I could discuss the pleasures of owning a MINI with other enthusiast. My order was placed yesterday and how the board has changed in a week. I agree the guy who runs this board shouldn't have to change the board name......but GEEZ, it's only a car and a website. Save your hatred for something more deserving.

In order to my maintain my good feelings about my Mini on the way I guess I'll take a break from this site for awhile. I want to be here though so I'll check back after a while and see if the upbeat tone has returned.

Of course everybody hasn't jumped of the hate bandwagon but it's enough to completely change the cheery, upbeat feel of only a week ago.


Bye yall,

See you later

Robert,

I hope you haven't left just yet. I'm also pretty new to the boards, but I'm not about to leave. These people are very passionate about their cars, and are VERY upset at the moment. Some are jumping off the deep end, some are posting their concerns hoping it turns out for the best, and some are motoring on as they say.


I see it as a bit of a learning experience. For every person who's about to tear off their MINI badge, there's one who can't wait until their MINI arrives. I hope you stick around and watch this drama unfold. It's better than anything on TV right now.

If you get discouraged, head over to the Off-topic forum. There always seems to be some lively discussion over there.

In the meantime...Motor on.

Raj

Sorry to see you (or anyone interested in minis) leave - even if only for awhile ...
... i have noticed that since this news broke this week, the '5 recent topics' list has continued to include all things 'MINI' and not just the news from the corporate BS wars - life goes on and minis continue to be modded and babies continue to be born (well, almost - sorry Babs!) ...
Hurry back, Robert, and don't forget that this site is what We make it ...

Dear Robert:
As discussed in our PM to you, YES the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. And YES, it is indeed grossly unfortunate that BMW/Mini are apparently will to lose the one thing that makes their car so unique. It isn't design, it isn't innovation, it isn't price or value and it isn't any of the usual "car things". It is in fact the crazed enthusiasm of the new and potentially new owners of the recently reintroduced and titled NEW MINI.

And further it is a shame that this enthusiam, unchanneled and out of control, has precipitated a group who carry their efforts to an extreme and spew more venom than reason, more hatred than helpfulness. But Robert, don't let the few get you down. This issue will be resolved, whether we appreciate the result or villify BMW/Mini for their attempt to protect a trademark. It would be a shame for them to become too obsessive, but hopefully all the involved parties will come to their senses before too much damage has occurred.

Enjoy your purchase and enjoy the pleasure of reading about how your new baby is manufactured and transported. Rejoice in waiting for it to be assigned to a boat and trace it across the ocean to SC. None of this demeans or devalues the car or your choice, simply depresses some of our mutual exhuberance. This is a problem for BMW, not the owners. Hang in there, kid!

There's still plenty of other topics being discussed - stick with those threads.

MINI owners are indeed passionate, and can react strongly to some situations. A while ago some here were up in arms because MINI announced they plan to change the fluid in the shocks to give a softer ride. Now the subject never even comes up anymore.

Just wait it out...

Hang in there, kid!


This is what's great. You post the above quote, and if I'm not mistaken Robert's in his 60's.

It just goes to show you're never too old!

And it gives this 28 y/o tons of hope for the future.

Raj

Robert,
I personally encourage you to hang around. I'm in the center of this unbelievable storm and I'm confident that it will pass. As others have mentioned there are lots of other forums and threads to learn from here on the site. Take some time and read through all the posts we offer and I believe you'll see why the MINI has such a passionate following.

Best regards,

Mark Ferguson

Mark,
Thanks for posting your perspective.
I agree too that the tone of MCO has changed but it is up to all of us to be responsible for what we do have. I have no plans to leave and I look forward to
your posts.

Maybe we should look back and see what really funny threads we can find from the past. Let's say it's got to be at least a year old. L.mini had started a bunch of really funny ones. Start your search engines, Ready set go! RRRRRRRR!

Robert,
Thanks for voicing your opinion- it keeps us honest to consider your viewpoint. Sometimes it is not as easy to see something when it is staring you right in the face. Like all problems we hope that this one blows over in due time. We will keep working to make MCO a better place. In the end it all boils down to people- good people, maybe good crazy people. Maybe just crazy people who drive MINIs.

One of those is probably correct. Which one I haven't got a clue.

__________________________________________________ ____________________________
"but GEEZ, it's only a car and a website."
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Stick arround, we need more reasonable folks like you here to even out the ones with "Lifestyle" issues.

Well, I guess I'm not a man of my word, but I had to read your replies. Thanks for being nice to the old guy.

Mark, I understand how important the name issue is to you, considering the hard work that goes into maintaining a website as sophisticated as this one. I hope the problem is resolved in your favor and I signed your petition. I was also wondering if the mini skirt was on BMW's list of unusable words. Some of my best memories from school are the lovely ladies wearing this English invention.

Anyway, car's on the way and everything will be OK.

