Taking a Break

[Bill Hara]

Ron, take a break, sell that Jensen and you'll be a new man!

Seriously though, there have been some great contributors in the past that have decided to stop posting in the last few years and the forum is poorer for their absence. Their departures would be insignificant in comparison to yours if you were to choose to make it permanent. I sincerely hope that your hiatus is only of the temporary sort.... I'd also like to add that there have been many new members that have added valuable and interesting contributions that have gone a long way towards "filling the holes" left by those previously mentioned departed members, which wouldn't have happened if you weren't a part of it.
With your continued presence, there will be a place for everyone to continue to come to and be a part of.

I wonder if you can put people into a "sin-bin" for say 24hour (unable to post) if the moderators deem them to be out of line???

Hope to "see" you back soon!

Bill.

 

[Gus Richmond]

Ron, Have a good break. Kick back and enjoy. You have done a top job, It would be good to see you back.
Regards, Gus.

 

[Chris Headon]

Ron
having just read through all the posts here I thought I would add my own. I have been on various committees through the years and let me tell you they are all thankless tasks, no one ever (well rarely) thanks you and all you get is complaints and hassle. That doesn't mean you are doing a bad job and for the most part people don't realise they are causing stress. Having met you in person I can say you are one great guy and everyone really appreciates what you do (even if it is never voiced). I hope you enjoy your break and come back refreshed. My philosophy is "if you can't say something nice then don't say anything". Sometimes things have to be said but if we all ask ourselves how would I feel if that was aimed at me, we might temper our comments before hitting the submit button. Hope to see your postings again soon.
Chris

 

[Keith]

It's looking pretty likely now that a) I'll never have a chance to own a replica and b) I probably couldn't even sit in one, but nothing has dampened my enthusiasm for the marque which is not just about shape and performance, it's about passion and for once, gagging the bean counters in favour of an objective which did not necessarily bring profit - a bygone era and an outmoded concept by today's business standards.

It's rebellious - it's "Up Yours Enzo" - it's revolutionary it's exciting - it just couldn't happen today. It's not just a car - it's a concept , a way of life, a statement and a reflection of an era where just about anything was possible if you had the will.

Undoubtedly, what has changed is the commercialisation of this esoteric dream in a way that has been detrimental to the spirit.

I am sticking my neck right out and I will probably get it shot right off, but I do not see why and how manufacturers can or even should conduct their day to day business via a public enthusiasts website. In my view they should conduct their business via their own media - not this site.

I am broke, I do not own a GT40 and never will be likely to, but I will gladly pick up my share of the financial slack if you let the commercial "sponsors" disappear, because in my view, this is where 98% of the grief comes from (and their unpaid ass licking acolytes). Let them battle somewhere else and return this site to the faithful...

I'm gone...:blank:

 

[Jac Mac]

Standing right alongside you Keith-- or to use one of your own phrases--'' What He Said^^"

 

[Pat Buckley]

Ditto.

 

[Kim Petersen]

... I do not see why and how manufacturers can or even should conduct their day to day business via a public enthusiasts website. In my view they should conduct their business via their own media - not this site. ... I will gladly pick up my share of the financial slack if you let the commercial "sponsors" disappear, because in my view, this is where 98% of the grief comes from (and their unpaid ass licking acolytes). Let them battle somewhere else and return this site to the faithful...:

Keith:

While I usually agree with you, I'm surprised at the hostility you're showing towards the guys that, as a group, pay a sizable portion of the operating expenses for this site.

I, for one, am appreciative to have the likes of Superformance and RCR sponsoring forums where their customers – and prospective customers – can share tips, get product news, relate experiences, etc. And with GT40s.com, its all done under one roof, so members can shift from a vendor forum to a technical forum to a historical forum. It isn't the corporate sponsors that create the problems so much as it is that 2% of every population that thrives on creating a commotion. Trust me, they'd be there with or without the manufacturers.

Most of us are interested in hearing 'what's new' with the various companies out there. Irrespective of which car you own, or want to own, it's always of interest to find out how the other guy is doing things. On this site, everyday is a school day. My guess is that, absent the involvement of manufacturers, sites like GT40s.com would see a serious reduction in membership, with various owners and prospective owners spending their time at their respective manufacturer's site.

