I'm still here lurking, mostly busy remodeling house and having a 5 speed
built.

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019, 6:25 AM T Collins <tonycollin@gmail.com> wrote:

> Im still not ready to sell my soul to FB and that will be my demise.
> T.
>
> On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 12:10 AM Ben T <syncro@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > It’s my opinion the initial erosion of membership started when sub-groups
> > started to spin off, way before Facebook. The aircooled folks and Syncro
> > drivers spun off. Then the Doka and Singlecab guys left. I know this
> > because I moderated some of those on Yahoogroups. After that bulletin
> board
> > forums sucked more members out with Samba being the more popular because
> of
> > the ability to attach photos with having to park them in another site
> > first. Then of course, social media started to draw people away because
> of,
> > for the lack of a better word, a more social environment for discourse.
> >
> > The largest which I participate in is the Vanagon Owners Group of VOG for
> > short. They had 768 members when I joined the admin team. There are now a
> > little over 11,100 members. I like to think I was instrumental in growing
> > that group. Each member was vetted before being allowed to join, in order
> > to avoid spammers and scammers. If they manage to sneak in, they are
> > immediately removed and blocked from further interaction with the group.
> > Not only that, any inappropriate postings can be removed my admin.
> >
> > Here’s the link to VOG:
> > https://m.facebook.com/groups/845132182200467?ref=share
> >
> > This one is smaller group which I manage more closely. It’s called
> Vanagon
> > Cafe Group
> > https://m.facebook.com/groups/154433611260033?ref=share
> >
> > I manage a few others but this may get you started. To discourage the
> same
> > fracturing effect that happened on the Vanagon List, any postings which
> > solicit members to join competing Vanagon subgroups are immediately
> > removed. Snarky comments are not tolerated. Not only that, repetitive
> > questions from newbies are not discouraged or put down. It is a social
> > group first before a technical forum. Check it out for yourself. Be wary
> > that the groups which I admin require that you use your true name, unless
> > you joined before 01/01/2105. Reach out to me via email or FB Messenger,
> if
> > you have trouble joining. There is a series of questions, when ask to
> join.
> > It’s intended to trip up spambots.
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > BenT
> >
> >
> > > On Jun 10, 2019, at 8:36 PM, Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > There are currently 490 subscribers on the gerry.vanagon.com list.
> > >
> > > I suspect that your hypothesis is correct. I admin a few other lists
> and
> > where there used to be ten to a hundred posts daily, there’s now one or
> two
> > a week. All gone to FB no doubt as it’s more ‘immediate.’ WetWesties for
> > example, 2008 saw an avg of 299.8 messages/month. 2018, the avg is
> 32.5/mo.
> > >
> > > I too miss the chatter. I also miss that chatter being archived.
> > >
> > > For historical purposes, the following is the first post to the Vanagon
> > list.  (There was a vanagon-L list that preceded it, but those archives
> are
> > lost to the sands of time as I’m sure this list’s archives will be
> > eventually.)
> > >
> > > We’ve had a good run.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >
> > > Date:         Sat, 2 Apr 1994 15:01:54 -0600 (CST)
> > > Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
> > > From:         Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti>
> > > Subject:      New listprocessor
> > >
> > > This is a rather trepid announcement of my installation of the
> > > listprocessor software.
> > >
> > > The list is still called vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu, but you can send
> > > help,subscribe,unsubscribe,set vanagon digest messages to
> > > listserv@lenti.med.umn.edu
> > >
> > > As soon as I get a welcome message together, I'll post it to the list
> > > so you can forward it to your friends.
> > >
> > > If there are any problems, I'll probably see them, but please send mail
> > > to me as gsker@lenti.med.umn.edu if you see them first or you need
> some
> > > help with something.
> > >
> > > Also, if you can spare a few seconds to quickly respond to this note so
> > I
> > > know it got out there somewhere, that'd be nice (I can do that while
> the
> > > list is still small. <smile>)
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > --
> > > Gerry
> > > Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti.med.umn.edu> U of MN Med.School.Admin
> > 6-5379
> > > 1984 VW Vanagon Waterboxer 1915
> > >
> > >> On Jun 10, 2019, at 3:32 PM, Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
> > wrote:
> > >>
> > >> I figured that this was best sent to a moderator, hence Ben T in
> > subject line.
> > >> The Vanagon list seems to have shrunk to just one or two posts a day,
> > and I'm wondering where everyone has gone.  I'm thinking they have all
> gone
> > to a FaceBook page, but not sure which one.
> > >> I don't do FaceBook, but I checked my wife's account and there is
> > several Vanagon groups; one with 11,000 members!  Is that it?
> > >> There was even a small Vanagon diesel group, and what really surprised
> > me was a Central Florida Vanagon group with a couple of hundred
> members.  I
> > didn't know that there was that many Vanagons here in Florida.
> > >> I'd love to know where everyone has gone because I miss the Vanagon
> > chatter.  Especially as I am searching for a van again now.
> > >> Thanks, Anthony (NE FL)
> >
>