Hello all. As some of you may be aware Les appointed myself and Mark Kofahl moderators of this forum. In loosing Les we have not only lost a well respected technical voice but the literal owner of this forum. This being the case should there be a catastrophic failure at Yahoo's end without the owner of the site to resurrect or at least receive emails from yahoo, the site could potentially "go down" leaving us with the difficult job of reuniting members. I have been vetting newcomers since Les' first operation and there have not been any issues. How long we can tempt fate? I don't know. To this end Jon Bartlett has been working on a new forum which has the ability to bring across most of the files section, I don't want to get bogged down in an IT discussion just yet. Jon and Mark have considerable knowledge in this area and once they have something to present to the group we can go down that path. I have given Jon moderator status so he can work on the change over and have also appointed Scott Pitcher as a moderator. The purpose of this note is to let those who were concerned for the future of this group that all is in hand. While nothing will happen over night we are all committed to keeping Les' legacy alive. Greg Esposito
Hi Greg,
Appreciate what you are doing.
If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,
of which I am a member,
has a forum, and we use:
I have found it very easy to visit and use.
We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,
other than an ageing population of members and
me remembering my password.
Peter
Peter Schweinsberg
297 Hinxman Road,
CASTLEREAGH, 2749.
Tel: 02 4776 1009
Mob: 0417 411 492
E-mail: peter@peterandval.com
On 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you Peter. The choice of which host to use is significantly narrowed by the desire to bring across files from Yahoo. Trust me when I say Jon and Mark know their eggs. Greg
Sent from Greg's iPhone
On 22 Nov 2017, at 10:04 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Greg,Appreciate what you are doing.If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,of which I am a member,has a forum, and we use:I have found it very easy to visit and use.We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,other than an ageing population of members andme remembering my password.PeterPeter Schweinsberg297 Hinxman Road,CASTLEREAGH, 2749.Tel: 02 4776 1009Mob: 0417 411 492E-mail: peter@peterandval.comOn 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thanks Greg.
Peter
On 22 Nov 2017, at 11:14 AM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you Peter. The choice of which host to use is significantly narrowed by the desire to bring across files from Yahoo. Trust me when I say Jon and Mark know their eggs. GregSent from Greg's iPhone
On 22 Nov 2017, at 10:04 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Hi Greg,Appreciate what you are doing.If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,of which I am a member,has a forum, and we use:I have found it very easy to visit and use.We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,other than an ageing population of members andme remembering my password.PeterPeter Schweinsberg297 Hinxman Road,CASTLEREAGH, 2749.Tel: 02 4776 1009Mob: 0417 411 492E-mail: peter@peterandval.comOn 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
I appreciate the work going into this.
So will the new forum run parallel?
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
It’s not just files that can easily be ported over to worry about.
It’s also the searchable Yahoo database of posts and content therein that is indispensable.
Will we continue to use Yahoo, or are we completely reinventing the wheel here?
We have a pretty good response rate and stickiness in the current system.
Everyone can see all conversations all the time.
There are times when no conversations are active for weeks at a time.
If we all port over some people will inevitably be lost in translation, effectively fracturing attention of members or loosing them altogether in what is not an overly active user base already.
Please See my Discussion with Les re the Future of the List from Feb 2013:
Hi Les,
I believe you are one of the original founders of this list. I started writing this email. Stopped did some research and now am sharing what I found out...
I just wanted to send you a private message to respectfully pose a question to you...
What are your thoughts for the future of the Australian Syncro list?
Do you think it is worth looking at different formats such as a Forum format like Syncro SA?... I can access this forum on my phone using an App called Tapatalk which works quite well. Everything is well organised and searchable. You can choose which threads you want to follow etc..
Then I found this article which looks at pros and cons of email lists vs forums. Quite interesting..
I thought Forums might be better but now but after reading this Im not so sure. Mabee its a discussion worth having. Mabee if it ain broke dont fix it!
http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_email_discussion_lists.php
Let me know what you think..
Kind Regards,
Rowan
Rowan,
I have asked myself about this often.
I kicked this off in Feb 2004. Initially I sent a newsletter out to the few Australian owners that I could find – well less than 20 from memory.
It became obvious that the dissemination of information plus the facility of people being able to talk to each other would be better served with a web group than a private newsletter.
At that time, there wasn’t a lot of choice in web groups and I elected to go with Yahoo. This kicked off in August 2004. Whilst Yahoo is a bit on the clunky side, it has served us well for eight and a half years.
