[Z Factor]

Originally Posted by Aurora40

Hey Jim, I'd love to read your view, but it is not accessible to me. I assume it's in the member's only section.

Here is the post I linked, republished so that you can read it.

Bold = previous posts;

First of all, I do not believe anyone has ever seriously suggested making the forum a paid club members only forum. I have been a paid member from the beginning as well as having administered the forum from it's infancy, so I know of what I speak.
While we always try to encourage non club members to join, it has never been required. For lack of a better way to put it, having an open forum is one of the best recruitment tools for the club. Sure there will be those who pop in, get an answer or two and then are never heard from again, but that is to be expected. However many people coming here for the first time get exposed to the members of the club and establish relationships/friendships. Once that happens a decent number decide to join more for the people than just a general interest in ZR-1's.
Furthermore the forum also serves as the best feedback to the club from those who have not joined for XYZ reason, or those who have left the club and air their grievances.

While I do not directly get involved in club business because of a self imposed neutrality stance, I can assure you that current and former club board members are aware of the complaints, and much of it is due to the ability to post it here.
Lets face it, no one likes criticism, but to be successful in life people need to accept that critics will always be around, and they should use that criticism as a means to improve their product. So aside from a means to communicate with friends/enthusiasts, the forum serves as a suggestion box for the club as well. To take a suggestion box down to avoid critics would only be a means to cut off ones nose to spite their face.

I do not presume to speak for the current BOD's, but I believe they, despite a few hiccups along the way, want to improve. They obviously have a passion for ZR-1's and the club, otherwise they would not have volunteered their time and effort. Your continued feedback via the forum is the best way for them to gauge how well they are doing, and a means of taking suggestions and improving the club.

So please feel free to make suggestions and constructive criticism as that is part of why the forum exists. Just keep in mind that they are human, and your elected volunteers, so try to keep it pro-active/business-like, and not make it personal. Everyone will be better served as a result.

Here are couple more posts in the thread;

Originally Posted by rhipsher

One of the things I've enjoyed on this site is that there are very few "CF Iron Chef" moments. The site is very laid back and none of the moderators are Life time Ban happy. You can pretty much speak your mind as long as you don't really over due it. It would be unfortunate if things change.

I must say that posts like this are really appreciated since at times it seems as if members do not notice or make mention of it.


I have always strived to allow members to express themselves so long as they do it in a reasonable and respectful manner. I have always instructed the mods to temper their personal feelings and try to find a way to reason with someone who has crossed the line, rather than ban them. Even when we get requests to suspend/ban members for XYZ, we instead try to let the person know what they might have done wrong, and suggest they conduct themselvess in a different manner. Fortunately most everyone here is reasonable and responsive to that approach. No one likes to be treated like a child, or have a forum that acts more like a nanny state. Instead our forum is a place where adults can conduct themselves as such.

I am very proud of the fact we have never permanently banned anyone other than spammers. Even those few who are very difficult to deal with during an emotional situation they were going through were only suspended for short periods of time, and then only after multiple attempts to reason with them have failed. The forum will always continue in that tradition so long as I am the administrator.

Originally Posted by xlr8nflorida

1 newsletter in 2 years is a few hiccups?

I did not mean to imply that there are not legitimate complaints, or to minimize them.
I was simply trying to say that despite the problems articulated in this thread and others, it is not as if the current or former BOD's are not aware of them.

Like I said, I do not get involved in club business or comment on it because I have always viewed the forum as a neutral place for members of both the club and forum to interact without fear of reprisals.
I have never been on the BOD, nor do I intend to, as I am happy to run the forum and try to be as neutral as possible.

To that end, if you feel as if there are problems with the forum (not the club website as that is outside of my purview) lets see if I can help out. Feel free to PM me or post a thread in that section to address it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Rather than risk being redundant, I will allow these reprinted posts to answer a few of your inquiries. If you wish to ask other questions or the ones you posed are not adequately covered, feel free to ask anything you like, and I will do my best to be candid with you.

On a personal note I want to thank you for the kind words. It is nice to know that forum members appreciate the work I and the other moderators have done over the years on behalf of the forum.