The difference between Regular & Advanced Members and why you need to read this

[sydude]

There will be changes coming soon to this site (some small, some not so small) which I'll elaborate on in the coming days. One of them will be to begin providing varying levels of access to members, depending on how actively they participate on this site.

There are currently two levels of basic access - Regular and Advanced. Your user title will tell you which one you are. To achieve Advanced status, you have to be a member for 30 days AND you have to have made at least 10 posts. If you think you deserve a waiver and should be upgraded, please email me.

Right now, just a small percentage of our members provide the majority of new content. We really need to have more of you start new discussions and bring your fresh thoughts and ideas to the table. While we really appreciate the many visitors and non-posting members we have on this site (after all, the mission of this site is to be a resource to all), the usefullness of this site (and the value it provides to its users) increases in direct proportion to how much its user contribute to it and each other. Too many of our users just read and observe, and we are missing your individual thoughts and opinions. They can only broaden and deepen the value of the discussions and information here.

So we're asking you to try and get a bit more involved. If you haven't posted already, just say hi somewhere. If you're a casual poster that has only replied to topics that interest you, than start a new topic that you find interesting and would want to share with others. And for the guys that are already active, please help me out by putting up F1/ChampCar news reports, test reports on your favorite new car or posting Pit Girl pictures etc. I don't get paid for this gig, so if you enjoy this site please do your part.

For now, Advanced users have the ability to add new links to the links database, but otherwise Regular members can see and do the same things as Advanced members. It hasn't been decided what other features or content will be restricted, but I'm hoping that with increasingly active future contribution, I can keep it to the minimum (and most superficial) functions.

Thanks

Sy

[5&counting]

Sy,

53 views and no replys.

[sydude]

See what I'm talking about?

[Lost in N. VA]

As a long-time lurker, I’ll chime in here. I thoroughly enjoy visiting the Team Juicy forums (quite often at times). I learn a ton and it provides me with a window into a world in which I cannot be an active participant – racing with Skip Barber. It’s strictly a financial issue, of course. I did my 3-day and 2-day advanced within the last two years with Skip, but repeatedly plunking down several thousand dollars for a single weekend is just not an option for me. Instead, I spend less than that to track an old 944 several times a year.

Why don’t I get more actively involved in the forums? I guess it’s because I do view myself as a bit of an outsider in many respects. From your exchanges, it is evident many of you are clearly good friends and have spent a fair amount of time together. At the end of day, you folks are “talking” primarily about experiences you’ve had while participating in the race series. Or you’re talking about the R/T race cars. Or you’re talking about equipment and techniques that work best in those cars. Or you’re talking about a certain track you’ll be racing at with Skip. I enjoy reading that stuff, but I quite frankly feel I have little to add.

What I really enjoy about this site is that things seem a lot more personal with a reasonable number of active participants. An appropriate metaphor might be that this site is a “Mom and Pop” hardware store while some other motorsports related forums are Home Depots (i.e., massive amounts of threads that can't all be followed or read, people chiming in with inconsiderate two word replies, idiots spewing bad advice all over the place, etc). The level of discussion on this site is certainly elevated. People appear to be thoughtful and seemingly enjoy participating in the forum, and their posts reflect that.

Do those positives go away with increased participation from lurkers like me? Not sure. Is there a point to this post? Not sure. I guess I’d ask, “Why punish people like me?”

“Why take your ball and go home?” You’ve truly got a great site going.

[LimeRockRacer]

Dear Lost ...You 're insight and perspective is very understandable and appreciated. I think our web master is just looking for more material from other sources other than just relying on him to make this sight ripe with new material to read and view.

Sydude is the best! We are all so fortunate to have his creative energy poured into our site with passion. He welcomes more active participants with differing perspectives. He is trying to get the sideline viewers to feel welcome and wanted and NOT feel like they have nothing to offer. In addition if you read carefully he is asking us SBRS racers to also help posting creative material rather than just responding.

Lastly, I would love to see you save your pennies and work up to do a race weekend. You will have the time of your life. If you already have done the 3 day and the advanced 2 day, then you certainly can get to do a race weekend at some point. If finances are too tough right now than come on out and watch us race...more importantly come on out and introduce yourself. You will have a great time and will be welcomed just like you are on this site.

Thank you for your kind thoughts on our friendships and web-site.

Chris Brassard

[dalyduo]

Wow... Great observations and comments from Lost & Limey.

Lost makes a great point that much of our back & forth revolves around Skippy racing. We certainly do want fans who don't race to enjoy TJR and feel welcome to participate. I'm not sure a required post count is necessary or productive. Perhaps the introductory thread that gives us a sense of who members are and where their interests lie is a better solution. Posting is really a personal choice. If we create a positive environment that welcomes the thoughts and concerns of fans of this site, whether they race or not, we'll have plenty of participation.

We'll mightily second Lime's bowdown to Sy for all the work he does to maintain and improve the site. We take his unending devotion to TJR for granted and we should sing his praises more often.

We'll also second LRR's suggestion that Lost save up his dough and come run a weekend with us. Oldman has been corner flagging for years and uses those modest fees to offset his race activities. Racing is always the most fun but coming to a race weekend and going out to corners with instructors while socializing with the group as a whole is fun, educational and cheap! (All the free bananas, bagels with peanut butter & jelly and bottled water you can wolf down!)

Besides, we need more members like Lost who write thougtful eloquent posts!.

[sydude]

Lost, if my post served no purpose other than to have elicited your eloquent and thoughtful response, I consider it a huge success. You are obviously a racer through and through - you are one of us and you belong here, so don't you dare go into hiding again. Your superb reply also proves that there are great potential members like you who feel constrained from participating, self imposed or not.

