Is Blatchat Down Again??

Is Blatchat Down Again??

Author
Discussion

nigelpugh7

Original Poster:

6,041 posts

191 months

Friday 10th October 2008
quotequote all
Cant get on Blatchat again tonight.

Why oh why do I bother paying for membership?

The mag is crap, the web site is crap, cant someone just put a bullet in the back of the head of this old horse and send it to the web glue factory???

Please.

Nigel.

pinkprincess1

1 posts

187 months

Friday 10th October 2008
quotequote all
It seems to be down, but i found i could access it through the link under new 7 owner a couple of posts down?!

Edited by pinkprincess1 on Friday 10th October 22:42

paulejacobs

122 posts

246 months

Friday 10th October 2008
quotequote all
I'm not sure why you are bothering to build an R500 then Nigel, I expect there must be other cars with a website and magazine which suit you better? OTOH, if you don't like the club, don't bother to renew you membership next year and save the £40.

A lot of the work of the club is done by a few volunteers and where there are paid staff, they are kept to a minimum, to keep the subs reasonable. I for one, appreciate the not inconsiderable effort they all put in, and have done for years.

Noger

7,117 posts

250 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
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Several people would like an owners club, just not the particular type of club that currently exists.

I voiced opinion about the apparent lack of forward thinking on the technical side of BC several years ago. So very Web 0.5 smile and was shouted at a lot. In fact I think one AO actually left because of me ! People get very protective of what is a fairly tired old horse.

That aside (before another thread gets closed) it seems a bit of leap from "I pay for the website via my subs and it is down again, grrr" to "Well go and buy something else then as you clearly are not one of us". Doesn't it ?

This displays all the traits that make the club (as an entity, not the people) sometimes so unappealing....

You can't criticise because they are volunteers (no matter assine the behaviour)
Not liking the club = not liking Caterhams
Blatchat isn't important because the internet is just a fad and horrid and you can't get it in Frintonscome-on-Ouse anyway

Fuddyduddy club for fuddyduddy cars and their fuddyduddy owners ? It would be a real shame if that was the perception. Because that is not the reality.


nigelpugh7

Original Poster:

6,041 posts

191 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
Nigel,

I totally agree with your observations here, and if you see some of the frankly moronic reply's to this post over on Blatchat you will see where the problem stems from.

I too really only want a place to share views and ask questions without some childish person suggesting that because I don't conform to their little club rules then I should not be allowed to play with them in their sand pit.

As it is, I have probably been a Caterham owner and contributor to all that is Caterham ownership related than many of them could ever dream to aspire too, and sadly far too many of them are just frustrated aluminum polishers, or worse still arm chair critics who don't even own a Caterham.

My point was exactly what you stated in your response. Why cant the owners and administrators of Blatchat just recognize that the style and usage is just too old and out dated for current web usage, I mean a website that cant even host or allow users to post pictures, come on people.

And to Paul's point,I contribute to and actively take parts in tens of other user groups, blogs etc, and not one of them has ever suggested that I should not make contributions, because my opinions might hurt someones feelings, well boh hoo, why don't you cry about it then!!

Its a free world anyway, and I will say what I like.

Nige.

Edited by nigelpugh7 on Saturday 11th October 17:55

sam919

1,078 posts

197 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
nigelpugh7 said:
Nigel,



Its a free world anyway, and I will say what I like.

Nige.
Bet your glad you dont live in Nepal!!biggrin

dsl2

1,474 posts

202 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
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You are rather ill informed including me in your aluminium polisher / armchair / don't even own a Caterham criticism.

As an owner until a couple of months ago of four Seven's (now just two) & having built a Hayabusa seven & peddled it to reasonable effect on the one National hillclimb championship round I did this year (New outright class record at Prescott) I feel able to comment.

I find it a little harsh that the facility that I have found to be most helpful with many of my Caterham problems as a newbie a few years back is dismissed in the fashion you saw fit to do so at the start of this very thread.

I get the impression that in the world you live that you are always right & your word is the law, so apologies in advance for having the temerity for having an opposing point of view!!

nigelpugh7

Original Poster:

6,041 posts

191 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
Darren,

The criticism was not of you personally, and I would rather not get into a personal dig at anyone, so please lets keep it about Caterham's shall we?

I do respect everyone's opinion, and you are entitled to voice yours as you see fit.

Regards,

Nigel.

rubystone

11,254 posts

260 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
Why not mail the chairman with your thoughts rather than criticise it over here. You could even pick up the 'phone and call Steve directly - he usually doesn't mind taking a call. Wouldn't it have been better for you to post a request for help on this resource rather than create a thread about how poor Blatchat is?

As I hope you have found with your contact with Regin Jensen, the value of Blatchat is not its outmoded design, but the people that contribute to the fantastic information source that it is.

