(sigh) as well...but hey, whatever, as long as no one forces me to pay haha.

 

Congrats on the sale Mark. On the surface, this looks like this could be a good move for all involved. Time will tell!

As a business owner, I can certainly appreciate the how tough the decision process must have been to sell your baby...

-Ed

 

The question has been asked, what will change?

Other than Mark being freed up to do some additional development and the prospect of cars.com being advertised on NAM, I really don't foresee much real change on NAM for the members. (FWIW, I have known about this for a while, but I am no longer an Admin or a moderator on NAM.)

If it were me and not Mark, I would have probably shut down the MCO server a long time ago. Frankly it's not worth the headache (for me). That said, I'm glad it was worth the headache to someone.

For all that has been wrong with NAM at different points (and there has been, and I'll be the 2nd to admit that, Mark would be the 1st), for all of that, I give Mark huge credit for starting a North American MINI site and having the foresight to start working on it in 2001 AND for continuing with NAM when BMW legal got all wound up over MINI COOPER ONLINE (the original name for NAM for those that recently joined).

Face it back in 2001 Roadfly was "the" source for North American information on the MINI. Credit to Mark, NAM kicked Roadfly off the map in the MINI world. For those that were there in 2001/2002, when was the last time you were on the Roadfly MINI forums? Were they frustrating to read formatwise? You bet. Were they difficult to read through to find valuable information (or to even find the newest post)? You bet.

As much as bashing NAM may be popular and at times (too) easy, you have to admit Mark pulled off what we all are looking back on thinking... damn, it was so obvious, why didn't I think of that and capitalize on it?

(JMO)
Dave

 

There goes the neighborhood.

 

Dave

Roadfly

 

Mark =

INET =

I'm the suspicious type.
Thanks for all your efforts Mark, and addressing current concerns.
Long live MCO.

 

I'd like to be encouraged by all the almost nothing will change talk (except it sounds like bitching about vendors will soon be censored), but, I've heard that before, right before the new owners turned everything upside down.

 

Being an active forum member on (2) forums that have been taken over by Internet brands, I can say I've seen a few changes but none of them really detrimental. At Audiworld, on the TT forum all moderation has ceased to exist, but we're a pretty mature and well behaved group over there these days...so no big deal. On the Corvette forum, virtually any vendor criticism or mention of comparable parts by non-supporting vendors is pretty promptly deleted. I haven't been there that long, but that seemed to be the case prior to the take-over. The Moderators are numerous and active (old guys with nothing else to do). Hard to tell what the future holds for NAM...

 

As a NAM member for over 2 years and a vendor for the last 3 months, I welcome the changes and look forward to the improvements Mark is working on for all of us to enjoy NAM more.

 

I want to further clarify one point that some people still may not fully understand. It has specifically to do with this point that Mark made:I want to make it crystal clear that the current experience on NAM that everyone enjoys will remain the same and still be free of charge.

What Mark was referring to is a new, optional program that will give additional perks in addition to the current site access.

Therefore, if you are happy with what you have on NAM now, don't be worried about it, you will continue to enjoy it as-is, for free.

That's it! Relax.

 

I stand by my post........you in fact do not own a MINI.

 

Yes, but he did own a MINI before he bought his Mini. So what's the point??

 

He did? I didn't know....

 

Yeah, good luck trying to search for any threads discussing Mark's MINI because the word "mark" is used everywhere...but here's an old thread with DiD referring to Mark's Cooper S.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...41&postcount=2

 

Weather or not.... I don't see anyone else putting in the effort or the time to create and run this site. Am I sad to see again Big Co. eating up all the smaller passionate companies? HELL YES. What it comes down to is the fact Mark has given all of us across an entire continent (and then some) a place to gather, learn, have fun etc. I too can only hope that it all stays the same for this is an incredible site. I am worried about about Pop ups too.. But until someone else steps up and creates (from scratch) a site as good as NAM & Organizes an event like the DRAGON.... (As my friend in Australlia would say...) " PISSOFF "
I, myself, can only thank Mark for all the help he has offered to my club and to make me feel at home here at NAM. I have never met Mark but I feel confident in saying he has thought about it and it was a good decission.

Right now there is allot of ASSUME (ing) goin on... an old but true saying sum's it up ... " ASSUME makes an *** out of U & ME. Think then speak.

