Restructuring!!!

[Broli]

Hello TM3ers!

I think there has been a feeling in the air for awhile now!
What feeling u might ask?

Well, the feeling that we need to get organized in a more substantial way, Sabio posted up a few days ago about this king of stuff, but the conversation turned to Tshirts. We are a Big enough club now, that we require some sort of organization. I suggest we model our stucturing off of the TOP structure.

I am aware some of these postions are filled, sorta, but we can resort, and refill if needed

We should have

Executive
President
Vice President (?)
Treasurer
Secretary

Officers
Memberships
Events
Promotions/Sponsorship/Advertising

Webmasters and Moderators

Regional Reps
West/North/East

the reps and up need to have monthly meetings
executive could be voted in by member, (member should have over 100 posts to vote)
stuff like that

ok, that is off the top of my head!
we should discuss this seriously and implement some sort of order to this chaos
lets set a goal!

how about we discuss for upto 1 month, and attempt to have a structure by June 1st

what do you guys think?

[KenYork]

I think we need a board meeting then. All current board members must attend, and any other concerned members are invited as well. I think most are done finals at the end of this week, so we can get around that.

Someone set a date and place.

[Broli]

Originally posted by KenYork


I think we need a board meeting then. All current board members must attend, and any other concerned members are invited as well. I think most are done finals at the end of this week, so we can get around that.

Someone set a date and place.

well, we can never get everyone out to the meets!
so i suggest that we do some of the talking over here!

but . . .
the active members should def meet and talk about it!

how about at the meet this saturday??

[SIM SIMMA]

Everything sounds good.. get the ball rolling...

This Saturday would make sense... but the turnout does not look too good right now and a lot of the people coming are newer members (which is good), but I think you would want some of the more senior members there as well? I dunno.... People with gazillion posts etc.


EDIT **

We have a few mods coming... I think... so is that sufficient? OR would you need like TM3 there as well?

[Broli]

Originally posted by Jobes


Everything sounds good.. get the ball rolling...

This Saturday would make sense... but the turnout does not look too good right now and a lot of the people coming are newer members (which is good), but I think you would want some of the more senior members there as well? I dunno.... People with gazillion posts etc.


EDIT **

We have a few mods coming... I think... so is that sufficient? OR would you need like TM3 there as well?





its good that some of the mods will be there!
but .. .
since they are the oldest members here!
but, the idea is to get the new actives out as well,


the old executive and mods had some sort of structure before, but, either the club grew too fast
or they lost interest, or as i suspect, became complaicant

hey it happens, but now we have the chance to get things going, right for the summer!

regardless

we need a solid crew of people, who are interested and have the time to help organize and arrange things!

this should brink a special oppurtunity for
oldtimers and newer members to come togeher to shape the future of the club!

even if 10 of us or so get together, we should be able to hammer out a soln

[Kevin@nextmod]

I nominate myself for eastside REP!

[Broli]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


I nominate myself for eastside REP!

ur getting ahead of the game . . .
ass!

but i think u would be a good eastside rep!

it will be considered!
lol

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by Broli


but i think u would be a good eastside rep!

it will be considered!
lol

Damn right!!!!!

[MazdaTree]

what about the old reps? should we see if they wanna resign first?

[-RJ3-]

Originally posted by MazdaTree


what about the old reps? should we see if they wanna resign first?

Didn\'t I resign already?...

[Broli]

this is like starting fresh!

no ones position is safe, if they want it, they can say they want it
and we can all see about it!

maybe they are good at it, maybe they are too busy to do it, maybe they would like to be involved in another way
maybe they want to be an officer instead of a rep

it all has to be done fresh!

RJ is a good westside rep!
he is out at the meets
and promoting, just like a rep should be!

if he wants to be a westside rep again,
thats cool, and i know he would be good!

but, we still have to decide if we will have reps and officers and executives
or if there is a better way to organize ourselves
once we decide,
we can post up the available positions and see who is interested,

[KenYork]

reps always need a backup.. things come up.. it happens.

[S.F.W.]

I think having an executive and officers is the right way to go. There is more accoutability, and there is also some sharing of workload.
I would love to participate in discussions. Unfortunately, I can not make it to the Saturday meet, as I am heading out of town for a week. But I am still willing to help.

[Broli]

i suspect that there will be little discussion at the meet!

but, we can set up a meet to discuss

sign up if ur interested in voicing ur opinion on the matter
when we get a decent list, i will set a time to do it
place ur rough availablity beside ur name

we would need to write up job descriptions for the different titles
and stuff like that

Backups to reps, is a good idea
we can have alternatives!

1. Broli (weekday nights, every other weekend afternoons)
2.

[SABIO]

I\'d like to come out a share some thoughts. A good brainstorming session to see what we can do and how it can be done.

If we want to reach the moon we have to build the rocket first. I just made that up...kewl

[Kevin@nextmod]

Well i can bring out my laptop to have everything typed out and kept in file.
BUT I\'m not being the secretary.

[Broli]

Originally posted by SABIO


I\'d like to come out a share some thoughts. A good brainstorming session to see what we can do and how it can be done.

If we want to reach the moon we have to build the rocket first. I just made that up...kewl

lol

or we can just let all the hot air out of ur monkey ass!
lol

whats ur general availabilty?

The list!


1. Broli (weekday nights, every other weekend afternoons)
2. Sabio

[Broli]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


Well i can bring out my laptop to have everything typed out and kept in file.
BUT I\'m not being the secretary.

lol

yup

i forgot to put secretary on the list

Pearly, i bet u look pretty in a skirt!

ok, bring ur laptop
i will bring mine
or just a note pad!

the secretary can take the notes and type em up real nice for me!

lol

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by Broli

Pearly, i bet u look pretty in a skirt!


I don\'t think anyone would want to picture that nor want to see me in a skirt. BUT i\'ll bring my pretty gf heehee!

[Broli]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch



Originally posted by Broli

Pearly, i bet u look pretty in a skirt!


I don\'t think anyone would want to picture that nor want to see me in a skirt. BUT i\'ll bring my pretty gf heehee!

lol

we need TM3 models too!
for promotional purposes!!

[Kevin@nextmod]

But she will be in jeans since mini skirt is saved for me!:p

[Broli]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


But she will be in jeans since mini skirt is saved for me!:p

meh, i am sure i can hold ya down, while bubbs takes away those damn jeans . . .
lol

yeah man, bring her to a meet sometime man!
and some of here friends . ..
:D

[S.F.W.]

1. Broli (weekday nights, every other weekend afternoons)
2. Sabio
3. S.F.W.(weekday nights starting May 8)

[SABIO]

available.... hmm

April 25th - April 30th (this week) Anytime after 5pm and weekend.

May 1st - May 14th Weekends only

May 15th - May 29th Anytime after 5pm and Weekends.

[Broli]

1. Broli (weekday nights, every other weekend afternoons)
2. Sabio (April 25th - April 30th (this week) Anytime after 5pm and weekend.
May 1st - May 14th Weekends only
May 15th - May 29th Anytime after 5pm and Weekends.)
3. S.F.W.(weekday nights starting May 8)

[bubba1983]

Originally posted by Broli



Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


But she will be in jeans since mini skirt is saved for me!:p

meh, i am sure i can hold ya down, while bubbs takes away those damn jeans . . .
lol

yeah man, bring her to a meet sometime man!
and some of here friends . ..
:D

hwo do i always end up in your conversations, hahah




i hold it down for tm3 here in kitchener, i got a decent following of about 7 people whom ive become friends with....i do my part here...if i were to live in teh GTA my involvement would be more predominant, but living where i am...makes it difficult, so i do my thing here in teh far west anyways..

