Stopping non club members posting !

[CompoSimmonite]

I've had the following email -

"Dear Marlin forum user,

I am sending you this email because you have used the Marlin Owners Club website within the last 3 years. Our records do not currently show you as a club member.

In the past the club has allowed former members to continue to use the forums. We introduced a new membership system last year that automates the regulation of membership. As part of the new system previous members will not be able to make posts, however everybody is able to read the forum."

Looks like I'll be saying goodbye to everybody as no way will I rejoin the club just to be able to post on the forum !

[Michael Turpin]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

I had always assumed that all posters were members and the majority of readers were members, as the cost is only minimal at £15/yr and benefits are well worth the cost and why would former members be interested anyway assuming they no longer have an interest in Marlins.

[milliemarlin]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

I’m sorry that you feel unable to join us. You are a frequent forum contributor. The web site is primarily paid for through membership subscription. We should not be compared with web sites that are funded through advertising.

Is there anything that would add sufficient value to allow you to justify re-joining?
Paul

[David]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

A) is there a way to check if we have a current membership via the web site or forums?
B) are reminders sent out before we 'expire'?
C) can we renew online?

Just my opinion on this but in my view the forums should be used to attract members and be a resource for anyone interested in Marlins, this is best achieved by allowing access to read and write to all. But I appreciate I'm probably in the minority wanting an inclusive setup as most clubs appear to do the 'exclusive' thing.

The end result is usually a lack of new members as it's impossible to test the water first, ask for help buying a car, etc etc, end result is they don't buy a Marlin, so they don't join the club.

I had this exact problem when I returned to the UK in 2010, I was looking for a classic of some sort but had the chicken and egg problem, I wasn't a member so I couldn't find out what was for sale or ask for assistance, with several car clubs. I ended up with a Marlin for a large part because the club forums were open for read and write, so having a car, I joined (well re-joined).

This is probably a big can of worms, so I apologise in advance for opening it!

David.

[milliemarlin]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

The quickest way to see if you are a member is to look on the left of any posts. It gives the posters status. For example:

David
frequent forum contributor
Club Member

The best way to check and revise your own details is through the “Main Website”.

You can access your page by going to "CLUB MEMBERSHIP". Clicking on the "here" in "If you are an existing member and wish to look at your membership details or renew subs please click here."

http://www.marlinownersclub.com/members/member

Your active subscriptions are listed.

I recommend everybody to verify their information by clicking on "Edit your details".

As you may know not everybody has been added to the database, a problem that I currently wrestling with.

The main reason that non-members are to be excluded is because by automating the system the computer will look to see if your subscription is active and allow access based on that. There is no slightly active mode. I am trying to contact everyone affected by the change. It is difficult because often the only thing I have is an email address and that can be out of date. This is also a major problem in trying to reconcile the various databases. It is principally ex-members that are affected.

The website is one of the clubs biggest expenses. I have no way to know how many people read the website. But only a few members contribute. A similar number of non-members contribute. So far most people contacted recognise the clubs value and have signed up.

I am a bit saddened that people, not necessarily anyone in this thread, who seem to get quite a lot from the website do not want to contribute to our club.
Paul

[stephenlilley]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

I have tried to access the Members only site and for some reason I am not allowed. Can you tell me why? I am a fully paid up member.
Thanks
Steve Lilley

[stephenlilley]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Crikey !!! I am apparently not a (Club member)

[stevejgreen]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

I have long campaigned for an open forum, making information available to any interested party.

This sounds as though the club forum is going backwards and not looking to the future and the expectations of potential club members, however likely or unlikely that they will join.
The fact is that though some people may not be club members, they are forum contributors, making the forum more active and interesting, bringing different ideas to the Marlin community and by extension, the club?

This is especially relevant to the Marina Roadster owners the majority Marlin marque, Triumph are well served by a worldwide community, Ford similarly so, and the later more modern BMW community is strong.

