Discussion
I am L7C member and find BlatChat and its contributors very useful and helpful - there is a lot of knowledge and experience there - for 7-related and, especially, other stuff. I go to the odd local meeting but not that often.
I also post occasionally on 7-DNA and had a particularly enjoyable evening that ended in a lah-dee-dah curry house in town with Eugene
et al earlier in the year 
(time for another....?)
As you can see I also read and contribute occasionally to Pistonheads...
As a comparative newbie (I built my 7 last year), I missed all the animosity that has been referred to by Steve and Arnie.
The cost (circa £45) is more than the other groups but I consider it value given the help, advice and assistance that has been forthcoming. As suggested, suck it and see!
I also post occasionally on 7-DNA and had a particularly enjoyable evening that ended in a lah-dee-dah curry house in town with Eugene
et al earlier in the year (time for another....?)As you can see I also read and contribute occasionally to Pistonheads...
As a comparative newbie (I built my 7 last year), I missed all the animosity that has been referred to by Steve and Arnie.
The cost (circa £45) is more than the other groups but I consider it value given the help, advice and assistance that has been forthcoming. As suggested, suck it and see!
I've recently got involved with the Dorset branch of the L7C having bought another 7 in July.
Whilst others may well have genuine and legitimate cause to be disgruntled I've found the group to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.
I've been to a couple of meetings and a brilliant Sunday Blat so far and enjoyed it all - so much in fact I've posted off my membership application this afternoon!
Let the OP judge for himself, at £45 it's hardly a bank breaking risk.
Whilst others may well have genuine and legitimate cause to be disgruntled I've found the group to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.
I've been to a couple of meetings and a brilliant Sunday Blat so far and enjoyed it all - so much in fact I've posted off my membership application this afternoon!
Let the OP judge for himself, at £45 it's hardly a bank breaking risk.
Edited by Chrisp5782 on Friday 26th September 07:21
Ian, my post was actually more of a personal airing, but having been a member of the 7 Club for so long I do have personal views on what makes a club a club - and today's 7 Club isn't it - for me.
(I was also bored and with glass in hand, if you know what I mean!)
But, I stopped being a member as I personally got nothing from the club at all - but after nearly 30 years of 7 ownership I guess that's no real surprise.
What I want to gain form 7 ownership is far better served by 7-DNA and Le BOG Club - for me.
However, I was a member when the new 7 Club forum/website information was released, and it was after the event - there was no open discussion, and no mention of likely cost before the decision was made. And what has the cost now become exactly? And have you looked at the new forum - Yuck (a very personal view, obviously)
When the likes of Dikko, Dave, etc, ran the club it was far more of a club, and there was no need for it to be a ltd company.
There was still 'management' via the area organisers, etc - what more is really needed?
As for individual profit - never mentioned that.
But I do agree - different clubs/forums/associations offer different things to different people.
Just be aware there are many options out there - all offering something different.
Some may suite you better than others. Many people opt to partake in more than one forum/club - which makes a lot of sense to me.
However, with their being so many ex-7club members saying similar things, there really isn't smoke without some form of 'smoke generator'...
The 'cluib' would do well to recognise that.
But, to be fair, you do need to be slightly mad to part of Le BOG Club and 7-DNA - it really isn't for everyone!
And BigCol, indeed - Carl is working on another Curry Night as we speak!
(And do sign up for the other events on the forum!)
(I was also bored and with glass in hand, if you know what I mean!)
But, I stopped being a member as I personally got nothing from the club at all - but after nearly 30 years of 7 ownership I guess that's no real surprise.
What I want to gain form 7 ownership is far better served by 7-DNA and Le BOG Club - for me.
However, I was a member when the new 7 Club forum/website information was released, and it was after the event - there was no open discussion, and no mention of likely cost before the decision was made. And what has the cost now become exactly? And have you looked at the new forum - Yuck (a very personal view, obviously)
When the likes of Dikko, Dave, etc, ran the club it was far more of a club, and there was no need for it to be a ltd company.
There was still 'management' via the area organisers, etc - what more is really needed?