[Broli]

Originally posted by bubba1983



Originally posted by Broli



Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


But she will be in jeans since mini skirt is saved for me!:p

meh, i am sure i can hold ya down, while bubbs takes away those damn jeans . . .
lol

yeah man, bring her to a meet sometime man!
and some of here friends . ..
:D

hwo do i always end up in your conversations, hahah




i hold it down for tm3 here in kitchener, i got a decent following of about 7 people whom ive become friends with....i do my part here...if i were to live in teh GTA my involvement would be more predominant, but living where i am...makes it difficult, so i do my thing here in teh far west anyways..

haha
who knows

ok, lets keep this thread on topic!
i will not deviate!

[Broli]

no one else has something to say?

[Broli]

thx to sabio and sfw for getting in on this . . .

what about the others, do u care?

come on active members!


majic 4232
PSIVIC 3055
bluntman 2987
FLIPSPEED 2985
wtom 2881
bubba1983 2438
Xenon 2401
autoexe 1590
MajesticBlueN 1304
MAZDA Kitten 1259
methodyst 1255
RedRaptor 1241
billyfo 1179
Pearl_Hatch 1115
MazdaTree 1094
Cardinal Fang 1005
midnightfxgt 904
ds2chan 845
TheBiz 824
Zaku_4 743
SourcE 723
-RJ3- 716
miggiddy 673
whodilly 666
firstmazda 634
iconicrocket 626
Fuman 604
chaser 562
Optimzer 546
Ex-Rolla 524
Caz 519
Saphress 499
swales 444
chinsterr 381
Jobes 365
mazda3boss 365

[Fuman]

Franktly, I\'m satisfied with the club the way it is now.
We\'ve monthly meets, and some small meets that we have on the fly.
We\'ve GB, we\'ve forum moderators. I can\'t really ask for more.

I personally don\'t see the point for reps.

If you want to promote the club, the best way to do it, is with TM3 sticker or a TM3 license plate (E.g. Fang has one).

Granted, the current way our club is setup right now is rather simple.
We\'ve TM3 (the owner) and moderators. simple setup = simple management,
our club isn\'t really that big yet.

we don\'t need specialized moderators for each section of the forum, that\'ll just slow things down.

For example, if Majic saw something inapporiate in a section he can\'t moderate, he\'ll have to contact another moderator. Its a waste of time. We don\'t need such rules in place at our current size. I think the moderators are doing a good job at the moment.

I understand you want to take TM3 \"to the next level\", but you haven\'t really defined what this \"next level\" really is (as in objective of this next level). So if you can clarify maybe we can get a serious discussion going. Also, what is your purposed new structure going to bring to come, advantages / disadvantages?


edit: some grammar, hopefully I didnt miss any

edit2: Broli, if you can draw out an Organization Structure Flowchart on your idea, it may help promote your suggestion. Also, my interpretation of your idea may be different than what you meant. the Flowchart will help bring your ideas across the way you meant it to.

[Broli]

granted we are not a huge club yet . . .
but we are on the bubble, and if the club is to grow from here
as it will undoubtedly do over the next few years, we will need a good strucutre fo build
upon.

I am not saying that we need like 20 positions now, start with a few keys organizers,
and add as we see a need!

The mods should remain global, but be incharge of check certain sections!

we know, that the TM3 sticker has minimal impact, hell that is how i was recruited, but if
u look at the thread, it is not really the most common way, most people stumble onto us!

We have TM3, does he come on here and do anything?
i don\'t think so . . .
nothing against the guy, this is just not a priority for him!
to even have to rights TM3 (the owner), signals that u think he is
not active enough here for me to know who he is!

the mods, sorry to say (take it ease) rarely do anything different than the rest of us!
they really do need to crack down, in the technical threads, so that it doesn\'t
go off topic
in the lounge and the general forums, who cares really!
if each mod were responsible for, a few sections of each the techincal and mod sections
it wouldn\'t be to much work, it would be some work but thats why they are mods!

I am glad u posted up fuman, regardless of our difference in opinions,


It\'s not my place to define what the next level is!
that is something that we need to decide as a group
we need to see where others want to take the club
i don\'t really know what u don\'t see about what i posted up,
but that was basically, a theoretical framework based of the TOP sturcutre,
the TOP strucuture has been very sucessful, they are a very active community,
they have strong recruting capabilities.


Advantages:

1. reps(exec, officers, reps) activley
recruiting
looking for new sponsors
a person u can take ur concerns to
people to organize events, not just members only throwing up meets

2. better organization = better dealings with potential sponsor
3. membership cards and fees
don\'t get hasled when asking for a discount
club has money to host events, advertise, grow
start up funds for merchanidise
4. exec, can build relations with other boards,
larege open meets

those are just a few, that i can think of as i try not to fall asleep!

[swales]

Originally posted by Broli


thx to sabio and sfw for getting in on this . . .

what about the others, do u care?

come on active members!


majic 4232
PSIVIC 3055
bluntman 2987
FLIPSPEED 2985
wtom 2881
bubba1983 2438
Xenon 2401
autoexe 1590
MajesticBlueN 1304
MAZDA Kitten 1259
methodyst 1255
RedRaptor 1241
billyfo 1179
Pearl_Hatch 1115
MazdaTree 1094
Cardinal Fang 1005
midnightfxgt 904
ds2chan 845
TheBiz 824
Zaku_4 743
SourcE 723
-RJ3- 716
miggiddy 673
whodilly 666
firstmazda 634
iconicrocket 626
Fuman 604
chaser 562
Optimzer 546
Ex-Rolla 524
Caz 519
Saphress 499
swales 444
chinsterr 381
Jobes 365
mazda3boss 365






I would be down like James Brown, but I\'m currently working in Ottawa so I don\'t get to attend regular meets etc as I\'m not in town very often :(

[KenYork]

damn.. i\'m not yapping enough to get on the list

[bluntman]

You guys have my support.

[Broli]

Originally posted by swales

I would be down like James Brown, but I\'m currently working in Ottawa so I don\'t get to attend regular meets etc as I\'m not in town very often :(

Sorry, i know ur in ottawa!
i figured that would be interested in posting up some ideas!

sorry, Kenny Y
i just grabbed the first two pages!
u yap enuf . . .
lol

Nice, Bluntman!

[majic]

Originally posted by Broli

the mods, sorry to say (take it ease) rarely do anything different than the rest of us!
they really do need to crack down, in the technical threads, so that it doesn\'t
go off topic


if you stop posting in those threads 1) the threads will stay on topic about 90% of the time vs the current 5% 2) there will be half as many momma jokes floating around (or even less) 3) you would have half your post count ;)

in addition to that, i don\'t see a point of \'subforum specific\' moderator UNLESS he/she is an \'expert\' in that domain.. for example, i would not be comfortable in the Exterior Maintenance or Exterior Mods forums b/c i don\'t know much about exhausts or care about the GV lip for instance or a wing spoiler but that is just MY opinion (and different financial priorities) and due to my bias i would not want to moderate there BUT would be better suited in the FS/GB or wheels and tires subforum

I don\'t disagree with restructuring but i just don\'t like how you\'re trying to take over.. for instance, i don\'t see TM3 or Xenon involved in this and i\'m sure Xe (being more active lately) has seen this post (and other ones) I agree with you we should do this as a group but some people MIGHT be intimidated with how you\'re handling this or they are afraid to speak up b/c it\'s not coming from the \'admin\' but from the big scary hairy ;) brown dude (i believe you called yourself that one day, if not i apologize and will remove that statement) Also, note that many TM3ers who are older and contibute to the site, tend to post from work and they are less likely to come out to weekly meets due to family/gf/bf/other commitments outside of chilling at Tims every other day (different strokes for different folks) We are growing in numbers and participation and we do need a few more mods perhaps (lately i post less in the evening/nite than the morning), but also ability to temp/perma ban users.. which only admins can do at the moment.

