What do you think of this look?

[Big John]

What uspet some of us that while a group of the regulars were at Carlisle, nothing had been said about what was taking place. It felt dirty to some of us.

I can address that quite easily.

Joey contacted me via PM when I was on the showfield at Carlisle. I read the PM on my phone while sitting next to my Chrysler in a lawn chair. Check when he signed on here if you would like.

I responded that I would talk to him when I got back from Carlisle. He told me to have a nice time and that was the extent of it.

I had no idea where this was going from there. In fact, I had to check with him on another site to be sure it was him and not some knucklehead screwing with me.

It was after Carlisle that we worked out the deal.... and just so you know, Joey works fast... He took the ball and ran with it right away. It surprised me how fast it worked out, but I knew that it was for the best.

Guys... I don't work that way. I'm honest in my business dealings outside this place and there's no reason for me to be dishonest or "dirty" here. This is supposed to be fun for me too. Hell... I got an ex wife that has told everyone how she would trust me no matter what.

 

[dobie]

There is feeling though that something like this should be discussed before hand, or at least made the members aware that a sale is imminent. Yes, we all know its your site.....Its also a home away from home for a bunch of us too. Whether or not you choose to believe or acknowledge this is up to you, but some of us feel betrayed, to say the least.

 

[Big John]

Well as Steve (Roadcuda) stated, I don't take well to change either. I still refuse to own a cell phone
for Christ's sake. Thank God the work I do does not demand one. The reality is that everything changes.
Neighborhoods, society, computer engine management automobiles, etc. The "change" is not always for
the better as far as I'm concerned but, it is reality. For instance, I feel things were better before Al Gore
invented the internet. I say that because I used to have to run to the library to get schematics for the
equipment I was working on. A lot of times you were not allowed to make photocopies of them. That
forces a guy to make the information stick. Unlike doing a google search, then forgetting it the next
day after you have made the repair.
We have to thank Big john for the time he has kept the site going.
After all we were not sending him $20 a month.
I still plan on being a jerk on here and making non politically correct comments. If I get banned well, no
different then being kicked out of a bar for a racist joke. Like I said, times have changed.
Big, I'm sure you have watched the last 2 episodes of Breaking Bad. This is really going to be interesting
how it ends. I have learned not to second guess Vince Gilligan but, it will end "badly".....

I don't like Al Gore either, but the intraweb is here to stay and I forget what I read the next day, but I blame being old for that.

Change is good sometimes. It gets your brain working and gets you up out of the same old rut.

I've been kicked out of places too... I'm banned from several forums if you must know. It takes a lot to get banned here. I've banned exactly one person in five years... and that was only for a week.... and he was welcomed back here too.

Yes, I've watched Breaking Bad and it's not ending well... but I'm not Heisenberg either. I want this to go well... and continue to go well.

 

[Basketcase]

maybe dirty is a bit strong. but in the past, even like say when you were thinking about starting the firearms section, you put the idea out there,and the members kicked it around a bit. I beleive it was the speed with which the change took place. maybe if you had mentioned you had an offer?
and Big we want this place to be fun for all involved, especially you. this place lets us forget our real life troubles, and you've had some this summer like the rest of us.

 

[69hemibeep]

:horse: Nothing to see here move along :lock: :jester:

 

[Big John]

There is feeling though that something like this should be discussed before hand, or at least made the members aware that a sale is imminent. Yes, we all know its your site.....Its also a home away from home for a bunch of us too. Whether or not you choose to believe or acknowledge this is up to you, but some of us feel betrayed, to say the least.

Sorry you feel this way and yes, I do believe that... But I haven't betrayed any of you.

As I said when I announced the change, I said it was something that needed to happen for a lot of reasons.... including the fact that I needed help. Joey provided a way for this forum to survive. It was my decision to make... the buck stops here.... what I saw was a way for me to lay back and relax a bit and improve the forum at the same time. It solved a ton of problems for me.... and really for the forum on the whole.

Sorry if this has caused so much distress among you guys.... but it was this or the forum would die from me not keeping up.

Let's ask this... Given my circumstances... I had old creaky software that was out dated, I needed a new place to host the web site and let's face facts, my time to put into this place has become more and more limited. What would you do??? Did anyone here have any alternatives?? I was racking my brain trying to figure things out... and couldn't come up with a solution.

And just to get rid of the elephant in the room... There wasn't a lot of money that changed hands here. Web sites are only valuable if they are a lot larger and already have a revenue stream from advertising. This place wasn't worth much.

