Re: Re: The future of the TOC and this forum

Hi “Bazessex” – Editor FP here. I just came across this thread as I’m putting FP together this weekend and something I’d been sent by a member led me onto the Forum and, perhaps in an effort to give my brain a rest, I’ve just been going through some of the latest posts, rather than getting on with what I should be doing.

It’s good and healthy, IMHO, that these sort of discussions go on – on the Forum or in the pages of FP. As it happens, I’ve answered your question about font size in my Editor’s Epistle in the next edition of FP. I won’t give all the detail away, but I will say that I’ve put out a plea for more short (2-4 pages of A4) articles, so that we have enough material to fill the magazine. I know you have a lot to say about technical matters, so please feel free to write in with a few pieces so everyone can share your thoughts.

One problem I find with this Forum (and Admin1 or someone else might be able to answer the question) is that I never get anything through from the Forum telling me who’s been writing what. I don’t know why, but the TA Yahoo Forum seems to send me regular and frequent updates, every time people post questions and answers. So, unless I think to go onto the TOC Forum for a look round, I’ve no idea what’s going on and, in this case, didn’t know that you’d written in with a criticism of the layout of the previous FP.

As to these pseudonyms, I might say that I don’t know who you are, either. Personally, I’d rather we all just went on with our real names. But that’s just me.

On the bigger question of people ‘running the club’, the problem seems to me to be that taking on a job as Pres or Chair, or even just joining the Committee, means giving up a large part of your life for a set period (unless you’re the Editor, in which case it seems to be for life :)) So, the reality is that no one wants to do it unless they are really passionate about keeping the club going. And then, to boot, you get stick for taking various decisions. So, as MDL said, if you think things should be run differently then perhaps the best thing is to put yourself forward to join the Committee. I agree with you that you may find that you are in a minority of one, but at least you’ve had a go at putting forward ideas for how things should change.

Another ‘problem’ that I suspect we share with many clubs (cars or anything else) is that only a few members take an interest in the Forum. I’ve been looking through recent posts over the last half hour and it’s pretty much all the same people. When you think we have about 650 members, you could be forgiven for thinking that hardly anyone bothers to make a post or respond to comments and questions. What do you do about that? One idea I have is that ‘someone’ should take responsibility for giving a potted version of recent topics on the Forum in each issue of FP. Perhaps that would sharpen members’ appetites to go onto the Forum and read more? Whatever the case, it would need someone to take on responsibility for doing it and then you’re back to square one with everyone saying they’re too busy.

Sorry I haven’t put the world to rights here, but thanks for letting me know your thoughts about the font issue.