PCA Membership - Did you renew or not?

[Manny Alban]

Originally Posted by cl8ton

Nice to see a national board member of PCA here!
Panorama is an OK mag but caters to the wine and cheese/clean finger nail crowd IMO

Btw: I voted for you Manny and am wondering how your Rainbow Wonder bread 911 is holding up these days?
Beautiful car, you should post a few pics of it here on PP! If you have not done so already?

Thanks for the support. The bread wagon C2 is doing really well. She's sitting in the garage waiting patiently for March 13th when I take her down to VIR for the Zone 2 DE. I'm the registrar again this year and the turnout is incredible. I thought it would be the other way around with the economy, but I was wrong. What's more, the vast majority are late model cars. My 1990 911 is going to look like an antique

[berettafan]

Manny while you're here do you know of any HPDC's in MD, NJ, WV or Va that are scheduled AFTER April 15?

[stout]

I let my PCA membership lapse years ago while I was in college, then my mechanic was incensed when he found out I wasn't a member a few years ago and bought me a year's membership. I've been renewing ever since. The access to autocross, even if I don't use it, seems worthwhile. The other part for me is supporting an entity that supports the cars I am interested in in a way nothing else does. Libraries of information, the facilitation of concours (now thankfully with a preservation class that removes all guilt while modifying and putting miles on my own old Porsche!) and competition. In light of PCA's support of the marque, the fee seems minimal.

I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on Pano's quality or scope, but I see a lot of people expressing views (some valid!) without much knowledge. Not that *that* happens online very often.

So, a few data points:

1. Betty Jo does far more than merely edit the book. She also, IIRC, sells the ads. i.e., she's doing the work of two full-time people and has been for 38 years. Given how quickly I must rush to get Excellence out the door 9 times a year (ed only, we've got an ad director and coordinator), I find that rather amazing. Yes, her edit package is small, but it's impressive given the above. Ed budget is the next thing to look at.

2. TRUE: press trips can look posh from the sidelines. As Formerly Steve rightly points out, international travel is business class, and, yep, it IS pretty comfy. You are, however, usually greeted by a bus. Domestic travel, at least with Porsche, is coach. The fact Porsche pays *IS* an issue, but by those standards, the only true automotive journalism happens in CR, and I doubt many (any?) are willing to pay the cost of having all magazines go that route. And, next: do you eliminate press cars? How then would we have learned that the 997 Turbo's chassis is awful/way too soft? Or that early eGas and early 997 PASM had issues? Hopefully, that info helps new Porsche buyers AND enthusiasts down the road who will look at the cars as used cars. I know many Pelicanites say they don't care about the new stuff, but many other readers do, and there is a case to be made for creating records for the future.

3. FALSE: Press trips are lavish picnics and/or fun runs. The reality is that you're in transit for 30-50 hours and on the ground for about 30-40 hours. Those are real numbers. They're filled with sleep deprivation, press conferences, and a drive on roads you don't know with a passenger you may or may not like and who may or may not kill/maim you. Sometimes, the food is good. Sometimes, it's a weird five-course meal in foams and pates and you'll be eating raisins and a Euro Snickers in your room for dinner. For me, the upside comes when you meet a Porsche engineer, racer, or longtime acquaintance who is a real enthusiast, and there are still some. But there are few serious or even fun car enthusiasts left in the media. The rest seem to be in it either for a job or the perks, but I can't for the life of me figure the latter out -- unless they don't like to be at home. Especially given the sacrifice in what you could be making in another industry...


I think discussion (and especially constructive criticism!) is good. I've picked up a few ideas and areas for improvement myself here. And I commend Manny for coming in to address the issue, and agree that a better idea is for people to send him letters and emails. I think people who AREN'T members are just as important, especially if they once were. But while I think it's best that I remain neutral on Pano, I hate to see someone's work torn down in a nasty, public manner -- especially when it's done from a limited perspective. I can tell you from personal experience that it hurts, and it seems to me that it goes against the rules of this forum as stated. As always, if we want change, we should go about it constructively. Manny has provided that route.

Respectfully,

pete

[Dottore]

Good post, Pete.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Manny Alban

There are several paid positions in PCA. Executive Director, Finance Manager, Panorama Editor and Club Race Secretary/Program Coordinator as well as some full and part time employees that keep the day to day operations of the national office working. A total of less than ten full and part time employees for the whole club. The rest of us are volunteers. Pretty impressive when you compare the size of our club with others around the world. A true testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of our members.

PLEASE send me feedback on Panorama or any other part of the club. Email is the easiest... carrerados@aol.com I can do alot with MEMBER feedback. Ranting and venting on a forum is great, but I can go alot more with an email or letter.

Manny Alban
PCA Vice President

I may have to send you a note on another PCA subject Manny.