 

[dobie]

What would I do?? Well, I would've handled things different from the beginning. I would've started a new topic, explaining everything from your lack of time to the poor software. I would've given members time to put in their 2¢, and go from there. There were no alternatives because members werent able to come up with any. In the end, if the site was still destined to be sold off, then so be it. At least you would've made an attempt to get members involved.

And yes, as I said earlier, you maintained that right to do with this place as you wanted. Still, though, it can't be that big of a shock to you that members feel "betrayed" is it?

 

[Big John]

maybe dirty is a bit strong. but in the past, even like say when you were thinking about starting the firearms section, you put the idea out there,and the members kicked it around a bit. I beleive it was the speed with which the change took place. maybe if you had mentioned you had an offer?
and Big we want this place to be fun for all involved, especially you. this place lets us forget our real life troubles, and you've had some this summer like the rest of us.

As I said, Joey works fast. Maybe I should have done that... I don't know.... but I saw a solution and went for it.

I can't stress this more... I made this decision based on the forum surviving. The rest (software etc) was just a bonus. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions and when it became time to make that decision here, I wanted to make it myself. Yes, it was my forum and it was my decision to make and quite frankly, I'd rather take some heat for it now rather than have the forum not survive..... and that is exactly where we were headed.

 

[Big John]

What would I do?? Well, I would've handled things different from the beginning. I would've started a new topic, explaining everything from your lack of time to the poor software. I would've given members time to put in their 2¢, and go from there. There were no alternatives because members werent able to come up with any. In the end, if the site was still destined to be sold off, then so be it. At least you would've made an attempt to get members involved.

And yes, as I said earlier, you maintained that right to do with this place as you wanted. Still, though, it can't be that big of a shock to you that members feel "betrayed" is it?

Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe I should have done it that way.. Again... I made the decision based on what was in front of me and made it in the best interests of keeping things going here. I knew there would be some that don't like the change and some that will embrace it.

 

[Big John]

:horse: Nothing to see here move along :lock: :jester:

Best post here....

 

[george68hemirr]

best post here....

bobbie suckin ass again

 

[Big John]

bobbie suckin ass again

yep...

 

[dobie]

Yes, hindsight sure is 20/20. Given the opportunity, I'm sure all of us would re-do something.

Most of the software changes I like. The site just has a different feel to it now, as mentioned earlier. That's the part I'm not real fond of.

 

[Basketcase]

What would I do?? Well, I would've handled things different from the beginning. I would've started a new topic, explaining everything from your lack of time to the poor software. I would've given members time to put in their 2¢, and go from there. There were no alternatives because members werent able to come up with any. In the end, if the site was still destined to be sold off, then so be it. At least you would've made an attempt to get members involved.


agreed. John if there were issues, personal,software, you should have filled us in. Like we keep saying, this just isn't "some car site" some of us feel like family. families are there for each other. I remember one time a few years ago someone had brought up us chipping in some $ to help with the site. maybe we could have, maybe not. I don't know squat about running a site. Like Jim said, I don't even have a cell phone either.
OK, let's bury the dead horse, and let's go back to busting Ray's balls.....

 

[dobie]

:basketcase:

Sounds good!

 

[69hemibeep]

bobbie suckin ass again

I resemble that remark :lmao:

 

[moparstuart]

I for one instead of piling on John who sound stressed out already , would like the thank John for all his hard work and doing what he had to , and making this place survive . I love to bust all your guys ball just like the next guy around here . John has made sure we will be a community and able to do so for a long time . THANKS YOU SO MUCH JOHN for all your hard work and time in the past
..... Now where the hell is that beer RAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Basketcase]

I for one instead of piling on John who sound stressed out already , would like the thank John for all his hard work and doing what he had to ,


now whose suckin ass...:acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme::acme:

 

[moparstuart]

no sucking ass here , just really thanksfull to be here and the way you guys were piling on john , he sounded really stressed already. I wasnt going to join in on that train

 

[dobie]

Id hardly say we're piling on John. Certain questions were asked, and they have been answered. As a membership, we have a certain right to ask some questions, wouldnt you say? My point in the previous posts was that if these issues had been addressed prior to this, then there would be no need for threads such as this now.

I harbor no ill feelings towards John or the site. From my end, I'm ready to bury the hatchet. I've stated my opinion, and it was respectfully heard and taken into account. I greatly appreciate that.

Dave also made a good point earlier.....I've held some animosities with Joey, and I shouldn't. It isn't his fault, and given the same opportunities, any one of us would've done the same probably.