So we've obviously done a bad job of creating a welcoming atmosphere, which keeps some away. It's been a lingering concern that this site seems too 'exclusive' - but that's the last thing we want it to be. We're going to work on changing that.

[AZRCD]

Here's my 1/2 cent on this. As someone who is part of the Skippy wWorld and knows many of the people on this sight, but as someone who has not been to a Skippy World event in some time I can relate to both the "regulars" and newbies. Lost is right that a lot of this forum focuses on what happened / is happening at the Skippy races. Thoses threads can really only be for the actitive participants at the track and thoses of us who are not there just don't have much to say. But ask yourself, isn't that part of what this sight is about? I wouldn't want that to go away (esp. if I started racing agin.) We (Skip racers) come here to trash talk, bench race etc. and that is one of the reasons the sight was created. Plus, there are many of us (as Lost poiinted out) that enjoy keeping up with the happenings that way.
My suggestion to include more people is not to try and change that but, what is needed is more "general" posts. Maybe about things seen on a race on tv, or something read in Autoweek (or sim.) We have some of that, but perhaps not enough. The only x factor here is that often those posts don't receive the same sort of attention (see the Scott Speed, Heads Roll post) a good example of something anyone who watches F1 can respond to, but no one did (except me ) Can't tell you why that is, but maybe someone else has an idea.

[AZRCD]

You see in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend; those who don't post and thoes who post. You Post.

[Lost in N. VA]

First off, many thanks for all of the kind words.

Sy, it is my sincere belief that you do an absolutely phenomenal job with the site and you have gone, and continue to go, to great lengths to involve people and create a welcoming atmosphere. Indeed, my post was partly motivated by the fact that I know you strive to create an inclusive atmosphere and I wouldn’t want you to inadvertently damage that in your well intentioned efforts to get more people actively involved.

This exchange has certainly made me feel extremely welcome here and I invite any other lurkers (and closet-lurkers) to join in.

I completely concur with AZRCD as to content. I certainly want the Skip race series discussions to continue and to grow. I enjoy hearing about your successes and learning from your bumps and bruises, the stories of which so many of you are gracious enough to share. I also agree with AZRCD that perhaps trying to increase or highlight somehow those threads involving more general racing topics and discussions might be a good tool to get more people involved.

I look forward to meeting some of you at the track sometime soon, and perhaps I will save up those pennies to join you out on the track for a weekend - sooner rather than later. (BTW, I’ll pretend you guys aren’t inviting me to join you simply because you want another rookie backmarker to lap!)

I wish everyone a great weekend and a Happy 4th.

-David

[Sz28r]

Good stuff - - great site

It sure helps when you can put names and faces together - - hey, maybe that's an idea for a new post - - lol

I've got dibs on Cozmo Kramer

[Andrew]

One reason it took me so long to join and reply is I'm computer STUPID. I don't know how to type, unless you consider the hunt and peck system typing. This little message will take me ..oh about 5 minutes to complete; plus every time I log on I'm deluged with all kinds of messages from microsoft and Norton and whatever and can never seem to get the computer to work the same all the time.
I'd rather be racing than dancing with this thing.
Besides, I wasn't sure I'd have anything to say, like now.

[Rebekah]

Sy,

My first post ever to TJR. I am only replying because I am sure I am not alone in this situation. I am the girlfriend of one of the racers, and I check the site quite often. I keep up with what's going on and love to see pics from the weekends, etc. but I sort of think of this as "his" realm and try to keep updated to be supportive but allow him to have his own thing. now that I read that back it sounds wrong... but anyways...
I have another reason for not really posting, and that is, I am VERY new to the whole racing thing. I tend to lean more towards, "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." I'm learning, and I am sure in time, I will want to post things, but for now, I hope that whatever access levels you create take into account others like myself.
If not, I'll just be forced to making 10 posts of pictures of my honey... and no one needs THAT much Stirling.

Thanks!
Rebekah

[sydude]

Rebekah, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd rather have you than Stirling! Just kiddin'. He's a great guy, and we can't wait to meet you, too.

[Yarab]

OR YOU CAN POST JUST TO POST

[Rebekah]

Yarab,

That's basically what I have begun doing, I was only posting to point out that there are a certain number of users like myself, who are active members but don't post. I recognize the need to update the site, and certainly understand how difficult it must be for Sy to determine who is a regular and who is not; I was just speaking up for other quiet ones (only on the board... God help you if you get me started in person...just ask Stirling) like myself.


~Rebekah

[GEORGE]

It worked on me. I never felt totally unworthy of throwing my 2 cents in when I am not quite ready to be a full time racer (3 in college- but in 2 years I'm getting a huge raise) Now I know that its not always fun to be the only one posting and everybody peeking over your shoulder- so to speak.
I will continue to add my two cents worth more often and I am in the process of composing my "How I came to Skippy series"
Yer Gonna love it; the comedy that Mel Brooks always wanted to write but couldn't. Started out with dreams of stardum and ended in the gravel trap at the busstop.
Its gonna be GREAT

[dalyduo]

Looking forward to seeing it GEORGE... Thanks

[sydude]

George, don't stop typing till that post is done!

[sydude]

George, are you still typing? We're still waiting for that post!

[Whoops, just noticed that you did finish the (excellent) write-up, which you put in the 'new member's intro thread'. Thanks, George..]

[sydude]

Just FYI, as of this point I think I'm going to leave regular access to public forums on. That means that anyone can read the regular forums and see the attachments, whether registered or not.

Also, as you've noticed, there are a few new articles posted that can't be read by 'regular' members, but that is only a feeble attempt by me to try and reduce copyright issues. Oherwise, the only thing that 'advanced' will have access to that regular members don't is an ability to post new items in the Stuff/Links database system.

[dalyduo]

Good common sense decisions...

[Rebekah]

thanks sy