I hope you get your engine sorted - ironically, a guy currently receiving undeserved flak on Blatchat, Mick Attree, might be worth your contacting through either Blatchat or here - he was instrumental in the specification of the R500 and is a very helpful guy.

paulejacobs

122 posts

246 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
I think the reply I made earlier was made to show that a club is only as good as its' volunteer committee, and if other people want to see things done differently, then they have to get onto the committee and put some work in, don't criticize the people who are putting themselves forward without offering to do a better job. It's far too easy to moan about how the club, and I mean any club, doesn't do this or does that wrong or in an outmoded way, and very soon the people who are doing the work will get pissed off and stop doing it, to the detriment of that club, because, often the moaner won't want to do the work either.

As far as I'm concerned, half the fun of owning a specialist car, is the interaction with other enthusiasts, and the internet has really opened that up. Personally, I couldn't see the problem when many left the club, I thought it was simple - be a club member and have posting rights or don't and have browsing only rights. Why should people who haven't contributed in any way partake in an activity that most have paid for? It isn't a right, not even on the internet, many sites that allow anybody to logon are commercially run anyway, and those that aren't are trying to increase the web presence for one reason or another. Maybe I missed something fundamental during the discussion? Hence my tongue in cheek comment about changing the R500, of course I know that isn't going to happen, it's far to good a car to do that, and of course I'm not even sure that there is another car that does everything it does, but that's a discussion for another day

nigelpugh7

Original Poster:

6,041 posts

191 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
Because of several people here on and on Blatchat, I have decided not to bother even trying to reason with such people any more.

In future I will keep my opinions to myself as clearly some people would rather not hear the truth about themselves or have any one challenge their opinions.

Goodbye.

stripy7

806 posts

188 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
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Nigel,
The Caterham community is much bigger than Blatchat in many senses of the adjective.
Dont be put off.

BertBert

19,072 posts

212 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
nigelpugh7 said:
Because of several people here on and on Blatchat, I have decided not to bother even trying to reason with such people any more.

In future I will keep my opinions to myself as clearly some people would rather not hear the truth about themselves or have any one challenge their opinions.

Goodbye.
So Nigel, and we havent met, so dont take it personally. I have enjoyed your accounts of building the r500 immensely, but frankly your views on blatchat/L7club are a complete irrelevance to us here on PH. If you don't like it, either vote with your feet and don't pay the fee or get involved and sort it out.

Internet forums are completely voluntary, if you dont like it move on. But frankly here in the joyous world of PH we dont give a toss about blatchat.

What were you thinking?

Bert

nigelpugh7

Original Poster:

6,041 posts

191 months

Saturday 11th October 2008
quotequote all
Bert,

Sorry I have moved on, or off whatever.

Goodbye.

P.Nott

227 posts

190 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
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A bit sensitive isn't he?

So are you moving off PH as well Nigel? When I was a member of the L7 club, I found it very helpful for answering all kinds of questions relating to the car and the majority of people were friendly. The decision is yours obviously but i wouldn't let a minor disagreement prevent you from still contributing here or on blatchat.

I didn't renew my membership early last year only because i had sold my car the year before that but it was an invaluable resource. Frankly, in spite of negativity about it on here, i always found blatchat far more active and useful than PH and even comparing the 2 today it still seems to be a lot more active with more contributors than on here. This site will often go 24 hours with no posts and that doesn't appear to happen on blatchat. I admit that i still look at it regulaly even though i can't post any longer.

rj

57 posts

228 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
quotequote all
OK,

Who wouldn't be a bit upset if you'd built a £40k car that had no oil pressure? I would!

Give the man a chance!


P.Nott

227 posts

190 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
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Agreed but i hope he decides not to let a bit of negativity prevent him from joining in the wider Caterham community.

Noger

7,117 posts

250 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
quotequote all
And not to let a bit of negativity prevent the wider Caterham community from letting him join in smile

dsl2

1,474 posts

202 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
quotequote all
A slightly reworked version of my Blatchat response-



Nigel, I can totally understand your frustration, what with having to build the bulk of his car without the luxury of a build manual, having got this far mainly through your own efforts is indeed commendable.

Seemingly at this stage having found that there is likely a major problem with the oil pressure, would of had most of us stressed out to the max, but to take out your obvious frustrations on Blatchat due to a tempory inability to obtain access it in such a over the top dismissive manor was somewhat uncalled for.

If at this point you had reflected on your comments & withdrawn what I had thought was a heat of the moment criticism, order would have been resumed & nothing further would have needed to be said.

Instead you replied with more aggression using inflammatory ill thought out comments, a few choice snapshots here- "frankly moronic reply's" "it looks like the small minded people have been silenced by my other post highlighting their own stupidity" "IQ challenged" etc.

You have simply taken it upon yourself to throw your dolly out of the pram because you didn't get it all your own way, somewhat in the manor of a petulant child.

In conclusion I wish you all the best with the issue you are currently facing & hope that when you have calmed down you will reread the posts both on here & Blatchat & may reconsider your position.

Darren.


Noger

7,117 posts

250 months

Sunday 12th October 2008
quotequote all
This is great, I am going to bookmark this thread and read it if I ever think for a moment that I might want to re-join the owners club smile

You couldn't have got more vitriol if you had posted in the P&P "Hi, I am vegetarian muslim homosexual, and I think we should all, y'know, save the planet and drive a Prius". Seriously.