Decision made!

Here's the deal! We have a great group and as the current State Coord., I am not going to let this slide on my watch.

Lets use both sites for now, play around with them and then in a couple of weeks, vote on it and do whatever the majority wants. Everyone needs to buy into this and post things on both sites and be fair and give both sites a chance.

Once a vote is taken and we have a direction, I am expecting everyone to act as MEN, to suck it up and keep us together regardless!

If this isnt fair, let me know if there is a better idea out there. we need to be on one site and one site only. which one that is.....I dont honestly know and really doesnt matter to me, i just wanna ride!

If this wont work, then I will step aside and let someone else try to run the group, maybe thats what really is going on here. I have given 110% and think I have done a fair job and will continue, but it takes everyone!


Chris
[/b]

[Hodad]

Here's the deal! We have a great group and as the current State Coord., I am not going to let this slide on my watch.

Lets use both sites for now, play around with them and then in a couple of weeks, vote on it and do whatever the majority wants. Everyone needs to buy into this and post things on both sites and be fair and give both sites a chance.

Once a vote is taken and we have a direction, I am expecting everyone to act as MEN, to suck it up and keep us together regardless!

If this isnt fair, let me know if there is a better idea out there. we need to be on one site and one site only. which one that is.....I dont honestly know and really doesnt matter to me, i just wanna ride!

If this wont work, then I will step aside and let someone else try to run the group, maybe thats what really is going on here. I have given 110% and think I have done a fair job and will continue, but it takes everyone!


Chris
[/b]

With your position as the "Coordinator" I can respect the challenge of maintaining a cohesive group. I can tell you from past experience, people will polarize to what they are comfortable with. Turn up the heat and most will go the other way. I can tell you, I am a person of choice, try and take it away, I am stubborn as a mule. You need an effective and responsive medium period. Not, well I'll get to it when I get to it. You have people with different levels of passion, those who've been in the trenches and those just getting into the fight. That is not to say those who've been in the fight did a bad job, we are trying to come in an bolster the ranks.

But, speaking for only myself, I am new to your group but I am a veteran here and unless someone is going to show me they have something better there is no decision to make for me. I didn't frequent your old site cause it didn't have what I was looking for. That is why this forum came to be. It happens all the at work. We provide service and content and a medium, if any of those fail, the end user will come up with their own way to get what they want. I've heard responsed from others telling me they were more interested in riding. How to you tell your group and in what way? Some place that's visable and meet the needs of everyone.

This place is visable to me. Of all the VTX sites out there, the only one that rivals it for General VTX info is Delphi's VTX Riders site. I do go there time to time. I've been to "our" site there and nothing much had been happening. That could change, if you guys really want a one stop place, then meet the needs of all. I wanted to ask questions, and be involved but how do you do that without offending anyone? Or without someone looking down on you as a newbie? This whole thing and the timing stinks to me. I don't feel part of the group or nor do I really feel up to being part. My enthusiasm is dying.

You're right, the decision is made for me. People can stay or go makes no nevermind to me.

I know it will work out for you all one way to the other.

Best wishes, Al

I understand your position, respect it as well as everyone elses voice, thats what makes the world go around.

This site may not be what everyone wants either, but even if it isnt we must all do what we can to make it what we want, we just cant run away. if there is something that someone wants or wants to see on it, work towards getting it done, not just go somewhere else.

I love this group and I know I cant make everyone happy, no one can. So I will do everything I can to make it the best and continue to give 110% and hope that everyone else will do the same, otherwise it wont work.

[Grinch]

Lets use both sites for now, play around with them and then in a couple of weeks, vote on it and do whatever the majority wants. Everyone needs to buy into this and post things on both sites and be fair and give both sites a chance.

Once a vote is taken and we have a direction, I am expecting everyone to act as MEN, to suck it up and keep us together regardless!