I think as a club we should be unique. I think if we gather ideas from various clubs and pick the best ones then we\'re bound to get some good results. I\'m not entirely in favour of following or being LIKE another club.. what separates us from other clubs is we\'re pretty new and we don\'t have too many riced out rockets. We also have a large variation in ages of the members here since the mazda3 (lets face it) isn\'t such a tuner ride (still love it though) The last thing i would want for this club is to turn into TMASIV3 :sarc

having said that, i am up for discussions and vision/direction of the club as long as i don\'t have to pay 100bux in gas to get to the meeting.. i meant to post this up earlier but i started composing on my bberry and fell asleep :p and it timed out.. oh well..

EDITED for spelling and shizzle

[Kevin@nextmod]

First of all I\'m being neutral here so just read and don\'t flame.

I can smell what you all are saying but I want to add is about the mods in sub forums.
IMO I really do\'nt think you have to know ALL or a lot about that section. Mods can be there to at least control the profanity or the mama jokes or what not. At least if people starts yapping there way off topic, you can lock the thread to stop it. And I know this community is not that big compared to the others but we can start acting now. If we wait till more people to come like say 3000 more, then we\'ll get even more opinions and everything will be all over the place. We can start now while its still small and work our way up. If we can make it good now, then people will enjoy their stay here (member or guest) even more.

Also its not about copying or being unique or anything, but to keep this forum clean and fun (do\'nt get me wrong, i\'m enjoying it right now). Its not like were going to copy everything from other forums. We can get some or a little idea from others that are doing well.

PS. I\'m not trying to cause trouble here, but just want to state my opinion.

-my 2 cents

[majic]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch

IMO I really do\'nt think you have to know ALL or a lot about that section.


then if someone asks \"can i ride on prokits and 275 series 19s w/o rubbing?\" the mod should know wtf they are talking about.. i the above example it\'s quite obvious but not in all cases.. member experiences work best in THIS case.. anyway


Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch
Mods can be there to at least control the profanity or the mama jokes or what not. At least if people starts yapping there way off topic, you can lock the thread to stop it.

if you feel comfortable with 4/5 threads getting locked, be my guest. I don\'t

[Kevin@nextmod]

Well mods can be securities. If someone asked that, its not always up to the mods to answer or in fact the mods do\'nt have to answer if they don\'t know. Other members exist too as you already memtioned.

[Cardinal Fang]

Originally posted by Broli


thx to sabio and sfw for getting in on this . . .

what about the others, do u care?

come on active members!






I do care Broli but to be honest, I don\'t have the time to dedicate to this club in the manner in which you \"wish\" to set it up as. I\'m sorry, but my life doesn\'t revolve around my Mazda3….

*Huge gasp from the membership*

…..or a this car club. I have a house I\'m renovating and a small practice outside of the firm I\'m an associate with. If I were still in school I would have far more time and far more energy for that matter.

As majic has pointed out this club is a diversion for some, including me. I like the laid back feel of it. I try to contribute as best as I can and I try to make it out to the meets whenever I can if I have time. But I think the structure you’re trying to set up with \"area reps\" is too bureaucratic. I think this club needs to at least double in active participants before you can even consider this step.

I appreciate the effort Broli but lets not try to kill a fly with a hammer. Things do need to change but you can accomplish this in small steps.

By the way, did anyone else notice that I’m about to catch MazdaTree?

[Broli]

majic

i am not trying to take over,
i have interest in being involved, maybe at the level of officer

dude, if people were intimidated of me, they wouldn\'t diss me up in every other thread ;)
i am pretty sure, people i have met and talked with over the board have got the feel that
my personality is pretty chill, and would have no reason to be intimidated

i have mentioned a few times in this thread and other for Xenon to chime in!

as for TM3, i don\'t really care what he thinks, i have been on for a little while
now, and . . haven\'t really seen him, (posting i mean)
i think as a club, we should take it over from him!

Xenon, is a good admin!
i have no Beefs with him!
i like him, his care for the community, and his interest in the club and car!
and i would want him to be heavily involved in a this club, so we could
continue to gain from his dedication!

I am not saying to take TOPs style and use it, i am saying that we could
use what we like from it and go from there, that is what i said all along,
They are a successful club, whether u like them or not, they have tonnes of active members
and have a very well structured setup and and forum
things that would need to be discussed by us, when we decide where we want to go with this

lol, TMASIV3 - ASS!
that is a totaly different thing,
there is no reason why the club cant be supportive of all enthusiasts
whether they be A to B drivers, or crazy tuners, there should be info and support for all!

and majic, why don\'t u majoogle and see how many of the off topics, i started versus, was drawn into, by someone dissing my mom! outside of more techinical threads i try to keep it on topic, as much as possible, i am probably the only person who has ever took a comment to the flame thread instead of postin in the topic, so what i post a lot in the dumb threads, that is just me talking with my fellow members, during the day. i have the luxury to be able to do it!
it helps fill my time, and i am not afraid of u guys telling me to get on topic, hell sometimes i wish you would do it, so i don\'t have to hear another mama joke about my mom, i am kinda out numbered in that, so . . . by the time i address everyone it is like 30 posts a day now!
it was funny at first, and it doesn\'t bother me, it is just tired i think!
but as long as i can open up a thread to look at something i am interested in, and then find my name in the thread . . well, what am i supposed to do, not address, sure that is the better way, and that would probably make it stop . . but . . . i ain\'t no bitch!
it is fun in the lounge, cause it doesn\'t take away from threads!

as for mods being sub-forum specific!
i understand u not being comfortable in an area u don\'t know, but
the intention is not to have to give advice, it is to watch for fights, and stupidity!
and it only needs to be in certain sections, shouldn\'t be a big load to share between 4-5 mods!

why does this kind of message have to come from admin?
this is a club for the members, so the members can and should feel free to step up!
truth be told, the old system, either doesn\'t/didn\'t work, or is just not able to keep up with
the club as it grows. there needs to be people who can back up people, so when someone is busy
with things, someone can step up, and it can be seamless to the club!
infact, i think that this kind of message shouldn\'t come from admin! admin should not be responsible for the club as a whole, they should be responsible for the board!
do u c what i am saying, the forums and the club are two related but distinct things!
people can have dual roles, ie admin and executive (or whatever we decide on)
but when they post up for this kind of thing, it should be not as an ADMIN!

meets and chillin at tims, is not what the club is about, we have that pretty well set up anyways
we know who comes and thats cool, i don\'t want a family man or woman to leave their kids at home and come out to a meet . . . people come cause they want to, some people just want info and discounts and to post on the board, some people want the club feeling with meets and such,
before, to be an active member people had to show up to 2 meets, i didn\'t think that was really fair for reasons u just mentioned, but didn\'t really effect me since i came after, so there was no need to address it.

