356 Trustee Election and vision for the future

[Joris Koning]

Maybe to add a bit, please excuse my unstructured and quick brain dump.

If the registry stands for the continuation and use of the 356 I think there are several initiatives which are not very complex and would contribute a tremendous amount to the cause. As outlined by Adam digitizing of valuable information and sharing this with members online is one thing. Harry's books would be a great addition. In addition, through our affiliation with Porsche I wonder if we could also make digitized versions of the parts books and workshop manuals available. As a next step, we could consider a series of how to video's on basic maintenance items. I do understand we would need to find qualified people for these video's and get them to volunteer.

When it comes to use, here in Europe there are lots of "rally's" organized by various car clubs. The route books for these could be digitized and shared online to help people organize nice scenic impromptu drives. I am sure there might be IP issues somewhere but believe the information on many of these routes is public. A next step could be digitizing these for easy entry into Google maps etc. If I dare to dream further I could see a 356 registry app holding several of the things mentioned above.

Just some random thoughts during a short business break. I now see that some have already been mentioned above

[Richard Emerson]

I agree finding engines and transmissions would be nice. Instead of a flat file perhaps a more active database?

Is their any more linkages possible with European clubs so we know of their info or events?

Some way to support more local clubs and meet ups? So they more proactively update events?

Basically things to get us together on a more regular basis in more informal ways.

[Curt Dansby]

I agree finding engines and transmissions would be nice. Instead of a flat file perhaps a more active database?

Richard
Please expound what do you mean active database?

Curt

[Richard Emerson]

Right now we just have a post that gets updated. It would be better to have an interface where one enters the serial number of an engine or third piece found or needed. It then emails if a match occurs now or in the future.

[Curt Dansby]

Hi Richard
Yes that would be nice but there would be a significant investment to write a program to do that and integrate it into the system. I do not believe this would be the best bang for our buck. There are a couple of things currently in the works regarding Club image and avenues towards growth that funds were allocated towards in our last meeting so we are working towards the future in some veins already. There are some nice ideas presented here and I do not want to rain on anyone's parade but the common denominator is that people must be willing to volunteer to do the work and finding those people has not been an easy task in my tenure. For example we need a new forum moderator. I solicited about 300 people at the banquet in Flagstaff- not a peep. I will solicit Mrs. Pellow directly although I am not optimistic. That the relationship Gordon had with Harry was unable to yield any fruit with her does not bode well. But who knows perhaps the non-commercial angle will appeal.

I am going to bow out of this at this point as I think this has evolved past what Michael intended with his initial post.

Curt

[Emil Wojcik]

Just playing devil's advocate...

Once copyrighted material of any kind, from any author, is made available online to the club members in general, what's to stop any individual member from using the material for financial gain? As the owner of numerous copyrights myself, I wouldn't allow any material to be published on a club website since I'd be basically giving up any realistic way for me to police its use.

[C J Murray]

Just playing devil's advocate...

Once copyrighted material of any kind, from any author, is made available online to the club members in general, what's to stop any individual member from using the material for financial gain? As the owner of numerous copyrights myself, I wouldn't allow any material to be published on a club website since I'd be basically giving up any realistic way for me to police its use.

That makes sense. The families must have been advised by their attorneys.

[Richard Emerson]

Just playing devil's advocate...

Once copyrighted material of any kind, from any author, is made available online to the club members in general, what's to stop any individual member from using the material for financial gain? As the owner of numerous copyrights myself, I wouldn't allow any material to be published on a club website since I'd be basically giving up any realistic way for me to police its use.

You get a Non exclusive license to it that is restricted to such members and puts use limitations on it. Not exactly new territory here.

[C J Murray]

Just playing devil's advocate...

Once copyrighted material of any kind, from any author, is made available online to the club members in general, what's to stop any individual member from using the material for financial gain? As the owner of numerous copyrights myself, I wouldn't allow any material to be published on a club website since I'd be basically giving up any realistic way for me to police its use.

You get a Non exclusive license to it that is restricted to such members and puts use limitations on it. Not exactly new territory here.

Encouraging!

[Jim Clement]

As well, and in keeping with my earlier post with respect to the workshop manual. Would we (the Trustee's ) not be in a great position to go the Porsche and ask that we be allowed to post the now out of print workshop manual for there cars.. It would appear to me that they would like to work with the Registry group to provide help support to individuals who are trying to keep there Porsche cars on the road, truly a great advertisement for the mother ship. This would also apply to the parts manual, the wiring diagram, and other now long out of print material. What else would be beneficial ??
The people who want the original paper copies (Me) can still buy and sell them on the free market, but this would give people the information to properly (or at least better) work on there cars, and further promote one of the true Missions of the group, and that is the preservation of the cars !!

