What is the point of the Register of Unusual Microcars?

[richard]

No need to get in a flap over it john.we are not poles apart really 

[Bob Purton]

I will give you a little tepee,  always do a spell check before posting.

[Barry]

Back on track

I am still keeping a record of photos of microcars in a logical order.  
This register is available to view via a link:-

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ao7dnotn45wfm9o/eDRKSQP4FD

It can be added-to or edited if a forum member cares to join the FTP site 'Drop Box' (just on-line storage).  Just ask me.

Many people were very skeptical about this and there was not much interest so I am mainly keeping it for my own reference.

It came about originally because I was trying to create a place on-line where photos of the Rumcars registered cars could be stored.
A file for each car.  Not necessarily any info on who owns them or where they are, mainly for historic and recent photos. A reference to each registered car.

It seems that some people are scared stiff of putting any programs on their computers.
Others are preoccupied with cars being cloned, number plates being copied, cars stolen or any other sort of devious dealings.  

Personally I believe one of the main benefits of the register would be to accumulate photographic records of each car  photos that are available to view rather than tucked away in a file somewhere.

I agree with others that these days we don't have time to fill-in forms and post money and photos to Alastair.
Everything should be done on-line and should ideally be free if we are to persuade people to register their cars.

Barry

[john Meadows]

Hi Barry
I have 75 Frisky cars on the register and hold knowledge on them accumulated over 30 years. Its a big task requiring an individual file for each car. Whilst I do use the computer extensively, the "real" files I still  keep manually.

The biggest problem from the start was how to identify reliably each car, early on I discovered that the registration number was not much use and engine numbers can change from time to time. Chassis numbers can also be unreliable. In the end I plumped for creating a unique register reference number for each individual car which cross referenced each of the above. This system has stood me in good stead over the years.

Collecting photos is interesting but unless reliably grouped together by individual car you will create something along the lines of Google Images but without the built in cross referencing.( It is not unusual to have 200 photos on the Register of just one individual car!)

With just one marque (Ok Richard!) I have over 8000 files covering car photos, technical & reference photos, publicity and historic data. (Excluding the Frisky web site)

 I wish you luck Barry.

Have you ever considered offering your undoubted skills and enthusiasm to Jeans team to help build and refine their system.

Regards
John

[Jean]

I agree with others that these days we don't have time to fill-in forms and post money and photos to Jean.

If any of you do change your mind and Register your car please don't send anything to me, Alastair Lauchland took over the responsibility for the Registration of Cars several years ago, in case you had not noticed.

Everyone seems very reluctant to pay out any money these days (even £1.50) or spend a little time filling in very simple, straight forward information about the cars.  They are reluctant to admit to owning anything or even admitting to be known as an enthusiast of microcars it would seem by hiding behind non de plumes! 

It is a good job there are still a few folk like Alastair and Chris who are willing to pick up the RUMCAR baton and keep it going.  They give their time freely and willingly because they think our hobby is worth it.  By all means let us use the tools available to us to day to obtain the information we need, it would be good if the registrations can be handled via the internet. but don't forget the purpose of the registration card and the windscreen sticker that are sent out to acknowledge the vehicles association with RUMCARS have to be paid for.  If we want too have a better and more useful web site that too will probably will cost money because there are no volunteers help us with its creation.  Soon to we shall have to pay someone to keep our accounts to  because these are essential but no one will volunteer to help.  It rather looks as though as long as people like Alastair, Chris and Mike Shepherd are prepared to give their time free gratis and for nothing that is fine everyone else can just enjoy the results of their labours.  I only hope Chris never  feels its not worthy bothering any more I am sure RUMCAR NEWS would be sorely missed.
I am sorry for this rant but there was a time if you had a hobby you enjoyed you used to be prepared to put something back into it,not expect the few willing souls to do all the work because you HAVEN'T GOT TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Jean

[Barry]

Hi Barry
I have 75 Frisky cars on the register and hold knowledge on them accumulated over 30 years. Its a big task requiring an individual file for each car. Whilst I do use the computer extensively, the "real" files I still  keep manually.

The biggest problem from the start was how to identify reliably each car, early on I discovered that the registration number was not much use and engine numbers can change from time to time. Chassis numbers can also be unreliable. In the end I plumped for creating a unique register reference number for each individual car which cross referenced each of the above. This system has stood me in good stead over the years.

Collecting photos is interesting but unless reliably grouped together by individual car you will create something along the lines of Google Images but without the built in cross referencing.( It is not unusual to have 200 photos on the Register of just one individual car!)

With just one marque (Ok Richard!) I have over 8000 files covering car photos, technical & reference photos, publicity and historic data. (Excluding the Frisky web site)

 I wish you luck Barry.

Have you ever considered offering your undoubted skills and enthusiasm to Jeans team to help build and refine their system.

Regards
John

Thanks for your response John.  As usual, very helpful.

My general collection of microcar photos within folders for each marque is simply to keep images of all different marques all in one place.  Also a word sheet to add links to relevant sites and some general info.
(I have a lot of photos of general interest within the collection)

The main reason I started to do this was to have one area (directory / folder) for the real Rumcars registered vehicles. At the moment this folder is empty.