Pearly is right, we need to make changes now so that we have a framework on how we will handle growth!

we need to make this place a place where when someone comes into the club, they feel they can be active and proactive, and participate and contribute, so we need to be nice to the noobs!

even u majic are probably responsible for scaring some noobs away!
if i can be intimidating when i post up (as u stated), u can too,
hell when i was new, i didn\'t post for like a month, while i was getting a handle on things
and u were the one who was the scariest!

people who have never been on a board like this, may not like getting their ass flamed for not searching, just let them ask the stupid question, and then nicely mention that they should search, but help them with an answer, not just u, all of us, whoever sees it first who knows something about it

hell we should have a welcome message for noobs in a seperate sub section, a whole sub section for them in the general area, where they can post up their hellos and we can all say welcom here
we can have a TM3 and u post, saying welcome to the club, here are some helpful hints .. .
blah blah blah



ok, i think i have ranted enough,

to be clear!

I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE OVER

Hey, i have fun on the boards and in the meets, and obviously i like this club,
hell, if i didn\'t i wouldn\'t give a shit, and i wouldn\'t suggest that we make all these changes
it doesn\'t all have to happen at once it should be a process,

and for the millionth time!

So i post a lot!
i keep the crap (unless engaged, elsewhere)
int he lounge!

look at all the threads that have gone nasty, i am not in any of them!
if they went stupid, well i can\'t say for sure i wasn\'t involved
buy i am no where near 85% responsible for offtopicness!

ur an engineer, shouldn\'t u be better at estimation?

just cause i post up stupid, and i say YO!
doesn\'t mean i am a farking retard, u know what i am sayin
trust me when i say i am far from it
;)


anyways, thats what i have to say about that!

i am being pushy cause no one else is saying anything,
and when i talk to people at meets, i hear people saying this and that
so where are they now?

if nobody wants a change, then fine . . .
there is no point in changing for one person . . .

[Kevin@nextmod]

^^ You get my full support Alex;)

[Broli]

Originally posted by Cardinal Fang



Originally posted by Broli


thx to sabio and sfw for getting in on this . . .

what about the others, do u care?

come on active members!






I do care Broli but to be honest, I don\'t have the time to dedicate to this club in the manner in which you \"wish\" to set it up as. I\'m sorry, but my life doesn\'t revolve around my Mazda3….

*Huge gasp from the membership*

…..or a this car club. I have a house I\'m renovating and a small practice outside of the firm I\'m an associate with. If I were still in school I would have far more time and far more energy for that matter.

As majic has pointed out this club is a diversion for some, including me. I like the laid back feel of it. I try to contribute as best as I can and I try to make it out to the meets whenever I can if I have time. But I think the structure you’re trying to set up with \"area reps\" is too bureaucratic. I think this club needs to at least double in active participants before you can even consider this step.

I appreciate the effort Broli but lets not try to kill a fly with a hammer. Things do need to change but you can accomplish this in small steps.

By the way, did anyone else notice that I’m about to catch MazdaTree?



Cardi, i totally understand and feel where ur coming from!
i am not saying that we need to set up in that manner, i am saying that is an example!
i agree that small chagnes are the way to go,
and i understand that u, and people in ur situation, are busy, and this is not their prioroty
if u think this is my priority just because i am a student, ur crazy, and if u think that i am not busy, well

5 days a week full time research, now this can be lighter and heavier at some times
then the other 2 days i work a weekend job to put myself thru school,

ur suggestions are all good, and thats why discussion is important, i was thinking we could do it over the board, because then we dont have to meet up in person
in person meetings can occur later,
regional reps, are useful, as these memebers are the ones who would show at the minimeets in region and bring word from core,

people who go out to the meets, want to see the reps there, just makes everyone feel good!
that is really their responsibility,
at least as i envision it!

[Broli]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


^^ You get my full support Alex;)

lol, thx man!




majic


btw sorry if i went off,
i have been with methadone patients all day,
and i guess my patience is gone,

:p

[majic]

Originally posted by Broli



Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


^^ You get my full support Alex;)

lol, thx man!




majic


btw sorry if i went off,
i have been with methadone patients all day,
and i guess my patience is gone,

:p

it\'s ok.. it\'s called difference of opinion.. and my reply is coming :p don\'t worry, as you\'ve noticed i\'m not being overly harsh.. lol.. but i do have some work to do and that was a marathon response :D

and pearly supports you b/c (that\'s another one for you jdanielsg) your mom supports him :p (oops.. now i see how you get entangled in every single thread) :)

[Broli]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by Broli



Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


^^ You get my full support Alex;)

lol, thx man!




majic


btw sorry if i went off,
i have been with methadone patients all day,
and i guess my patience is gone,

:p

it\'s ok.. it\'s called difference of opinion.. and my reply is coming :p don\'t worry, as you\'ve noticed i\'m not being overly harsh.. lol.. but i do have some work to do and that was a marathon response :D

and pearly supports you b/c (that\'s another one for you jdanielsg) your mom supports him :p (oops.. now i see how you get entangled in every single thread) :)

lol

well i look forward to ur response i am sure that there will be some good stuff there


and damnit, my moms virtue is beyond question
:p

[Fuman]

TM3 has been nice enough to pay for the server fees. Hes webmaster here at the forum.
He does deserve credit, he probably does alot of behind the scenes stuff.

Xenon is a good guy, we call vouche for that. But remember the reason he left the position of events co-ordinator. If I remember right its because he lacks the free time to fill such a position.

Granted if the club does keep growing, we do need a better frame work, whatever that might be. But I would like to see some statistics on how many new active members we are going by month. What the current / new members of the forum are looking to gain out of this club.
We need at least this much information if we are to design a structure to support the club.

[Broli]

Originally posted by Fuman


TM3 has been nice enough to pay for the server fees. Hes webmaster here at the forum.
He does deserve credit, he probably does alot of behind the scenes stuff.

Xenon is a good guy, we call vouche for that. But remember the reason he left the position of events co-ordinator. If I remember right its because he lacks the free time to fill such a position.

Granted if the club does keep growing, we do need a better frame work, whatever that might be. But I would like to see some statistics on how many new active members we are going by month. What the current / new members of the forum are looking to gain out of this club.
We need at least this much information if we are to design a structure to support the club.


Hey, TM3 did a good thing when he set up this board, but, i don\'t think alot of behind the scenes work is going on any more, i am assuming that the recent changes to the board were made my Xenon?????? if not, then i am sorry to TM3.

nonetheless, i am not sure what kind of money we are talking to host this, can someone please let me know?
is is more expensive than the donations he recieved?

if TM3 had time to do behind the scenes stuff, he would have time to come on once a week and say something, or a hello to the memebers, or smtg!

i am not saying that he doesn\'t deserve credit, i am saying that we all appreciated it but maybe it now suits us better to go a different route in the future

yes, i remember that Xenon left for time constraints, but . . .
he was pretty much going at it all alone!!
if there were others involved, i am sure that the time commitment would decrease,
hey, i am not gonna speak for xenon, i said i like him, and would love if he was involved
but it is up to him, if he wants to be or if he has time to is something only he can say!


yes seeing number like that is a good ideam how do we get to see them?

i guess we could look at the member list and look at join dates and number of post

i guess, we want to build a foundation, that way we can expand as we grow

[majic]

i\'ll only respond to the relevant sections eg. ones i have comments on ;)


Originally posted by Broli
majic

i am not trying to take over,
i have interest in being involved, maybe at the level of officer


wasn\'t sure.. just seemed a little forward/harsh but i guess i understand, if you don\'t start something then it\'ll be left as is


Originally posted by Broli
dude, if people were intimidated of me, they wouldn\'t diss me up in every other thread ;)
i am pretty sure, people i have met and talked with over the board have got the feel that
my personality is pretty chill, and would have no reason to be intimidated


it\'s your mother they diss :D and you know little boys and girls, they\'ll pull each other\'s hair and pinch one another - that\'s how they display affection :D


Originally posted by Broli
i have mentioned a few times in this thread and other for Xenon to chime in!

the difference b/w you SAYING for him to chime in and him actually doing so is HUGE (please lay off the momma jokes here folks)


Originally posted by Broli
as for TM3, i don\'t really care what he thinks, i have been on for a little while
now, and . . haven\'t really seen him, (posting i mean)
i think as a club, we should take it over from him!

but he still has the domain and the database and all that\'s necessary for this \'board\'.. he just kickstarted it and i\'m not going to guess where he\'s at, but that\'s the reason he delegated xenon to be the admin.


