Even though I know that BNO has been down for over a week, and I like reading that board too, I would like to invite all of you to join the board here and partake of a different brand of Bus Conversion information.
I'm not saying the MAK board is better than BNO, or that BNO is a lesser product. I believe there is room for all of us here in a family friendly atmosphere.
I@n runs a great website and we all have the utmost respect for him.
Here's to hoping his switch to a new server will go smoothly and BNO will be up and running very soon!
Dallas
Several years ago, I used to follow this and the BNO board. They had different feels, but I enjoyed both and found that both were great resources of information. At that time, it was not even necessary to register with either. Some months ago, I wanted to start following these boards again. I saw that they required registration. "Well, that's no big deal," says I, "as scams and spams have increased, such security measures have become needed." In my experience, registering for different sites merely involved having an identity, and I had one of those. Well I registered for this site, and here I am. I tried to register for BNO and was surprised to get the message that my application would have to be reviewed by the administrator. "Well," says I, "this can't be anything more then a formality. After all, I do have an identity, am not on any terrorist watch lists that I know about, and not planning on using bus related information for evil...." So, imagine my shock when I got the long awaited email after a couple of days telling me I had been rejected from membership in that exclusive board. Needless to say, I have been in counseling since. I felt that this must have been a mistake, so I attempted to contact Lord Ian and clear things up. I emailed him several times, I faxed him, and I called by phone. He did not lower himself to responding. Therefore, I am left to conclude that although I like the BNO board and believe that Sir Ian is providing a wonderful service for the Bus Nut community, his primary care physician must be proctologist.
This fact does not reflect on the people that post there. I still check it out and use its archives. However it is not as active as this board. Another thing I would mention is that in the past there were many that posted on both boards, I do not notice that much of a crossover now (although I have not made a real study of that). I guess there must be some stories about why guys (like FF) have maybe renounced one board or the other, but that's gossip related and does nothing to keep a bus on the road.
Lin I have tried to get on the board for about 2 months with no luck ,I do know he is going about updates on his board so I don't have a problem waiting he's a 1 man operation and works also, but he is no harder to reach than Mike the owner of this board as they both offer a free service and time is valuable to both
I have been a Member of both this Board and the BNO Board for a number of years and enjoy reading and contributing to both. At this time Ian is going through a restructuring of both the Board and the server so you might cut him a bit of slack. He's a genuinely nice guy who normally doesn't refuse Membership to the Board. The fact that he's running about 7 others might also have a bearing on his silence.
Lin, I do appreciate your use of 'sang-froid' in your description of your quandry. ;D
Bob
As best as I understand in talking to |@n, as I'm no computer whizz...
The old server had grown unresponsive to the future needs of BNO, and the new one appears to represent a more flexible and secure place for the "free" that we all enjoy.
And the BNO BBS and archives, (the research in there is worth weeks of reading for the newbie) is up someplace near a gigabyte in size.
Apparently, these things don't migrate without some fuss, and |@n decided that keeping the board dormant while he did data wars meant he didn't have to keep backing it up.
He doesn't want to lose any of our ramblings, old or new.
Time is something none of us seems to have an abundance of!
The loading is somewhere near 91% done, again, as of my call this afternoon.
It is nothing short of marvellous that our hobby enjoys both this board at MAK and |@n's over at BNO, and perhaps most importantly, these two providers of these free services respectfully acknowledge each other's existance and do not discourage us from using both services.
We all know of the juvenile competitive behaviour in other parts of the internet, and it is refreshingly absent between these two places.
Thank you, MAK and BNO, without you both, the hobby would not be where it is today.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
BW,
Thanks for the update.
I like BOTH boards and there seems to be a little different flavor on each.
As an observer of such things, I find it rather interesting how the pendulum of activity swings from BBS to BBS over time.
I@n will have it back up soon enough.
Cliff
yap i must have tryed at least 10 times to get on that bno board.
im no compiuter guy ,but i got on this board ,first time ,no fuss
hope the "new system" will make it easier to get on
scottie
I think that BNO is up and running again and I, like a lot of NUTS use both boards and the only thing I would like to see on BOTH boards is people quit running down others. Walk a little in their shoes with their smarts and see how you would act ?? No offense meant to anyone. Just my feelings. ;D If you don't agree fine don't respond and that will keep hard feeling away, especially when you need help and they are the ONLY one that can help, that will hurt..
Gomer
I hope that the accusation of running others down was not directed at me (although I can see why some would think so). My statement was of a set of events and the conclusion drawn. I believe that others would have responded similarly or even more forcefully, if their experience had been the same. I saw the letter from Ian that was posted and now understand that the rejection was based on an incomplete enrollment form. Had I been able to find that out, I would have certainly corrected it. Anyway, I have emailed Ian at his temporary Hotmail address and apologized for any offenses on my part. There is no question about the quality and generosity of the service he is providing. Further, I apologize to any of you that may have taken offense. Ultimately, I want everyone to be happy or, at the very least, not be responsible for increasing their unhappiness. We have bus problems for that. Thanks
Quote from: Lin on February 09, 2008, 08:14:52 PM
I hope that the accusation of running others down was not directed at me (although I can see why some would think so). My statement was of a set of events and the conclusion drawn. I believe that others would have responded similarly or even more forcefully, if their experience had been the same. I saw the letter from Ian that was posted and now understand that the rejection was based on an incomplete enrollment form. Had I been able to find that out, I would have certainly corrected it. Anyway, I have emailed Ian at his temporary Hotmail address and apologized for any offenses on my part. There is no question about the quality and generosity of the service he is providing. Further, I apologize to any of you that may have taken offense. Ultimately, I want everyone to be happy or, at the very least, not be responsible for increasing their unhappiness. We have bus problems for that. Thanks
Hi Lin,
I don't think you need an apology here, you spoke, he answered. I think your problem is solved!