Frankly, I don't believe that there is a large enough enthusiast audience to support multiple GT40 websites - especially those that become entirely reliant upon member contributions. That's what makes Ron's site so unique: it caters to a wide-range of interests yet has a singular focus on the GT40 we all love. I suggest that we concentrate on instilling civility amongst ourselves and not tinker with what is a proven success: GT40s.com.

Kim

 

[Doug]

Ron,
I visit 2-3 times through the day to get my 40 fix. Take a break, shake the discouragement off.

I understand, it is amazing how vindictive and angry people can get. Part of it is the anonymity. Joe Blow sitting at home typing a blistering message because he's p1ssed about work or his wife is giving him hell. So he takes it out on someone 1000 miles away.

We should remind ourselves to:

1. Speak to each other here like we would talk to friends face to face.
2. Calm down! Don't get your panties in a wad so quickly.
3. Stop trying to hurt your fellow enthusiast or vendor. Bad mouthing is so easy. Working things out...not so easy. It take patience and negotiation.

Good luck,

John

 

[40 Bud]

Ron, enjoy your time away. You have run a consistantly clean and informative sight for a long time and certainly know the ins and outs of being successful at it. Just let the crazies go at it. There aren't many who cause problems. As far as having sponsers who are manufacturers and dealers who cause problems - I think that is very rare. The ones that might occasionly get carried away, so be it. They just hurt themselves. The controversies I remember are mostly with the likes of Meat and our old friend John ( he has calmed down a lot). You have several moderators who seem to be more than willing to share the load and those who can't remember their password should get a little black book or be prepared to wait awhile. Everybody seems to forget that this is a hobby for most - not a money making business venture. Every so often you need to remind yourself that this is suppose to be fun. If it isn't give it up!! Life is short so do the things that you are goood at and that you enjoy. The rest of you people who spend your time stirring up the troops and accomplishing very little, go find another forum or chat room. Better yet go harrasss a cop - that should be more of a challange for you.

 

[Ian Clark]

Hi Ron,

You know I've pm'd you a few times over the years on issues related to "improving the breed" mostly to the benift of all GT40 owners, regardless of brand. You've always replied with an insitefull opinion. Thank you.

I can't imagine how many times you've been used as a personal sounding board, given the total number of members, vendors and motivations. You certainly need a break!

A bit more civility here wouldn't hurt. On balance though, I'd have to agree that the GT40s Forum operates on a really high level especially as it pertains to helping each other out with technical challenges.

It's also gratifying for the guy building his dream to have his blood sweat and tears appreciated by those similarly infected with "GT40 Syndrome". We are passionate about these cars.

When two or three vendors get into a verbal shooting match or a rogue member in need of anger management gets loose, shifting the thread to another area is like putting the disruptive kid in class in the corner. Sometimes that works, sometimes you just have a kid you can't help.

Maybe that's the point, we're adults here, not kids. You shouldn't have to feel like the principal either... Fortunately there's not many bad kids in this class. The very low numbers of threads pulled or banned members is a testimate to your keeping the forum as open as possible.

As a member and vendor I try to respect each others patch. As an enthusiast I wish there was more time to contribute info on threads especially on technical issues as we've crossed most of them.

There are a lot of really bright people here, tons of help readily offered to questions and some truly ingenious solutions to some of the challenges that come up in these cars.

So there's a huge upside here, in no doubt a reflection of the quality and quantity of work you've put into the GT40s Forum. Let's all hope you feel up to the task after a break, Bravo.

 

[Chris Martino]

This is a large forum to manage, even during the best of times. A break from all of it I'm sure is needed from time to time so enjoy Ron, you've done a great job.


Chris

 

[Jim Cowden]

Ron

Take the break.
The forum is a big ship and harder to manage.
As has already been said you have to delegate or farm it out to those who will take on the work you do not wish to do.
It is obviously effecting the quality of your life and that is not good.
You have family and it must be taking you away from them also.

If it means members putting hands in pockets then that's the way it will be.
If it is a pay only membership then that will stop people doing a hit and run(free add or free for sale section).
Then never to be seen again, you don't need them as they consume time and contribute nothing.

I think this site is great,I have made lots of friends and gained knowledge not just on GT40s.

The in fighting IMO I think some people need to relax.
Egos can come into play,nobody wants to be wrong then it goes down hill from there,like John said it is easy to be miles away making comments and flaming someone on a key board, if they had to look eye to eye it be different.
Its a hard area,I think it needs to start at the members end.

I like what you have done with the site Ron and appreciate the effort.

Jim