Originally posted by: D. Mitchell on 3/12/2008 12:29:36 PM

Wow, no posts in awhile and now look what's happening Guess it shouldn't be to bad. Maybe I'll come up with a better handle than just my name.. Be cool See ya on the other side!

Originally posted by: Givrsum on 3/12/2008 12:59:01 PM

well, imho.. its a bunch of bull shi7! gonna end up being just another club.. why? why the change? whose brainstorm is it! or whose lack of brain storm is it? we're already getting ricers and fools here.. why open for more? i'll admit it,, i do not like change! i also agree with rt, feels like we have no input and you got your money so screw em! who would run a buisness this way? i've been self employed for near ever, you know why? cause i give a shit about what my clients want! wether i agree with em or not, they and they alone have made our buisness succesful, we just happen to be good at what we do so they can trust us and have the faith that we won't screw em.. well thats not what i'm feeling when it concerns this club.. why hasn't parkurst been around to do some explaining? is he just another pawn on the board? i say bring the person in thats responsible for this.. with exception of wes and mark we have heard from no one that carries any clout! why??.. well i'm probably talking to myself, but,, once again i have to say:: WAKE UP ADMIN!!!!
ya know one thing that really bugs me,, obviously someone there had the smarts to realize that us car guys could use a club that represents the essence of our hobby, the kind of guys that work their bag off to buy a new carb, or a set of headers or whatever, the kind of guys that scrape the lifer money up and get their friends and chums involved.. we're the kind of folks that have blood,sweat and pride in our hobby.. not to mention the lost sleep and personal sacrifices we make when our cars have broke down or got damaged, the other clubs have that same addiction? i think not, i belong to the fishing club (lifer) and i can tell you from being a fishing guy for near all my life,, if i lose a lure or break a pole,, i just go get a new one.. right? i don't have to start thumbing thru the hemmings or rummage thru boneyards, or get screwed on ebay to find a part that quite possibly isn't there.. so why the hell would we want to be the same as the other clubs? we're different so why can't this site remain different...some where some one thought that us gearheads will be good for sponsors and the club owners can make a buck too.. right? well where the hell is the original person's views.. and if he's or she's no longer there,,,then this is just another love stone.. and we all know what love stones are,, "just another fucken rock"

Originally posted by: Givrsum on 3/12/2008 1:29:29 PM

sorry vettek and any of the other lady members and the pastor too for my cussing.. i apoligize.. i won't apoligize for my view though..
man this burnz my azz!! could ya tell?

Originally posted by: 69Cheveller on 3/12/2008 1:37:25 PM

YEAH LIKE HE SAID WELL PUT GIV

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/12/2008 1:57:09 PM

Hey Givrsum & 69Cheveller.

I respect and appreciate the comittment to what you members and life members mean to this club. You're the force that helps keep it alive and I'm sorry this is so frustrating. I guess that's all I can tell you right now.

Originally posted by: Wheelman on 3/12/2008 1:57:24 PM

GIV- this is exactly why I drive a CLassic. If I buy a new car sooner or later the computer crap needs an upgrade.
But I guess I am just bumping heads talking.

Originally posted by: Givrsum on 3/12/2008 2:15:35 PM

thats the best you got wes??????????

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/12/2008 2:44:05 PM

Givrsome,

What can I do to help you?

The beginning of this post explained everything I could, I've also posted my personal thoughts on things further up the discussion thread. "Believe me, if it was a choice on our end between having to learn new software, migrate all the information, answer hundreds of emails regarding how to do things, people being PO'd, etc. or just keeping things the same and do nothing... which do you think we'd choose?"

Groupee, the company hosting our forums is changing their format. If the club kept things the same it would still be changing.

I can pass your emails on to someone. I can try to influence policy to be more mindful of member needs but that's already happening. That's why they hired web editors - because they knew they were understaffed and dropping the ball online.

I guess if I didn't personally give a rip then I wouldn't be replying to your email. People get PO'd if you reply and PO'd if you don't. I'm sorry I'm not saying what you want to hear...

Originally posted by: 65 Impala on 3/12/2008 3:15:37 PM

The new website is comeing wither we want it or not. Wes has no choice. He's just the guy that takes all the heat from both directions.
I have another question, I have heard there might be a problem with dial up users. I heard it might run slow. I have dial up. its all I can get where I live out in the boonies.

Originally posted by: colorado815 on 3/12/2008 3:28:38 PM

Well UNC. Vent, vent, vent......Ya we will see what happens. I for one have never been a fan of groupee. Now I'll have to come up with a new screen name.........?????????????

Originally posted by: 71cam427 on 3/12/2008 3:55:39 PM

Maybe we oughta wait and see how this comes out. Maybe , there won't be the same problems as with the other sites. We need to cut Wes a little slack here. They hired him to take care of us and so far he has tried to help us thru this. There'll be plenty of time for complaining AFTER the change. I'm not defending change , I myself hate it, BUT, I try to open minded enough to give it a chance.
Wes, be glad your're only dealing with the hardcore regulars here, those one post wonders are the ones that really bash the club .

