I would like to add my vote in this column.  I've been around for about 10
years.  Some moderation is obviously needed, but I feel that the "Type II
Charter" went too far.

Larry A.
"91 GL EJ22
83 1/2 Westy project

On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 10:01 PM, Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@gmail.com>wrote:

> OK, I've been reading this for several days now, here's my .02...
>
> I'm for looser control, mostly I agree with John Rodgers. I draw the
> line at out-and-out spam, and I think it's a good thing to mark the
> NVC posts as such. I get my Vanagon list in the digest mode, it works
> well for me. I simply scan through, and either "archive" or "delete"
> as necessary. Really, I think there's more to owning a Vanagon than
> just supplementing your Bentley- - I for one really enjoy a lot of the
> folks here, and if all I was looking for was technical help, I could
> probably find it in a book somewhere. But it's really great when you
> do ask a technical question, you're sure to get a wide range of
> responses!
>
> I also enjoy the trip reports, the sightings, the Frydaye follies,
> even the insurance hassles...hope I'm never involved in one! And I'm
> not bothered when someone asks something not Vanagon-related - - to
> me, the reason they ask is because this is a comfortable list to be
> on, and they are acknowledging the very wide range of experience on
> this forum. Most of those who post NVC queries keep it short and ask
> to be p-mailed. What's wrong with that? And if you answer, "the
> archives", well, folks, they've been unusable for a long time now
> (although I hope to get the Opera browser thingus working soon). I've
> p-mailed many of you directly on NVC issues - - people I wouldn't even
> know existed but for this list! There sure are a lot of you I'd enjoy
> meeting! I ask you all to remember the fantastic outpouring of warmth
> and support for Boston Bob's family - - would we have seen anything
> like that on a "tech questions only" list?
>
> And for what it's worth, I'm 57. The fossilization process has barely
> begun!
>
> Gary
>
>
>
> > Date:    Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:13:08 -0600
> > From:    John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> > Subject: Re: Vanagon List Moderator-let's get things underway!
> >
>
> >>
> >> I have no problem with off-topic posts, provided they are given a
> >> proper subject line, so they can be filtered, either by a participant's
> >> email agent, or by the list server itself.
> >>
> > Some things need cleaning up, but mostly I would like to see the [NVC]
> > become standard fair for off topic subjects. And to see Frydaye Follies
> > become a permanent part of the scene. What I fear is the degradation of
> > the sense of community by over restrictive rules and actions. The [NVC]
> > works for me. And I confess to often asking [NVC] questions of the The
> > List membership. It is such a wealth of information it seems a waste not
> > to put it to use, even on [NVC] stuff at times. It sure has helped me in
> > other areas of life besides strictly Vanagon things. I would be more
> > than a bit lost not being able to communicate with such a great bunch of
> > folks about other things. In my view, there isn't another group out
> > there quite like this one. So allowing [NVC] for me is crucial.  It just
> > needs to be marked as such so that it can easily be filtered or deleted.
> > There are some good things that come across the list that are important
> > and even enrich our lives but are definitely [NVC], so I have no problem
> > with [NVC] myself, it just needs to become a standard that any [NVC]
> > stuff is marked as such.
> >
> > As for "Moderators" as opposed to "Administrators" I would go very slow
> > on that one. Not done right, it can wreak havoc. There will be a lot of
> > people that will quit and leave the list, and, fact is, we aren't that
> > big. We need all we can hold onto that are interested in Vanagons. As
> > these machines age, we will suffer more and more attrition. And there is
> > going to be some attrition due to aging list members. I'm 70 years old,
> > and I'm not the only one. There are those members older than me and
> > there are one or two that are older than dirt itself.  One day, and it's
> > not far off for those over 70, we won't be here to participate. And
> > there will be more and more that drop  out over time as the people and
> > the vehicles wear out to the point repair and replacement aren't
> > possible. But frankly I'm glad to have found a "community" with
> > Vanagons, and I hope to hi heaven it doesn't turn into some very dry
> > all-techie sort of list. There are plenty of those out there.
> >
> > By the way, it would be interesting to compare the ages of those pushing
> > for tight control and those not . Life experience certainly colors our
> > points of view.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > John Rodgers
> > 88 GL Driver
> >
>