Paying members vs freeloaders

Tim, coming on here fairly recently, paying your money, and then stirring things up is a bit out of order in my opinion. Many people here have been posting since Campaign register days and have built up the knowledge base within the club you clearly prize so dear. Does ?20 give you the right to lay the law down, and talk down to lowly 'freeloaders' who apparently are all struggling with troubled consciences ?   Maybe a more civilised request for funds would work ?
As for little or no constructive suggestions, I have already suggested a method of donating without joining the club, and would be up for that. Have already donated to the Caddy forum via Paypal as it wasn't fair for the admin to have to pay all web costs himself. If Drew PM's me his Paypal address, I'll send him ?20 towards website costs but I don't want to formally join the club, at least not yet. However, negative, elitist attitudes would steer me away from joining at all. Previously never been a problem here Tim.
Stew is right in what he says, and he did use 'for arguments sake' in reference to his percentages. Check out some of the posts by the 'freeloaders' (like me) and see how badly I've ponced-off members like yourself. Maybe you'll find I've 'given' rather than 'taken' on balance.
Yours with a clear conscience,
Mark.

For me it's not a great deal of resentment either, just a bit reluctant to pay an annual fee for 4.5 months membership! However you lot have persuaded me so I'll pay my money & feel happier that I can rest easy in the knowledge that it's all in a good cause (I think that we can all agree on that).

Also, I think we also all agree that the website is fantastic too!!!!! :mrgreen:

Finally, as I live in Sussex I'll see if I can organise a place somewhere to meet up on a regular basis in the middle of Kent/Sussex - if anyone wants to that is?  

Philspeed
 

For info… there is a sticky in the chat section for donations…

http://www.vwgolfmk1.o…=viewtopic&t=3124&start=0

Ross - that was a good 'heads-up'. I tend to come on the website, straight to 'forum' and hit the new posts. Donation made, but it's defaulted to a quid only. If there was a mechanism for sending a PM reminder out to all user names at set intervals maybe that would work ?
Cheers,
Mark

m6m62 said

 Many people here have been posting since Campaign register days and have built up the knowledge base within the club you clearly prize so dear. Does ?20 give you the right to lay the law down, and talk down to lowly 'freeloaders' who apparently are all struggling with troubled consciences ?

Well said Mark. I'll second that

hehe, all in good fun eh!

To be quite honest a lot of mk1 owners i've met have been put off coming over and participating as they think that they will be met with snobbery whe it comes to modifying.  Its rubbish of course, personally I have met quite a few from here and have had no such problems. Its all about the attitude  

In my humble opinion anything that keeps interest and mk1s on the road is good. The more interest the better!

bit off topic but there ya go

First up 'freeloader' is a bit of an emotive term and you need to think about your terminology. Much of the advice and knowledge on this forum is given to members for free from so-called 'freeloaders'
Well said me olde chum couldnt have said better.
Using this terminology sounds like you making people out to be scroungers. :?
Hows about putting the car in gear before puttin you foot on the loud peddle.
If you pay up or not your only gonna visit the site if your passionate about  the mk1.
I myself say it gotta be worth the ?20 just for the discounts never mind the show or advice you will recieve.

Without stiring anything up here , its only ?20 were talikin about , i only joind up less than 3 weeks ago , so i wont get a full years either .

?20 , its cheaper than a round of drinks or an oil service , and if all the users become members itll help theh cause were all so interisted in .

I wouldnt pay ?20 quid to join no-rice , edition 38 , vw vortex etc because its not as one cause dedicated as this site .

Come on people  

Folks,

Will respond to this thread myself soon-ish, but have a lot to do in the next couple of days. Keep discussing for the time being.

Cheers,

Drew.

yep tis only ?20, ive saved that in advice easily, in fact my car would have probably been donated to scrap due to my previous lack of knowledge,
you cant have an open forum and then call people who use it 'freeloaders'

if the club needs more funds then put up a thread asking for cash!!

please dont let this go down the route its heading down , itll be the beginning of the end as said b4, like cgti.

i payed to keep this club going, nothing id free in this world

anyone who hasnt payed probably will later im sure.

peace yall
dave

I haven't joined and do take offence at the word "Freeloader", its a bit strong I feel.

Club GTI forum is a free posting section so you can post freely although earlier in this topic someone said you haev to be a member of the club.
 I was once a member of this club for over 10 years, but politics and internal bickering both on and off the forum by a few made me not renew my membership and in all honesty I am not likely to again as I am done with jumped up oiks trying to rule and bully people into submission.