Your first statement got his attention. That is what is important..
Don't worry, Ian is one of the good guy's... when you can rip him away from his day job....lol
Nick-
I hope everyone realizes the lengths that these two boards go to keep the trouble makers out.
Have you noticed that we rarely to never get those idiot flamers, who just go from place to place pissing people off, at either board?
Ignoring incomplete registrations, subjectively refusing suspicious looking applicants, is what has kept both these boards clean and productive. I cannot imagine how many attempts at piracy have been thwarted at these two boards, and we common folk are blissfully unaware.
Call it what you will, they both have my vote to continue doing whatever they feel is necessary to keep this a place for ladies and gentlemen with common interests in bus conversions.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I have personally met all the moderators of this board except Phil (our paths have not crossed yet), as well as I@n and Buswarrior. All are great people who truly care about fellow busnuts and all go to great lengths top provide a place for all bus nuts to meet and exchange ideas. I have never comsidered this BB and BNO is competition for members. Heck, most of us belong to both anyhow. Each board has its own "personality" and both are a great service for all us busnuts. Jack
I agree with whats been said. I don't favor one over the other. I have found differant topics, subjects and posters at both. It is great to have some much knowledge to share with us folk who are still babies and have not learned to walk yet, this includes me! I'm still crawling around and getting dirty.
The fact that they are free, with thanks to Mike and I@n, goes a long way with us busnuts.
Most of all always be safe when working on our Dream Machines!
Paul
Quote from: Lin on February 09, 2008, 08:14:52 PM
I hope that the accusation of running others down was not directed at me (although I can see why some would think so). My statement was of a set of events and the conclusion drawn. I believe that others would have responded similarly or even more
I don't think you owed anybody an apology. If I post at Escapees.com I don't expect someone to respond to me here and they would be seriously out of line if they did so. You posted here but rather than respond to you after he obviously read your post Ian thought it was appropriate to take a swing at you from his own BBS. That is just a symptom of why this is a clearly superior forum.
Quote from: Lin on February 09, 2008, 08:14:52 PM
Anyway, I have emailed Ian at his temporary Hotmail address and apologized for any offenses on my part. There is no question about the quality and generosity of the service he is providing. Further, I apologize to any of you that may have taken offense.
Lin,
I was going to refrain from responding on this thread, but I noticed you're somewhat new to this board, and probably to the hobby.
I think it's essential that you understand a couple things about all this...
To feel you need to apologize for your comments to anybody here, or even to Ian himself is ludicrous. You detailed your personal experience, and that was all. What you said replicates so many other's experiences on that board, and is in no way derogitory of anyone on this or any other board. In short, you stated a truth, and as far as I'm concerned, truth requires no appology, no matter how much it might piss people off.
I originally wrote more detail here, but decided it probably would add nothing to the thread by posting it, so I deleted it. Suffice it to say that Ian's own response to you is spot on.
You've obviously found the board that matters most, and we accept you here without judgement. Welcome to the insanity.
craig
Quote from: bobofthenorth on February 10, 2008, 10:05:06 AM
Quote from: Lin on February 09, 2008, 08:14:52 PM
I hope that the accusation of running others down was not directed at me (although I can see why some would think so). My statement was of a set of events and the conclusion drawn. I believe that others would have responded similarly or even more
I don't think you owed anybody an apology. If I post at Escapees.com I don't expect someone to respond to me here and they would be seriously out of line if they did so. You posted here but rather than respond to you after he obviously read your post Ian thought it was appropriate to take a swing at you from his own BBS. That is just a symptom of why this is a clearly superior forum.
Lin, I have to agree with the Grunpy, and bobofthenorth that you don't owe Ian anything for his own actions toward you and your problem. I referred a fellow busnut who asked where he might find a good bus to a site to find a bus and got a royal @$# chewing from Ian even though at the time if you clicked on his header for buying a bus you got nothing and it was that way for a very long time. He always keep saying he would have it up shortly and guys would complain about their adds not being posted for a very long time. I went back and changed my post and remove the referred bus vendor and apologized to Ian, but he left me hanging out there swaying in the wind as an example, kinda like what Tiger did to Fuzzy Zoller. I see the BNO as what the USMC refers to as a ROYAL PITA CLUSTER#UCK. Did it make me mad? yes it did but I did not trash Ian or the BNO site, I just decided not to post there anymore I do look in and check out the very few post they get, but not every day like I used too. This is the first time I've said anything about it and I feel I handled it like and adult when it happened. I did what I was brought up to do, I apologized even though looking back he didn't deserve it. I can control what I do but I can't control what other people do. Apologize I think not. Oh and by the way if your on MAK your on the best bus board there is period, and we are glad you are here.
WVaNative
Experience is generally a singular thing. Probably echoed from time to time by another soul or few.
To keep things on a high note, could we just, perhaps, pleeeeese .....Back to buses....maybe?
And thanx, Lin for the direct contact with Ian....shows you are a man of values.
FWIW
RCB (been a contributor here and monitored this board since 2001 in spite of the moniker) ;D