Keep up the good work Wes, we really do appreciate you !

Originally posted by: Robert T on 3/12/2008 5:15:16 PM

Unc,my problems aren't with you,you've been great in answering me,and your funny as hell when your in the chatroom with us,like someone else said,would be nice to see a few others in there also.You might give it a 2nd thought about doing a FERD write up....we'd still bash then regardless.Givs got a lot on the spot of this whole change,but as previously stated,your just the poor guy they stuck up front and sad bitch at him,so we don't have to listen...Stick around Unc,i'm hoping this goes easy,as stated,my computer skills bite big time.

Originally posted by: raptor1962 on 3/12/2008 6:46:36 PM

Giv, there is no reason to shoot the messenger just because you don't like the message. Wes is the designated complaint department. I understand what everyone else is saying, but I am hopeful that it will be a change for the better. (Hey, I can wish for it, even if it might not happen)

Oh, and Wes, sorry to deceive ya bub, but my avatar isn't a pic of my ride, just a reasonable facsimile of what I want mine to be when finished. I guess I'm one of the ones you talked about: Brags about how fast his car is, but it's at home up on blocks. Oh well, maybe someday.

Originally posted by: sfhf on 3/12/2008 7:16:26 PM

Just to simplify things in case someone doesn't understand (and UW correct me if I'm wrong).

This club doesn't own Groupee, they are only hosted by it. That means they have no control over if or when it changes, only how it changes.

The way I understand it, the club must change and if it must change, then they are going to do their best to make it better.

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/12/2008 7:58:36 PM

Hi Guys, ( I need to stop saying that because I know there's ladies here as well. ) Thanks for being so dang civilized. It's understandable if you're not and good or bad, I'm here to stay.

Judging by recent posts and general dissatisfaction in some member product tests and club swag you receive I'll suggest to Mark tomorrow morning that we immediately roll out NSMC antacids for everyone on the forum, not just me. Maybe some Rolaids made in China with our logo stamped on them. Unfortunately a club sedative product test would get us in trouble when we ship across state lines and I know a couple of you jokers wouldn't know when you've had too much of a good thing.

The speed issues and the hosting situation kind of go hand in hand. Yes - as sfhf said, we rent space and usage for websites and forums. We're at the mercy of how and when they want to update things. All that has been in the process of coming in house so now you can be at our mercy ( and you'll probably be crying mercy for the first couple days.)

What seems to be happening is that the new servers were set up for a very usable payload of visitors and traffic except that when a casual visitor who might hit a couple pages on the website pops in and sees everything is different they start loading dozens of pages, going everywhere all at once, downloading all the possible movies, files, etc. and forward the link to other people because let's face it... something being updated on the old sites once every dozen weeks was a pretty big deal.

The servers get over stimulated and some poor IS dept. sucker has to go down and make them breathe into a paper bag... talk them down off the ledge until things get back to normal. So yes, things might be a little slower right away depending on what time of day you log in at.

As for dial up, we're trying to make a site that's a balance of easy loading text stories with smaller and medium sized pictures that you can click on if you want to download larger files. I honestly don't know what the speed will be like on the forums for the first few days.

It's no surprise that the forums are where everybody hangs out, where members have the most input and freedom to build a community. It's also no surprise that the actual magazine sells advertising to help pay for all this stuff. Despite popular belief, $2 an issue by itself isn't enough money to build a media empire. ( Sorry life members, I know you spent quite a bit more but your mags are free for life with some other benefits ) so we're trying to find a happy medium. Ad's are being removed from the new forums ( a nice feature of hosting your own bulletin boards ) and the marketing team is hunting down ad's for the website that are of specific interest to car fiends and can give actual benefits like discounts and special offers to members. That's good news if you weren't to enthusiastic about the viagra for gay singles in your area type ads floating around the Groupee site.

I hope this answers more questions than it makes. If you close your eyes and unplug your computer for a week it will all be over.

PS. If it makes you feel any better I paid $45 for a years worth of membership in the HOG ( Harley Owners Group ) and most of the people I meet through that can't even change their own oil. I'm stuck talking about the new chrome piece they bolted on.

Originally posted by: Wheelman on 3/12/2008 8:10:36 PM

quote:

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Originally posted by: satellite71 on 3/12/2008 8:11:37 PM

Hey Unc... you guys should try advertisig on Myspace. With the amount of users surfing around that empire your bound to get more members... just my two cents

Originally posted by: nitrohogg on 3/12/2008 8:29:49 PM

Wes...you don't have to join a hog site!! you can just talk to me!!!!

Originally posted by: Bulldog on 3/12/2008 8:31:13 PM

the marketing team is hunting down ad's for the website that are of specific interest to car fiends and can give actual benefits like discounts and special offers to members. That's good news if you weren't to enthusiastic about the viagra for gay singles in your area type ads floating around the Groupee site. QUOTE]By Uncle Wes
________________________________________________What no more lavalife ads? I just love logging onto a street machine site and being told that dozens of single women are waiting for me.