Frankly, I get pissed off with it from time to time and ask myself why I continue to put in the constant effort needed to keep it alive and well. Some members piss me off as well but I try to look to the greater good.
In summary, it appears that it is functioning well as it stands and there is probably nothing to gain to changing it to any other format. It was always intended to be a technical support and advice resource; this is met in a satisfactory manner as it stands.
I will continue to run it at my own expense but I am mindful of the fact that I am now eighty and won’t last forever. I have appointed two moderators in case anything happens to me; both have full management functions and can do everything that needs to be done to keep it going.
Les
From: Rowan Hardinge [mailto:rowan.hardinge@yahoo.com]
Sent: 08 February 2013 23:00
To: Les Harris
Subject:
Sent: 08 February 2013 23:00
To: Les Harris
Subject:
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, 11:47 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thanks Greg.PeterOn 22 Nov 2017, at 11:14 AM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you Peter. The choice of which host to use is significantly narrowed by the desire to bring across files from Yahoo. Trust me when I say Jon and Mark know their eggs. GregSent from Greg's iPhone
On 22 Nov 2017, at 10:04 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Hi Greg,Appreciate what you are doing.If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,of which I am a member,has a forum, and we use:I have found it very easy to visit and use.We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,other than an ageing population of members andme remembering my password.PeterPeter Schweinsberg297 Hinxman Road,CASTLEREAGH, 2749.Tel: 02 4776 1009Mob: 0417 411 492E-mail: peter@peterandval.comOn 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Rowan and all.
Like Greg, yourself and others, I also had a few conversations with Les around the future of the forum. His concern was that Yahoo might fold the Groups site given that it is pretty obvious no investment has been made in it for years. A major concern was the 15+ years of valuable history that would effectively be lost. All of these points I think we all agree on.
I must stress that we are still in the very early stages of planning a move and nothing is certain yet. The new solution proposed is being trialled and this will continue for sometime whilst we learn how to use it and think about any transition. If anyone is keen to help out with this please shout out.
In answer to your questions:
So will the new forum run parallel?
No, the idea is that the new solution will replace the current forum. There may be a way to put the current forum in “read only” mode and if so this is probably best.
It’s not just files that can easily be ported over to worry about.It’s also the searchable Yahoo database of posts and content therein that is indispensable.
The new solution we are looking at will take ALL history of posts from the current Yahoo Group. This has been successfully trialled already. The files will be taken over as well. Post attachment are proving difficult but I hope to resolve this.
Will we continue to use Yahoo, or are we completely reinventing the wheel here?
It is likely that the existing Yahoo Groups site be closed (or mothballed) once everything is transferred.
I think I am right in saying that most people currently post via email due to the Yahoo Groups site being pretty terrible to use. In this regard the new solution will function the same so the vast majority will not notice any different if they continue to post via email only (other than a different email address to send to). The other posting option is via the forum website which is much more usable and comes with a great search functionality. It is designed for use on a PC or mobile device.
We have a pretty good response rate and stickiness in the current system.Everyone can see all conversations all the time.There are times when no conversations are active for weeks at a time.
If we all port over some people will inevitably be lost in translation, effectively fracturing attention of members or loosing them altogether in what is not an overly active user base already.
All existing users will be taken across. To re-activate the account the user will just need to click on an email link and come up with a password. There are 300+ users in the system at the minute, many I suspect are no-longer active anyway.
Any other questions please ask.
--
Jon Bartlett
0424006192
Jon Bartlett
0424006192
On 22 November 2017 at 2:21:22 pm, Rowan Hardinge rowan.hardinge@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] (syncro_t3_australia@yahoogroups.com) wrote:
Sent: 08 February 2013 23:00
To: Les Harris
Subject:
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, 11:47 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Thanks Greg.Peter
On 22 Nov 2017, at 11:14 AM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you Peter. The choice of which host to use is significantly narrowed by the desire to bring across files from Yahoo. Trust me when I say Jon and Mark know their eggs. Greg
Sent from Greg's iPhone
On 22 Nov 2017, at 10:04 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Greg,Appreciate what you are doing.If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,of which I am a member,has a forum, and we use:I have found it very easy to visit and use.We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,other than an ageing population of members andme remembering my password.PeterPeter Schweinsberg297 Hinxman Road,CASTLEREAGH, 2749.Tel: 02 4776 1009Mob: 0417 411 492E-mail: peter@peterandval.com
On 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Jon,
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Thanks for the reply to my questions. Sounds good, happy to help beta test.
