DVC Members - Can I get a little help RE: "Board Culture"?

[Dean Marino]

We're DVC owners - and we LOVE the program. Perhaps I love it a little too much? Seeking some advice....

I've made a couple of posts about how much we LIKE DVC in a couple of non-DVC threads. Beginning to worry that I may have (dumbly) violated part of the "Board Culture" (every board has one). Those posts seem to have generated a fair degree of dislike .

Have I been missing something fundamental? Like "Don't talk about DVC outside of a DVC forum"?
Wondering if any other DVC folks have a little insight? I could use the advice .

 

[crisi]

Stick to the topic of the forum. If you are on the budget board, mentioning that DVC makes Disney more affordable for you is on topic. Going on and on and on about it in a thread where people are scrimping and saving to get in one trip is tone deaf. Mentioning that you stay DVC isn't on topic in a thread about the best steaks on property on the restaurant board. In general, the resorts board isn't the place for DVC posts - people there are interested in the cash resorts, DVC posts aren't adding value to the conversation - unless it turns to renting points.

You can open threads on the DVC Mousealleous Board for all of the "we love our DVC" posts you want. Too many and the mods might get upset.

 

[bumbershoot]

I found the recent thread. You asked, I'll answer.

I agree with sticking to the topic, but if you don't, if you're going to suggest DVC as an idea (to people who might not have thought about it), then you've got to EITHER post once and be done, or stick to it. Don't erase posts. Own what you say (even if you don't want to revisit the thread, leave the post up there...you said it, after all).

Also, and I speak from experience here, be careful with how you say things. The big post you made that was quoted almost sounded like you were calling the resorts or even the people who stay there "pathetic". You were calling the discounts pathetic. But it kinda sounded otherwise*. I once got in official trouble because something read completely opposite of how I meant it, because I hadn't gotten a handle on format; I put my thoughts, then a quote, then my thoughts, then the relevant quote, etc. Most people do the quote first then the thoughts, and the result of how I put down my thoughts made it read exactly the opposite. Oops.

I don't think it's a board culture thing...after all, we're all on the same forum. (it's like people saying they love the DLR forum because people are nice, when half the people there are the same people as on the WDW areas...and some of us aren't considered to be sweet as candy there, LOL) But...some threads are better than others to put stuff in. I think what might have happened is that some much younger Dis'ers got a little sad and lashed out. Also, the initial posts to you were harsh, and when that happens, most future responses will be, too. (and if ya lash back, ya won't get support when you might have done otherwise)




*even if people just heard that the resorts were pathetic (which isn't what you said, I know), that's hurtful! I love the Values I've stayed at, they aren't pathetic at all. POR? Awesome. CBR, eh, pirate room wasn't all that, but it's still a really nice place. etc. So if I had skimmed and thought you said the resorts were pathetic, I'd get my feelings hurt. And we absolutely shouldn't have bought into DVC; we financed, we bought direct...we figured we were spending x amount on Disney resorts anyway, might as well put that money towards DVC, looking VERY much at the monthly amount vs the entire amount with interest. It's all worked out, but I was in the position that many of them there are (not having that much in a lump sum), and I appreciated learning about DVC. So your message isn't worthless; but you're always going to get people who react negatively. Just like people do to the fact that we financed and I'm not 100% against it as long as people KNOW what they are getting into and how much they'll be spending!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

The post in question referred to people who are not in DVC as vagabonds and people who voiced opposing viewpoints were accused of being trolls. This was posted on a thread of people interested in winter discounts...very out of place. Now I understand that the use of the word was perhaps intended to just mean someone without a home resort but that word also carries with it the idea of being in poverty. It definitely elicited strong responses.

In my opinion...A DVC infomercial has little place if any on posts regarding when discounts are coming out.

 

[Sammie]

Unless someone specifically asks about DVC, as in mentions DVC in their title or comments, I never bring it up as it is not relevant.

 

[Dean Marino]

Thanks Crisi, bumbershoot, and sammi - you've given me good positive advice - especially sammie . The best thing to do with DVC is to NEVER TALK ABOUT IT UNLESS ASKED. Too many people just get angry, and think we bring it up as advertising - rather than trying to help someone. I guess it's just me.... DVC doesn't send me checks if I mention them .

You have helped me understand the Board Culture. THANK YOU.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'll mention DVC if someone else says "rent DVC points" and they are two months out or looking for Christmas/NYE. I'll mention DVC if someone is looking for a way to fit a larger group into one place and I might suggest renting DVC points. I'll mention DVC if someone knocks my OKW in a Resort or Budget Board thread.

 

[jdkdorn]

Dean,
Let me preface my response by letting you know that I am a DVC member at 2 resorts. I think your response to SouthFayetteFan was out of line. It seems like you were hurt by the response you received on another board and do not like being told that you were wrong. Are they DVC members, maybe/maybe not. Did they give a good, educational and caring reponse? Yes. Having multiple views helps us when we make mistakes, no one attacked you in this thread yet you attacked a responder. You might want to step back before hitting the "post reply" button and reread your post to make sure you really want to post it. Just like with emails sometimes we are quick to react and it makes us look like something we are not.
That being said, I love my DVC and wanted to tell everyone when we first joined 13 years ago but times have changed, it is not priced to the avg consumer anymore and many people cannot afford to buy. This takes it out of the discount deal it used to be. So I talk about it very little away from the DVC boards

Good luck and enjoy your Dvc as much as we do ours.