So Jah, get busy and get building on you wonder site. I'll come check it out when you are done Make sure if someone wants to buy it from you you say no.

Till then I think I'll stay right here

*** Disclaimer.... I myself hate the WALMART Mentality of Corp USA too...
just remember the one's who Publicly ***** the most are usally the one who shop there most frequently. ***

 

I can confirm too that Mark did have an electric blue MCS at one point. It was a regular attendee at various MINI5280 events including when TechTV filmed a segment (during which I had a two second sound bite ) on how Mark was being forced to give up the MINICooperOnline domain name.

 

Here's Mark behind the wheel of his 2002 EB/W R53...



...yeah, I had to dig deep for this one.

 

 

My only concern is that we will cease to hear about new and innovative products unless they come from supporting vendors.

I'm keping an eye on INET... today its trading at $8.31, it was around $6 in early January.

Looking forward to the new features of the membership program!

 

Here's my change of ownership wish list:

One of the things I've really appreciated about NAM is that it's well-moderated. It's been a comfortable place to sit and visit despite the *ahem* hormone influenced competetive udercurrent that's sure to be a part of any automotive forum. I hope the moderaters and moderation standards will remain.

I also hope the moderaters will get some compensation for their time and efforts (if they aren't already).

Most of NAM's vendors appear to be smaller operations, some of which got their start right here in this community. I hope the new guys land one or two big accounts so they can continue to offer the full array of user services (such as PM'ing options, etc) without charge.

I hope NAM will continue to offer space and other support to local MINI clubs and events.

The other site I frequent periodically gives cash awards, to be spent with vendors, to a few members who make a positive contribution to the site, in terms of the volume and quantity of the posts. A gift of $1000 that can only be spent on jewelry -- or in this case, MINI stuff. That would be cool!

OK, that other site had less of a non-EO hormonal component... hmm...

Mark... thanks for the contribution you've made to the MINI community through NAM. Don't be a stranger!

 

First, something I posted in another thread a few days ago;

""When I was first asked by Mark Ferguson to be the Coordinator/Moderator of the Canada/Manitoba forums, I was honored to be able to help with a site that brought the MINI community to me in the rather remote, back water area I lived in at the time. For the most part the only MINI I saw were pictures I took of mine Google Sandy Hook, Manitoba, it's WAY up there

I still enjoy my role here on NAM, helping new members learn the ropes, answering members tech questions, mostly cold weather ones, again check out were I'm from,
or anything the site needs that I can offer input.

Now when threads/posts show division of the community that means so much to me come up, I tend to hover/lurk/watch them. I try to let my blood return to a simmer after a rolling boil before I post to them if I find something upsetting, but not always, and I apologize for that.""

Now to add some thoughts to that.

Not only did this site connect me to the MINI world, I have met some wonderful people here, both in person, and as on-line friends. First and foremost, my wife

My background has nothing to do with computers, I bought one, got connected to the inter web, found NAM, and figured it out on my own. How to type, well sort of, my speling and grammour sekills still need lots of work. But have improved since those early days here on what was MCO. I can now copy and paste without scissors, post photos, know when I'm uploading, that downloading is incoming, and rebooting has nothing to do with tying knots.

All this and more I have learned because of this site, and I'm sorry to all those that had to endure me figuring it out

As I said, I still enjoy my role here on NAM. Mostly it involves housekeeping, moving threads to where they should be, merging common threads, deleting duplicate threads.Easy, piece of cake kind of work.

Now there is the other side of moderation, making sure threads/posts conform to the guidelines, keeping things civil in threads that tend to generate high emotion. This can lead one to bash their forehead onto the keyboard, but it needs to be done for the sake of the members, and the life of the site.

I trust Mark, this site is his baby, and I for one feel he will make sure that it continues to support the members, the vendors that support it, and the general MINI community.

I know, not one of my normal pithy posts, but one that I feel a need to say.

Mark

 

MCO! That's one I haven't heard in quite a while.

RoadFly?
I better drink another beer.

 

All I care about is... do we get custom avatars?

 

<Yoda> Part of the optional "premium" member program, they will be, Mmmm. </Yoda>

 

If things began to change around here because of our new overseers, I'd get pretty pithed.