Kind Regards
Rowan
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, 2:31 pm, Jon Bartlett mail@jaybe.net [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Rowan and all.Like Greg, yourself and others, I also had a few conversations with Les around the future of the forum. His concern was that Yahoo might fold the Groups site given that it is pretty obvious no investment has been made in it for years. A major concern was the 15+ years of valuable history that would effectively be lost. All of these points I think we all agree on.I must stress that we are still in the very early stages of planning a move and nothing is certain yet. The new solution proposed is being trialled and this will continue for sometime whilst we learn how to use it and think about any transition. If anyone is keen to help out with this please shout out.In answer to your questions:So will the new forum run parallel?No, the idea is that the new solution will replace the current forum. There may be a way to put the current forum in “read only” mode and if so this is probably best.
It’s not just files that can easily be ported over to worry about.It’s also the searchable Yahoo database of posts and content therein that is indispensable.The new solution we are looking at will take ALL history of posts from the current Yahoo Group. This has been successfully trialled already. The files will be taken over as well. Post attachment are proving difficult but I hope to resolve this.
Will we continue to use Yahoo, or are we completely reinventing the wheel here?It is likely that the existing Yahoo Groups site be closed (or mothballed) once everything is transferred.
I think I am right in saying that most people currently post via email due to the Yahoo Groups site being pretty terrible to use. In this regard the new solution will function the same so the vast majority will not notice any different if they continue to post via email only (other than a different email address to send to). The other posting option is via the forum website which is much more usable and comes with a great search functionality. It is designed for use on a PC or mobile device.
We have a pretty good response rate and stickiness in the current system.Everyone can see all conversations all the time.There are times when no conversations are active for weeks at a time.If we all port over some people will inevitably be lost in translation, effectively fracturing attention of members or loosing them altogether in what is not an overly active user base already.All existing users will be taken across. To re-activate the account the user will just need to click on an email link and come up with a password. There are 300+ users in the system at the minute, many I suspect are no-longer active anyway.Any other questions please ask.
--
Jon Bartlett
0424006192On 22 November 2017 at 2:21:22 pm, Rowan Hardinge rowan.hardinge@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] (syncro_t3_australia@yahoogroups.com) wrote:
I appreciate the work going into this.So will the new forum run parallel?It’s not just files that can easily be ported over to worry about.It’s also the searchable Yahoo database of posts and content therein that is indispensable.Will we continue to use Yahoo, or are we completely reinventing the wheel here?We have a pretty good response rate and stickiness in the current system.Everyone can see all conversations all the time.There are times when no conversations are active for weeks at a time.If we all port over some people will inevitably be lost in translation, effectively fracturing attention of members or loosing them altogether in what is not an overly active user base already.Please See my Discussion with Les re the Future of the List from Feb 2013:Hi Les,I believe you are one of the original founders of this list. I started writing this email. Stopped did some research and now am sharing what I found out...I just wanted to send you a private message to respectfully pose a question to you...What are your thoughts for the future of the Australian Syncro list?Do you think it is worth looking at different formats such as a Forum format like Syncro SA?... I can access this forum on my phone using an App called Tapatalk which works quite well. Everything is well organised and searchable. You can choose which threads you want to follow etc..Then I found this article which looks at pros and cons of email lists vs forums. Quite interesting..I thought Forums might be better but now but after reading this Im not so sure. Mabee its a discussion worth having. Mabee if it ain broke dont fix it!http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_email_discussion_lists.phpLet me know what you think..Kind Regards,RowanRowan,I have asked myself about this often.I kicked this off in Feb 2004. Initially I sent a newsletter out to the few Australian owners that I could find – well less than 20 from memory.It became obvious that the dissemination of information plus the facility of people being able to talk to each other would be better served with a web group than a private newsletter.At that time, there wasn’t a lot of choice in web groups and I elected to go with Yahoo. This kicked off in August 2004. Whilst Yahoo is a bit on the clunky side, it has served us well for eight and a half years.Frankly, I get pissed off with it from time to time and ask myself why I continue to put in the constant effort needed to keep it alive and well. Some members piss me off as well but I try to look to the greater good.In summary, it appears that it is functioning well as it stands and there is probably nothing to gain to changing it to any other format. It was always intended to be a technical support and advice resource; this is met in a satisfactory manner as it stands.I will continue to run it at my own expense but I am mindful of the fact that I am now eighty and won’t last forever. I have appointed two moderators in case anything happens to me; both have full management functions and can do everything that needs to be done to keep it going.LesFrom: Rowan Hardinge [mailto:rowan.hardinge@yahoo.com]
