general
Where has everyone gone
The forum seems so quiet these days
Come on guys its easy to use even for a shite pc person like myself. Its the best g wagon site out there with much info and technical
Dont lose it get posting
Please tell me when my membership money is due as it seems a while since i paid. I know its dd but i dont check
Have you any more g wagon torch keyrings . It was so good and lasted well. Its now keeled over after 3 years may be
Another vote for the torch keyrings.
All the red paint has worn off mine - although the torch does still work and it's really handy to locate the keyhole in the dark which avoids scratching the paintwork .
it can get touchy at times and there have been many spats and even feuds, but we are in a period of calm at the moment, don't knock it
Most new web content is created now behind the firewall of Facebook as that is where newer folk go as it is easier to understand, you do not need to log in, easy to share photos, new posts every few seconds etc. Google search is not allowed to roam Facebook so content stays hidden from outside. So Forums are slowly dying but seem to be the better solution for long term technical information. FB is more on the here and now and from what I have seen/read seems to delete content and keep the churn of "new" info coming so uses click on it. So FB does not want historical threads on forums .. plus no doubt they own the content so will have a hold. Anyway.. not gone there but it is very bleak/quiet out here!
Nothing wrong with a moderately quiet forum, saves sifting through reams of mindless drivel on what the press refer to as "social media".
I am in full agreement with the usefulness of the little keyring torches, mine worked for years until I dropped it in the yard then run over with a 44 ton MB Actros. My own stupid fault for dropping it I suppose.
Things were a bit silent on the subject of the 2017 AGM. Gavin inquired about date and venue last Autumn but ne-er a response. This leads me to assume that we did not have one as there is no mention elsewhere.
Being in the south west region I am a little envious of those of you north of Hadrians Wall with more interesting weather to enjoy your G Wagens in. All we seem to get in this region is rain, drizzle and more rain.
Enough for now. Best wishes to all for 2018.
I wonder if it was Tony Baskill who really pushed the AGM and it will now be something to be remembered rather than to look forward to.
Maybe the idea of "meetings" could be resurrected? It's always nice to see a group of Gs and their owners.
The forum is good. Much more detailed information here without the noise and narcissism of social media. Happy I joined. How about that key ring though? :)
Cheekily, I would opt for those "kitty" laser lights, It has a powerful light, low powered red laser pointer and a dimmer blue light in a small tube shape - very versatile.
Just as well we don't charge by the length of posts
Since Tony's death there is no effective Admin at the moment, just me and I am not here all that often and don't have access to the admin emails.
We will need to organise a re-structure of the committee at some point and get a new membership secretary. Tony had been arranging the 2017 AGM but sadly he was unable to complete the arrangements.
As far as membership fees are concerned all of the money is held in the club bank account as per the last accounts. If you want a copy of the accounts email the Chairman through the members section, if your not a member then they are available via the Companies House website.
Once a new membership secretary has been appointed then he will no doubt email everyone and advise of membership fees and how to pay.
The current website operating system Drupal is beyond its life span and needs to be updated as it no longer supports upgrades. This was the last thing that Tony was working on before he passed away.
There is considerable cost involved in transferring to a new operating system, because the GWOA has been in existence for such a long time and has built up a huge forum archive of G related information that we don't want to lose. However it is very important that we do sort out a new operating system sooner rather than later so the GWOA website can continue.
I don't have all the information but maybe this will answer some of your questions.
Doug.
I think I'm with Gaz there - "This site as in the lay out is fine". OK it might not have all the bells and whistles of up to the minute sites but it does the job very well. It's simple to use (I can use it so it must be).
I know there were some concerns expressed about it's security but do we really care if someone manages to get access to all the posts from years gone by. In a way that's what it's there for. As far as I'm aware there are no particularly private details stored (bank account details of members etc.). I bet that g wagon g isn't even his real name. And the cost of upgrading was VERY high.
I've been subjected to a few "website upgrades/updates" recently, some by very big companies (Barclays for one) and I can tell you that they often don't go smoothly. I bet Barclays Stockbrokers won't even admit how many customers they've lost over the past year as a result of their change of platform.
If it ain't broke don't fix it - especially if the cost is going to run in to many thousands of pounds.
The site seems fine to me and I can't envisage what benefits might result from updating it. Probably nothing that would justify the expense so I vote for keeping things as they are. I've only attended 1 AGM and two meets but am certainly up for supporting more events this year as I become an OAP in a week.
....Adverts to pay for the hassle ...
I hardly use Benzworld or other similar sites now as there are adverts and videos popping up everywhere.
Mercedes Benz Owners (MBO) -http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php- like GWOA is still OK and ad-free.
I’m happy to pay my part to remain with all of you. I’ve learned so much searching through the files and do enjoy reading the banter even if I don’t chime in much myself being across the pond and all.
Why update Drupal??
The site is just fine its just sorting the above. Does Drupal need an annual fee or is it pay once??
This site as in the lay out is fine
Put out a vote or questionare for people to see what everyone wants then we could have something to work to
Gaz
It is Drupal who were stopping support for it as there were upgrading hence so had the GWOA. That is as far as I can ascertain.
I am loyal to the GWOA and I would say it has some short failings but this all boils down to the voluntary efforts behind the scenes.
We need to remember that these guys efforts are free and they do as much as possible in the free time they have. Members and non-members if you want change and can devote your time please come forward.
For the same reasons I have quoted and these are my personal feelings; the GWOA are very frugal in putting out information and that is my only gripe. I used to be more pro-active but due to my personal circumstances I am not as active as I would like to be. I find Arnie's contributions very informative and always welcome his input; he surpasses my experiences and knowledge.
Please excuse any repetition here, I have not read all the above threads.
What might help would be getting more of a handle on where people are located. g wagen g your location is given as uk which I think is a bit too vague. I would be interested in getting together with others in my region but apart from "phileas" I don't know anyone in the Cambs area. We met up once at a local pub with Jo Askew so there were three of us. I know of two others locally because I've seen their vehicles in the same garage that phileas and I use - a very G friendly outfit, but I don't think they are GWOA members. Is there a way in which we could mark locations on a map? My IT skills are non existent but someone else on here must know the answer.
Yes true. A simple thing but im lost without it. It was always on my keyring and still is
How sad to be bothered about a keyring torch. It was just good and looked good