This Whole Forum Needs Life Support !!

[Larry]

I do not wish anyone to think that I am not watching the discussions going on, I am. But I also wish everyone to know that this is not my Pontiac web club... it belongs to the members. That's part of the difference between a free forum and this one that I have opted to run as a Pontiac Club. I do not wish to run a discussion forum with things I want to talk about. As time goes on and Pontiac lovers find out more and more about us, they will come and hopefully share their thoughts and opinions (yes, even strong ones!). Above it all, however, we all need to keep this a friendly, welcome place to relax and express our feelings.

As a Club, I will see that there is much more brought to the table for the members than just a place to hang out... although that is not a bad thing either.

You will note that I do not have paid advertising. That was a thought, but I had to make a decision: was this a Club for the members, or a place to try to make money selling advertising? I decided that EVERYTHING we did at PontiacRegistry.com would be for the members. That is why you see the Featured Commercial Suppliers offering very attractive discounts to our members in exchange for the advetising privlage. We do not make a single penny off of their advertising... you, the members, benefit. Through these discounts, most Pontaic hobbyists can make their PontiacRegistry.com membership dues back many times over through the course of the year.

Our goal at PontiacRegistry.com is to build the single largest source of Pontiac services, information, and entertainment in the world for ALL Pontiacs. All Pontiacs welcome... fast, slow, old, new, stock, modified, daily driver, etc. So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We will grow by continuing to give more and more back to our members.

There was a question about advertising exposure. I have a small ad in Cars and Parts, Hemmings Motor News, and now in Old Cars Weekly. I have to watch where and how much money I spend. I and our web developers have spent literally thousands of hours developing this Internet Club, and paid most all the expenses out of our own pockets. There has been a small amount of payback so far, but I just figure this is why they have the saying "Labor of Love."

I am in this for the long run. This is something I planned for over 10 years to develop. Now is the time that I have to ask everyone to help spread the word about PontiacRegistry.com. We have so much to offer and more to come.... we are just now beginning to develop the actual "registry" portion of the site. Very soon we will have the ability to register any and all Pontiacs and then search for them through many different search critera. Watch for that coming soon!

I also ask eveyone to let me know personally if there is ANYTHING they would like to see, or of any ideas they might have to make PontiacRegistry.com even bettter for the members.

Thanks to all our members and to everyone who loves their hobby and takes an active roll in growing and promoting it.

Larry Kummer

[bencar]

One thing you have just done, is answered for eveyone why it is that this Forum is not a free service. The free Forums are inundated with advertising, and in return, all one gets, is the opportunity to Post an opinion, etc, but they don't get anything back from the advertisers, other than product ordered. Hopefully more Pontiac enthusiasts will find this Club, and the Forums contained therein, and be able to pony up the money each year to join the Club, literally. They say the Internet is the future, and for my money, it's also the present.

[Bodyworx]

[bencar]

Bodyworx,

I don't think you've done anything bad here, and the better news, is you're willing to help make things even better, not just criticize for the sake of doing so.

[Larry]

After only six months of being what we considered 100% functional, we have just shy of 1100 members registered. We know that number will grow as we do what we plan to offer more and more to ALL Pontiac lovers. And it will grow as all concerned, active, participating members continue to contribute as we have seen here. We are all on the same page and with the same goals in mind.
I would suggest that perhaps if there is a desire for more technical contributions to visit the technical Q&A forum and please help some of our members who are seeing answers to their problems or questions. One does not have to necessarily have an exact answer, sometimes just discussing the problem opens new thought avenues that lead to a solution. You can also help point someone in the right direction to find an answer on their own. All contributions help.
I would request that if anyone has some particular area of expertise, that they share some bits and pieces of information with us so we can put it into an article form to share with everyone else.
As concerns any activities, we will have to grow before we can tackle that job. We plan to make it to some of the shows and events next spring/summer, and perhaps can meet up with some of our members at them. I would hope that one day we could hold a convention of sorts, but I'll forewarn everyone that it would be different than most. It would be strictly for fun and family... an, of course, Pontiacs. But it would not be centered around concourse restorations, rather the enjoyment of the cars and the people. Kind of a Woodstock of the Pontiac set (minus the drugs, of course!).
Thanks to all who have helped kick around some ideas. If there are any thoughts or suggestions, please don't hold back. Let us know.
Larry

