Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 14:21:08 -0500
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: Uh-oh...was: list
Dick and all-
I hate it when someone leaves our little community. I really hate it when
they leave with bad feelings. I hope I can persuade you to stay, Dick, or
perhaps help you understand a little about this community (at least the way
I've seen it work). I've been hanging around here for little more than
three years, and have seen interesting dynamics.
This isn't a list. It isn't an electronic "bulletin board". This is a
COMMUNITY.
Just like your home community of Norwich, NY, we have all types here in
"VanagonLand":
* loud mouths, quiet types, and sniveling lurkers;
* folks who speak perfect English, and folks with another Mother (or
Father) tongue;
* good neighbors, and bratty neighbors;
* old farts, and young whipper-snappers;
* techno-geeks, and techno-phobes;
* folks who want to talk business, and folks who want to chew the fat
* Folks who want better mileage, and folks who want to pop a wheelie in
their Vans.
Remember, life isn't fair, and it isn't a perfect world. This community is
a group of 800 people in many countries. I'd bet there's a fair group of
people in Norwich that you don't invite over to the house on Sunday; not
much in common, right? It's going to be the same everywhere. It's not a
reason for MOVING, is it?
If you read the blurb that is sent to you when you subscribe to the mail
list, you will find the 'rules' around here are pretty liberal. No
questions about the Holley 4-barrel on your brother's Chevy, no cutesy
things about "cleaning your mouse balls", we all love Jesus, but unless
He's driving a Vanagon in your post, you better keep it offline. Friday is
a Joke day: "Here the one about Our Lord driving a Syncro?".
Further, there is no rule that dictates "what" about Vanagons can be
discussed. Folks are free to discuss import restrictions, wheel offset,
propane stoves, upholstery mistakes, even 'burning plastic while camping',
as long as it has to do with the experience of owning a VW Van. If you
don't like the subject - DELETE.
So, like a good community...it's usually self-policing; lots of freedom,
inside a framework of mutually understood rules. Post something a little
stupid, and you'll get a P-mail flames. Post something moderately stupid,
and you get a public flames. Post something REALLY stupid, and you're
on-the-outside-looking-in. Simple enough.
Over the years, there have been a number of discussions about whether this
list is a place to receive technical information, that is, a way to
circumvent reading the Bentley Manual. Over the years, the answer have
consistently been "no". If all you want is the best way to remove/clean
your CV's, read the manual.
Most everyone here would agree that the magic "glue" that makes this
community special are posts like Ken's, telling us that Dawn finally baked
their biscuit. Ken's been on this list for years, and started his business
here. Or the post from Ali last week, telling us of the sentiment that
passed when her van saved her life. I think a lot of us have had magical
times in our vans, and it was very open-hearted of her to share.
Sure, this is an OUTSTANDING place to learn everything you'd ever want to
know about the technical details of your VW Van. But if that's the only
reason you are here, you are missing the point. If you only learned
technical procedures here, how would you be any better off than if you had
simply read the manual?
Hoping you'll stick around, and relax,
G. Matthew Bulley
Director
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
-----Original Message-----
From: Dick & Janette Smith [SMTP:varieze@ASCENT.NET]
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 12:34 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: list
<< File: ATT00000.htm >> I have enjoyed the list up until the last few
weeks and I am now leaving it at least for the present time. At first I
was super impressed by the overall help and information that was available
and I saved many (50+) messages that pertain to my bus. For this I thank
you who supplied them. Recently though it seems as if the list has
become a sounding board for a select few and on any subject that they
choose. I don't need to know about childbirth, interstates, out of
country purchases of vehicles, etc. Also when a message is sent with an
error in it, who are any of us to correct the sender in a short sarcastic
manner, when most of us have made a similar error in the past. Recently
a young lady sent a joke in about Penn/NJ and was flamed but several others
more recently have sent in off list messages and it seems to be OK. As I
look at it the list seems to be over run by just a few persons who find it
their duty to respond to everything that comes up whether it has a positive
or negative effect on the original message. A few things that would help
to restore the list would be 1. Post only messages that pertain to the
vehicles it was designed for. 2. If you reply, do your homework and reply
with accurate and pertinent information. 3. Leave out the sarcasm and
criticism. 4. Don't hog the bandwidth. 5. And most importantly, treat
everyone equally!!! Also for those of you who can't contain yourselves
within these simple lines, maybe you need a social list for all the other
crap.
Dick & Janette Smith
Norwich, NY
KC2AOC
Retired
85 Westy Vanagon GL "Sally Ann"
"No One May Step Twice In The Same River"
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