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Time for Change

Skwerly

NAXJA Forum User
I’m truly and honestly not going to make this a whine thread. Those of you who have met me will know that it is not.

I’ve been a good standing, red member since Jan of 2007. I have organized runs, I have been at all but one SoCalFest, I have been to a grip of work/lift parties, I have donated to raffles, and I have supported more than a few NAXJA vendors and non-vendors along the way with some pretty big coin. Right, Rob and JeeperJohn?

I have been very actively involved in discussions, have never been asked to change the subject or watch my mouth, I was nominated for chapter president just this year, and I have personally recruited members to the club who otherwise had never heard of NAXJA. I’m not a sideline member or lurker; I’m in the heart of things, and this club has been important to me over the years. :)

There have been issues in the past, of course, but now this vendor stuff is irking me a little. I’m going to say what is on my mind because that’s what I do. The intention of this thread is NOT to start any flame wars or hurt anyone, that much I can guarantee. I’m a stand up guy, and I can recognize BS when I see it.

NAXJA is not a political party. It is not a dictatorship. It is not a hierarchy. It is not Romper Room. We all understand that there are rules in place for specific reasons, such as protecting interests and all that. I get it. I really do. I’ve never purposely tried to go around any rule.

But, there exist fine lines where rules become nitpicking, which becomes offended people and money LOST for the club. This thread and my thoughts here are not specifically about Rob or specifically about someone bitching about my stories being advertised here (thanks, bro!), but they are great places to start.

I personally know at least two members who are not going to stay red because of my stories being booted off the forum, and lawzy knows how much money NAXJA will lose for treating Rob like dirt. For a locker strength test video? For realsies? C’mon, now, just admit the power trip and come clean.

To date, I’ve made only a few dollars on my Amazon stories. I’m not trying to ‘make a buck’ here, I’m trying to share my work with my Jeep buds, they just happen to literally cost one dollar. I do plan on offering some free works, and I’ll advertise those here, you can bet on it.

But, if I can sell a tire or a welder here, why not a story? Granted, it wasn’t posted in the For Sale section, because they really don’t fit there. But, isn’t every non-vendor who advertises something for sale and makes the sale effectively making money through NAXJA? Someone had better explain that one to me, in a hurry, or my stories are going in the For Sale section. :D

When I joined in 2007, this club kicked some major ass. For the next two years, I was involved in hundreds of runs, campouts, etc, and made a ton of friends. I’d never seen a cooler place, and that’s gospel. I felt right at home.

Then, somewhere around 2010, the place seemed to start going to the dump. Management was lazy and/or nonexistent, the dismal amount of runs posted were unexciting to say the least, and there were more whine threads than Jeep threads. It has pretty much stayed that way ever since.

My question is simple: If most and/or all the members are griping about something being wrong, and those in charge ignore them, what has NAXJA come to? I’ve seen more organization at Cub Scout meetings.

We are the biggest chapter, by far, in the entire club, and there is what – ONE official run every year? Wee. In SoCal, it’s hard to travel twenty miles without passing some trailhead or other, and yet this chapter cannot seem to find but one event per year. Interedasting.

I’d really like to see more proactive management. I know it isn’t easy, and I know some things are just impossible but trust me, here: If you can all get together and decide on very important issues like if the word ‘shit’ is allowed, you can figure out how the hell to work it so sponsors and members can have a little more actual club freedom.

[FONT=&quot]/rant [/FONT]
 
I’d really like to see more proactive management. I know it isn’t easy, and I know some things are just impossible but trust me, here: If you can all get together and decide on very important issues like if the word ‘shit’ is allowed, you can figure out how the hell to work it so sponsors and members can have a little more actual club freedom.

[FONT=&quot]/rant [/FONT]

Nope, cant do that either...:hang:
 
i know i'm going to get s**t on for this, but selling a used tire carrier or welder is in no way shape or form even related to a vendor selling product for financial gain. until you own a business where you have to spend tens of thousands on advertising, you probably wont understand it. imagine spending 10k on a billboard that says "100 widgets for $100", and someone goes up in the middle of the night and throws a banner under it for free that says "ill do it for $98" and doesnt pay a penny for it. pretty sure you'd understand then.
 
No, I get that, I truly do. That doesn't change the fact that Rob is a stand up guy who has a successful business because he's doing things right, and is no longer a vendor here.

I'm just saying that more than a few people have issues with things around here, and it's time they were addressed, for good or for bad.
 
Nor about me, or anyone in specific. It's about the way things are around here, and the fact that NOBODY likes it. Not a single person.

I agree with pretty much everything on your first post. I have a lot of thoughts but as a vendor I try to stay out of it as much as possible. I will continue to be a vendor but not sure if I will always renew my personal membership.
 
Well said.

Hope my comments made in jest were not taken literally.

All together things are way to tense around here.

Too many jokers who think they are funny when they aren't. Too many people thinking every rule needs to be written in stone with no wiggle room.

!!!1
:dunce:
 
Im a joker, I know Im funny, and the rules do need to be set in stone so there are no questions later.
 
Ya know what's funny is even my wife, who runs a law firm ranked in the top 5 in the USA for complex business lit. and also has a business degree, and a personal assistant to a man that has been rated one of the most powerful attorneys in the USA, he's even on the front page of this months OC Metro mag, And.. Well you get the point.

She tells me "@*%# Them" when I brought up the KOH sponsorship request being turned down (last year) because I was a vendor here, yes I gave money, so they cant give back. And then again last year at so cal fest, and then again at this video ordeal. And yet, she is the most effective Networking, and sane person I know. Representing the Law Firm at parties on the average of $50-100K a pop and with nothing but Senators, Top attorneys, federal and superior judges etc, I kind of get an idea that there's a reason such a reasonable and responsible person thinks this...

I Understand exactly where Skwerly is coming from. I just sit back and wait...

I hope that I am Not the cause of this thread, and only a big bright LED that lit up and made Skwerlys brain have to type.

I Am In for 2 or even 3 So Cal Runs. I have the BEST Drivetrain company there is, on board to advertise, I mean, GIVE product away. I do mean the best! Just come out from under your rock if you dont think so, and look at ALL the different forms of racing at the on road tracks, off road tracks, 1/4 diesel races, mud races, etc. They give and support what this forum is based on, the off road and all racing type enthusiast. You will Not see ANY other company giving like Yukon does. Ask your beloved Stock class XJ and their 24hr lemons XJ about how easy it was for them to get product from Yukon and for way below cost or free. Yes I am Proud to be in so good with Yukon. And I try to bring that here to , the perks that is. Ok, ok... Again I am getting off track. And that's a flaw for sure..

I just hope that we can have the So cal forum we did back a few years ago, at some point again. But then talk/type is cheap...
 
Posting as a new guy, so who knows if my opinion matters but here goes. I became a red member before I even had an XJ, found my XJ from a person on here, and I've rarely been back except to trouble shoot some stuff and look for deals on parts. Why? because this seems like a forum for a bunch of winers instead of people that just want to go out and have fun. The last thread I read was about whether or not the word s**t was allowed. Seriously? I understand wanting to censor and keeping things on point, but I've never been on a forum where the concern over one barely curse word was such a problem. Most forums are self-regulating and if someone gets ridiculous, they'll be reported or a mod will take care of them. What's with these rules? Get over it!

Naturally, I haven't been here enough to know about whatever's going on with the vendor stuff, but given the track record, I'm sure it's along the same lines as the s**t discussion. I really wish this place would stop focusing on such piddly little nonsense and start having fun. I joined based off of prior knowledge and recommendations that this was the place to be for wheeling XJ's. Now, I probably won't bother renewing my membership.
 
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