Spiritedd: Share Your Favourite Drives Online - Your Feedback?

[V28VX37]

Hi all,

this my first post here but I've been fairly active at the LS1 forums over the years. I'd like to share something the company I run has been working on recently to get your feedback on it.

(This is a repost from LS1, hope you don't mind. Moderators, if you feel this is an inappropriate topic for the SA forums feel free to remove this post. I don't want to step on anybody's toes.)

I like my cruises and weekend drives just as much as the next enthusiast. I work on the web and had this idea last year for an online service where you could post and share drives for the benefit of the wider driver community. We have just launched the first public beta:

Spiritedd - Inspiring drives for spirited drivers

Here's a screenshot:

There's limited content on the site as yet but I hope you get the idea.

I'd really appreciate your feedback:

- What do you think of the concept?

- What's good and bad about Spiritedd in its current form?

- What would you change, and why?

- Would you use this yourself?

Thanks heaps in advance!

Cheers, Jussi

Ps. Here's a blog post explaining the background in a bit more detail.

Disclosure: I am the designer behind the Spiritedd site. We are also looking at ways on how to commercialise the service in the medium term - the plan is to always provide free service for end users but sponsorship, advertising or other revenue will be necessary to cover ongoing development, maintenance and other costs.

[R31Nismoid]

To be truthful i think it is the dumbest idea short of that guy who ripped this website for his own 'tuners guide to RB's' a few years back.

Before you get upset and say it's harsh - have a think for a second.

1. Most of these roads are generally fairly quiet, not a lot of police around so you can go for a drive uninterrupted.

2. Documenting places and all of a sudden seeing them become more common simply leads to more attention being given out that would be required. ESPECIALLY if more and more people post/comment/rate something, attention/focus will RISE.

That's for giving the Police forces a nice, easy tool to do their job. On top of that it's another reason/way for Police to come at/after people, such is the technological world of today.

No wonder there isn't any "competition" as your blog thing says - any true enthusiast wouldn't be so silly as to publically note something like that.

But then this is a money making world, and is the driver behind everything as always.

Although i must admit among what seems a gloomy post - i did laugh at one part...

Urban Dictionary defines “spirited driving” as “an exciting method of operating a motor vehicle; taking a car to it’s performance limits.”

I’d like to amend this a little:

Spirited driving is enjoying driving a car to its safe, legal performance limits

Ye right. You know, i know, everyone knows. It's something that goes 'unsaid'.

[scathing]

Most of these roads have been around for longer than most people who know how to use the Internet, and most of them have been crashed on for about as long. While not all accidents get reported, generally enough do that the cops will be aware of which roads are popular for this kind of activity.

I have no idea how you'd monetise this, considering almost every car-oriented forum I've been on offers the exact same service for free. I've read "post your favourite driving roads" on about a half a dozen different forums and I didn't have to pay for the privilege.

On an aside, if someone can drive in an "enthusiastic" manner on most of the fun roads I've been on then either the car is old and/or crap, or the driver is.

I'm not saying that a speed-limit-legal drive can't be enjoyable, but if you actually need to operate your motor vehicle "enthusiastically" rather than just taking it easy when keeping under our "lowest common denominator" limits then either you, or your car, shouldn't be allowed on public roads.

[V28VX37]

To be truthful i think it is the dumbest idea short of that guy who ripped this website for his own 'tuners guide to RB's' a few years back.

LOL, that's an excellent opening line right there Thanks for the comments, criticism is good.

I've actually got similar feedback from few other people as well, there's concern that publishing nice drives will increase police attention and potentially "ruin" the drive. I'll probably be shot down for this one but as I posted on another forum, I'm not sure if increased police attention is such a bad thing. The whole point of Spiritedd is to enjoy driving nice roads in a good car within the legal limits - we definitely don't want to encourage "hooning".

This said, I think there's two things that can be done to address this concern: 1) don't post up drives you don't want to share in the first place and 2) a feature to "report" drives that shouldn't be on the site at all (for various reasons). We'll certainly be looking at the reporting side of things as the service gains momentum.