As for individual profit - never mentioned that.
But I do agree - different clubs/forums/associations offer different things to different people.
Just be aware there are many options out there - all offering something different.
Some may suite you better than others. Many people opt to partake in more than one forum/club - which makes a lot of sense to me.
However, with their being so many ex-7club members saying similar things, there really isn't smoke without some form of 'smoke generator'...
The 'cluib' would do well to recognise that.
But, to be fair, you do need to be slightly mad to part of Le BOG Club and 7-DNA - it really isn't for everyone!
And BigCol, indeed - Carl is working on another Curry Night as we speak!
(And do sign up for the other events on the forum!)
Edited by Eugene7 on Saturday 27th September 08:23
I think if you want to quickly get to know other 7 owners in your area and meet regularly with like mind individuals then joining the Lotus 7 Club is the best option. Some well established owners who end up leaving the club because life moves on fail to realise that they have established a group of friends and in some ways don't need the club.
As we have seen in the last few years just posting comments about other individuals on Facebook, Twitter or what ever site has landed people in front of a judge. The internet has evolved from the Wild West to something more dumbed down/ politically correct and yes it is boring but just progress. If 7 DNA evolves and gets bigger, then two people have a spat, what happens next? I suspect that if it is privately run it will just shut down/ disappear as the owner of the site will not want the hassle of dealing with it. Blatchat/ new Blatchat is a club site and has to stay open for "business" as it is taking money from members who expect a level of service so has to have some rules.
My recommendation would be join the club, get to know people and enjoy your car.
As we have seen in the last few years just posting comments about other individuals on Facebook, Twitter or what ever site has landed people in front of a judge. The internet has evolved from the Wild West to something more dumbed down/ politically correct and yes it is boring but just progress. If 7 DNA evolves and gets bigger, then two people have a spat, what happens next? I suspect that if it is privately run it will just shut down/ disappear as the owner of the site will not want the hassle of dealing with it. Blatchat/ new Blatchat is a club site and has to stay open for "business" as it is taking money from members who expect a level of service so has to have some rules.
My recommendation would be join the club, get to know people and enjoy your car.
Eugene7 ... 7-DNA is still in it's infancy! Many years ago Seven-Torque was another excellent forum but following one thread which resulted in threats of legal action against everyone who'd posted (by someone who posts here) the forum was voluntarily closed down, it just wasn't worth the hassle. Perfectly understandable why the L7C has gone in the direction it has.
I've done a fair bit of research on forums and the legalities of individual postings, etc, and there are bugger all accounts of any legal action ever being taken...
The basic rule seems to be that any 'offending' material just needs to be removed within a timely manor - no issues there.
For it to actually go 'legal' seems to be totally irrelevant - unless someone can point me at such a situation (and I don't mean the global social media stuff...
The basic rule seems to be that any 'offending' material just needs to be removed within a timely manor - no issues there.
For it to actually go 'legal' seems to be totally irrelevant - unless someone can point me at such a situation (and I don't mean the global social media stuff...
Eugene7 said:
But, to be fair, you do need to be slightly mad to [be part of Le BOG Club and 7-DNA] own a 7 - it really isn't for everyone!
And BigCol, indeed - Carl is working on another Curry Night as we speak!
(And do sign up for the other events on the forum!)
I've suggested edit for you...!And BigCol, indeed - Carl is working on another Curry Night as we speak!
(And do sign up for the other events on the forum!)
Great news re the curry... re other stuff, inc Ace Cafe meets, Saturday's Penn7 blat etc, it is only when I look to include 7-esque stuff in my diary, I realise how much fun I'm having with other stuff too (though I am down for Carl's next Llandow adventure already and have Executive approval to save up for the liver replacement after 2016 LMC!)
Back on topic, I really enjoy BlatChat and see it as a universal knowledge base for all things (inc 7s of course) and very useful as a result. With the new forum, it feels like my local pub has been refurbished and has changed character with no recognisable benefit to me and the people who frequent it are threatening to go elsewhere; which would be a great pity given the work was done with the best of intentions. I hope the initial issues can quickly be fixed.
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