Proposal for a new group
Eriks
A new group has been registered, but still needs to be configured and some ground rules nutted out before we can start moving across.
So I'd like to put forward some thoughts that I've got on how to run the new group, and see what people think. I certainly wont get offended if anyone disagrees, after all I don't have any more say in this than anyone else here, and we're all in this together and we all need to be happy that it's going to work.
My personal feeling is that a new discussion group should be run independent of any one car club.
All Landcrab friendly clubs from anywhere in the world and their members being welcome to take part in the group and share information. But foremost it's a forum for all Landcrab enthusiasts to take part in and enjoy.
There should be at least 3 moderators selected from the active members of the group. That way the group is being looked after by genuinely enthusiastic people. It might also be noticed sooner rather than later if one of these people disappear off the scene.
Working out who the active members are is easy as Google already lists them on the groups About page. http://groups.google.com/group/landcrab/about
Keeping in mind that some people on this list may not wish to take on the responsibility of being a moderator, but I can see plenty of candidates.
What do people think? Stunned silence or a positive way forward?
Cheers,
Eriks
theboopy
Regards
Lockie
On Jul 13, 12:14 am, Eriks <eskin...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> I've been looking around at some of the options that are available for hosting free forums, there's quite a number out there, but as with anything until you set one up and give it a go it's hard to know how good it's going to be. So while it may not be perfect in every way, maybe the best bet is to stay with the one we're already familiar with, another Google Group. Also google groups are free.
> A new group has been registered, but still needs to be configured and some ground rules nutted out before we can start moving across.
> So I'd like to put forward some thoughts that I've got on how to run the new group, and see what people think. I certainly wont get offended if anyone disagrees, after all I don't have any more say in this than anyone else here, and we're all in this together and we all need to be happy that it's going to work.
> My personal feeling is that a new discussion group should be run independent of any one car club.
> All Landcrab friendly clubs from anywhere in the world and their members being welcome to take part in the group and share information. But foremost it's a forum for all Landcrab enthusiasts to take part in and enjoy.
> There should be at least 3 moderators selected from the active members of the group. That way the group is being looked after by genuinely enthusiastic people. It might also be noticed sooner rather than later if one of these people disappear off the scene.
Peter (Denmark)
I totally support your suggestion.
Cheers,
Peter
DB
Cheers
David, Melb, Au
--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
nathan
I like the idea of connecting up landcrab owners internationally and
free services like google groups certainly makes this easy. The only
question I have is where this leaves the club, and whether we need to
think what role the club plays?
Did put up a post on the google help group but had no joy over the
last week - as you said Eriks it looks like they don't offer any help
or if they do it is pretty random.
nathan
Eriks
There shouldn't be any difference as far as any club is concerned, they
can continue to advertise their member benefits. To my knowledge the
current group was being maintained by one person, John Roach, I don't
believe that any club was actually involved in the maintenance or policy
making for this google group. John has disappeared and as a result
pretty much sealed the eventual fate of this group. I'm simply proposing
we have several moderators in the new group and that they should be
drawn from the more active/enthusiastic members of this group. Having
enthusiastic moderators has got to be a good thing for any discussion
group. I think the enthusiasm can sometimes rub off and encourage more
people to take part in the chatter.
When John was looking at moving the discussion group off the original
bulletin board system, he setup a Landcrab group on both Google Groups
and Yahoo Groups and invited a couple of us in to send some test
messages. John decided he preferred the Google Group and that's why
we're on Google today. The Yahoo Landcrab group still exist, I've even
got a valid user account on it, but unfortunately it's got the same
problem, as far as I'm aware John was the only moderator so there's no
way anyone else can get in.
Cheers,
Eriks
DB
Here we are, circa 2000, playing in the mud. http://www.qsl.net/vk3zpf/foxphoto/bln2.jpg
As is our way, we blasted past the girly 4WD teams to show them how it's done... Extricating the car was a secondary priority; we were close enough here to "sniff" the signal on foot!
We do quite well in the monthly "Foxhunts" in here in Melbourne (Australia) in the landcrab, a '69 MKI. Click thru to scores here (we are "BLN" team): http://www.ardf.org.au/cgi-bin/menu.cgi?frm_src=../fox_hunting/fox_main_aj.html
Cheers
David (amateur callsign VK3XAJ) of team VK3BLN (=Bogged Lost and Nauseous)
nathan
I could be wrong, but I thought that membership of the group (or
perhaps the ability to post to it) had been restricted to club members
on the previous bulletin board. I'm not sure if John had restricted
the google groups new one in this way. If so then it would have been a
benefit of club membership.
