Is this right?

Is it right that a forum for Garmin products is designed and run by Garmin themselves?

What's wrong about it? Garmin has a right to host a forum about its products, and to set the terms of use.

You also have the right, and the ability, to set up a forum to talk about Garmin products, and set whatever terms of use you want.

Do you think that some of our contributors are Garmin employees fishing for info?

What kind of information would they be fishing for?

Why is there not a section to ask questions about the forum particularly, without going to Garmin Support?

Probably because there's no need for a forum to talk about the forum. Garmin probably thinks that everything you need to know is here:

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=2075

But you could always use the water cooler, like you did.

Who are the Moderators and Admin? Are they Garmin employees too?

I think most of the moderators are volunteers and are not Garmin employees.

The admins are Garmin (or former MB) employees, or perhaps some of their sub-contractors or affiliates.

It all feels and sounds very fishy, or am I missing something?

It sounds like you have some nefarious conspiracy theory in mind.

Hi,
I'm on Dynastream's design staff, and as my sig indicates, I've been doing that a while. We're a Garmin subsidiary since about three years ago, and we design and build several products for Garmin, as well as developing ANT products and the ANT+ interoperability specifications.

As a designer, it matters to me what people think about the products that I'm involved with. So I read the forum and if people have a question that I can answer, and where that wouldn't conflict with what the product support group does, then I answer it. Any info I'd fish for is the stuff that will make our next product better for you, or that will allow me to give you a more direct answer.

There are also lots of questions that I can't or won't answer, because doing so would either violate confidentiality agreements, or they involve subjects where I don't have in-depth knowledge. That's just the way it is...

It sounds like you have some nefarious conspiracy theory in mind.

Yep!
I won't quote the few posts I've noticed, but they sound like new FAQ questions from Garmin, rather than genuine questions from Joe Public. It's something about the way they are phrased and composed.

It seems odd to me that of all the forums, or is it fora, I'm involved with, are all independent of a product, and they all use phpbb forum software. Why do Garmin have to do their own, and why are we limited to the amount of attachments we can have?

If we have a problem or a question on how to post or attach a file/photograph - we are not all computer literate to the same degree - we have no-one to ask, except the forum in general. There is no Forum Help page.

There is nothing on here to say who the Mods are or why they are Mods.

Yes, it may be "nefarious" of me, but I still find this forum very odd.
Perhaps I just don't get it.

Also, as a final thought, it is obvious to me that if you have a problem with your Garmin product, the best people to speak to are Garmin Support. I've have over 100 posts on here, and at no time have I had any "facts" out of it, just "opinions". Nothing wrong with that, but if you have a problem, it may just confuse you when the opinion is not quite fact. Garmin Support, on the other hand, are superb. Phone them and you get help, and help that is knowledgeable and full of advice.

Nonetheless, this forum is a good talking shop.

Thanks for reading my rant!

Regards to all,
Mick.

If we have a problem or a question on how to post or attach a file/photograph - we are not all computer literate to the same degree - we have no-one to ask, except the forum in general. There is no Forum Help page.

https://forums.garmin.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq#faq_vb3_board_usage

Furthermore, I think if you just choose a forum and ask your technical question about the forums, you'll stand a good chance of getting an answer.

I've read all that on the link thank you.
It doesn't say that you are limited in attachments, or what to do when you are.

I have used 859.9KB to store five attachments. The red bar across the screen in my user CP is more that three quarters of the way across. I have only uploaded five things. Yes, I could have zipped them, but I didn't know I was limited until I tried to add some more.

No doubt I could delete the files I've uploaded, but that would ruin the threads that they are in, so I won't do it. I also know I can link pictures or attachments from another site, or there's a system of albums on here I understand.

I've uploaded literally thousands of photographs and screenshots onto other fora with no limitation as to the amount whatsoever or any problem whatsoever either. What's so special about this forum? Why is it different?

Yep!
It seems odd to me that of all the forums, or is it fora, I'm involved with, are all independent of a product, and they all use phpbb forum software. Why do Garmin have to do their own, and why are we limited to the amount of attachments we can have?
Mick.

This forum is a vBulletin forum... not a Garmin internal development. There's an attribution at the bottom of every forum page. Check out www.jelsoft.com.

jelsoft eh?
What's that bit at the bottom?
"Copyright 1996-2008 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries"
Are they connected?

Look, I'm not complaining about Garmin. Great product - it's this forum that's not great. Sorry, but it annoys me.

We're all discussing a hardware set of products made by the same company. Fine and dandy, and why not discuss it? The thing is, we're discussing it right in front of the manufacturers. All our discussion would be better done directly to them without a forum. Email them, phone them, write to them!

I'm a member of the MacFixit forum.
http://forums.cnet.com/mac-forums/
It isn't run by Apple, or even controlled by them, they don't even come on and contribute.

I'm a member of Campy Only.
http://www.campyonly.com/phpBB3/index.php
It isn't run by Campagnolo, or even controlled by them, they don't even come on and contribute.

Contrast those with this forum. Garmin come on here. They are watching and reading us!

A Garmin forum for Garmin.com and all we say is being read, monitored and absorbed by Garmin.com. because they run it and control it.

Is this right?

Contrast those with this forum. Garmin come on here. They are watching and reading us!

A Garmin forum for Garmin.com and all we say is being read, monitored and absorbed by Garmin.com. because they run it and control it.

Is this right?

Yes. Garmin owns this forum; They manage it and set the rules of conduct. Most moderators are volunteers. The admins are employees. The developers, support, and third party oems are all here in some capacity to help make the products better and to help in whatever limited capacity they can. Plenty of end users are also here to help with their real-world experience. And yes, sometimes you will be asked for more information.

jelsoft eh?
What's that bit at the bottom?
"Copyright 1996-2008 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries"
Are they connected?

That just means that the content is copyrighted by Garmin.

As far as your other comments go -- I don't share your opinion, but if you feel strongly about this issue, why don't you start your own independent Garmin forum?

......... but if you feel strongly about this issue, why don't you start your own independent Garmin forum?

Good idea.
Sadly, I don't know how and I don’t have the where-with-all, but it's still a good idea.

Yes. Garmin owns this forum; They manage it and set the rules of conduct...............The admins are employees. The developers, support, and third party oems are all here in some capacity to help make the products better and to help in whatever limited capacity they can...........

All in-house stuff then?

Most moderators are volunteers.

..... and I thank them wholeheartedly. I mean it. Thank you.

..... Plenty of end users are also here to help with their real-world experience. And yes, sometimes you will be asked for more information.

So Garmin have to ask for help via a forum from the public?
Show me another company that actively recruits the public to help them with product development via a forum. A public that actively and willingly contributes for no reward? A public that thinks that by being on an on-line community and chatting away about this and that, is actually contributing to a product's improvement via its own website?

It sounds like cheap labour to me.