If you're visiting these forums at this point, it's because either (1) you were part of the original development group, (2) were specifically invited because you're cool, or (3) somehow found a back door in. The status now is this: one way or another we are going to have a message board and perhaps an even more elaborate Web site dedicated to skiing in the Mad River Valley. I've made both Sugarbush and Mad River Glen aware of what we were planning to do. The sugarbushforums.com domain name was registered and used to get us started here. Originally, I picked it for its search engine value due to it containing "Sugarbush" in it. In time, anyone searching for a Sugarbush forum should easily find it. This results in two concerns:

1. I don't know what, if any, trademark issue SB will have with this. Again, I've been up front with them as I feel it's important to have their support. I do not want to cause any strain on my good rapport with SB. I'm awaiting their feedback.
2. Similarly, SRO points out that the folks ay Mad River Glen may feel a bit slighted if we simply lumped their message board under a SB Forums heading. One option here is pointing madriverforums.com to this site as well so both are equally represented.

A few alternatives have been suggested. The one I feel has the most promise is "SkiMRV.com" (MRV=Mad River Valley). Not great from a search engine standpoint (realize that the domain name is certainly not the most important element though), but I feel it's something that could be effectively "branded". It's kind of catchy too and leaves the door open for the possibility of a portal or informational site beyond just the forums. I added a poll to this thread to get some quantitative feedback, but please share your thoughts here as well. Once we decide on an indentity, we'll go into full-bore guerilla marketing mode and get the word-of-mouth thing going.

Thoughts?

I know... I'm like a broken record.

1) MadRiverValleyForums

B) SkiMRVforums

III) I... uh... forgot the other options.


MadRiverValley brings people in for the whole valley. SkiMRV is easier to remember should you tell, (as opposed to sending the link?) someone how to get here.

Quote:

If you're visiting these forums at this point, it's because either (1) you were part of the original development group, (2) were specifically invited because you're cool

And what about us that are cool and were on the development group?




.

Lostone wrote:

Quote: If you're visiting these forums at this point, it's because either (1) you were part of the original development group, (2) were specifically invited because you're cool And what about us that are cool and were on the development group? .

Isn't that given?

I'd still prefer sugarbushforums, though I can understand the issues around continued support from SB and MRG feeling slighted.

I suppose that the best alternative is SkiMRV. It's catchy and can be tagged in any number of ways such that people looking for info and to discuss skiing and related themes at SB and MRG will be able to find it.

I like SkiMRV, its the catchiest!

I misread the question.

I was thinking that these were for if we weren't able to do SugarbushForums.

So there should be one less for MadRiverValley and one more for SugarbushForums.

Not to put anyone else down, and rather, I would like their participation, but I think that the largest amount of particpants in the forum will be related to Sugarbush.

I like SkiMRV as an additional URL, and have it simply point to this forum. SugarbushForums should definitely be the main URL.

So just to clarify, you would have SkiMRV.com point to the Sugarbush Forums? Don't you think thats a little confusing? I know I personally don't like re-directs that take me to a site other than where I wanted to go (ie, other than that a site just had to change URLs). To the un-informed Sugarbushforums.com and SkiMRV.com don't have much in common. If I typed in SkiMRV.com and it brought me to a place called Sugarbushforums.com I would probably just hit the back button or close the window without even looking at the site content. Maybe its just me, but thats my opinion.

Here's the approach I was planning on taking. If SB is fine with sugarbushforums.com, that will stay. In addition to it, I can also point madriverforums.com or madrivervalleyforums.com or I guess even madriverglenforums.com to the site as well. I could probably code the header to update the logo accordingly. If there is some sort of trademark issue, we can simply call the site SkiMRV.com and move on with life...

I think many potential users would not have a clue as to what MRV stands for. If noski votes for sugarbushforums.com who am I to argue.

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I think many potential users would not have a clue as to what MRV stands for.

That was my concern with the MRV name. Then again, if the search engine text says something along the lines of Mad River Valley Talk about skiing Sugarbush and Mad River Glen and discover out good nature, then what the actual URL is really shouldn't be important.

As it is, most people will follow links and word of mouth. It is the word of mouth that makes me want it to be something you can tell someone at the mountain or in town, and they will be able to type it out when they get home.

Greg wrote:

Here's the approach I was planning on taking. If SB is fine with sugarbushforums.com, that will stay. In addition to it, I can also point madriverforums.com or madrivervalleyforums.com or I guess even madriverglenforums.com to the site as well. I could probably code the header to update the logo accordingly. If there is some sort of trademark issue, we can simply call the site SkiMRV.com and move on with life...

Greg something to consider if you point a different domain name to this one. I have done that with my site, it started out as killingtonaccess.com. Then when I wanted to move to another server, I registered the name killingtonaccessrd.com. I figured that I could take my time migrating and eventually have both point to the same server. I did this and it works fine. The problem comes in when looking at the stats for the site. I find that a majority of people coming to my site are coming in from killingtonaccess.com. Awstats looks at that domain as an external site.

If there is going to be a Sugarbush section and a MRG section then the title ought to focus on the Mad River Valley. I vote for Madrivervalleyforums.com, SkiMRV.com would probably be my second choice.

The thing I don't like about madrivervalleyforums.com is its so long, much easier to remember SkiMRV.com if you ask me. Plus by not having 'forum' in the URL you open up the oportunity to expand the site to something more than just forums...

daevious wrote:

If there is going to be a Sugarbush section and a MRG section then the title ought to focus on the Mad River Valley. I vote for Madrivervalleyforums.com, SkiMRV.com would probably be my second choice.

daevious for MRV Mayor. He speaks seldom and when he does, says just the right thing. All in favor.....