I actually think it is increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to
restrict access in this way to what are increasingly free and open
resources and that it is probably a mistake to try to do so. However I
was just aware that the old bulletin board and the website, which
isn't fully operating, were associated with (and funded by) the car
club, and they encouraged people to join the club. It is a pity
neither were fully controlled by the club. Anyway, that was why that
question came to mind, but I am also fully supportive of your
proposal.
cheers,
nathan
Eriks
You are correct that back in the bulletin board days there was a
proposal put forward to restrict access to LOCA members only, but this
was never implemented. I don't think it would have worked anyway as
another free group would have most likely started up somewhere else.
LOCA was the major sponsor of the Austin1800 web site for the last
couple of years and during that time the web site took on the name of
the club. Prior to that it was just the Austin 1800 web site and I
remember John asking the members of the bulletin board for donations to
help with the hosting costs. I offered to help with the manufacture and
sale of Austin 1800 metal signs and we sold a number that first year. I
think my involvement also made me more aware of what was going on behind
the scenes.
When the web site went down last year I contacted the LOCA Committee to
see what they wanted to do about the site and if I could help out in any
way. The LOCA Committee eventually decided they no longer wanted the
responsibility or ongoing cost of having to maintain the site which was
apparently quite expensive. But the Committee had no objection to me
resurrecting the old site in order to save the valuable information that
was on there. As I was already running a very similar site called Blue
Streak Six for Austin Freeway's & Wolseley 24/80's, it made sense to
just piggy back the Austin 1800 site onto there. So the old site is
definitely alive and well at it's new home:
www.bluestreaksix.com/austin1800 it's just not sponsored by LOCA
anymore. I do have a page on the site listing details for the Austin
1800 friendly car clubs that I know of, with LOCA scoring top of the list.
So the next task at hand is to get this discussion group sorted and I
think there may be some movement staring to happen very soon.
Cheers,
Eriks
nathan wrote:
> Hi,
>
Patrick
in the website/bulletin board was,it is true that John set up the
website however right from the start he wanted LOCA to pay for it,in
fact after the first 12 months he stated that he could no longer
afford the costs and if LOCA didn't support it he would close the
website,the commitee agreed to pay all costs and allow John complete
control of content.
On occassion we had to remind him that some of his comments were not
in the best interests of LOCA and it's members,
With regard to the commitee not wanting to continue with the website
after John's disapearance it was decided that as only 4% of financial
members used it,it was not cost effective.
It was costing LOCA $A345.00 per year.
On Jul 17, 12:32 am, Eriks <eskin...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> Hi Nathan,
>
> You are correct that back in the bulletin board days there was a
> proposal put forward to restrict access to LOCA members only, but this
> was never implemented. I don't think it would have worked anyway as
> another free group would have most likely started up somewhere else.
>
> LOCA was the major sponsor of the Austin1800 web site for the last
> couple of years and during that time the web site took on the name of
> the club. Prior to that it was just the Austin 1800 web site and I
> remember John asking the members of the bulletin board for donations to
> help with the hosting costs. I offered to help with the manufacture and
> sale of Austin 1800 metal signs and we sold a number that first year. I
> think my involvement also made me more aware of what was going on behind
> the scenes.
>
> When the web site went down last year I contacted the LOCA Committee to
> see what they wanted to do about the site and if I could help out in any
> way. The LOCA Committee eventually decided they no longer wanted the
> responsibility or ongoing cost of having to maintain the site which was
> apparently quite expensive. But the Committee had no objection to me
> resurrecting the old site in order to save the valuable information that
> was on there. As I was already running a very similar site called Blue
> Streak Six for Austin Freeway's & Wolseley 24/80's, it made sense to
> just piggy back the Austin 1800 site onto there. So the old site is
> 1800 friendly car clubs that I know of, with LOCA scoring top of the list.
>
> So the next task at hand is to get this discussion group sorted and I
> think there may be some movement staring to happen very soon.
>
> Cheers,
> Eriks
>
>
>
> nathan wrote:
> > Hi,
>
> > I could be wrong, but I thought that membership of the group (or
> > perhaps the ability to post to it) had been restricted to club members
> > on the previous bulletin board. I'm not sure if John had restricted
> > the google groups new one in this way. If so then it would have been a
> > benefit of club membership.
>
> > I actually think it is increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to
> > restrict access in this way to what are increasingly free and open
> > resources and that it is probably a mistake to try to do so. However I
> > was just aware that the old bulletin board and the website, which
> > isn't fully operating, were associated with (and funded by) the car
> > club, and they encouraged people to join the club. It is a pity
> > neither were fully controlled by the club. Anyway, that was why that
> > question came to mind, but I am also fully supportive of your
> > proposal.
>
> > cheers,
>
> - Show quoted text -