Take as an example the FastMarina forum. It is not funded directly by the Morris Marina Owners Club, nor by direct advertising, its funded primarily by donation. Yet they welcome anyone with an interest in Marinas, everyone has the same access rights.
Many Marina Roadster owners can be found there, as it's a great source of knowledge, freely available.
By limiting access to the MOC forum, are the club pushing contributors away towards where they can get similar but free advice.


The MOC's ambition should be to attract new members, not to discourage them. It is beyond time to review this closed minded policy.

[stephenlilley]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Can the powers that be tell me why I am not a club member, I have paid my subs, my membership number is 11/045. Do I have to pay more to access the membership details?. I am feeling pretty hacked off at the moment.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Can the powers that be tell me why I am not a club member, I have paid my subs, my membership number is 11/045. Do I have to pay more to access the membership details?. I am feeling pretty hacked off at the moment.

Another one that slipped through the net. Apparently the Treasurer agreed to fund someone to go through the database in May 2016.
I guess they either paid too much, or never actually tasked someome to do the job.

But it's interesting to note that not many people seem to use the Members only area. I wonder just how many do, but of course that will only show how many accessed it successfully, not how many people were denied.

[milliemarlin]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Can the powers that be tell me why I am not a club member, I have paid my subs, my membership number is 11/045. Do I have to pay more to access the membership details?. I am feeling pretty hacked off at the moment.

Hi Stephen,
Sorry to see you were having problems. I have fixed your membership; you should have the correct access now.
If anybody else is having problems please contact me.
I volunteered to fix the database problems. I know I’m not the best but I am conscientious and cheap.
Paul

[stephenlilley]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Thanks Paul.

[seasider790]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Just a quick comment on this subject from a slightly different perspective - I've recently sold my Marlin and I have no intention of buying another. I was expecting to soon get a membership renewal notice, which I was intending to decline. What I hadn't remembered was that when paying with PayPal a year ago, I had agreed to automatic renewal, so the first notification I got was to say that the money had been paid and my membership is renewed for another year. It's not a big deal as it's only £15 and the magazine and forum do make for some interesting reading, but it's just something for anyone in a similar position to me to be aware of. I've now gone onto the PayPal website and cancelled the instruction to prevent payment again next year.

[Sportster-Green]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

i´m owning several kitcars....and they even change regulary. so, if i would pay to every club/forum a membership-fee, i would be poor.

sorry folks, if i need to pay, my knowledge will be not accesable anymore for the club-members unless i get paid , too.

due to the new regulations I wouldnt have access anymore to my old posts for e.g. modifying, correcting etc.
i think this is against the right of "the own spoken / written word", consecutvively i legally need to insist that all my posts need to be removed when the new regulation comes into force.

[cabrioman]

Re: Stopping non club members posting !

Paul

From my perspective I have been a long term Marlin owner, some years a paid up member and other years not, I have not renewed my membership as I simply don't make use of the social aspect of the club and I don't want or need a magazine. I use the forum as an interesting browse and I post where I can provide help and advice having rebuilt my Hunter from a bare sandblasted chassis.

I recently sold a spare upper wishbone for a Hunter to a club member for peanuts simply to help the club member put the car back on the road after a major accident. I did that because I felt part of the Marlin community, all be it not fee paying, not because I wanted or needed to sell the unobtainable component I had kept for a rainy day.

Likewise Mike Garner pioneered major brake upgrades that have benifitted tens of Marlin owners but the technical shakedown of this was driven through the non fee paying madaboutkitcars forum.

The point I am trying to make as a person who has spent his working life in IT, is in this world of online forums and communication, the exchange of ideas should not be limited by an outdated fee based forum. By all means stop non fee paying members access to classifieds , magazine copies etc.. but to limit the free exchange of ideas by people interested in the Marlin brand I think inevitably will lead to a significant reduction in interest and ownership of the Marlin brand over the long term, not something any of us would want to see.

For me the cost of the membership is insignificant and as a gesture I will renew my fees for the comming year, but for people thinking of entering into Marlin car ownership it could be the difference between becomming a Marlin owner or not.

Just my views

Regards

John