[Michael Branning]

Craig, Curt, Cliff, Felix, Jim, Adam, Vic, Bill, Joris, Richard, Emil, and Jim:

Thanks for your posts; there are some interesting ideas here! Thanks also for the cordial tone, that’s important. As Curt mentioned, there are often challenges in manpower, cost, and ownership rights to IP. Regardless, in my experience building and maintaining a long wish list is useful when planning for the future. Today’s impossibility sometimes becomes tomorrow’s reality as the world changes. Certainly finding ways to engage and inspire more volunteers will be necessary to accomplish future goals; the Trustees can’t do it all by themselves.

Whatever initiatives are pursued in the future, they will need to fit within the boundaries allowed by the 356 Registry bylaws. Article 2 copied below provides a listing of guiding principles, which would likely allow all of the ideas posted so far and more.

356 Registry Bylaws Article II, General Objective:

“The general objectives of the Club shall be the preservation and promotion of the following. A. The highest standards of courtesy and safety on the road. B. The enjoyment and sharing of goodwill and fellowship engendered by owning a Porsche automobile manufactured between 1948 and 1965 and engaging in social or other events as may be agreeable to the membership. C. The preservation of the highest standards of operation and performance of the marque by sharing and exchanging technical and mechanical information concerning these 1948-1965 Porsche cars. D. The interchange of ideas and suggestions with other 356 Porsche Clubs throughout the world. E. The establishment of mutually cooperative relationships with other Sports Car Clubs as may be desirable.”

[Jim Clement]

Item C from the the objectives is a great item to think about, and I believe is what lots of current and new members are looking for.

"The preservation of the highest standards of operation and performance of the marque by sharing and exchanging technical and mechanical information concerning these 1948-1965 Porsche cars".

[Neil Bardsley]

Hi Richard
Yes that would be nice but there would be a significant investment to write a program to do that and integrate it into the system. I do not believe this would be the best bang for our buck. There are a couple of things currently in the works regarding Club image and avenues towards growth that funds were allocated towards in our last meeting so we are working towards the future in some veins already. There are some nice ideas presented here and I do not want to rain on anyone's parade but the common denominator is that people must be willing to volunteer to do the work and finding those people has not been an easy task in my tenure. For example we need a new forum moderator. I solicited about 300 people at the banquet in Flagstaff- not a peep. I will solicit Mrs. Pellow directly although I am not optimistic. That the relationship Gordon had with Harry was unable to yield any fruit with her does not bode well. But who knows perhaps the non-commercial angle will appeal.

I am going to bow out of this at this point as I think this has evolved past what Michael intended with his initial post.

Curt

I can't see that a engine / vin lookup like in Eric 356 vin table web site would take more than a few hours of a developers time or just an xml file.

[Emil Wojcik]

Just playing devil's advocate...

Once copyrighted material of any kind, from any author, is made available online to the club members in general, what's to stop any individual member from using the material for financial gain? As the owner of numerous copyrights myself, I wouldn't allow any material to be published on a club website since I'd be basically giving up any realistic way for me to police its use.

You get a Non exclusive license to it that is restricted to such members and puts use limitations on it. Not exactly new territory here.

Easy to do, impossible to police for the copyright owner, so it would require the club to police the usage and this can be time consuming to say the least. The club would take on responsibility for enforcement of the restricted use as allowed under the licence. So if any member of the club staff, even volunteers, sees the material used anywhere else, by anyone else, the club will be responsible for having the material removed from use. Not doing so could potentially end up in litigation. I dealt with this for decades when running a marketing/advertising company.

[Mark Sabbann]

I think access to the work of Charlie and Harry would be beneficial to the 356 community. But here's another perspective. People sometimes make a close association with, and have trouble distinguishing between a person (Charlie White and Harry Pellow) and their work (Charlie's website and Harry's books and videos). We know that both men were totally immersed in their work and built public personas because of their work. And some 356 enthusiasts were lucky to have known both Charlie and Harry as human beings. Maybe they even had conversations that were not 356-related. To give up control (copyrights etc.), imaginary or actual, of the work of a loved one can sometimes lead to the feeling of losing that loved one all over again. It may be hard for family members to see beyond their grief to the benefits of the work that those of us outside the families see and believe to be important. Those of us with all good intent, and wanting access to the 'good stuff', but separate from the human being, well some may see and fear that as predatory, another form of loss and separation and something that will never replace the human being. We are able to make the separation but families may not.