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/12/2008 8:36:29 PM

Yeah, see here's the embarrassing thing about me joining the stinkin' H.O.G. I ride a lot ( bought my recent bike new in '05 and three years later it's got 29k miles on it ) so I joined their mileage program and didn't quite get my 25,000 mi. patch before my free membership expired so now I'm dumb enough to join just to get it.

Vanity, vanity... I'm a sucker! But to buy a black market 25k HOG patch on eBay costs more than joining the actual club.

Originally posted by: Camaro 69 on 3/12/2008 10:39:32 PM

quote:

Originally posted by Wheelman:
I know I am a royal Pain in the backside to a lot of people, but come on if I went offline for a week my head would explode.

Originally posted by: spud52 on 3/13/2008 12:17:53 AM

I,m so confused i don,t know whether to wind my butt or scratch my watch.OK here we go Unc Wes your stuck between a rock and a hard-- .Your doing a good job from what i,ve seen and are a lot of fun in chat. I will have to lean towards Giv on alot of the issues but no malace toward you.Seems like to me there should have been a little question and answer session before everything is changed. Some of the members have some decent ideas for features in the forums and the mag.Finally just wondering can we come pick up those test sedatives??? And have you tried aroma therapy it really really works

Originally posted by: Givrsum on 3/13/2008 2:53:11 AM

well, let me make this pefectly clear.. wes i have no issue with you or mark.. you 2 guys have been awesome.. both you folks are great for the club..and i'm not out to shoot the messenger, just who sent em..

Originally posted by: Wheelman on 3/13/2008 4:15:35 AM

I get ya Giv. Ya feel like Wes and Mark are the only 2 emplotess of this here Club. Seems to be as of late Scott does stop in from time to time as does Matt, but do they really converse with us to see what is on our minds? Not in my opinion.
And to respond Cam- first I wouldn't want all my beautifull hair to burn off I might end up looking like a...................Second look down

Originally posted by: neanderthal.m on 3/13/2008 4:22:10 AM

Uncle Wes,Not to burn any bridges, but Im new to the club just figured out how to get half my avatar piture in and dont want to get lost.Will their be a mailer sent out or some thing to my email instructing me were to get online at. Not everyone is computer savy.

Originally posted by: Wheelman on 3/13/2008 4:38:39 AM

quote:

Reply



National Street Machine Club National Street Machine Club Bulletin Board Forums The Garage General Discussion Website and Forum update. Please Read!

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/13/2008 6:37:23 AM

For the record, I don't feel burned in any way. (I've got the seniority and connections of a migrant worker so far. The only strings I could pull would be in demanding fresh coffee in the pot.) Think I'm doing an OK job? You'll get over that.

Also for the record: Spud...aroma therapy?! Are you talking about diesel fuel and a shot of NOS? Can somebody call Spud and let him know his online identity has been stolen?

Givrsum: No problem. I get that.

Wheelman: I always pictured you looking older.

Neanderthal: I can't for the life of me figure out how you got 1/2 a picture up for your avatar? It's almost something to be proud of. I'm taking a wild guess that at least half of the online members aren't super comfortable with computers and out of the couple hundred thousand club members in general, only 1,700 people have ended up online. I read that as you making it here at all is a pretty big deal. There should be some kind of email sent out to everyone in the community with basic information. Getting too crazy with sending emails can get people tweaked so I'll make sure a discussion topic for technical issues and how-to's is stocked with answers as questions come up. I've also got some hope that members will come up with work around's for things we're going to temporarily miss until the software upgrade. - But then I also hope that the NSMC will have big annual meetings next year with free beer, brats and funny car giveaways. Maybe some gift bags like you get at the Oscars, but with transmissions and ventilated paint booths inside.

Originally posted by: nitrohogg on 3/13/2008 6:47:05 AM

just shut up!!!! ya got me at the FREE BEER!!!!!! the shut up was a joke....the free beer, I hope is not!!!!!!

Originally posted by: 65 Impala on 3/13/2008 6:59:49 AM

quote:

But then I also hope that the NSMC will have big annual meetings next year with free beer, brats and funny car giveaways. Maybe some gift bags like you get at the Oscars, but with transmissions and ventilated paint booths inside.

Originally posted by: Uncle Wes on 3/13/2008 7:00:19 AM

Sorry Nitro, pretty much everything after "But then I also hope" was a joke.. a cruel twisted joke that I dream about every waking minute.

Originally posted by: alienx on 3/13/2008 7:13:35 AM

well i will be back eitherway. this has been one of the best places to get info from others on cars no matter what breed you drive.even the fooord guys. wow the was painful.any shreinks in here i need 1 bout now.

No need to be sorry Orion,i just read thru all of them,and it made for some good reading...sometimes i guess our emotions get the best of us,somewhere in there it said something about don't shoot the messenger,wouldn't dream of it,but would like to see more intervention from the powers that be.Matt,thanks for the last couple of nights you came in,and i understand there are just some things you can not answer at this time,whether it be because you don't know the real answer,or because it would cost you your job.Now had you gave the second one as an answer,at least we'd feel we knew a little more in a sense...now we're still sitting here scratching our heads,and wondering,what did he really say???