[i]Originally posted by Broli
I am not saying to take TOPs style and use it, i am saying that we could
use what we like from it and go from there, that is what i said all along,
They are a successful club, whether u like them or not, they have tonnes of active members
and have a very well structured setup and and forum
things that would need to be discussed by us, when we decide where we want to go with this


i must have misread what you wrote originally or you didn\'t fully explain it.. doesn\'t matter.. what matters now is that we make it happen in a democratic fashion (of sorts)


Originally posted by Broli
lol, TMASIV3 - ASS!
that is a totaly different thing,
there is no reason why the club cant be supportive of all enthusiasts
whether they be A to B drivers, or crazy tuners, there should be info and support for all!

i knew you\'d like it ;)
but i see a distinct difference b/w toronto mazda3 club and toronto-any-car-as-long-as-you-drive-something-on-4-wheels-club

i am NOT against meets with the 6s or RX-8s or other mazdas, but we should have our OWN fun events before we invite other clubs.


Originally posted by Broli
and majic, why don\'t u majoogle and see how many of the off topics, i started versus, was drawn into, by someone dissing my mom! outside of more techinical threads i try to keep it on topic, as much as possible, i am probably the only person who has ever took a comment to the flame thread instead of postin in the topic, so what i post a lot in the dumb threads, that is just me talking with my fellow members, during the day. i have the luxury to be able to do it!
it helps fill my time, and i am not afraid of u guys telling me to get on topic, hell sometimes i wish you would do it, so i don\'t have to hear another mama joke about my mom, i am kinda out numbered in that, so . . . by the time i address everyone it is like 30 posts a day now!
it was funny at first, and it doesn\'t bother me, it is just tired i think!
but as long as i can open up a thread to look at something i am interested in, and then find my name in the thread . . well, what am i supposed to do, not address, sure that is the better way, and that would probably make it stop . . but . . . i ain\'t no bitch!
it is fun in the lounge, cause it doesn\'t take away from threads!


honestly, TOO much to wade through, and i see your point.


Originally posted by Broli
as for mods being sub-forum specific!
i understand u not being comfortable in an area u don\'t know, but
the intention is not to have to give advice, it is to watch for fights, and stupidity!
and it only needs to be in certain sections, shouldn\'t be a big load to share between 4-5 mods!

from my limited exposure to various fourms, mods USUALLY know what they are talking about, are on quite often so \'fights\' can be mitigated, posts directed to the proper areas and warn/help users. yes, regular members can do the same since i did do that b4 i became a mod. anyway, there is a very subtle difference b/w a regular poster and a mod in THIS version of the software we use and how it\'s configured.


Originally posted by Broli
why does this kind of message have to come from admin?
this is a club for the members, so the members can and should feel free to step up!
truth be told, the old system, either doesn\'t/didn\'t work, or is just not able to keep up with
the club as it grows. there needs to be people who can back up people, so when someone is busy
with things, someone can step up, and it can be seamless to the club!
infact, i think that this kind of message shouldn\'t come from admin! admin should not be responsible for the club as a whole, they should be responsible for the board!
do u c what i am saying, the forums and the club are two related but distinct things!
people can have dual roles, ie admin and executive (or whatever we decide on)
but when they post up for this kind of thing, it should be not as an ADMIN!

i guess what i meant to say is, the ADMIN is the only person who can appoint new mods who can move/lock/sticky/delete threads.. in my books they shouldn\'t be so distinct but they are, i am more likely to walk up to you and say \"hey broli\" rather than call you by your name. why? that\'s what i\'m used to b/c i would MUCH rather have a BBQ by the lake with maybe some games than _JUST_ stand around and talk about my/your ride.. this way i would remember your name ;) and feel like a part of the \'community\' we\'re all striving for.. i don\'t have any problems with the names of the guys/girls i hang out with outside of tm3 related events, hmm.. coincidence?


Originally posted by Broli
meets and chillin at tims, is not what the club is about, we have that pretty well set up anyways


how many \'mini-meets\' at tims have there been lately? how many planned/successful bbqs/MOMs (they don\'t have to be huge btw)? rest my case


Originally posted by Broli
we need to make this place a place where when someone comes into the club, they feel they can be active and proactive, and participate and contribute, so we need to be nice to the noobs!

even u majic are probably responsible for scaring some noobs away!
if i can be intimidating when i post up (as u stated), u can too,
hell when i was new, i didn\'t post for like a month, while i was getting a handle on things
and u were the one who was the scariest!

people who have never been on a board like this, may not like getting their ass flamed for not searching, just let them ask the stupid question, and then nicely mention that they should search, but help them with an answer, not just u, all of us, whoever sees it first who knows something about it

hell we should have a welcome message for noobs in a seperate sub section, a whole sub section for them in the general area, where they can post up their hellos and we can all say welcom here
we can have a TM3 and u post, saying welcome to the club, here are some helpful hints .. .
blah blah blah

so it seems we need an area for noobs, or some sort of \'forum tutorial\' b/c the FAQ is quite slim and i don\'t know if i would call it a FAQ
I THINK that would come easier with a new version of software.. i wanted to write a detailed FAQ but if we are moving to a diff board, what\'s the point.. also how often people read that :sarc and i do have a link in my sig to \'posting and you\'.. it\'s been viewed 600 times and tips on seaching.. not even 200 views


Originally posted by Broli
just cause i post up stupid, and i say YO!
doesn\'t mean i am a farking retard, u know what i am sayin
trust me when i say i am far from it

perception is everything - you, a smart man, should know it ;)

ps. i tried to spell/grammar check but i gotta do some work so i didn\'t have too much time :P

[Cardinal Fang]

I was going to read through majic\'s response but instead I think I will wait for the movie.

:p


Originally posted by Broli
Cardi, I totally understand and feel where ur coming from!

Do you Broli? Seriously? Your post was \"do you care\" and then you listed the members in order of most active posts. I think you can find a more tactful way of soliciting our response on the subject rather than leaving people with the impression we don\'t care because we haven\'t spoken up.

Sorry, that\'s the way I read it. I will chalk it up as a poor choice of words on your part.


Originally posted by Broli
i am not saying that we need to set up in that manner, i am saying that is an example!

And I responded to your example Broli. It\'s bureaucratic.


Originally posted by Broli
and i understand that u, and people in ur situation, are busy, and this is not their prioroty
if u think this is my priority just because i am a student, ur crazy, and if u think that i am not busy, well

5 days a week full time research, now this can be lighter and heavier at some times
then the other 2 days i work a weekend job to put myself thru school,

And yet you still find time to make it out to the majority of the meets. YOU FIND THE TIME. I think that qualifies as a priority Broli. That\'s great. I\'m not saying it isn\'t.