If this isnt fair, let me know if there is a better idea out there. we need to be on one site and one site only.
OK.... having been on both sites (and I was a member on VTXOA under the "old" format, but am quite familiar with this format...) I'd like to offer the following observations regarding the observable mechanics of each forum. Please - Don't reply to me trying to sell me (or others) on one or the other, based upon something I may "miss" or overstate... these are my opinions! I will, however, try to remain as objective as I can!
VTXOA: Pros: Nice and clear, Well established, Don't have to pay for any aspect, including: to be rid of flashing banner ads or to be able to post up pictures - this includes sig pics , Able to send private messages (PM), Able to select the option, on a case-by-case basis, of being notified by email of others posting to your message/thread*, Is closely related to other state's forums*, Hosted by VTXers on the "National" level*.
VTXOA: Cons: Is closely related to other state's forums*, Hosted by VTXers on the "National" level*, Certain activities, like message notification, and viewing of newest messages first, must be selected on a case-by-case basis, making for a slightly cumbersome (but not unwieldy or unreasonable) level of activity, MAY lack the control feature that would allow us to control who visits the forum (i.e. anyone, from any other member of the nationally hosted forums can come in and post - not that it would be neccessarily "bad"... just that we don't appear to have that option), Private messages (PM) go through host site - recipient only gets notification that a message is waiting, I haven't seen an option to make one or more people "Moderators".
- An "*" indicates something I see as being both a "Pro" and a "Con"...
Delphi: Pros: Usually quite reliable and usually easily accessed, Easily understood format, Ability to select options for notification that apply to all messages specified by the user - based upon user profile - NOT on a case-by-case basis, Private emails sent directly to individual email box - no interim messages, Offers moderation - i.e. moderator(s) can opt to "give voice" to a user that tries to post up - OR NOT - depending on criteria he/she/they wish to use. (example: On a WAVTX board, an Oregon user wants to post up a message. Before the whole board sees it, the moderator can opt to allow the message and subsequent messages from the user to be posted - OR - should it appear inflammatory, the user can be blocked from posting), can have more than one moderator.
Delphi: Cons: Has NOT been reliable, of late, Pop-up and flashing banner ads (nuisances) can ONLY be avoided by paying a fee (Let's face it... that's a BIG "con"!).
Well... there you have The Grinch's hastily put together 2¢ on the two forum's comparison! Let's see where we go!
(If Delphi ever gets back up, today, I'll post this over there, as well!)

[Hodad]

FWIW,

I done both. Last summer I visited the VTX Rider Forum on Delphi. I made alot of friends there. Jerry and Donna Paladino are now the Forum owners as Dana has left. I still go there from time to time and many of the people here frequent that forum as well. FWIW, I never once experienced a problem with Delphi and reliability. It only underscores the fact that Murphy is alive and well.

We had our problems here too and it took alot of work to get them ironed out. I am sure the group will get theirs ironed out as well.

VTXOA runs unmoderated except in forums where topics are likely to flare. The only one moderated at this time is the Off topic forum and that has be handled by "Hondamama". This forum can be moderated but do we need it moderated? It is monitored, would you run a system without keeping tabs? I wouldn't and don't.

My question is, would we want a closed off society? Access control and all that? Groups Nationally should learn from one another, good and the bad. MC safety relies on learning from the past. It might sound weird, but if I go down because I screwed up, I'd want someone to learn from my mistake. My thinking is, I should be able to register with the CA X rider board, participate, and find out info regarding rides in that state. See where I'm going with that?

Open, informative and welcoming to all VTX'rs that might wanna come visit our great state. I was thinking on a trip to OKC, I'd like to go to that state, and find out who the coordinator is and what I might do if I have trouble in that state.

Just some ideas folks.

Great Job so far.

[Grinch]

VTXOA runs unmoderated except in forums where topics are likely to flare. The only one moderated at this time is the Off topic forum and that has be handled by "Hondamama". This forum can be moderated but do we need it moderated? It is monitored, would you run a system without keeping tabs? I wouldn't and don't.
Since you appear to know considerably more than I, is there an option, in this system, to have a "Private" folder?... or a private "sub-forum"??? Something that was just for the local (state) membership, while keeping the rest of the forum open to all? This IS an option with Delphi. If it's possible to do that here, I think it would be a positive thing...
I agree with your thinking, and did not mean to intimate that we should be closed off from the world! Goodness knows we don't need that - just look at the recent incident of a Tacoma area family losing their daughter! Within just hours, the word was all over every motorcycling forum, on Delphi, that I knew of! That couldn't happen with a closed forum. But if we could be reasonably confident of our "privacy" in certain respects, I can't see that as a negative. Does that make sense?

[ajmeier]

Goodness knows we don't need that - just look at the recent incident of a Tacoma area family losing their daughter! Within just hours, the word was all over every motorcycling forum, on Delphi, that I knew of! That couldn't happen with a closed forum

In case you had not heard.... Her funeral is tomorrow at 1pm. Many of the Norwestars will be attending. If you can make it, it is at the Life Center Church at 1717 S. Union in Tacoma

Tony Meier
WashingtonVTX.com

[knarF]

I will be there.