I have no idea how you'd monetise this, considering almost every car-oriented forum I've been on offers the exact same service for free. I've read "post your favourite driving roads" on about a half a dozen different forums and I didn't have to pay for the privilege.

Good question - I think some of the revenue would have to come from partner/sponsorship/advertising deals just like on many car forums. I wouldn't expect end users paying for this type of service anytime soon.

The main point of difference to your standard "post your favourite driving roads" threads all over the internet is that Spiritedd takes the exact same information and makes it more visual. I think it's a lot easier to assess a drive when you see it on a map as opposed to just reading the itinerary and description in plain text. The other key feature is proximity search i.e. easily finding drives that are near you, something that is not so easy to do using keyword-based search.

The other thing about Spiritedd is that it's not only meant for us hardcore car enthusiasts with modded cars who live and breathe the 'scene' but rather for everyone who enjoys driving for fun. I know it's a stretch and it's possible that this audience definition is too broad and it just won't work ... remains to be seen I guess

Thanks again for the (humbling) feedback guys!

[_Ryan_]

2) a feature to "report" drives that shouldn't be on the site at all (for various reasons). We'll certainly be looking at the reporting side of things as the service gains momentum.

Thanks again for the (humbling) feedback guys!

What if i report every drive as i think that they shouldn't be published?

is it too late for you to get a refund on your web hosting? This site is bound to piss a lot of people off.

And if there are people who can't drive, heading out to hardcore roads, there will be tears... You can say, well, they shouldn't drive beyond their limits, but p platers in parents cars will do so.

[R31Nismoid]

exact same information and makes it more visual

That is the sole problem to be honest.

The fact it collates which is otherwise 'unspoken' in many ways, or has very limited viewing.

I'm not sure if increased police attention is such a bad thing

It is always a bad thing.

Year after year the Gov't is trying to make more and more revenue out of fining people for things that are largely irrelevant.

People that enjoy cars, are targets. The last 5-8 years is a good example of this with all these laws coming into 'fix' problems that largely have had no effect...

Gotta ask what the motivation behind them is then don't you? Answer is easy when you look at the income from these law changes.

Have a look at popular car events over the years that have been shutdown by Police & Community groups because they don't like them (which is disgusting).

Yes you will get idiots and fair enough they should be focused upon, buy by and large the great community of people that enjoy cars without being idiots are affected by things like this without their choice.

It's these same idiots that will post up about their 'routes' they get to have fun on. Simple because these people are stupid, and always will be.

Just because you don't post up something, doesn't mean someone else will.

Then more people go there, more comments/hits and so on.

Next time you take your ride out for a drive in the middle of nowhere you get slapped with a fine/defect/EPA for minding your own business - only because someone else has publicised their business and now its a free target.

Police will be rubbing their hands together like fat kids walking into a lolly shop if your site ever takes off.

I know you think you're doing everyone a favour, reality is, it's the total opposite.

[V28VX37]

What if i report every drive as i think that they shouldn't be published?

is it too late for you to get a refund on your web hosting? This site is bound to piss a lot of people off.

Yeah well that's probably the way to do it. Obviously if things turn out so that a minute after a new drive is posted someone reports it and wants to have it taken down it won't be sustainable, will it. But this remains to be seen.

That is the sole problem to be honest.

The fact it collates which is otherwise 'unspoken' in many ways, or has very limited viewing.

...

I know you think you're doing everyone a favour, reality is, it's the total opposite.

Interesting views. I'm starting to think that perhaps the focus and branding of the site needs to be adjusted more towards the casual "Sunday driver" rather than the serious enthusiast. Even if the site just listed every Great Ocean Road in the world i.e. good drives everyone already knows about rather than the "hidden gems" that people want to keep to themselves, I think it would still add value. Or maybe you guys are right and it is a stillborn idea altogether.

[scathing]

I've actually got similar feedback from few other people as well, there's concern that publishing nice drives will increase police attention and potentially "ruin" the drive. I'll probably be shot down for this one but as I posted on another forum, I'm not sure if increased police attention is such a bad thing. The whole point of Spiritedd is to enjoy driving nice roads in a good car within the legal limits - we definitely don't want to encourage "hooning".