Originally posted by Broli
regional reps, are useful, as these memebers are the ones who would show at the minimeets in region and bring word from core,

Don\'t you think we could just post the information on the board in an organized manner?


Originally posted by Broli
people who go out to the meets, want to see the reps there, just makes everyone feel good!

Huh? Dude unless one of the “reps” is a hot brunette I don’t see them making me “feel” good. Again, this club is not large enough to warrant regional reps.

P.S. I still love you Broli.

[SIM SIMMA]

Will there be a Coles Notes release of this thread? ;)

Like I have mentioned before this is the first car \"club/forum\" I have really taken active participation in i.e meeting other members, posting etc.

I basically use this forum to get me through the day when there are slow patches at work. It is my form of some entertainment as well as the odd informational tidbit I may pick up. With that said I have also made it out to a few mini meets as well as the first official meet of the season. I\'ve never done the car meet thing and it has been pretty cool meeting people and seeing mods and just talking about everything. Perhaps it is a novelty right now since I have made an effort to make it to these things.. maybe it will wear off.. who knows. There is a bunch of really good people on this board with vast backgrounds and knowledge.

I would like to possibly participate in some of these so called plans of restructuring, but to be honest one of the things I liked about this club was the \"relaxed\" atmosphere it had. Don\'t get me wrong structure is good, but like some have mentioned it is a young club and maybe making all these changes right away may or may not work. I wasn\'t aware that people were unhappy with how things were. If it has been present I totally missed it.

In regards to the mods of the forums. I have been on a few and most boards have a few mods looking over certain sections, but at the same time these boards are huge and they have many mods that can cover for another if not around. I\'m not sure if having specific mods covering specific areas will solve the problem with rudeness on this board. If a mod catches it they should just issue a warning... after a warning or 2 they should be put under probation which then would lead to being banned if they continue their stupid behaviour. In the world of the internet many people like to troll and post crap to get a rise out of people. One cool thing I saw on another board was the \"IGNORE\" button. That would come in handy for some members here to ignore their verbal diarrhea.

Anyway... I think it\'s a good step just talking about this, but for changes to happen I think first you need the actual board owner and the other people who are responsible for this place to speak up.

Baby steps.

[TheProfessor]

One of the reason\'s I haven\'t chimed in yet is because I simply don\'t care whether or not you/we restructure this site. As Fang has already mentioned, this board is not my life and I don\'t have the time outside of work (when I post) to commit to it. I personally don\'t think there\'s anything wrong with the site, but if you guys feel you can improve upon it then great, go for it! If you need some cash to keep the site running then let me know and I\'ll donate. Otherwise, I\'m fairly content with the way things are right now.

[Broli]

majic - i pretty much agree with everything u say!
btw, there are advangates to playing dumb sometimes ;)

cardi - sorry i didn\'t mean to imply that u guys didn\'t care, u r correct to assume it was a poor choice of words on my part. i find the time to make meets, because TM3 is a one of my social priorities, i let my social priorities go when i have life and school priorities

thx for the input!

[SIM SIMMA]

PSIVIC... like I said... I didn\'t think anything was really wrong.. I was happy with the forum :)

I think I missed the memo.

[majic]

Originally posted by Jobes

I think I missed the memo.



it\'s because it had a new coversheet ;) now if you excuse me, I believe you have my stapler...

[SIM SIMMA]

The stapler is mine... red stapler is mine..

[majic]

Originally posted by Jobes


The stapler is mine... red stapler is mine..



WARNING

you\'re going off topic.. please remain on topic :D
Broli, how did i do? :)

[Broli]

well, i am happy with the forum
people who just for the most part come here
to chat and kill time,
well that wouldn\'t be changed by a restructuring of the club

[Broli]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by Jobes


The stapler is mine... red stapler is mine..



WARNING

you\'re going off topic.. please remain on topic :D
Broli, how did i do? :)

haha, good job majic!


except u steared it off topic as well . . .
lol

it is ok to go off topic, at least i feel it is,
as long as the thread doesn\'t get lost!

it is more the fighting that is a problem!

ass-bstd!

:D

[Fuman]

back on topic:

to improve the club, we should deal with our weakness first.

from what I gather in this thread.

1) mis-use of profanty is one of them

add more as anyone sees fit.

has a new events co-ordinator been selected yet?

[Cardinal Fang]

2) Investigate the use of new board software to further strengthen the ability post and moderate.

P.S. I\'m not going to stop using the word Fark.

[majic]

Originally posted by Fuman

1) mis-use of profanty is one of them


How does one misuse profanity? Like, \"Fuman, you B*tch\"

Sorry, I *meant* to say \"Fuman, you DAWG\"

You know, b*tch is a dog... Nevermind.. I think what you mean is unnecessary bickering...

We can try but as much as you\'d like it to be we (mods) aren\'t on 24/7.. So to help us, pm or email a mod..

[Cardinal Fang]

3) Better board software to allow mods to receive and send out PM\'s.

[SourcE]

Originally posted by Cardinal Fang

2) Investigate the use of new board software to further strengthen the ability post and moderate.



Check here (http://www.openbb.com/) for the status of the current BB software we use. There are many more out there:

phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com/) is the most robust and adaptable IMO.

Depending on the hosting which I think is currently Go Daddy (https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/hosting/shared.asp?se=%2B&ci=260)
there is forum capability included in the price. I am not sure as to the forum type though.

[SABIO]

WOW!!!:hoho

In just the last day ,,,,I can\'t believe it... So many of you have actually made complete sentences.

You guys really do know how to spell:) :sarc

[SourcE]

^^^ wot r u infurring?

[SABIO]

last week I made a comment about being more of a club. Doing things besides sitting in a parking lot.
I also said *build the rocket first...before going to the moon*

How \'bout we just get a Few ideas together... for a little more control... and just have Fun together as a group. Lets save the world later.......

[Jeff-TheBiz]

Okay, after reading most of 4 pages... I felt obliged to reply in some fashion.

I have to agree with um... a couple of people.. I think Cardinal and Psivic mentioned that TM3 is not their life. I fit into the same category.

Dont get me wrong, I am truly gratiful for what this forum has given to me, (tonnes of contacts and friends, a date with Broli\'s Mom (just a movie:) ), the odd Coffee from another member thanx btw, referral business, and the feeling of being included.)

I will continue to contribute in any way I can, my 2 cent (plus gst & pst) regardless of how ridiculous it is, any advice or recommendations I may give in regards to warranty, financing etc.., sponsership for the 05 MOM, insider info on any Mazda Promos / new product and such..

I guess what I am trying to say, and I speak for FLIPSPEED as well...

How can I help.

[Fuman]

1) unneccesary bickering
2) Investigate the use of new board software to further strengthen the ability post and moderate.

Majic, u know what? I had to go to dictionary.com to look up the exact meaning of bickering, lol. Yeah bickering is what i meant.

I think mods are doing a fine job in fighting bickering. But those ppl bicker again later on. Perhaps some kind of warning system?

[Xenon]

Alright... I\'ve sat on this thread long enough. Time for my two cents. But before I begin, let me say that I respect EVERYONE\'s opinion, so i mean not to flame. But at the same time. i want mine heard, and respected in return.

To clear some stuff up first:
I don\'t know what TM3 (original admin) is up to. I asked for the Admin position because at the time I was the most active and we needed changes and had no means of doing it. Now we do. I made some more mods, created the How-To section, the Mini-Meet section and did a few housekeeping things around the board that perhaps no one has noticed. BUt what I do know, is that TM3 still has the domain under his control, and as a result also has the basic structure of the board too (I\'m talking about it being OpenBB). I have NO control over those two factors. Any changes to the board, with the exception of the Unauthorized vendor and commercial sales policy were executed by me.

