from people who actually tried to register for the forum, so they did give it a try.

Trying to register and stopping is like talking to someone at a DVC Kiosk and telling people you tried out DVC and decided it wasn't for you.

 

[PolyRob]

Trying to register and stopping is like talking to someone at a DVC Kiosk and telling people you tried out DVC and decided it wasn't for you.

I did spend time going through it. I clicked through the navigation, read a number of the pages, and tried out tools like the price calculator (which seems to be missing the anniversary + D23 discounts).

I also noted that some parts are behind a paywall.

Not trying to debate, just sharing my personal experience with what’s currently accessible.

 

[Liquidice]

Ah I didn't realize you could browse a lot of the forums w/o even registering. I already had an account, so I signed in right away and didn't try anything out while not signed in.

 

[juliebee]

I joined! Same user name there too. It is looking great and they are saying they won't be filtering out other brokers/agents/escrow agencies- you are allowed to talk freely and there are no ads. I'm impressed with that!

 

[cruisehopeful]

I joined and haven't completely looked through the site, yet. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far.