What's up with this website?

[90volts]

like we said....many of us have submitted them. I personally submitted mine before RBC did the 'featured buggy' on it. and that has been quite awhile now.

[Siggymanx33]

I submitted mine on three or four different occasions over the course of a year and a half? We've even had email discusions about it. There are several loyal members that have said that they submitted pictures?

[Gene-C]

Dear Admin, Let me copy and paste from one of my postings that now appears under "Manx Club Items" that was originally under this post: Note to webmaster: the Buggy of the Month for August voting ended up in a tie between #1 Tim Bogan and #3 John Butterworth. Is there anybody out there, or has this website just been running on autopilot for the last few months? I am not that happy about the fact that this thread was chopped up into 3 sections; it does not make sense to me to have postings that comment on other postings that are not even in that particular thread any more. But, if some think that the ideas are better organized, and that it is now nice and tidy, so be it. There is a main theme, though, that echoes through the majority of these postings: what in the heck is going on with the Manx Club, and who is willing to speak up here, on our website, as to what may be planned for the future?

[mel hubbard]

Just my opinion, but this thread seems even more confusing now >> the first and second posts (on here) being both by Gary,,,, his second post was a reply to WHO?? Would it have not been easier just to change the thread heading maybe to ''All round Club Issues'' ?? Lets face it, you have to be a member to post here,, the Manx club & forums go hand in hand,,, so is it really off topic to link the two?? I found it quite interesting to see how the topic went from forum to club issues and never detected a rant as such.

[manxdavid]

Please don't think I'm trying to be funny or anything, but I've been posting on these forums since their first week of existence but I still haven't got the faintest clue who 'Admin' is... Do they have a name? Do they own and drive a Buggy? Are they a club member? I'm just curious really as on every other forum I use I know who runs things. I know the only time Winnie posted here she used her own name, and I know Bruce doesn't get involved with the forums personally. Would anyone care to unmask this mysterious figure??? I'd really just like to say hi and who's it goin':hello:

[Gene-C]

[font=Verdana][font=Verdana]I second Manxdavid?s question; who are you, Admin? Your profile is completely empty. Look, for the record, I am not being persistent about this just because I don?t have anything better to do. Back in early 2005, I decided to see if I could find a good, used dune buggy to drive and enjoy when the weather was good here along the coast of North Carolina. After learning more about the history of fiberglass dune buggies and the Meyers Manx in particular, my goal was to find a decent Manx that I could be proud of. It became quickly obvious though, that the quality of assembly varied greatly in the few that were available here in my area. No one I knew at the time even had any experience in dune buggy ownership, much less the construction of a dune buggy from the ground up. I came across the Manx Club website during this process. Even though I had absolutely NO technical automotive experience, I was inspired by the threads to tackle the task of putting together one of these monsters by myself (I was more clueless on the venture than you can even imagine, but the enthusiasm was there, honestly!). After considering options, I decided to try to try to increase my level of success by selecting a new Berrien Buggy body and tubular chassis as a beginning platform. I enlisted the assistance of local VW air-cooled experts, lined up a good welder guy, and then I outlined what I thought to be the construction process. I would pour over the forums almost every night, reading as much technical information as I could in order to self-educate myself on what issues may lie ahead. I downloaded countless photos of everything I could find. YellerManx/Chuck, the photos in your postings where more helpful than you can imagine. I also met a few guys that were in my area (Madmanx/Bud has become a good friend indeed) that were dune buggy owners, and they also helped to inspire me along the way. It took me a year, and lots of cash, but I finally got my buggy officially on the road this past April. I first became frustrated with our forum when I discovered that some of the threads that I created along the way just "disappeared." Comparatively speaking, there is not that much complete information out there on the Berrien chassis, and I figured that my experiences may at least give another builder an option to consider, whether they choose to go that way or not. Then I noticed the forum activity start to dwindle, the August Buggy of the Month results were not posted, and most recently, that Bruce and Winnie plan to step back from the day-to-day activities of our club, and let others take over the burden of responsibilities. The website just appeared to be on autopilot, at least in my opinion. We all know that the Mecca of the fiberglass dune buggy is in California. I envy the fact that Tom and Kathleen (among others) had the guts to trek across the USA to participate in Manx Club activities, I have no doubt that countless members would agree. I don?t think that I will ever have that option, and it would be fantastic if it would be possible to bring the Manx Club here, to the east coast (and other regions of the country, or for that fact to other parts of the world as well). Can we, those that don?t live in California, be provided a more active role in our club? Is that really too much to ask?

[rzeller]

[QUOTE="manxter10"]Gary, In an effort to make some sort of sense of order to hijacked, rambling thread a attempt has been made to sort it all out into several relevant threads. Various portions have been moved into one of three threads. No posts involved in the original thread have been deleted. The threads are: 1. General Discussion/What's up with this website 2. General Discussion/Manx Club Items 3. General Discussion/Manx Club Store[/QUOTE] Joe, I was away for the weekend and was very surprised to find that this thread had been pulled apart. First, I'll acknowledge the tough job a moderator has and that it is usually thankless. With that said, although probably well-intended, the split gives the perception of trying to stifle thoughtful conversation and ideas. Unless you received private messages from other members that indicated a problem, I never got the impression that anyone was "bothered" by the path the thread was taking. Just the opposite. As I mentioned in one or two of my other posts in the original thread, this thread seemed to re-generate interest in the club that had been missing for a while. In terms of ideas that were being suggested, none of them fell into the category of a rant (in my opinion). I thought the ideas were constructive and well thought out. As Mel has pointed out, the thread now is not very cohesive and will be confusing for people to read in the future. Hopefully you'll take this post as helpful/constructive criticism and not a complaint. Thanks, Bud

