Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 01:04:01 -0500
Reply-To: John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Subject: Re: Bus Depot SPAM, again!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> I wondered, how others could do what I was told not to do and keep doing
>itwithout being scolded for it as i was?
>
> All I know is that it takes a "Special Breed" to own and love a Vanagon.
>Anybody can run a business.
>
> As some of you know now, I'm still dealing with Vanagons daily, just
>trying to eliminate the waterboxer problems and assist you in getting there
>with more power.
>
>Kyle Wade
DAMN STRAIGHT. I've been on this list forever, not quite from the start as
Tim has but longer than most anyone who still bothers to subscribe, and I
might have been one of those who jumped on Kyle in the past, I've jumped on
anyone for annoying commercial posting, for some when they tried to rip
people off, etc. I'd sort of noted Kyle no longer posted, Jim doesn't much
anymore either. I congradulate them both, particularly Kyle for the
fortitude of not spamming us weekly with posts about his HP upgrade kits,
has got to run against his business sense.
I'll note for one, Tim's corrosion opinions are hardly opinions, I have a
few engineering degrees and have taken a couple corrosion specific short
courses. I think the problems are actually more complex than he or anyone
imagines, but his thoughts aren't far off base.
Now I'm not jumping anyone specific either, anyone able to recall might
remember I used to come down on Ron in the pre Bus Depot days when I thought
his prices warranted it, but anyone now might note I frequently reccomend
his products, service (though that could use a little work for his own
benefit), and prices. I buy nearly everything from Ron, he is close,
convenient, usually competitively priced, and gets things to me quickly,
amazingly quickly. I know he likes to make money, most people do, and he
does healthily off everything he sells I'm sure, but still at prices less
than most. The lists have always been a ready pool of ducks in a barrell to
people who sell T2 parts, has always amazed me the classic suppliers were
too slow or stupid to realize. But anyone with a gram of a brain that has
been on this list a day knows it takes about a milisecond to call up the Bus
Depot's exceptional www page and find prices for what you need, or Kyles, or
etc. Everyone should shop around.
I agree with Tim and the few others with the balls to say it though, I'm
tired of the damn commerical BS, the ads every other post, and all the crap.
Yeah I can delete it but I shouldn't have to, and don't really like to,
cause I like it 2 or 3 times a year when Ron posts his specials from Europe,
new neat stuff, but I don't really care about an oil filter, anyone should
be able to figure chances are Ron, Kyle, Jim carries them, the price is
good, the quality is OEM (as Ron mentions this is not whatsoever true for
Bosch.) So what would I like, I voted years ago for no commericial posting
whatsoever, other lists do it nicely, I'd rather hear Bob Alexander make a
quip about selling "German air" any day of the week then see another post
about what someone is saving us this week, and I mean ALL of the people
trying to make a living off this list, that really doesn't much apply to Ron
anymore, he passed the point into a viable business over a year ago I'd
hope. It amazes me how people come down on frivolous BS but are happy to
have equally/more worthless advertisement spoon fed to them every other
minute even when masked as "helpful information." To me a weekly listing of
known quality suppliers and www links would be enough, short of that I'd
love to imagine they could police themselves, I think Bus Depot had been
doing a better job of it than others but as Kyle points out, not as much as
some. I'm an idiot, I miss the old days, I miss the frivolity, the sense of
family, the days when if you asked about an alternator for a '76 Bus, 5
people jumped at the chance to send you a spare for the cost of shipping
instead of 5 people jumping to tell you their sale price.
Like I said, I'm an idiot, it's been proven, but I've helped a few people,
sold some parts for nearly nothing, sent many away for free, raffled a bus
for the benefit of a guy in need, used to be one of the top posters of real
mechanical related information, no matter how many times I was repeating
myself to some newbie who just bought their first van, gave generously to
the financial support of this very list after the split, all cause I could,
cause it made me feel good, cause I made some good friends, didn't toot my
own horn about it before now. I'd put the information I've posted or given
personally over the years far in excess in quantity and value than a lot of
that from "list saviors" out there. Go ahead BTW flame away, I've had a
nomex suit for years. Shit with Joel's stats gone there is so little left
to this list from the vanagon@lenti days, its pitiful. I don't know if it's
because we lost all the real hippies to t2 then vintagebus or if its just
because we lost or sold our souls. Yeah I know, I can just leave, but I
like to stay around to vex people now and then just like Tim, and to
ocasionally tell somebody how to fix something when I can sort pleas for
help from among the rest of the bull.
John Anderson
janderson@iolinc.net
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