Sent: 08 February 2013 23:00
To: Les Harris
Subject:
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, 11:47 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Thanks Greg.Peter
On 22 Nov 2017, at 11:14 AM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you Peter. The choice of which host to use is significantly narrowed by the desire to bring across files from Yahoo. Trust me when I say Jon and Mark know their eggs. Greg
Sent from Greg's iPhone
On 22 Nov 2017, at 10:04 am, Peter SCHWEINSBERG peter@peterandval.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Greg,Appreciate what you are doing.If it is any help, the Austin Sheerline and Princess Club,of which I am a member,has a forum, and we use:I have found it very easy to visit and use.We have had it for a number of years now, without problems,other than an ageing population of members andme remembering my password.PeterPeter Schweinsberg297 Hinxman Road,CASTLEREAGH, 2749.Tel: 02 4776 1009Mob: 0417 411 492E-mail: peter@peterandval.com
On 21 Nov 2017, at 10:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thank you so much Greg. Very good to get on the front foot in case Yahoo does something. Kind regards, Peter from Port
Great work Jon. Will be good to get a better system than Yahoo. It’s a bit clunky. Cheers, Peter from Port
Great news Jon, Yahoo was a pioneer in its day but there are many forum platforms out there today that are more in tune with today's technology. I maintain the Australian TYP901 Register (typ901.org) and updated it from an older version not that long ago, being able to use it so easily and intuitivley from a phone as well any PC has made a huge improvement with usability. Also moved it to an Australian server as it was being hosted in the US (like Yahoo) which can lag a bit sometimes with response times, besides its an Aussie group so thought it would be fitting.
Being mobile with this forum will be a huge improvement as the cars love to be on the road and on the tracks soaking up the adventures.
Also happy to be involved and help with whatever.
Cheers, Uwe
Being mobile with this forum will be a huge improvement as the cars love to be on the road and on the tracks soaking up the adventures.
Also happy to be involved and help with whatever.
Cheers, Uwe
Hi Jon,
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
I didn’t mean to be a negative nelly in my post about forum changes, to the contrary I would welcome them. I just thought it was important to open up a conversation on useablility. Technically I don’t know the difficulty of porting over legacy data, while improving the user interface. I hope we can get it done!
Kind regards,
Rowan
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Monday, November 27, 2017, 10:33 am, 911jack@gmail.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Great news Jon, Yahoo was a pioneer in its day but there are many forum platforms out there today that are more in tune with today's technology. I maintain the Australian TYP901 Register (typ901.org) and updated it from an older version not that long ago, being able to use it so easily and intuitivley from a phone as well any PC has made a huge improvement with usability. Also moved it to an Australian server as it was being hosted in the US (like Yahoo) which can lag a bit sometimes with response times, besides its an Aussie group so thought it would be fitting.
Being mobile with this forum will be a huge improvement as the cars love to be on the road and on the tracks soaking up the adventures.
Also happy to be involved and help with whatever.
Cheers, Uwe
Hey Guys good to hear there is someone out there who does not have ten thumbs and trouble just turning on the computer
We all know Les was all for the site being standard Syncro
Could the site could be for all comers as there is strength in numbers
Probably only 10000 Syncros on earth
They are a modified T3 or Bay and the last rear engine kombi made <not by VW>
Heaps of t3 t4 and bay parts fit Syncros
millions of potential contributors lay not far from the Syncro
It could also promote our loved machines as we all know how often people do not even know there was a 4x4 kombi made
Just a few ideas not advise or recommendations but maybe worth considering if you are to create a new forum
Would love to see a syncro splitty conversion
Cheers guys best of luck
pete
On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 9:29 PM, gregespo73@yahoo.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Hello all. As some of you may be aware Les appointed myself and Mark Kofahl moderators of this forum. In loosing Les we have not only lost a well respected technical voice but the literal owner of this forum. This being the case should there be a catastrophic failure at Yahoo's end without the owner of the site to resurrect or at least receive emails from yahoo, the site could potentially "go down" leaving us with the difficult job of reuniting members. I have been vetting newcomers since Les' first operation and there have not been any issues. How long we can tempt fate? I don't know. To this end Jon Bartlett has been working on a new forum which has the ability to bring across most of the files section, I don't want to get bogged down in an IT discussion just yet. Jon and Mark have considerable knowledge in this area and once they have something to present to the group we can go down that path. I have given Jon moderator status so he can work on the change over and have also appointed Scott Pitcher as a moderator. The purpose of this note is to let those who were concerned for the future of this group that all is in hand. While nothing will happen over night we are all committed to keeping Les' legacy alive. Greg Esposito