[Gene-C]

Bud, I have been away from a terminal since Sunday evening. Looks like I have managed to stir things up. At least it is activity. Thank you for understanding what a webmaster or moderator must go thru at times. You also managed toget the "quote" in an accurate manner. I appreciate the fact that you did not quote what you perceived to be your understanding. Any forum modification is not done to antagonize the members. I personally do not need to be a moderator to stir someone up. I think long and hard prior to modifying what is submitted. There are 1 or 2 members who make the job easy, as they are usually over the top on what they write. Since March 2005, I have only seen the need to moderate 3 threads, and around 25 posts. At this time there have been in excess of 1385 threads, and 11,009 posts. The webmaster may have been a bit more active. I think this speaks volumes for the ability of the members to speak & write in a clear, and concise manner. In fact I only know of 3 users who have been banned. These bannings were for pushing their advertising on the classified section, and in 1 case for an extremelly improper personal attack on another member. With over 10,000 registered members of the forum, the necessary moderation action is very, very low. Again, I believe this is a testament to each & every member. This whole thing started when a user started a thead that talked about lack of activity and other items on the site. The members who are paid up with their dues are who controls the site activity. If nobody wants to post something then there is no activity. Meyers Manx, Inc. provides a site and foots the bill for that same site. I believe that some are paid for their expertise. I do know that the moderators volunteer their time & experience to just help out. I think that some members have a very distorted view of the fact that they do not have a say in how Meyers Manx, Inc. is run. It is a private corporation and they make the rules. The Manx Club is simply a subsidary of that corporation. For the most part, if a member has a problem they should attempt to work it out off-line. Usually posting it on the site will only seems to inflame the situation. I find it amazing how a simple E-Mail or phone call will usually result in obtaining the correct answer or solution to any problem or stiuation.

[mel hubbard]

[QUOTE="manxter10"] I think that some members have a very distorted view of the fact that they do not have a say in how Meyers Manx, Inc. is run. [/QUOTE] Joe, that part was a bit harsh,,,,, discussion within the club is heathy IMO, feed-back can only be good for the clubs future. However, looking at things another way,,, if all the veiws on this thread were posts what a busy place it would be What a Great bunch of fellas on here :drinking: :drinking: cheer up guys our gas in UK is over$2 per quart,, we got real issues to rant about :help:

[BuggyBob]

price of deisel in reno, nv is now $3.69 a gallon which comes out to almost a buck a qt

[Gene-C]

[font=Verdana][font=Verdana]Joe, I appreciate the fact that you chose to volunteer to be a moderator for this forum, I really do. However, I find myself taking exception to some of your statements in your last post, along with the first one you contributed during your reasoning for splitting up a perfectly good thread (my opinion). It?s not just a rumor of a "new Manx administration" it appears to be a fact, according to Winnie?s Whims in our last quarterly newsletter. "There is however hope, in that there is a contingent of people who have stepped up to the task of taking over the responsibilities of the Manx Club in the very near future" When I read the suggestions that have accompanied this thread (and the ones that were split off), the theme seems to be "if there is a change, please consider this, please consider that????????." Maybe you just got caught in the middle, but it seems that a good number of us members (or "subscribers" may be a better term, at least for the time being) feel that we have every right to voice our concerns here, on the Manx Club forum, for all read and either agree or disagree with; whichever they choose. That?s the whole reason for having a forum in the first place, isn?t it? The newsletter only comes out quarterly, so any published updated on changes in the club will not be available for the next three months. There are those of us that would at least like the opportunity to not only express concerns, but also to offer ideas to be considered for the future. Please tell me what is wrong with that thinking.

[fubar]

"With over 10,000 registered members of the forum, the necessary moderation action is very, very low. Again, I believe this is a testament to each & every member." Never been called a math wizzard, but 10,000 X $30 = $300,000 ??? Not trying to be a smart ass, but what is that spent on? DSB forum is free but they don't mail a news letter and a laminated badge. Is it liability insuance for the runs? Also I would not mind getting the news letter in PDF format to save paper and stamps if that makes someones life easier.

[Siggymanx33]

I assure you that there are not 10k paying members. As far as I have seen with regards to member numbers, it's somewhere around 3000. I would be suprised if there are 150 paying members. This is a complete guess.

[Gene-C]

Fubar brings up a very good point. Not only does Manxter10/Joe the Moderator say that our membership is around 10,000, but if you look at the bottom of the Manx Club Forum Home page, under Meyers Manx Forums Statistics, the current number is 10,123. On the other hand, if you rely on the information in the latest newsletter (Member Locations on the inside of the front page), the total number is just over 3000. Even if the lesser number is used, the total membership dues is still a pretty good chunk o' change ($90,000+?). Assuming that the transition of the club is successful, one could question how this amount could be more evenly among the overall membership (regional cruise-ins, etc). I, for one, will find it very difficult to pay $30.00 a year if my dues are going to just subsidize events on the west coast. I am still patiently waiting for "Admin" to add some information to his/her profile. Even though one of my first questions dealt with the fact that the results for the Buggy of the Month for August had not been posted (still hasn't), this person chimed in 4 days ago by saying "You can't have a buggy of the month without entries." Since then, several members have stated that they indeed have submitted their buggies for entry (one even said that his has been submitted several times), but that they have not been used. Who are you, Admin? Inquiring minds want to know.

[1856]

Dues ... As I understand It 3000 is the total number that there has been. For those us there are not has beens ...The current paying membership is around 500. We are a very select and exclusive group of car fanatics ... and I'm proud of that. Mark