[carolinatrophy]

All good points, Pete. Although there are varying degrees of venom on here, I don't get the impression people are tearing anyone down PERSONALLY. Just the work. And although I agree that it would probably be pretty painful to hear, such (often rather brutal) criticism comes with the territory. Moreover, it serves a valuable purpose.

This is a forum of true Porsche fanatics, who take the cars and the history of the marque very seriously. And I think what everyone is venting about is a broadly held feeling feeling that Panorama doesn't adequately reflect the club, the marque, or the Porsche owners who feel so passionately about their cars. And, quite frankly, it should.

So I agree - no one should rip anyone PERSONALLY. And people should exercise every possible avenue to bring about the changes they feel should be made to the magazine. But I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with voicing opinions on the subject in a relatively strong and passionate way, even if they ultimately seem to be directed at one or two people.

Judging by the posts on here, the dissatisfaction has been building for some time and it's actually costing the club members. That's a fairly serious cocktail that I think the club would want to know about, even if it seems rather brutal.

[stout]

Originally Posted by carolinatrophy

All good points, Pete. Although there are varying degrees of venom on here, I don't get the impression people are tearing anyone down PERSONALLY. Just the work. And although I agree that it would probably be pretty painful to hear, such (often rather brutal) criticism comes with the territory. Moreover, it serves a valuable purpose.

This is a forum of true Porsche fanatics, who take the cars and the history of the marque very seriously. And I think what everyone is venting about is a broadly held feeling feeling that Panorama doesn't adequately reflect the club, the marque, or the Porsche owners who feel so passionately about their cars. And, quite frankly, it should.

So I agree - no one should rip anyone PERSONALLY. And people should exercise every possible avenue to bring about the changes they feel should be made to the magazine. But I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with voicing opinions on the subject in a relatively strong and passionate way, even if they ultimately seem to be directed at one or two people.

Judging by the posts on here, the dissatisfaction has been building for some time and it's actually costing the club members. That's a fairly serious cocktail that I think the club would want to know about, even if it seems rather brutal.

I'm trackin' with you.

The distinction for me comes when people get stereotyped ("rich people" vs. those who "get their hands dirty") or when the discussion gets into motive/bias/etc. without knowing the people involved or the full picture.

Some, however, noted what they felt is wrong with the product and suggested possible changes/fixes. I feel those were, by far, the most useful posts.

pete

[berettafan]

Pano reads like it was written by the wine and cheese crowd during a luncheon at a country club.

Sorry but it is what it is.

Those of us who are members PAY for this. It may come off as harsh but i can think of no more concise way to describe the flavor of the magazine as it currently exists. There is no soul. When i read your latest issue of Excellence I just got more and more pissed about the salt all over the roads. Man I was fired up to get out there and beat on my baby!!! In contrast i get through a few pages of Pano and i have zero feeling.

[berettafan]

And for the record i LOVES ME SOME WINE!

[carolinatrophy]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Pano reads like it was written by the wine and cheese crowd during a luncheon at a country club.

Sorry but it is what it is.

Well, the magazine can't be a manual for how to rebuild your 915 gearbox and such every month. I'm not sure what technically makes someone a member of the "wine and cheese crowd," but regardless, they are likely a substantial part of the club and not one we should be completely dismissive of. I have things I like to do with my car and they may be different from what someone else likes to do with theirs. That's not to be ridiculed - it's to be championed. In theory, it's what makes the club rich and valuable.

We can't forget that the magazine has to represent EVERYONE in the club - not just you. Or me. Or that guy over there in the "wine and cheese crowd." It has to reflect everyone. That's uniquely tough to do.

I hope that whatever changes are made in the future, it evolves into something that more people are happy with. Because it really SHOULD be an excellent magazine. It really should. We're a big club. An established club. Our magazine should be pretty top-flight.

[berettafan]

Paul we all know what is meant by 'wine and cheese crowd'.

But yes, i certainly agree the magazine should not serve just ONE group.

It currently does.

I'm not nearly as careful with my words as Cairns (in fact is this guy a writer?) but the gist is, i think, the same.

[carolinatrophy]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Paul we all know what is meant by 'wine and cheese crowd'. But yes, i certainly agree the magazine should not serve just ONE group.

I know, amigo. I was trying to politely say that just because the "wine and cheese crowd" likes different things about the club and enjoys different aspects of it, they're not subhuman. They are Porsche owners and lovers like the rest of us. I say the more the merrier.

But I hear you man. We're on the same page.

[cairns]

Manny I e-mailed you.

I want everyone on here to know that I meant absolutely no disrespect to Betty Jo or anyone involved in publishing Panorama.

Frankly, I don't think anyone else did either. The issue is pretty important to some of us and no one is perfect at expressing their feelings. Other than here I've never heard opinions of Panorama except privately- there wasn't a forum that encouraged disusscion so I think emotions kind of spilled out.

[berettafan]

just let it out man....it's okay.