Larry Hayward Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Jack, As your HMVF forum is turned out to be a great success and the Military Vehicle Trust have been slow in setting one up, perhaps they could 'commission' you to run this forum on a new improved MVT site and then they could pay something towards the costs - in the same way that 'Windscreen' was put out to tender and paid for by the Club. It must cost you time and money and I am not sure if you have much support either. As an EMLRA member since 2004 I have met more EMLRA members in two years through their forum, and had many technical questions answered, than I have in many years of membership of the MVCG & MVT! Sadly due to work commitments and the fact that so few people own MVs in NW London, there is not a local MVT group meeting that I can easily attend, so the forum is vital to keep in touch. All major Clubs like the MVT need a forum in the 21st Century. The MVT may be planning their own forum but it may be better if they paid you to carry on doing what you do on their behalf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Hi Larry. That is so nice to hear your thoughts and it is nice to know that the site is working and is justifying itself and perhaps filling a need. You are right in the fact that it is hard work and is very time consuming and yes, it does have a cost. I am very lucky in the sense that I have great support here and I think as you can see from the new site that a fair bit of work and commitment has gone into and will continue to do so until we all have an 'online magazine' that we all want. The mods do a great job on keeping an eye on everything and also have input. The new Admin - Madman is always up to something and has shown great patients with my projects and a site only as good as its members. With regards to the MVT, I think that they will always distance themselves from such forums and I am told that this is a decision from the Council. I did ask them for a link to HMVF on their links pages and they said no, no chance. I thought that this was rather short sighted but it is their decision. They do not want any association with forums as anyone can slander the MVT until the cows come home, this I wouldn't allow here and I the same goes for any group but I am aware that some forums don't have such etiquette and I dare say that they have had their fingers burnt in the past. I believe that you only need one forum as like most things, you do need a focal point. There will always be satellite forums but they do tend to fail as by their very natural lose momentum because people soon realise how much of your own time and money you have to dedicate to running forums.......try being in the middle of the US with no web access and trying to find a way of paying you host the rental for hosting HMVF before it crashes - no one was aware of this but I got it sorted with about an hour to spare and about 3 am in the morning otherwise they would of flicked the switch to OFF! This sort of hassle you are never aware of when you start a forum but you do need to have a lot of focus, vision and dedication and a great bunch of members to make the forum work, again, this site is only as good as its members! And you have made my day by saying that the forum is 'vital to keep in touch' that is a bit special. Best wishes. Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilitantGraham Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Does anyone else remember this, http://p210.ezboard.com/bmvtforums Only 31 messages and they have all disappeared now anyway. I don't think it matters if this becomes the official MVT forum or not, although it would be helpful if there was a link from the MVT site naming it as the preferred (only) unofficial forum. One possible objection might come from those with no internet access not wanting their subs spent on something they get no benefit from. I run the website for the AEC Matador & Militant Owners Club (www.aecmilitant.co.uk/ since you ask) and get free membership in return. If this does become the official MVT forum, I would advise against setting up an exclusive members only section like the EMLRA have done. It's not too difficult for someone who is not a member to find someone who is, to download the top secret stuff on their behalf. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Jack, John Tucker (FV601) & myself have recently taken over the running of the North Thames Imps web site that has been dormant for the past few years, we hope to have it up & running within a month & have no problem putting a link to this Forum on the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Jack, John Tucker (FV601) & myself have recently taken over the running of the North Thames Imps web site that has been dormant for the past few years, we hope to have it up & running within a month & have no problem putting a link to this Forum on the site. Need any help with that one Lee?? I do some of that for a living when I'm not immersed in Oracle databases :-) :-) :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick garner Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Actually Jack I was only just thinking the other day that you should really try and 'advertise' the site more, on our windscreen stickers for example, on other peoples sites, on milweb, and so on. whatever you can think of. I am sure this would bring in more members and turn this HMVF into a much bigger thing. Thanks, Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Hayward Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 Jack, I am very surprised to hear that the MVT Council have told you that they are not interested in an MVT Forum. A bit short sighted in my opinion and only a matter of time before they change their mind. Why so many people find a forum useful is that they can post a technical help problem on the web and very often get a reply the same evening - from people they have never heard of before or met previously but who share the same interest. Imagine trying to find out the answer by phone or by letter - who would you contact first even if you knew all the owners of the MV type you were working on. You could write to an MV Magazine in the hope that three months later your letter would be published and replied to by another letter! Some hope - as CMV do not want hundreds of 'How do I do this' letters. A forum is also great for asking about shows, who is going and saying if they are any good and for getting details in an instant from the likes of Clive Elliott, who I met at Kemble last weekend. So keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Does anyone else remember this, http://p210.ezboard.com/bmvtforums Only 31 messages and they have all disappeared now anyway. Just went and nosed at that link - and it actually says there: "Welcome to the Military Vehicle Trust's online forums." Like you say though - dead as a door nail, especially when compared to the thriving communty we have here!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Does anyone else remember this, http://p210.ezboard.com/bmvtforums Only 31 messages and they have all disappeared now anyway. Graham, I remember that one, it must have been nearly 4 years ago, never really took off. I notice the MVPA no longer run a forum, it is now part of the G503 forum. This one and the Maple Leaf Up Forum are by far the best on the web for information.........and free from the idiots who tend to ruin it for others. Well done, Jack. I was not very happy at the changes at first, but now the "unread messages" facility is back on board, it is working well. Even found I can post my pics straight of my computor files rather than use slopbucket or whatever it was called..........sorry, photobucket :-D Carry on the good work Richard MVT member since 1978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Actually Jack I was only just thinking the other day that you should really try and 'advertise' the site more, on our windscreen stickers for example, on other peoples sites, on milweb, and so on. whatever you can think of. I am sure this would bring in more members and turn this HMVF into a much bigger thing. Thanks, Mick. Mick you are right. Just not sure of the right way to do this. Windscreen stickers is a good way forward and will have a look, also you really can't beat good old fashioned word and mouth and I will drop Nigel at Milweb a line and see what we can do there and have a look at other options, the show season should help push numbers up. Cheers. Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Reading between the lines of the latest Windscreen I have a sense that the MVT may of had some new energy and enthusiasm injected into it so maybe now the 'council' make take a different view on it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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