You are right Gator, The VCCA should not be run like Fort Knox. This VCCA chat site Is open to anyone In the world to belong and enjoy everything that Is offered. I do not think that the VCCA Organization Is made to delete anyone from Belonging. Yes you must join and pay yearly dues. That Is fine and dandy. As for having a place on the web that Is for VCCA members only That is If you belong, I think that Is wrong. We have the chat site for all people who want to get on our site free, And share the wealth of Information and enjoy each others comments and friendship. Now to open up a site like what Is being discussed, Where you must be a member to share pictures and other things, I think Is not right.

Chevy----great post!!

I agree, and if this site should ever turn into a totally "members only" site...then I'm gone from the VCCA and this site too.

Johnny F, Thanks for the reply. Im one hundred percent with you. We have several chevy nuts like you and I who have gotten a wealth of Information from joining the VCCA chat site. Also many people have come and signed up on this site who were not VCCA members, But who have since joined the club as they seen what was avaliable to them. We must keep on trying to get others who are now on this site and get them to join. If there Is to be a special section for pictures or whatever, It should be one hundred percent open to MEMBERS AND NON MEMBERS. Now If the VCCA decided to have a special section for printing material that Is In the ARCHIVES, Then that Is where It should be limited to VCCA members.

I don't think the chat site should be VCCA members only, only that SOME areas of the VCCA website be available only to VCCA members (you know, members, the ones that 'pull the load' by paying dues) like the VCCA library material on-line, or the G&D on-line.

If everything is free why pay dues? The G&D is the only member perk, but I guess if I could get a member to lend me their copy.........hmmmmmmm...... How long do you think the club will live once the membership (ie: $$) falls below producing a high quality G&D?

To build a good, strong club, the members need to feel that they are "more important" than non-members, that their voice is more valued by the board, etc.

I would like to see the total member numbers, year by year for the past 10 years or so. Do we have a major problem or not?

The VCCA has averaged a 1.95% membership GROWTH over the past 10 years.

My thought of members only was only for posting of the pictures. It would be no different than the region sites that show pictures of their members cars. Let the whole world see our members stuff!

Sounds like a great idea.

Lenn has really taken the "bull" by the horns on this one! He is creating what I believe is in part something we all want, if not for ourselves, but for everyone. A place where we can post pictures of what we enjoy doing, working on our cars and trucks!!!
I commend you on taking the initiative Lenn.

Fantastic!!!!

Chris has the idea... I was designing it to require you to be a member to post pictures and other information, but anyone can visit and look.

I'm working on it fairly often, but haven't updated the demo yet. The people in this chat site can have a huge impact upon the direction I take in the design by making comments (once there is something to comment on). About 10 people have created accounts so far, and I assume at least some of them will help me test it.

The demo site will remain open to anyone until I run out of space (first come, first served). The biggest technical problem with restricting any on-lne content to VCCA members only is that the site requires a list of current members. Getting and maintaining such a list becomes a "system" problem that is probably going to be difficult to solve and keep running, because the system requires more than just software design... it involves cooperation from people on the organizational level, and from the publisher of G&D (I understand that they have the most current list). I can handle the other required security challenges.

If the information contained in the G&D is ever published on-line, I think most of the content should be for VCCA members only. I think the articles and classifieds are what make paying VCCA dues valuable to most members, but then again maybe I think that because I don't know what else the club offers to me. (I guess access to the technical advisors is really the most important thing).

Thanks for the help and comments, I'll keep everyone posted.

Lenn

Lenn, I'm glad you are working with Bill and the VCCA as an adjunct so noone gets upset with the site. It's people like you and Bill and others who give of their time and knowledge to help the club that makes the club and its' members so great. Thank you again.

I'm looking forward to using and viewing the site, since you told us about it I can't wait. Is there anything to test yet??

There's nothing new to test on the demo site, I'll let you know when there is.

I'm still working on the page people would use to post their pictures. There is a lot of work to do in this area because it requires security and programming logic. The "member" page includes text input for descriptions, titles and photos (3 at the moment). There is a link that people can send you an E-mail message (through the website, they won't get your E-mail address unless you subsequently give it to them, and they don't have to give you theirs unless they want to). I'm also toying with the concept of giving everone their own page for "parts wanted" and "parts for sale". I don't want to move into the G&D's terratory, but the chat site does this now anyway.

2

Great work Lenn!
I think all the guys here appreciate what you are doing and can't wait until you have something up and running.
One thought I had about the members only vs. non-members, is to make available some photos right here along side our posts. That would be Mr. Bill's domain. If you glance up to the top of this page, along side the VCCA Logo, or on the left right under the post name, there is space for a car photo. It's sort of a tease I guess, but may entice some new members to join if we show them what we have. I'm not sure of all the member non-member talk here, but I do know some people will take advantage of a person if they can.
Not to mention that if someone has unlimited free access why pay your dues?

Another thing, if the photo site is for non-members, what is to stop anyone from copying the photos and useing them in shady deals and for deceiveing others like on e-bay?

mrmack,

probably the same thing keeping the members from copying the photos...

epi

and we can't let a few possible bad guys run our lives.

I don't want to be the one that is beating with a stick to death a dead horse....but I am wondering how many of you made the contact and sent G and D pictures of your restoration projects??? Now is the time when you have been getting out in the garages and taking off the covers...let's see some of those amazing trucks!!! and autos too. I would like 12 pictures of 31 trucks to make a personal calendar for next year..... are there 12 out there?

Hey Gary, that would make a cool calendar, even with partially completed trucks! I only can think of three '31 that are active on this site, mine, yours, Chevychip's. Kepi's is a '30... who am I forgetting? Maybe you need to widen your scope to '29 through '32?

Steve Kassis at the Filling Station also has several 1931 trucks, and one of them is a wrecker.