 

[SarahInMN]

Unless someone specifically asks about DVC, as in mentions DVC in their title or comments, I never bring it up as it is not relevant

agreed - it may be relevant (as in "we don't feel compelled to always hit rope drop because there will be another trip for us since we own DVC") but rarely is it relevant to discussing discounts, restaurants, F&W discussions, etc.

 

[Brian Noble]

Dean, there are four things you need to know to make your life on DISboards better.

Rule one: any one particular way of doing Disney is not the only way of doing Disney successfully. If you tell someone that their way is wrong and your way is right, you should expect that that isn't going to go well.

Rule two: most people don't understand rule one. Reasonable people can disagree. Disagreements about an idea are not automatically attacks on the people that subscribe to that idea. But, it's common for people on DIS to confuse the two. Don't fall into that trap yourself. More importantly, don't word your on advice as "my way or the highway" if you are really trying to help someone.

Rule three: don't immediately discount those who don't agree with you, or those don't share your Disney preferences and experiences. DISers who latch on to only those who agree with them, and downplay (or worse, denigrate) others who disagree tend to develop a reputation here. That reputation is, to put it mildly, hard to overcome.

Rule four: there are two reasons to post a question on DIS. One is to get others' opinions about the answer, and to take all of those opinions into account in forming your own understanding. The other is to get people to agree with what you know the answer to be in advance. DISers who ask the second sort of question often also quickly develop a reputation that is hard to shake.

 

[Dean Marino]

Throwing a flag on the field and calling this "Out of line!"
I offer this inside the framework of "Board Culture": This retort was uncalled for and unfriendly.

bwvBound - I asked for DVC Member input because I really wanted to get THEIR take on all this. That's absolutely all I meant. Believe me, I've gotten a LOT of comments from non-DVC folks, and I AM listening to those. I merely wanted to understand if other DVC folks had experienced anything similar, and how they modified their posting habits.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

bwvBound - I asked for DVC Member input because I really wanted to get THEIR take on all this. That's absolutely all I meant. Believe me, I've gotten a LOT of comments from non-DVC folks, and I AM listening to those. I merely wanted to understand if other DVC folks had experienced anything similar, and how they modified their posting habits.

But it was a good example of board culture. No one is restricted from reading or posting. Someone took their time to respond and gave a good look at a perspective but your response was then a call out and dismissive. Most often that will only antagonize. Rather than demand answers only from those you designate it's friendly to accept from anyone who takes the time to bother with your question. and you won't get in trouble for not responding to everyone.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

Board culture too -- you'll find oodles of voices that you consistently enjoy reading - whether from voice or information(Ex Granny, DisneyRegulars, bwvbound, dianesclitz), those who make you think differently (CarolMn, Webmaster Doc, Dean), and then those who make you scratch your head because you can't relate (names blank to protect me -- LOL). Most frequent board issue IMHO is folks who don't look before they post -- that is use the search function to see what had gone before - and those who as a PP said get defensive when their question or worldview is questioned.
Most DIS'ers want to help, so if you start from a place of accepting that, you'll probably be luckier/happier.

 

[Dean Marino]

Thanks both Kat4Disney & 3 Hobbits 2 Disney . You're giving me some actionable data .

 

[Sammie]

Thanks Crisi, bumbershoot, and sammi - you've given me good positive advice - especially sammie . The best thing to do with DVC is to NEVER TALK ABOUT IT UNLESS ASKED. Too many people just get angry, and think we bring it up as advertising - rather than trying to help someone. I guess it's just me.... DVC doesn't send me checks if I mention them .

You have helped me understand the Board Culture. THANK YOU.

Also another good thing to remember right now is that to many DVC is the evil monster ruining Disney World. I personally don't believe it is but understand where many that are not DVC could think that.

Certainly there are times you can mention DVC, such as if someone asked, "Do you visit Disney World every year?" A simple, "Yes we do, we are DVC members" would be enough.

Then the person if they want more info from you about DVC and how it allows you to come back often, they can ask. I guess my point is unless someone ask a question about DVC, I don't bring it up.

 

[SarahInMN]

Also another good thing to remember right now is that to many DVC is the evil monster ruining Disney World. I personally don't believe it is but understand where many that are not DVC could think that.

I realize that this might be a totally daft question but I have to ask: how is it perceived that DVC ruining WDW? I must be missing something.

 

[Sammie]

I realize that this might be a totally daft question but I have to ask: how is it perceived that DVC ruining WDW? I must be missing something.

The expansion at the Polynesian for one thing and now Wilderness Lodge. Many were very much against it and very vocal about it on Facebook to Disney about how DVC has ruined their favorite resorts.

 

[SarahInMN]

The expansion at the Polynesian for one thing and now Wilderness Lodge. Many were very much against it and very vocal about it on Facebook to Disney about how DVC has ruined their favorite resorts.

Ahhh..gotcha...thanks!

 

[Dean Marino]

Thanks again Sammie... I confess, I wondered about that one . Absolutely data I can use .

 

[DisDadDVC]

Honestly, it just seems weird to need "data" on how to interact.