Stolen EBAY UK

[Sleeper]

Just spotted this....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stolen-Morri ... rk:22:pf:0

John

[StillGotMy1stCar]

I noticed a new listing for a cheap engine with red rocker cover and fan pulley. I quickly put two and two together and got five!!
After messaging the owner of the stolen car I checked his car on the DVLA database and found it has a 1275 engine, the engine for sale has valve chest covers so is not a 1275.
I have let the owner know that Sleeper has put a link to his listing in the MMOC.
Regards John

[irmscher]

I hope he got it back

[POMMReg]

This is why we need a database of chassis,body,engine numbers....along with original/current colour & unique features..

MMOC been going for 40yrs, the BIGGEST Club & there's NO-ONE logging down details(?), this is how thieves get away with "cloning", buyers do not check numbers....

[moggiethouable]

I would add a little something here.
Thieves get away with it in many (not all) cases, because of poor security measures.
No Diskloks, no etched windows, no secret switch etc
Put them of nicking it in the first place and they will leave it alone and we dont need a database quite so critically.

[irmscher]

A database is important to everyone in the club I cant believe it has never had one

[Sleeper]

Ditto...

John

[Admin]

A database is important to everyone in the club I cant believe it has never had one

Let me know when you've got it set up and I'll make sure you have sufficient hosting space for it. Irmscher? Irmscher...?

[Chief]

Since the forums are running off phpBB, wouldn't it be just as easy to add such things as custom non-required profile fields for people to fill out as they saw fit? (and is there a risk making such info be public?).

[Admin]

Short answer is Yes, long answer is .... sort of.
It's relatively simple to add extra fields to profiles, but if you saw my mailbox and how many queries I get day after day after day from people who can't work out how to even find their profile let alone edit it, you'd understand why I'm thinking that I'll actually remove the field I put in last year for MMOC membership. The very very VERY large majority of our users are not in any way IT literate, and simply differentiating between the forum login and the membership login is considerably beyond their ability. Unfortunately it's worse than that, because they then write me stroppy emails demanding that I fix it for them. I'm not worried about the work of adding fields, that's the easy part, I'm worried about the additional burden of supporting the literally hundreds of people who will need support in how to manage it. Yup, I can write Help files, but I already have for other things and nobody reads them. Yes I can write actually on the page that this login won't work for the messageboard because it's the login for membership, but I HAVE written that, right above the fields I'm talking about. And I still get at least eight mails a week from people who haven't read it, but insist that I fix it for them anyway.
Lets also not forget that only a very small fraction of MMOC members are members of this messageboard, and conversely there are thousands of members of the board who AREN'T members of the club. What do we do about people who aren't members of the board? Create 'empty' profiles with just the car details? Who's going to keep those profiles updated? How do we deal with 'malicious' entries, where someone intentionally posts details of parts he doesn't actually own, maybe because he's got a beef with someone, or just for the devilment of screwing up the feature? How is it 'policed' to stop that type of behaviour?
But lets imagine that I waved a magic wand and those problems didn't occur any more, we're still not out of the woods. What happens when someone sells a car but doesn't bother removing the details we've listed from their profile. Now we have the same details, for two (or more) different people. Who's going to ensure that everyones details are up to date? It's a mammoth task. It won't be me - I currently spend at least an hour a day keeping up with board updates, conversations, email support, etc etc etc already!
Now, I'm not suggesting for a second that it's complicated so lets not do it - I'm merely pointing out that simplistic comments like 'I don't understand why the club haven't done it' just skim over the huge complexities it throws up (and that's without mentioning your valid point about is it right for the club to promote sharing of info that could potentially be used for purposes other than that it was provided for). I'm happy, as I said to Irmscher above, to provide space and bandwidth, and even some degree of support, for a scoping project. But I haven't the spare time, or inclination, to do it on my jack jones. And call me a cynic, but I'm going to take a wild guess that Irmscher isn't going to step forward...

[les]

POMMReg has been setting one up. Seems pointless suggesting someone else starts one.

[POMMReg]

MMOC doesn't seem to have anyone within their midst into the "number crunching" side of things.

Whereas, Cub's catering for the likes of the Mini & the Triumph TR DO...daft the MMOC, one of the largest, most popular Classic Car Club do NOT!

[Admin]

lol that's your response, Chris? Well thanks very much for your contribution, and for clearly articulating your rebuttals to the points made above. I think I'd have had a more useful response if I'd asked next doors spaniel...

[POMMReg]

I'm more than willing to help out, seems to be take take take....answered an enquiry from mmoc last wk...not even a thank you...

Infuriates me that all these Minor clubs don't work together, appear to be controlled by angry, bitter chaps with NO real enthusiasm, seem to get a kick out of hindering those (like yours truly!) who are TRUE enthusiasts.

I have TRIED to put something together, as I said, only SO much that can be done until realising you're hitting a brick wall, and the only option is to give up.

Not having a dig at YOU - bad enough running/ keeping the POMMReg afloat - but generally bewildered by the scenario where there's a blissful indifference to research and a MEGA database!!

[Admin]

It's an unfortunate fact of clubs, of every type, that there are lots of people wanting stuff for every one person offering stuff. I know of a good handful of branches where there is a great deal of dissent that 'we don't do anything', but where it all goes quiet when someone says 'okay, hands up who is willing to help'. Trust me, I feel your pain. I also 'get' your bit about angry peeps - I've said before that just keeping the support mails answered takes far more of my time than I'd ever expected, and when people write me shouty letters demanding to know why they asked for support yesterday and nobody has got back to them yet, I'll put my hand up and say my patience can run thin, I'm only as tolerant as the next man, and nobody liked to be stropped off at by someone they've never heard of, especially when you're just doing it for love!
I don't - personally - think anyone is blase about the idea of some huge database, so much as just concerned about the complexity of managing it, as said above. I know some php, I know a decent chunk of html and css, and I have a little backroom skill, but after a lifetime in social services I have a modest tolerance for being kicked up the [censored] especially when I don't think it's my turn. I'm already outside my comfort zone

[les]

I’m not sure you’re right to say there is a blissful indifference to research, granted we’re not all compiling a data base, what would be the point of that, we’d all be logging the same details. The fact that folk have shown considerable interest in the offer to buy your book suggests there is support for research. You will never reach a point where every car is detailed. Only you know when to say there is enough to go to print, and then deal with the inevitable fact that another detail will be discovered in the future, as you see fit. Don’t be too despondent, you’ve done well to get as far as you have.

[irmscher]

Mike Admin I didn't say anything about doing one or being involved in any shape or form .I mentioned I couldn't believe the club have never done it {but now Chris is }most clubs have and I know this for a fact .I also question your relationship with next doors Spaniel which you take advice off is it any good on data

[POMMReg]

I’m not sure you’re right to say there is a blissful indifference to research, granted we’re not all compiling a data base, what would be the point of that, we’d all be logging the same details. The fact that folk have shown considerable interest in the offer to buy your book suggests there is support for research. You will never reach a point where every car is detailed. Only you know when to say there is enough to go to print, and then deal with the inevitable fact that another detail will be discovered in the future, as you see fit. Don’t be too despondent, you’ve done well to get as far as you have.

Yeah, possibly, but concidering HOW many Minor's survive,only a fraction of owners have been kind enough to note down their vehicles' details for me.

Obviously, having loads of "chassis/body/engine no. combinations" to play with, the task in hand IS easier....therefore, stuff accepted as FACT year's ago can be debunked, which is surely for the benefit of us all(?)