[bencar]

Well, on the technical side, I tend to stick to the mantra of......I know my Pontiac best, but I'm not so sure about yours. As long as the recipient of my attempts at helping takes that statement above into account, I can give this advice thing a shot.

In regard to the Convention idea, I'm afraid finances and gasoline costs, restrict me to NJ, so I'll have be there in spirit only when the day comes that there is a get-together. Now as far as the no drugs part goes-How could you say that? We're all driving our drug of choice, or Pontiacs

[Larry]

So it's settled.... the first PontiacRegistry.com convention will be at Ben's house. BYOB of course. That's "Bring Your Own Brats".
Thanks for all your help.

[Stu Norman]

That could be fun.

Do you have anough parking for 47 Pontiacs, Ben?

[bencar]

I'll make room The neighbors will love me, just like the relative they never had

[ozpont]

.... its working.. slowly.. but guys... if 1,100 can sign up in a year... that's huge! ... . .and the best part of it . .is its INTERNATIONAL.. truly international... not just on east coast USA.. (no insult there either.. I LOVE cruising the whole damn country!!)
.. but one thing that has IMO been truly missing from the Pontiac hobby for years and years now.. is a medium that also reaches out internationally.... and can ..reach back.....
.. so all those guys in Sweden, New Zealand .. Norway, Japan & UK.... even Taiwan (seen quiet a few Pontiac Fiero enthusiasts there over the last few years now).. and elsewhere. .. get on board abit..
.. There is ample room for the formal clubs.. but life is short and getting to meetings isn't always possible for everybody.. and at least as WE ALL get older .. and as we ALL get busier.. I for one.. feel the net is a god-send.
Keep up the communication guys...
___________________________________________________


(and btw.. the new Camaro is hitting the back streets and outback hwys downunder.. in camouflage...).. the New Pontiac RWD sedan is already here..... YOU WILL BLOODY WELL LOVE IT.... Save up your money and if pontiac can do it.. . .BUY ONE...
http://www.modernracer.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2007-holden-ve-

[bencar]

Damn, I'm hard pressed to disagree with anything you said, other than the personal contact aspect. I do enjoy cruising virtually, and meeting up the same way with fellow Pontiac enthusiasts, but face to face hasn't lost its appeal to me. The only thing that holds me back anymore from getting out to more locations, is the whacked out gasoline prices, that are only going to get worse and worse. Much as I'd like, I can't spend money I don't have, just in order to help the poor beleaguered Oil Companies, and all their buddies, become even wealthier.

[bencar]

But if I don't agree?

[bencar]

Sounds like we could unite the world in friendship, if only we could get all the blockhead leaders to talk cars, not wars. Both end in 'ars', but one can actually be a source of life, accomplishment, pride, and camaraderie, the other one simply gets people killed

[Larry]

I want to thank Dave for joining in from Down Under. When you get involved in a hobby such as this, you learn what a small world it really is. People talk and express themselves from all over the world... amazing!
I also want to thank everyone for their support in PontiacRegistry.com. Lots done so far, but even more to still develop for everyone. If everyone continues to use these forums to their fullest, and I continue to do what I do, we can all help build the single largest source of Pontiac services, information, and entertainment in the world!
Thanks,
Larry

[bencar]

One thing I do enjoy, is hearing from others around the world. I'd like to think that the automotive hobby has the potential to bring people together, as opposed to (pardon the pun) driving them apart, like so many other things in this world seem to do.