It will ruin the drive for people in sports cars, stock or modified (but especially the latter).

The locals hate blow-ins clogging up their roads. One thing I've learnt about the Old Pac in Sydney, and Great Ocean Road (which would be more relevant to you) is that the locals are fully aware of how popular their road is with people who want to drive on it. Their peaceful, idyllic, homes get subjected to the constant on-rush of cars passing by. After a while, when they get fed up, they'll end up calling the cops whenever anyone with a loud car goes past. Whether you're hooning or not, you'll get classed as one if you're in an enthusiast's car.

They'll complain to the council and police, who in turn then need to be seen as doing something for their ratepayers / taxpayers. So they'll go out and scare the outsiders away in their shiny cars, no matter what their behaviour. We all get tarred with the same brush. We get pulled over for "random" breath testing or the usual overbearing, but not provably illegal, discrimination tactics to make the roads unpalatable. Or, for modified cars, slap them with defect notices.

If that doesn't work, its only a matter of time before "traffic calming devices" and/or speed cameras show up.

The main point of difference to your standard "post your favourite driving roads" threads all over the internet is that Spiritedd takes the exact same information and makes it more visual. I think it's a lot easier to assess a drive when you see it on a map as opposed to just reading the itinerary and description in plain text

All the "post your favourite driving roads" threads I've read in the past year have included links to Google Maps. Clicking on it tells you exactly how far away from your house it is, and a combination of Street View and people posting up videos on Youtube makes it as "visual" as currently possible without actually being there.

The other key feature is proximity search i.e. easily finding drives that are near you, something that is not so easy to do using keyword-based search.

The way I see it, anyone actually interested in going for a drive isn't going to care how "near" it is. I live in Sydney, and I've driven to Tasmania just to go for a drive on their amazing roads.

In a more reasonable case, an enthusiast driver will drive on any good road around their home city. I live on the opposite side of Sydney to the Royal National Park, but I'll still head out that way since the coastal road down to Wollongong is brilliant. Most of the drivers I know are like that.

There are plenty of people that'll live in Melbourne's east and still hit up GOR, or live in the west and still make regular forays to Marysville.

The other thing about Spiritedd is that it's not only meant for us hardcore car enthusiasts with modded cars who live and breathe the 'scene' but rather for everyone who enjoys driving for fun.

There's a great blog post on the SMH web site called Paradise Lost - about all those awesome holiday getaways have now basically been ruined because everyone wants to go there, and now its overcrowded and overcommercialised, and the whole vibe that made the place attractive in the first place will be ruined.

Getting your average Joe out on driving roads will do the same thing. You'll get all your idiot F&F and Initial D wannabes out there "battling for the respect" and basically ruining the laid-back atmosphere. I'm always dismayed at the amount of idiots that want to "drift race" me or my mates on one of our favourite driving roads. And I'm even more dismayed when we encounter them trying to pull their car out of an armco a bit later in the night.

Explain the culture of a "legal" drive all you want on the site, if you make fun roads so easily locatable even a total retard can find them then you've got to expect that we'll have to fish said retards out of the scenery afterwards.

Or the weekenders wanting to check out the great outdoors that will clog up the roads. It makes it less enjoyable for everyone. One of the aspects I like about going for a spirited drive somewhere is that I'm not stuck in traffic and go at my own pace. It's bad enough with the occasional tourist too busy looking at the landscape to look where they're actually going and driving well below the speed limit - it'd be worse if you're in a funeral procession paced group of cars and no opportunity to overtake.

Sydney, unlike Melbourne, doesn't seem to entertain the idea of turn-out lanes on such roads.

[madbung]

Share?

Not likely, I have to avoid too many muppets as it is.

[V28VX37]

Thanks guys, I asked for feedback and I've certainly got heaps...

Scathing, the Paradise Lost article is interesting, cheers for the link - food for thought.