Author Topic: Fade away?  (Read 39116 times)

Jean

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Fade away?
« on: March 10, 2014, 10:34:16 AM »
I am disappointed to read that RUMCARS is being discounted by many enthusiasts.  I am going to stick my neck out and say  "What are we doing wrong and how can we make things better?"  May  be this should be a new topic. I know we are failing miserably with the web site but we just can't find a person with the time and the right skills to help us.  I thought Chris is doing a great job with RUMCAR NEWS but there again our circulation is not increasing very much.  The RUMCAR Forum seems to be popular but even that has been a little dead in recent months.  Come on folks what is needed to keep the interest alive or is it time to gradually fade away?  Jean
Jean
Register of Unusual Microcars

Bob Purton

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2014, 12:08:42 PM »
In the words or Buddy Holly "Not fade away"! Rumcars will always be small along with RCN circulation. No reason to think it will shrink to nothing though. 

Jean

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2014, 06:33:45 PM »
Nice of you to say that Bob, but it will do if none of you step up to fill the gaps that are appearing because of the age of those that set it on the road in the first place.
Jean
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richard

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2014, 06:51:56 PM »
Personally I prefer the carrot to the stick  ! By the way sitting here suspecting that I have forgotten AGAIN to renew - have I ?
outside of a dog a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read .Groucho Marx 1895-1977

milnes

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2014, 07:49:29 PM »
Hi Jean, i don't think Rumcars are doing anything wrong, i think it's really just peoples lifestyles at the moment. Many people busy with work, and poor life balance etc. I agree the website has been quiet of late but like myself i pop in and out without posting anything.
Even though i've been on here quite a few years you can see i don't post very often, so maybe i should change, if i can change then i'm sure others can!
I should have made that my New Years resolution, be more visible on some of the forums i'm on.

As for RCN, Chris is doing a fantastic job, i've loved the Bamby/Cursor stories. What can we do to get more subscribers and forum participants? The Microcar fraternity keep themselves to themselves, so i guess that doesn't get the word out.
I think Micro maniacs have done a great job for the cause having a stand at the NEC, but i know that's a lot of time and money.

Is it maybe something we should all take ownership on, get the word out? Maybe during local car shows, some of the members, even if it's just one could take a car along and sell the Rum brand to people!
I need to stop buying!

Jean

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2014, 09:01:12 PM »
Personally I prefer the carrot to the stick  ! By the way sitting here suspecting that I have forgotten AGAIN to renew - have I ?

I am afraid so Richard, don't worry you will still get all four issues for 2014 when you do remember!!!Jean
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Big Al

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2014, 08:38:12 AM »
I fear it is a dark and misty affair as folk seem to have forgotten constructive criticism. There is one thing to be upset about something and harangue a club official. Worse, it tends to be an available one, who has no idea what actually happened. Its another to calmly point out, factually, that there has been a problem to, presumably, the Chairman. For RUM that would be Jean. No one is going to promise a perfect answer can be made to a compliant, but without feedback it is extraordinarily difficult to know what folk want, or what may, or may not, be a problem.
On the other side, as someone who has made constructive criticism, I can vouch for the fact the much of the time its been ignored, or not acted on. I am not suggesting that is necessarily out of order. Those doing the tasks do it the way they do it, as they do it free, in most cases. Maybe I am wrong anyway. However, I have nearly withdrawn from all clubs now, as I do not think I am. In several situations I have found myself in, by dint of doing club work, it has led directly to a confrontation between my knowledge of damaging facts and the operation of a committee. These issues raised in the correct way have been voted by majority to be fudged 'out of existence'. I cannot serve in this situation, as my responsibility to serve is to the club member, not the committee. Clearly in those cases I was the only one who thought this, which is rather worrying I think. I therefore resign and leave them to it.
So all I know is there are a large number of owners, certainly more of certain types of cars than others, who choose not to be a member of any club and become divorced from what the clubs do. Each tale as to why differs, but each is a loss to clubbing together, and a loss to that owner, as they become much more isolated.

It is not for me to transmit the full story given to me by the owner of the car at Newbury. I do not want the position of wosbird to the Microcar world. I would observe that the rise in values, change in ownership profiles, and the tendency of people to be more aggressively selfish, have a bearing.

A thought, of no strength either way. Do you think that clubs who sell spares as Limited Companies can, or are perceived as being, an informal clubbing together of owners? Or are newer owners looking at them as a business, as they pay for a service or parts. They therefore expect a degree of good service. Certainly the Americans, as a group, show far more expectation of good service and information access, and get pretty frustrated if they do not receive it. Americans tend to know how to complain. Its not a British thing to be seen to complain. Feeling fingers burned the potential recruit retreats feeling ripped off by what appears to be a business service, but is not set up to provide what that image in their mind portrays. In the same way, an advertised expert or service provider, on behalf of a club, is seen as a person similar to an employee, available to resolve problems at some speed, despite that he is a volunteer with his own complicated life to deal with.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2014, 07:24:11 AM by Big Al »
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For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

super-se7en (Malc Dudley)

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2014, 09:29:44 AM »
I have owned microcars on and off for the past 40 years and it was only a couple of years ago that i was introduced to the forum by John  Meadows. Although i rarely post i am an avid reader and enjoy the problem solving that takes place between members.
Whenever i meet like minded people i promote the forum and show them a copy of the news magazine.
The only way to increase membership is to promote it, and the best way is for the members to encourage like minded people to read the forum and the magazine. The magazine is  awesome and maybe if back copies were available at rallies (at a cost) then it may kick start more subscriptions to it.
This is just my opinion and i may be totally wrong.
 

