Our community (formerly Supra MKIV Group, aka mkiv.de) has been around for almost 15 years, much longer than Facebook. Yet one or the other knows a few turning points - both organizationally, structurally and technically.
The hype surrounding the Toyota Supra began with the release of the first Fast & Furious movie. This attracted many curious, but also many fake users with their "how do I build a 1000 hp Supra" posts. Funny at first, annoying with time.
With the increasing popularity of the Supra, the first attractively priced right-hand drive vehicles were also imported. This greatly increased the Supra scene, but did not like the one or the other traditionally influenced left-hand drive driver at all, which the corresponding new users also heard and read in words. Today they are hard to imagine and a tremendous asset. Recently, a same story repeated itself with some OEM fans.
But that's how it is in large groups. Many interests meet many views and opinions. One likes it OEM, the other Customized. Some people call the Supra Driver the new Manta driver, the other considers himself elitist and omniscient. Often this is generalized and there are always and everywhere striking extremes that come and go.
The phenomenon of community dying
For years, forum operators (not just auto-forums) have been lamenting a decline in visitor numbers, especially when it comes to fringe group issues. Over the years, many (especially technical) topics were often chewed through, but the vehicle has not changed. Thematically, there are of course less on new topics, such as with a new GT86 model.
But the actual culprit is often called right: Facebook, Whatsapp and co. It has never been easier to create fan pages or groups or find like-minded people. The operation is of course ingeniously ingenious and a simple like expressed interest in a topic or a simple picture.
The advantages also have some disadvantages: There are now countless groups and fanpages, communities and WhatsApp groups. Information must be painstakingly sought out, people are asked or recommendations are trusted. Often also one-sided opinions and supra-drivers from the north will hardly be in Whatsapp groups from the south. There are many examples of how interests and groups are increasingly moving away from a model whose replacement parts are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
Much more can be achieved in a common group. Whether it is the mutual help, getting to know new supra drivers from their own environment or it is their own parts sales.
New Supra, new page, new opportunities
The rumor mill about the new Supra is big and more likely is the mentioned presentation in 2018, possibly also this summer 2017. For us as a community, the new Supra will soon also offer new and above all exciting topics, which we have with the mkiv.de- Page (which is a name for a scene) can never catch. As a result, of course, new forums, Facebook groups, fan pages, etc. will be established. And we just want to catch up with this soon new user group and welcome it to our family circle.
Welcome to www.toyota-supra.de
With this new name and domain, we not only focus on one model, but also open ourselves up to the others.
With the relaunch, of course, there is also time for a new design and software. The previously known forum structure (not only for us) is no longer known to many today and much too rigid for flexible topics. Not the first time we got the question, where one could write something.
The new features
Most of them will be familiar with the features of Facebook, liking and commenting on classic ones. There is the personal "My page" on which all topics are listed on which you have previously participated, as well as topics from your "friends" or people with whom you are connected. So you always have everything on the screen, which is just right for you or was written on your topic.
On the start page, however, all topics are summarized. Whether it's an uploaded image of an unknown user, a newly created group, a forum post or a new blog.
As a user you can easily create your own galleries. Via the livestream you can simply upload a picture or edit a spontaneous topic. You can start your own private or public groups like " Supra-driver Bavaria " and invite your friends there. If you want to organize a small meeting, you can just start an event and invite your friends. You can also follow interesting users or write a blog / article under your name. Of course, a classic forum is not missing, if a topic should be a bit more extensive.
Native Mobile Site
The new site is of course smartphone-friendly and offers a push message function for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Nevertheless, we are developing a native app for iOS, Android and Windows, but are currently watching the Google-driven solution of a progressive apps, which will make the previously known apps obsolete in the future. From a ready-made solution such as TapaTalk or an app generated from it, we disregard for our own data protection reasons, as data are given to third-party providers. Who wants to use it anyway, we will of course as an alternative to deliver soon.
Internationalization:
Of course, as a German community, it's hard to gain an international foothold. Since one is served directly on Facebook or the Supraforums. Nevertheless, we will try the new software approach of a social media community and have secured the domain www.supra-community.com . Important here was always a linguistically separated ".com" page. With another classic forum it would be almost impossible, but the new kind of community is curious and worth a try.
At the end
I hope you enjoy the site. Try the new features, just upload a picture of your Supra. Let us enjoy the soon to be new and interesting topics. Let's join all supra riders and use common synergies and interests. Let's use the size and experience of our community. Let's go back to our knowledge and collected topics. Join us as we welcome another member of the Supra lineage and celebrate our already familiar models. Be part of the family to continue living the myth of Supra and join us on one of the most advanced ways into the future today. "
