So what do YOU want from the MMOC website?

[irmscher]

Les its minorsites attempt at being humorous

[les]

Ah, right!

[TFM150K]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This thread was started by Mike (The Minorsite) a year ago. There have been 122 posts, some of which have been repetetive but never mind. There have been some excellent suggestions and a few which were either a bit wide of the mark, but never mind. As we have got to the anniversary stage, could it be time for somebody on the administrative side of the website to give us an update as to what (if anything) is happening about the idea of revampimg the current MMOC website, and which (if any) of the suggestions on the preceding pages might be influential in that revamping.
And I am not necessarily aiming this question at Mike - though he may care to get involved.
Thankyou

[theminorsite]

Bloody hell, doesn't time fly . Well, having made the anniversary I guess its an opportune time to at least update on what's going on. I started the thread after a conversation with Ray. I can't really go into any detail on that because I've not asked permission from those involved and it wouldn't really be right, but it is fair to say that there was a thought someone new would be needed to do it, and I stuck my hand up.

There wasn't a timescale for this process to happen, but I'll admit I thought it would be happening early/mid this year. I do know though that there has been a development with the company who'd been given the work of the membership management and office IT stuff, and at least initially it was thought that the new website would potentially link seamlessly between the membership database and the forum, so that did put a hold on things a bit!

But, here's the bit where I have to agree with some of the naysayers, this organisation is pretty dire at communication. That's not a sly dig at anyone, it's just the fact of the matter - we either don't remember to pass on info to those who need it, or we think someone else has told them, or we get sidetracked with that irritating thing called the real world, or whatever it is, but it isn't really that rare for people not to be kept in the loop. I think that's happened on other forum topics in the past where some posters get frustrated they've not had the response they think they should have, and nobody else has commented on it because they're embarrassed to say that Nope, they don't know the answer either. In this particular instance, I don't know what is happening now with the website. I'm not complaining about that, because it'd be like complaining that my garage is too small. It was that size when I bought the bloody house - what did I think it was going to do, grow? It is what it is.

At the risk of flogging a very dead horse, it is worth remembering again that nobody is paid for any of this stuff, and it isn't really appropriate to grill potential helpers with the club work on how many hours they're prepared to give, or how responsive they'll be to emails, etc. I'm not defending me there, I mean that I don't really feel comfortable criticising anyone for not letting me know either what's happening. I've no doubt that I'll hear about whether they still want me to do it sooner or later, and I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch about it until then.

I suppose I could simply have replied and said Ummmm don't know, or just ignored the thread, but then the usual suspects would have waded in with the conspiracy theories, so I've tried to explain what info I DO know, and why I'm not too worried about what I DON'T know!

[irmscher]

I don't understand why you need the permission Mike the club is a members club but always kept in the dark unless you are in the chosen few The club has money to buy a convertible to restore without consulting members but doesn't pay for a webmaster priorities have gone wrong somewhere.Well done Mike for offering to do the website but don't you do enough already and the club should pay??

[les]

Why not forget all about it and leave things as they are, basically that seems to be the case anyway The site only needs simple things done like making location mandatory and maybe a tweak here and there. Everyone involved can then relax and tensions all round might disappear. Seems like a plan to me.

[tysonn]

Agreed.Pointless asking "what do we want"from the website and a year later not being able to say whether any suggestions have even been read by the "powers that be" .Not a personal complaint BTW just my opinion.

[theminorsite]

Did you not feel your ears burning when you read that post Irmscher? Seriously, have you any idea about how you come across on the board, as so consistently critical, your incessant jibes and veiled references to this 'clique' you believe exists? Have you ever thought about having a day off? And take your mate Tyson with you - neither of you bring anything but discord.
Oh, not a complaint, by the way. It's just my opinion.

[millerman]

At the risk of flogging a very dead horse, it is worth remembering again that nobody is paid for any of this stuff, and it isn't really appropriate to grill potential helpers with the club work on how many hours they're prepared to give, or how responsive they'll be to emails, etc. I'm not defending me there, I mean that I don't really feel comfortable criticising anyone for not letting me know either what's happening. I've no doubt that I'll hear about whether they still want me to do it sooner or later, and I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch about it until then.

Mike
Very sensible post, especially paragraph above but the MMOC has a turnover of around £250,00 and over £250,000 in the bank . It baffles me why decisions aren't made re updating the website which should be all sing all dancing with a paid webmaster to increase and encourage membership. It would seem to be the way forward before we all fall off our perch!

I am not blaming you because I'm pretty sure you agree with my comments

[tysonn]

What discord??????????The guy asked a perfectly reasonable question!And never got an answer!And who are you to advise anyone to bugger off!

[theminorsite]

Hi Millerman
I guess that the club could afford a paid webmaster yes, but I'm not totally sure I'd agree with the idea - with the size of membership we have, there's bound to be one of everyone in there, so I'd personally want to try and exploit the goodwill of a member with the necessary skills before I went off advertising for a paid one. There's a valid argument that we should have a paid person anyway, because only when you pay someone can you make genuine demands of them, but on the other hand it is the duty of a company to get best value for its owners/shareholders so perhaps it isn't appropriate to overlook a volunteer? Put it like this - if the club and branches paid for all the services it uses, with event management, marshaling, web presences, and a myriad other things, we'd soon chew through that money.

I'm aware of a problem that has interfered with the process of linking a new website with the member database, but I don't know whether the person who told me wanted it to be public knowledge. Personally, I think it would be highly inappropriate to pass on things I've been told without checking first, and I'm amazed that Irmscher or anyone else would think its fine to do otherwise. Perhaps that is why people take me into their confidence in the first place, who knows. Obviously people put different values on discretion and confidence than I do. When I see the person, I'll ask if its okay to publish it, but I'm certainly not going to go out of my way to find out when it's a question being asked of people that I consider won't be satisfied no matter what I tell them!