Robert

People will get over it with time.

iwannmini....DON'T GO! You are such a nice guy and we would miss you. :smile:
I can already tell that the tension is dying down a little and that's good....I can admit that it made me a little uneasy as well. In time this will pass as everyone gets used to what is going on. Different people deal with things differently and some people may have gotten a little more heated than usual.

Either way...your questions and opinions are highly valued on this site. Just remember that. :smile:

">>I can already tell that the tension is dying down a little and that's good....."
Oh my. I feel the tension mounting....

I got quickly tired of all the ranting and just starting going only to the performance and mods forums. I think it would look much nicer if everyone would go back to their original sigs with pis and so forth and nix the "motoring" satirical ads. I really doubt those are going to do Mark any good and everytime a visitor or new owner stops by to look they see a lot of owners who look very dissatisfied. That is not good for the site or for the future of the cars we love. Hang around thoug iwannmini, the other sections of this site have great info.

I have lately avoided the MINI talk board entirely, it's just too tense. I also think the moderators have become too heavyhanded. For instance, I posted a notification in MINI talk about this years NFL: pickem pool. I realize that it's not discussion of the MINI itself, but I figured the MINI talk board was much more heavily traveled, and some of the people who never get over to Off Topic might enjoy participating. Well, the heavyhanded censors deleted it within 60 seconds.

Way to promote having fun, mods. No wonder this site is going down the tubes. Between the anger at BMW and the power-crazy mods, I find myself coming back here less and less. I knew it was trouble when they started locking threads in Off-Topic for being "too off-topic". Some of these mods need to be reigned in.

>>I got quickly tired of all the ranting and just starting going only to the performance and mods forums. I think it would look much nicer if everyone would go back to their original sigs with pis and so forth and nix the "motoring" satirical ads. I really doubt those are going to do Mark any good and everytime a visitor or new owner stops by to look they see a lot of owners who look very dissatisfied. That is not good for the site or for the future of the cars we love. Hang around thoug iwannmini, the other sections of this site have great info.

But gee...I think a whole bunch of owners are "dissatisfied." I think
the "litigation" issue has just made some people think more about
the problems they've had and focus less on how 'cute' the car is or
how well it handles. A car that handles like crazy doesn't if it is
'in for repair.'

I really hope that I haven't been to heavy handed. :smile:

As far as OT goes and the amount it's travelled to compared to MINI Talk...I think that's attributed to the fact it was removed from the top 5 active forums list. I love me some Off Topic...so that made me a sad, sad L.Mini.

What I think is a scream is that isn't this the week that started out with the "Will Somebody Please Post Something" thread? My how things change! That's the great thing about MCO. There's something for almost everybody...someone had a baby...somebody did a new mod...somebody is hacked at BMW...somebody tried a new flavor of POP Tarts,...(edit) someone got a GRAY HAIR, etc, etc! This is a very interesting place with interesting people and, for this reason only, it is a great place to return to. And as scooterboy said...its true, while one section of MCO was incensed over the BMW thing...another section was happily discussing mods. So if a thread get you down, move onto something else for awhile. In the end, we're all here to have fun and you should be with us!!!!!!!

'03 IB/W Cooper

Don't forget my gray hair!!!!!!

>>...somebody tried a new flavor of POP Tarts, etc, etc!

There's a new flavor of POP Tart? I missed the memo on that one.

L, I made en edit just for you!

I loved the motorin spirit of this place before I got my MINI. I appreciate modifying the car and getting the last ounce of perfermance from your car, but sometimes it seems that unless you ditch the runflats and get rid of the S lites, etc. Well you just don't have a clue. I think most car owners, even of the MINI are not going to AutoX their cars or track them. While I would love to drive my MINI on the track realistically if it happens it would be a most infrequent thing. Hardly a reason for me to build my car up for everyday. Again, I hope that more of the spirit of our shared passion for our MINI and less of our fights against the evil corporation would be good.

I am truly sorry about the silly view of BMW/MINI regarding the name of this site. Especially, since this site has helped sell a lot of MINI Coopers. I for one, would not have bought my MINI Cooper S had I not visited this site and got swept up in the passion. The fellowship with my fellow can't wait for marchers was wonderful. I think it was one of the great online moments of my life. I love that feeling, that I unfortunately don't get as often on my visits to MCO. I hope this mess is resolved, but no matter what you call this site, as long as when people surf the web and can find this when they look for forums on the MINI Cooper the name will not matter.

JMHO YMMV

jc :smile:

>>L, I made en edit just for you! :smile:

Hummmm....someone hasn't been reading the spineless jellyfish thread.

Hmm, I'm not a frequent contributor to this site as I spend most of my time over at MINI2.com. It's interesting to come here and see how different the general attitude is. I understand the reasons, and realize this is a fairly new thing, but reading these posts really makes me wonder.

"Can't we all just get a long?" quoting a certain infamous man in Los Angeles.

Time will tell, and things will be back to normal unless you give in. I've been in the middle of something like this before with another company. The only solution is to hang tight, and continue the same camraderie. Don't let politics win over the friendships and bonds that have been built.