I will at some point join the MK1 club when I believe that I personally get VFM, which for me does not just include posting on a forum, a few stickers and meetings every month. This IS NOT A DIG At any of the committe members, they all do a cracking job and I take my hat off to these Guys as I know how much time and effort htis takes and also to keep the website running (Especially when you have a family to consider as well - it takes a LOT of juggling).
Discount with Suppliers - I have that already;
Discount on Insurance - I'm too old now to probably get that much more off!!;
Stickers - we make stickers so can knock out what I need when I need it;

A great bunch of OPEN minded people - Yep we ceratinly have that here willing to help each others when required - Lets keep it taht way and let people make their own decisions - we "Freeloaders" will eventually join, we just need the time to take the leap  :wink:

For me personally the bit thats missing os the magazine side of things, that would clearly be orientated around the bets car in the world. that would seal my ?20 guys, I knwo the club is small but Club GTI used to produce a single page B &  W printed newsletter to start with till it grew to the size where B & W multipage was possible and then into Colour.

Anothe roption for money makingn and this could go against the grain, sell the members list to a marketing company, wil lmaek a few bob for  a few emails adresses if needs be. :wink:

I'll await the barrage of abuse, or as normal no bugger will post after me, which appears to be a trend on here sometimes.  

Oops - and perhaps I have a thing abotu this stil lbe biased to Campaign MK1's, contraversial I know but had to be said. PS: sorry for the typos :wink:

I propose debate on this subject is postponed until Drew comments.

Before we all go getting hot under the collar we need to ascertain whether theres a problem or not, that's logical right.

Are we short of funds? Drew to answer.

If not then
Do any of the payers resent non payers?

If they do, we can have a members meeting in the members only section to decide what to do, if anything.

Sorted.

EDIT, and believe me I am biting my tounge to hold back my opinion!

Peter.

When I began this thread, I chose my words very carefully in order to elicit a lively debate over the current lack of funding which is preventing this club moving forward. If those who fail to contribute financially are offended by the tone of the language, then that is their problem but not the club's.

Taking the forum aside what is the future of the club? Without a sound financial base, c120 members provide an income of ?2.4k, hardly enough to provide for any future or current project. Until the club has a sound financial base, it has no future other than the forum, is that the limit of the club's aspirations?  With a sound financial base the marque needs to be supported and as VAG ceases production of certain spares, the club will want to commission their replacement.

If the club is to have any future other than the forum, it needs to get its financial affairs in order and if my provocative words have had their desired effect, then I have succeeded.

Any suggestion that I have no right to put forward any opinion because I pay my subscription is somewhat strange but to be expected under the circumstances. As far as my Golf-owning pedigree is concerned, I was driving a Golf before most of the forum members went to kindergarten.

You need to learn some manners old man.

Peter.

TimHale said

 With a sound financial base the marque needs to be supported and as VAG ceases production of certain spares, the club will want to commission their replacement.

When finished there wont be alot of VW Mk1 Golf left of my car, so this does not really concern me.

I havent been to any meets or displayed at any shows as my car isnt at all roadworthy, so neither does that concern me. As other people have said, maybe when I have the car to show then I may join, but only when the year starts.

Tim, when you started this topic part of your arguement was the knowledge on here, you now knock Stew for reminding you that alot of this comes from non payers.

As I see it at the moment there is more bad feeling in this topic towards TIM HALE than to the non paying. Good on the forum.

TIM HALE… I'd keep quiet if I was you.

As expected, the thread devolves into personal rebuke rather than the content.

Yeah, I'm going to take my own advice and wait till Drew sorts this one.

Peter.

P.S

You can tell if someone is a member  

BUT

How would you know if someone has made a donation

TimHale said

 If those who fail to contribute financially are offended by the tone of the language, then that is their problem but not the club's.

Yes, but the club and Tim Hale are not the same thing are they ?  The language is yours unless you have been voted 'official mouthpiece' or something (?)

As for personal rebuke, you started this thread 'on the attack' by using terms such as freeloader. If you talk down to someone, expect them to defend themselves. You are coming across as a bully here Tim, and I'm not sure you have the weight to succeed. You may, however, cause damage in scaring some new browsers away.

I don't begrudge the non paying posters, I have had good advice from everybody and really appreciate it. I became a paid member because I felt guilty as I was using the forum so much and others had paid and I hadn't. I think it should be down to the conscience of the individual.
Also I think that being part of an owners club is something to be proud of. When (If ever) we come to sell our cars it is a bonus as it gives more confidence to the buyer.
I'd rather buy a car from someone in the owners club than a random person.
When people look at my car in Garages etc they always comment on the fact I'm in the owners club as I have my sticker in pride of place above my tax disc