There are people in this thread who should be hoping I don't have anything to do with a new website anyway, as I would definitely be pressing for enough autonomy to deal very firmly with anyone on the board who appears to exclusively sow discontent. I believe that the present moderators show extreme tolerance now with some posters and I wouldn't guarantee to be as accommodating. I doubt that I'd get it, but I'd ask that the very large majority of the forum would be read-only for non MMOC members and only have a limited ability for anyone else to post. I haven't got a problem with complaints and I'm certainly not into suppressing open dialogue, but for people who consistently do nothing but offer up snide and petty jibes, they'd very soon find themselves without the ability to contribute. By all means ask questions of the club. But remember the club don't have to reply to you. But hey, maybe that's why I've not heard anything recently and the club are instead looking for someone who would bring less controversial ideas!

[tysonn]

I suggest you look through my posts before accusing me of PERSISTENTLY making jibes.What do you see? I followed up to a poster making a posting asking a questionabout a car that the club had bought.Do you agree or disagree that so far I'm not making it all up?A perfectly straightforward action unless you disagree.Who's being paranoid here?

[les]

I really don't know what has made you react so arrogantly to these posts, Mike. You may well find yourself upsetting more people that you think, by those authoritarian remarks, especially the ''zero tolerance'' type of policy you favour and indeed intend to apply if you get the opportunity. I'm quite shocked that you posted that.

[POMMReg]

I've requested photocopies of certain sections from both MM & Ser11 body service parts
books - surely the Club MUST have parts books - never received a reply!

So, MMOC Customer Service and Public Relations departments need reviewing.

[theminorsite]

I'm disappointed you read my words as arrogant Les, but obviously its your prerogative to do so
What I intended to convey was my overriding sentiment that, on the rare occasions that an 'MMOC-bash' occurs, it seems to me that the same names usually appear. That is entirely subjective, of course, but nevertheless it is my opinion and (just like everyone else) I'm entitled to it! It disappoints me, because the people who I'm thinking of are very proactive in other areas of the forum, I just can't see why they seem to think 'oooh look, another thread popping at the club, let's join in'.
When the anniversary of the thread came up today, I could (as I said earlier) have simply ignored it, or just posted 'dunno' or whatever. Instead, and because I knew full well that some watchers of the thread don't miss any opportunities to decry the 'cabal' that they think exists, I went to some length to explain what I thought and why I thought it. I shouldn't have wasted my time - we immediately got replies like "pointless asking and then not knowing whether [the cabal] even saw it". That's a pretty daft response, to my mind. Again that's subjective opinion, but it's opinion I'm entitled to.
I certainly don't remember using the phrase Zero Tolerance, and I'd thank you not to put words in my mouth. What I did say was that people would not be allowed to rag on and on and on about 'decisions made by the committee and nobody listens to us'. Yes, we know you think that. Thanks for letting us know. Now, can we move along? What would YOU like Les? Anarchy?

[theminorsite]

POM, I genuinely don't know, but I'd guess that info would be held at Derby? Give the office a ring?

[les]

Firstly the actions that you said you'd like to implement would quite reasonably come under the heading of zero tolerance, so I don't think I was putting words into your mouth, just giving your intentions a 'Heading' so to speak. Regarding what I would like-------Leave things alone, the forum rubs along Ok bar a hiccup or two along the way. It's not worth all this hassle. The issue shouldn't have been brought up until a detailed plan was agreed upon.

[irmscher]

I don't think I like your threatening attitude Mike When you do take over I understand you want to remove me from the site that's your little bit of power working for you well done .The site doesn't let members have a say and you know it also every question is left with a negative reply or none whatsoever and hope they go away .The many friends I have with a mutual interest in Minors have brought things up but don't know answers and have a right to ask

[theminorsite]

Oh seriously! Irmcher, you're massively mistaken - I am 'just' another member exactly the same as you. Where on earth do you get this rubbish about "little bit of power" from? Despite what les is (intentionally or otherwise) suggesting, I haven't said I'd "remove anyone from the site". If it were down to me, and it isn't, I would send a PM to posters saying that a particular post wasn't really appropriate, and please be more considerate in future, and if that person continued with that style then I would suspend their ability to post. As an example, I thought the way the thread about the club car has been 'hijacked' is rather bad form, and I'd have suggested some of the posts were not appropriate.

You say (and let's be honest, it's a bit of a recurring theme with you!) that "members don't get a say", but that's exactly what you are doing - having a say. The fact that you are complaining about getting a say proves beyond doubt that you can have a say doesn't it!

Now, lighten up a bit, eh? Or I'll wave my imaginary ban-stick at you

[theminorsite]

Firstly the actions that you said you'd like to implement would quite reasonably come under the heading of zero tolerance, so I don't think I was putting words into your mouth, just giving your intentions a 'Heading' so to speak. Regarding what I would like-------Leave things alone, the forum rubs along Ok bar a hiccup or two along the way. It's not worth all this hassle. The issue shouldn't have been brought up until a detailed plan was agreed upon.

From bottom up - possibly a site rebuild thread shouldn't have been brought up then, but hindsight is a great tool and it seemed a good idea then. Nobody had any idea something would get in the way and have all this useful input sitting on the shelf going stale.

The forum is okay, I agree with you, although it is a bit clunky now, being based on previous generation architecture. But the rebuild wasn't - as I pointed out early in the thread - just about the forum. The site as a whole is pretty dated now, compared to other clubs.

Finally, we'll have to disagree on the meaning of the phrase zero tolerance, as I don't believe I said that and I most certainly didn't mean that.