Yes I did have an extended absence, and I know it wasn\'t at a good time for the club, but I apologized (http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=5146), and hope that it would be accepted and the club can move on to better things. If it hasn\'t been accepted by the TM3 community, I need to know now.

On to Resturcturing...
In my opinion, the club is still too small to have a complete overhaul. With that said, I do realize that the club is growing at an increasing rate and I think eventually we will need to have some sort of structure. At this time, I feel that perhaps a small structuring may be necessary, but not a total overhaul that was proposed on the first page. We keep comparing ourselves to TOprotege. but fact of the matter, is that TO protege is 7 years old and double our size. We are a mere 2 years old.

In my Opinion, we only need the following positions:
- President - Oversee All Operations (but even now, I\'m not sure what his exact roll would be)
- VP - Help president (again, not sure what exactly the roll would be)
- Promotions & Treasurer - Someone to take care of making and ordering t-shirts hats etc. We don\'t have that much cash flow, so the same person could handle the money too.
- 3 Reps, East, Central and West. Any more is just redundant for our size.

I can see a public relations person coming in a little later, but we aren\'t exposed to the public enough to worry about that yet.

The board and mods...
I personally think we have more than enough mods to cover the board. There are 6 of us all together. I\'m forum Admin, and majic, FLIPSPEED, TheBiz, bluntman and wtom are all mods. I think together we have the entire board covered well. I also realize that perhaps some of the mods have better things to do than lurk the boards 24/7 looking for things to move and lock. I log on to the forum at least 7 times a day and TRY to look at all the new threads. I also know that majic is on pretty often and I think he\'s great at keeping things in line when needed.

The board lately has gone through some major immaturity. After reading all 4 pages of this long thread, I will personally make a commitment to keep the immaturity at bay. But it is also the members themselves. If members try to keep this board clean, it will stay clean. I\'m not saying people are coming on here just to screw stuff up. I\'m jsut saying that sometimes people say (or type) things and they don\'t think about it. earlier this month, I had to lock a thread because it\'s sole purpose was to make fun of Broli\'s mom. That is just rediculous.

I try my best to admin the board. people asked for a How-To section and I created one. I heard complaints of no-one knowing where to find meets, so I created a Mini-meets thread. If anyone has any suggestions on how to keep the forum organized, I\'d be more than happy to hear it.

Final thoughts...
Iw as talking to another member about this thread earlier today and he and I have the same view. This is MY opinion, take it as it is or don\'t...


This is a car club. But PEOPLE make up the car club. Without them, it would not exist. I think we are doing just fine as a small club. As we grow, we will adapt. The club is laid back and casual so it\'s structure need not be rigid. The club should change as a progression, not through a corporate restucturing plan.

What I\'m about to say next, I hope I\'m not going to get flamed for, but I want my opinion to be known: This club is one of the best communities that I have been in. I have dedicated time to it because I liked it for what it is. I think all members should do the same. Be here because you want to be. if you don\'t like the way it\'s run, then perhaps it\'s not the club for you. If you go to a store and thinks it has crappy service, you don\'t go to the owner and tell him what to do, you just shop elsewhere. I\'m not saying I want members leaving. I just want to say that the club is established and is how it is. yes we can make changes to it, but as long as the original reason of what makes this club great is still maintained.

That is my two cents.

[SourcE]

Originally posted by Xenon

The board lately has gone through some major immaturity. After reading all 4 pages of this long thread, I will personally make a commitment to keep the immaturity at bay. But it is also the members themselves. If members try to keep this board clean, it will stay clean. I\'m not saying people are coming on here just to screw stuff up. I\'m just saying that sometimes people say (or type) things and they don\'t think about it. Earlier this month, I had to lock a thread because it\'s sole purpose was to make fun of Broli\'s mom. That is just ridiculous.
That is my two cents.



This is my major concern with the club, whilst there is room for fun and frolicking, friendly jibes and the like in the \"general lounge\", i think its unacceptable for it to spill out into the other areas of the forum. I really like this club, spend most of my day at work following along intermittently, and enjoy the banter between the more humorous members.

The whole debacle with jdanielsg is just stupid and mod’s SHOULD have the power to lock, warn or whatever members that cross what in my opinion is a fairly obvious line.

[TheProfessor]

Originally posted by Xenon

What I\'m about to say next, I hope I\'m not going to get flamed for, but I want my opinion to be known: This club is one of the best communities that I have been in. I have dedicated time to it because I liked it for what it is. I think all members should do the same. Be here because you want to be. if you don\'t like the way it\'s run, then perhaps it\'s not the club for you. If you go to a store and thinks it has crappy service, you don\'t go to the owner and tell him what to do, you just shop elsewhere. I\'m not saying I want members leaving. I just want to say that the club is established and is how it is. yes we can make changes to it, but as long as the original reason of what makes this club great is still maintained.

That is my two cents.

I have no idea what would make you think you\'d get flamed for that.....it was very well said IMO.

If it ain\'t broke, don\'t fix it ;)

[Cardinal Fang]

What PSIVIC said.

[Xenon]

Originally posted by PSIVIC



Originally posted by Xenon

What I\'m about to say next, I hope I\'m not going to get flamed for, but I want my opinion to be known: This club is one of the best communities that I have been in. I have dedicated time to it because I liked it for what it is. I think all members should do the same. Be here because you want to be. if you don\'t like the way it\'s run, then perhaps it\'s not the club for you. If you go to a store and thinks it has crappy service, you don\'t go to the owner and tell him what to do, you just shop elsewhere. I\'m not saying I want members leaving. I just want to say that the club is established and is how it is. yes we can make changes to it, but as long as the original reason of what makes this club great is still maintained.

That is my two cents.

I have no idea what would make you think you\'d get flamed for that.....it was very well said IMO.

If it ain\'t broke, don\'t fix it ;)

people might take that as a different way of saying \"if you don\'t like it, get out\". I just wanted to avoid that perception.

[Broli]

i will agree too with psivic and cardi, that there was nothing wrong with the way u worded
ur statement Lawerence!


1. thanks for clearing up what happens with the board and software and management etc.

2. ur proposed strucuture is pretty decent i think, and is totally able to be built upon,
i might be so bold as to say we start memberships and have a membership officer as well.
even if u don\'t go to meets and u can take advantage of info and discounts, so . . . i think
a small donation would be fair!
as well an events coordinator perhaps, for official events?


I don\'t think anyone hasn\'t accepted ur appology, and everyone has noted how active u have been since back, u were very honourable, and it is appreciated by all members, i am sure . . .

In general

3. i never tried to insinuate that the club was \'broken\' and of course i enjoy being in the
club and community, if i didn\'t i wouldn\'t be on the board all day at school, and at meets
as much as possible, that aside, i think that some of the more active (in terms of meets and
events) would like to have a strucutre and small budget to get things going.
for ex, it would be nice to say, we are doing a bbq this day, and we have club money to
purchase the food and stuff, and then what ever procedes we get from the event would go the
club. i see the active crew in the future, going to events around the provice, and promoting
the club. we could have more events and use them as fundraising oppurtinities for the club.