This folder was to contain sub-folders for each individual (Rumcar) registered car. The individual folder  would be for any photos, new, old from current or previous owners of that car.

I was originally thinking of including the owner details and other technical information / history but have reconsidered this.  It would be better for this personal info to be under Jean / Alastairs system & control and kept confidential.

So, the task is not as enormous as yours, Just a folder to store current and historic photos of the actual registered car, available to forum contributors.
If some of the photos are filed incorrectly or are not the correct car, it would not be the end of the world and they could be 'weeded-out'.

I was hoping that all members of the forum could contribute photos from their archives by joining DropBox but this is a big ask.
Dropbox is practically an industry standard for sharing big files and is used by big companies.  It really isn't a threat, it can be a great asset outside of RumCars use.

Regards
Barry

 

[Bob Purton]

I agree with others that these days we don't have time to fill-in forms and post money and photos to Jean.

If any of you do change your mind and Register your car please don't send anything to me, Alastair Lauchland took over the responsibility for the Registration of Cars several years ago, in case you had not noticed.

Everyone seems very reluctant to pay out any money these days (even £1.50) or spend a little time filling in very simple, straight forward information about the cars.  They are reluctant to admit to owning anything or even admitting to be known as an enthusiast of microcars it would seem by hiding behind non de plumes! 

It is a good job there are still a few folk like Alastair and Chris who are willing to pick up the RUMCAR baton and keep it going.  They give their time freely and willingly because they think our hobby is worth it.  By all means let us use the tools available to us to day to obtain the information we need, it would be good if the registrations can be handled via the internet. but don't forget the purpose of the registration card and the windscreen sticker that are sent out to acknowledge the vehicles association with RUMCARS have to be paid for.  If we want too have a better and more useful web site that too will probably will cost money because there are no volunteers help us with its creation.  Soon to we shall have to pay someone to keep our accounts to  because these are essential but no one will volunteer to help.  It rather looks as though as long as people like Alastair, Chris and Mike Shepherd are prepared to give their time free gratis and for nothing that is fine everyone else can just enjoy the results of their labours.  I only hope Chris never  feels its not worthy bothering any more I am sure RUMCAR NEWS would be sorely missed.
I am sorry for this rant but there was a time if you had a hobby you enjoyed you used to be prepared to put something back into it,not expect the few willing souls to do all the work because you HAVEN'T GOT TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Jean

Everyone is entitled to a rant,Jean!  A good ticking off by the head mistress is what we all need from time to time. I doesnt alter the fact that times and peoples attitudes change and so do the methods in which we do things. I recently added my Isetta to the Isetta register and it was just a matter of giving the car details to the club through the web site, as you say our web site needs updating but I would imagine this would be the way forward if that ever gets done and we find someone with the skills to make the changes. On the other hand , could that same thing not be achieved by just sending Alistair an email?  Anyway, I can hold my head up as my cars are on the RC  register and up to date with the exception of my latest project which is unbuild and therefore doesnt exist yet, its those other naughty children that need to pull there socks up!   My other point is that the pressure on many of us these days just to make a living and pay our bills is enormous! Suddenly things that were once all important have to go on the back burner for a while. In any case none of us are unappreciative of the efforts that the team have made on our behalf, I only wish I was retired and had more time.

[richard]

Ditto bob only another 12 or so years to go ! !

[Jonathan Poll]

Sorry I left it a while guys, been meaning to reply for a little while, but keep thinking "hmmm this evening", then the evening flies away, thats procrastination for you!

About the website, I sort of left it where it was, I just didnt really feel up for it after, and not sure if I would enjoy the responsability for it all. It was also a LOT of work for free (I'm not asking for anything), especially the "gallery" idea, which ocnsisted of making a page for every single microcar built with text and pictures for each page.

I have also had a problem with my website builder, I have lost access to my Nobel website. I will contact them, shouldn't be much.

Yes the problem seems to be "mopeds, mopeds, mopeds"...

I'm just not too happy with my website designing, it's not fin at all (well work never is, can;t be too fussy!) but its just plain boring sometimes, and frustrating when you want to do something and you spend forever trying to, wthout succeding! (well, that's life, isnt it?)

I build websites a completwely different way than other people, I hardly know how to code them, which complicates things when layouts need to be changed etc...

JP

[Jim Janecek]

Yes the problem seems to be "mopeds, mopeds, mopeds"...

It's OK JP - no one thinks any less of you!
If you enjoy doing web-work, then do it. If not, then don't.
If you enjoy mopeds, then ... mopeds mopeds mopeds!

You should dabble in as many things as you can at your age.

[Jonathan Poll]

... just that sometimes it gets too carried away

About 15 now, wel one of the 15 is my dads, but was given to me, and I still want to work on it before giving it to him

This photo is getting old

[Bob Purton]

I think it would be nice if we could just change the home page of the website for another photo if nothing else. Didnt Chris take a special photo for this purpose at one of the open days?

[micro marshall]

i am trying to update the website now but i am doing my exams at the moment so i cant do it at the moment.

[Bob Purton]

Hmmm Another teenager updating the website. Does that fill me with confidence?

[micro marshall]

thanks for your encouragement bob!!! I do know what you old foak like.