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Date:         Fri, 30 Apr 1999 15:10:13 -0400
Reply-To:     Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject:      Poster boy (a Friday Thing)

Friends-

A couple of years ago this list had a brief discussion about what would and wouldn't be posted to Vanagon.com.

There was one camp who was pretty sure that this list is purely technical...kind of a library of Vanagon knowledge where one could turn to, to learn about their vehicle. Like a Bentley manual, but made up of e-mail, rather than paper.

There was another camp, who saw VW ownership as a lifestyle experience, bonding them with others through esprit d' corps, and through common experience, whether they agreed on all things or not.

Those people choose to discuss not only their torque settings, but the settings of their life...how they camped, what they believed, what they felt, and what they thought, in congress with the technical discussion. We even had an exchange for about three weeks, where each of the listees introduced themselves, and told a bit about "who they are"...some got quite personal, and we learned a lot about "who we are" as a community.

In the past few days, I have seen this debate between the "Vehicle Only" and the "Lifestyle/Opinion, too" folks rise again. I obviously belong to, and desire to belong to the second camp.

In my opinion, virtually every technical issue to do with these vehicles has been covered ad nauseum, and is available in the archives for those who just need "THE ANSWERS". Want information about your AFM's without the chit-chat? ...go to the archives.

I hope however, that the folks who are decrying peripheral discussions will think again about what makes a community; it is just the type of semi-related discussions you wish to quell. I want to know what makes people tick. What do I have in common with people that made both of us buy a Vanagon, despite all of our differences.

That, to me is what this list was about. And I hope it will continue to be. Let's talk.

Gone Camping 'till Tuesday...Peace.

G. Matthew Bulley Bulley-Hewlett & Associates www.bulley-hewlett.com Cary, NC USA 888.468.4880 tollfree


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