4. role of Pres and VP - they would be involved in promotions i would imagine mostly,
holding meetings closed (exec and reps) and open to all member meetings, guiding the club,
contacting potential sponsors (shared job with promo guy), overseeing the board (not as
admins, but i imagine the flow of power looking like this)
for example


President
VP
Other Exec and Reps/Forum Admin and Mods
Members

Pres and VP, would have some power over the board, ie give instructions to admins and mods
(not tell them what to do, but have direction over the board in a sense. . . do u know what
I mean)


about Broli\'s mom jokes . . . i honestly don\'t mind them, keep em in the lounge and we are good ;)

just cause a large portion of people are only here for the boards, doesn\'t mean that the club aspect is not important as well!

TOP was selected as an example framework, because of its success. i was not imply to use that stucutre, but rather to use it as point to start from, to stimulate conversation, etc.

I really think that i have been misunderstood
i don\'t want drastic radical change,
i want change that is adaptive, and fitting to our current needs,
if i am the only one who thinks that the club aspect is a bit lacking, then
i will suck it up, and live with it the way it is,
but if u don\'t see that the club aspect is in fact lacking, i would be surprised
even those of u not interested in the club aspect, can appreciate how others of us would be!!

:D

[mEtH]

The way crap has gone down today, we just need control over the boards already. It is completely ridicoulous and way beyond restructuring...No one even knows half the stuff that happens or is happening on this board. I still have not seen one mention of the fees for affiliates and sponsors and that Group Buy rules thread is very midleading. I can go on but thats just a waste of my time, you all have seen it from time to time.



Anyone got any ideas for a name for a new forum :p :sarc :hoho

[Kevin@nextmod]

^^^ TM3.com

[mEtH]

Owned, Thompson Municipal Market Monitor

[Broli]

this is the kind of thing i was talking about when i said we needed restructuring!

the club exec and only club exec should have right to make the rules that govern
sponsors and etc and then make rule that web guys (admin and mods) can enforce online

that is why i have been saying we need to get some structure and control over the club
so that TM3 can\'t just come on and Nazi the board!

I think we need to find out who else can control the board!

Xenon? can u do this, do u equal capabilites to TM3s account?

TM3, do u really want to be involved in this?
what would it take for u to relinquish control of the board to us?

(still reading, will say more later)

[Broli]

more!

ok,

this is why we need the club to be separate from the website!
we can hire someone to be webmaster, or someone here who is capable of doing it can!

but it should be under the control of the club!

i.e

TM3 should have to answer to rules that the exec would set up!

but my personal opinion, is that he should give control to Xenon in the interm
state what he may want, and we can work it out over the next few months

i am gonna start the push for an exec and a new order again!
this is pretty ridiculous!!!!!

i could see Meth in the big chair . . .

[bubba1983]

^^ he\'s our PR guy!!!

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by bubba1983


^^ he\'s our PR guy!!!
I was waiting for you to say that:hoho

[Broli]

but he would do good work at the top!!

[bubba1983]

yeah, as PR guy!

[bluntman]

He\'s Puerto Rican?

[Broli]

lol

well

i think the pres would have duties in PR as well!

but i can\'t think of a better pres than Meth!

i have been bitchin at him for a while on it!

but serious!

who could do better??

P/R - he could delegate to others!

[Broli]

i am gonna suggest we consider the restructuring again!


we can start basic

1 president
1 VP
1 treasurer
1-2 PR (sponsorships and official events and affiliates)
1 membership officer
2 east
2 west
2 central reps


this way we have an exec with a few voices not just 3-4 people making decisions!

i think recent happenings
dictate that some sort of overriding organization is important!

the forum can still be informal!
but there will be a process to follow for issues and problems!!

ok

did i miss any key positions?
anyone strongly object to this idea?

i really think it will be better!

we can try it for 6 months
and see whatever one thinks!

we can do an election, or just see who is interested in whatever posts
and go from there!

1 year terms or smtg!

we can talk about this later!!

lets get moving on this!


i will start!

i am interested in being involved
in one of the following positions
west rep-memberships-pr-VP

i would be happy doing any of those jobs to help out!!

methodyst has my vote for PRES!!!

[SourcE]

I think a webmaster position needs to be filled as well

[Broli]

Originally posted by SourcE


I think a webmaster position needs to be filled as well

very good point!


i agree!



1 president
1 VP
1 treasurer
1-2 PR (sponsorships and official events and affiliates)
1 membership officer
2 east
2 west
2 central reps
1 Webmaster

[majic]

Originally posted by SourcE


I think a webmaster position needs to be filled as well

yes someone who can update regularly.. BUT if there\'s an OUNCE of flash i just might have to quit :p

but before thinking web design.. how about NEW BOARD SOFTWARE???? this version is QUITE limited.. :sarc i guess the main problem is conversion from OpenBB to ANYTHING *sigh*

[Broli]

before anyone commits to anything
in terms of webmaster

lets have some discussion

the discussion thread (http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=6151)

[wtom]

The only thing I can suggest is total removal of post counter. Who cares who posts the most.

The other thing would be seniority levels. If a club is to be a fair club, we should not be labelled as a newbie, senior, etc.

Everyone is to be equal, the only indicators of any difference would be the \"officers\" on the board itself, other than the execs.

[SABIO]

Originally posted by wtom


The only thing I can suggest is total removal of post counter. Who cares who posts the most.

The other thing would be seniority levels. If a club is to be a fair club, we should not be labelled as a newbie, senior, etc.

Everyone is to be equal, the only indicators of any difference would be the \"officers\" on the board itself, other than the execs.


well. If someone is giving advice on a topic... I would tend to heed such advice if it came from someone who has a higher post count. I would rather know that advice or opinion is being given by someone who has had their 3 for 2 years then someone who just picked it up 2 days ago.

[majic]

Originally posted by SABIO



Originally posted by wtom


The only thing I can suggest is total removal of post counter. Who cares who posts the most.

The other thing would be seniority levels. If a club is to be a fair club, we should not be labelled as a newbie, senior, etc.

Everyone is to be equal, the only indicators of any difference would be the \"officers\" on the board itself, other than the execs.


well. If someone is giving advice on a topic... I would tend to heed such advice if it came from someone who has a higher post count. I would rather know that advice or opinion is being given by someone who has had their 3 for 2 years then someone who just picked it up 2 days ago.

yes and no.. a n00b can come here but have car experience from before.. thing is.. you will know almost immediately by the answer.. 9/10 times if it\'s concise, proves a few things here and there then i would say the advice is valid.. what i like is rep count.. like msprotege.. just not sure how it works exactly but certain people can give props to others or give them bad feedback (kind of like ebay) but the forum sofware would need to support it.. the problem with that is, it could turn into a popularity contest and the whole point of it might be lost..

this was sort of one reason i suggested at some point that if we have subsection mods, they should be experts or at least quite knowledgeable about the topic in the forum they moderate so that people could take their advice w.o worries..

[SourcE]

Originally posted by majic

.. just not sure how it works exactly but certain people can give props to others or give them bad feedback (kind of like ebay) but the forum sofware would need to support it.. the problem with that is, it could turn into a popularity contest and the whole point of it might be lost..



I know this is overkill but MarketingProfs (http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/quickStart.asp) has a very similar structure. When you sign up you are given a certain number of \"points\" and can offer them as a reward for answering the question.

Just something I noticed, not suggesting we do this, but maybe something similar on certain parts of the forum.

[Broli]

that sort of idea is a good one,

it does seem sort of hard to initiate, but i am sure something could be thought of!

but even without feedback,
if someone gives bad advice, others will jump in and say it!

so there is an inherent safety mechanism in place already, worse comes to worst