DaveMiller

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2014, 11:20:10 AM »
I read this forum regularly, and more rarely write something here.  I'm reasonably keen on microcars, even though I've only ever had 4 Bonds and an Isetta.

I wanted to subscribe to Rumcar News, but haven't ... because when I tried to join, there seemed no way to do so without strange risk.

The website brings up a way to subscribe and pay via PayPal, but the "paypal" site which comes up does not show the usual green "secure" symbol in the address line, and what does appear are warnings that:

Quote
" ... this page includes other resources which are not secure,  These resources can be viewed by others while in transit and can be modified by an attacker."

and, despite my regular use of Paypal (both .com and .co.uk):

Quote
"You have never visited this site before today."

I looked for another way to subscribe, but didn't find one.  Perhaps I'm not the only one stalled by this?

Dave

Jean

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2014, 12:15:33 PM »
So far the comments seem to be purely on the role the Forum plays.  I do agree that it does play a very active part in the affairs of the Register of Unusual Microcars but it is only the tip of the iceberg.
The Register is not a Club and was never meant to be.  It was set up to protect the vehicles for life for which there was no 'one make' club and to help and inform their successive owners where we could.   Over the years a large archive of information has been gathered together which obviously helps to feed the articles in RUMCAR NEWS for the benefit of everybody. These archives are available to all and copies can be made for a small fee on request.  More importantly the new owner of a Registered car can obtain what history of a vehicle is recorded on our data base. There again this information is absolutely dependent upon information fed to us by successive owners of course.   I hasten to add the names and addresses of past owners are not disclosed, however we are prepared to try to link the owners together where we can.
Also over the years we have built up a reputationt with the DVLA and the FBHVC as a reliable authority on many unusual makes of microcars.  However, if the current thinking is to be secretive about the cars you own and the information gathered about particular cars which could prove useful to other owners it rather limits what the Register can do.   It was designed to protect owners, to make sure that cars are genuine originals and where possible put a date to individual cars.  This can only be done by gathering data from as many cars as possible  because in so many cases no factory records have survived, but to do this the cooperation of the owners is needed. 
The Forum can be very informative in this way but there are still enthusiasts who do not use computers that is why RUMCAR NEWS is so important. However, so many people today do not seem to have a clear idea of why the Register was started and what resources it can offer, given a chance, all the time there are volunteers like Chris,Alastair and Mike to make it work.   
The Register is trying to help, not spy, dictate or make money but we need cooperation to do it. 
I have plenty of back copies for sale but I am afraid I am unable to attend many rallies these days but some can be provided those of you who do if you would be willing to sell them on our behalf.
Let us have any other ideas you may have if you wish the Register to continue be of use to the  microcar community in general.   Jean
Jean
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Jean

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2014, 01:14:41 PM »
I read this forum regularly, and more rarely write something here.  I'm reasonably keen on microcars, even though I've only ever had 4 Bonds and an Isetta.

I wanted to subscribe to Rumcar News, but haven't ... because when I tried to join, there seemed no way to do so without strange risk.

The website brings up a way to subscribe and pay via PayPal, but the "paypal" site which comes up does not show the usual green "secure" symbol in the address line, and what does appear are warnings that:

Quote
" ... this page includes other resources which are not secure,  These resources can be viewed by others while in transit and can be modified by an attacker."

and, despite my regular use of Paypal (both .com and .co.uk):

Quote
"You have never visited this site before today."

I looked for another way to subscribe, but didn't find one.  Perhaps I'm not the only one stalled by this?

Dave


Dave, you can always send an old fashioned cheque to me at School House Farm and I will set the wheels in motion for you to receive RUMCAR NEWS
Jean
Register of Unusual Microcars

Jim Janecek

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2014, 02:06:07 PM »
there is nothing wrong with the PayPal links to pay.  I just checked them.  It also says I have visited that site 676 times.

the unsecured elements are the images on the page.

the "warnings" most likely have to do with the fact that the links are constructed from the "old" way when you could create a PayPal shopping cart without the "special code" that is encrypted and created from within your PayPal account.
I don't have access to the RUMCARS paypal account to create those encrypted  links. 
At www.Microcar.org the PayPal links work slightly differently because they are generated directly from the PayPal account.

So this is what you get for now unless I get access to the Rumcars PayPal account.


Jim Janecek

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2014, 02:19:34 PM »
Why is this discussion under "Sales and Auctions"?    ???

richard

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2014, 02:32:12 PM »
Well look who started it and hasn't moved it jim .Equally off topic whilst your at it jim can we put our clock right again - thanks. Now 1430 in u.k. WOAH Jim I just realised that our clocks are only 2 weeks off changing again , best left then . Has the forum been wrong for 6 months really ? I hadn't noticed until yesterday I think
« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 03:23:01 PM by richard »
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DaveMiller

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Re: Fade away?
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2014, 03:38:31 PM »
Thank you, Jean, Jim

Somewhat (?) reassured, I've bitten the bullet and clicked the PayPal links ...  :o

Looking forward to the RCN!