<VV> Communique article rejections was RE: blow up electric fans

[Joe West]

Hi Jim,

Here is story number 4.  While I didn't have an article rejected... I did
have an idea rejected.

I offered to write a short article to teach CORSA members how to use the
search engine and archive that I put together.  An article with screen shots
and step by step instructions on how to do a simple search, as well as
advanced searching.

My thought?

There is such a wealth of information from the VV archive, it seems like an
incredible disservice to CORSA members not to be aware of how simple (and
hell... FUN) it is to search on different Corvair topics, and to make sure
that everyone in CORSA is at least aware that the archive exists.

Here is the response I received:

<Begin Quote>

"On your idea for an article in the Communique, we do not want to seem
like CORSA is endorsing your site. If you want to approach it in general
terms, i.e., talking about online forums including Virtual Vairs and
virtualcorvairclub.com that would be great. You can even compare and
contrast the user interfaces if you like. We would invite someone from
VV to contribute a side bar as well.

We hope this meets with your approval.

--CORSA Board, Harry Jensen, Mike McGowan"

<End Quote>


To say I was disappointed is an understatement. There is utterly NO WAY to
teach people how to use the VV archive located at
http://www.virtualcorvairclub.com without discussing the actual archive
ITSELF.  It would serve absolutely NO purpose to talk about online forums
"in general" when the whole point of my article was to TEACH people how to
use a SPECIFIC archive.

CORSA's fear?

They don't want to appear to "endorse" my site.  If they don't want to
appear to endorse my site... all that is needed is a simple disclaimer at
the beginning of the article saying:

"virtualcorvairclub.com is not affiliated with nor endorsed by CORSA.  The
purpose of this article is to make CORSA members aware of the information
archive contained at virtualcorvairclub.com, and to teach them how to use
the information to the benefit of Corvair owners worldwide".

So... no making CORSA members aware of the archive... no teaching them how
to use it... just more of the same old stuff.  CORSA can hide behind
obfuscated antiquated bylaws... there is always a reason NOT to do
something.  CORSA needs to figure out how to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

If we (CORSA) cannot complete a paradigm shift sometime in the next 10
years; CORSA and the Corvair will be relegated to the malaise that affects
many car clubs. 

CORSA board... are you listening?  Do you understand?  More of the same...
year after year after year will do nothing but result in our demise

Think OUTSIDE the Box (and no... a new home webpage is NOT thinking outside
the box).

Allow VERY technical articles... things with integral signs and
summations... your members are not idiots... they do not need you to save
them from technical articles that require an IQ greater than 40 to
understand.

Make your members aware of the resources available to them... use
disclaimers to satisfy your bylaws... make things HAPPEN and don't hide
behind rules that make no sense in today's reality.

Here's a statistic:

Of the roughly 320 members who have registered for virtualcorvairclub.com,
less than HALF are CORSA members.

There is the potential for more than 160 new members... members who clearly
ARE interested in such novel concepts as an searchable online technical
archive.... 160 members after 5 months.  How many non-CORSA members will be
on the forum after a year?  Two years?  Do you really think that you can
afford not to introduce your members to new resources that become available?

CORSA is at a juncture... things will either change and CORSA will adapt...
or the slow death will continue.

I look forward to some response.

Jim... thanks for posting this... I enjoy tilting at windmills.

Joe West
Administrator
http://www.virtualcorvairclub.com


On 8/6/05 6:32 AM, "Jim Burkhard" <burkhard at rochester.rr.com> wrote:

> Joe -
> 
> Yours is the 3rd story I've heard about the Communique rejecting articles.
> The other two folks (whom I respect very much) were told that they had
> articles that were too technical and not of interest to the "general
> reader".  This is pretty disheartening to those of us inclined to write on
> such matters ourself.  I'm wondering what the problem is?  I don't think
> every issue should be packed cover-to-cover with non-stock tech, but if
> decent quality material is out there, it ought to be published.  CORSA
> membership has been dropping and the membership has been greying for many
> years -- we need to do things to keep the hobby interesting to ALL members.
> I for one am bored to tears when Communiques are filled with reports of
> local mall shows and cruise nights.  If you don't know the people, who
> cares?  Where's the beef?
> 
> Younger Vair owners are (often) the ones most interested in such technical
> articles.  If we continue to reject them, these folks unfortunately may see
> little reason to join CORSA. That's not good for anyone in the long term as
> I think CORSA provides the backbone that maintains interest in the marque
> which helps support the vendors, who keep us all in parts, etc. etc.
> 
> If anyone out there has had an article rejected by the Communique, let's
> hear the details, including the "official" reasons.  I didn't realize this
> was such a problem until I'd heard similar stories from a few guys.  It
> doesn't take long for such warnings to get around...  If there's some dirty
> laundry, better to air it and resolve it.
> Communiques that have some technical meat to them are an incentive to join
> CORSA, especially to younger guys.
> 
> Jim Burkhard
> 
>> [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of N. Joseph Potts
>> Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 1:36 PM
>> To: BobHelt at aol.com; virtualvairs at corvair.org
>> Subject: RE: <VV> Re: blow up about questions about electric fans
>> 
>> 
>> Bob, this generous offer interests me a lot, but naturally
>> I've got some potential quibbles.
>>     I should warn you that the
>> Communique has not carried my recent article offerings, so I
>> can't guarantee that they would carry what I produced out of
>> this effort, either.
> 
> 
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 "Enzo Ferrari had a dream and Ferdinand Porsche crushed it!"