Kumbayah, kumbayah………

[Bob Parmenter]

I've been visiting another site lately. I thought CHR seemed a little odd, because the variety of car types and building styles is so widely varied. The other site was the opposite, with basically only one style of building being discussed.

I thought that it was a good fit for me, but the more I tried to join in discussions, the more bickering and criticism of other genres, I saw, and when anybody would question things, even in a positive manner, entire threads would disappear with no explanation!

Too much control for me! It's like starting to talk to someone, and an invisible "big brother" turns off the sound. I was told "I would get the idea".

I thought I was a solid member of the building style they pronounced, but I'm obviously too broad minded to "get in line and march".

So again, I will say "thanks". At least on this site, a person can have an opinion! :-)

I found some enjoyable irony in the above quote from Jay’s post/thread on the temporary site as it captures the essence of some similar thoughts I’d had at about the same time, but was saving to post once the “permanent” site reappeared.



It is generally accepted that the word “kumbayah” is pidgin for the phrase “come by here”. I want to express my thanks as well to all those who continue to “come by here” to make up the “Club”.

While we see frequent and justified expressions of gratitude to Brent for maintaining the structure of the site, especially through what sometimes seems all too frequent hardware and software glitches and Bill for his policing efforts, there is a forgotten element; you the participants. I don’t fully subscribe to the “Field of Dreams” notion that “build it and they will come”. Somehow that’s just not enough. People not only need to come here, they need to stay. More to the point, they need a reason to stay. No doubt we each have our own reason(s).

Those of us that have been around since day one of the site nearly seven years ago had no idea where it would go and how it would grow. We had a hope, but there were no planning meetings, no strategy sessions, no marketing plan designed to rock the world. Just a handful of hot rod enthusiasts who wanted to share their automotive passion on the World Wide Web with like minded folk. Over time more and more folks found their way through the clubhouse door. Some stayed, some left. Those that stayed added to the texture and interest of the room. Sure there were moments of drama, moments of sadness when a member passed, and moments of brilliance and joy. Some of those founding members either lost hope in the direction the site took, or lost interest in the hobby, others kept on keepin’ on. Each site on the web takes on a life of its own. Some are belligerent, some are not. Thankfully this one has chosen to stay with the original theme of civil discourse and a broad variety of interest within the hot rod sphere. Again the membership deserves credit for this because it’s through their shunning of the “disruptive” elements who sometimes stumble through the door that we maintain that civility and diverse interest within the automotive construct.


While I would hope differently, odds are we’ve lost some members because of the resent protracted down cycle of the permanent site, though the temporary site was a valiant effort to maintain a semblance of “normalcy”. I suspect some folks just didn’t see any point in posting to something that they knew would “disappear”. Happily others of you chose to participate in the spirit of the permanent site. Any of you reading this obviously chose to “hang in there” and return to the “normal” (well, as normal as this crowd can be ) site. Again, let me say “THANKS” for choosing to continue to kumbayah. I enjoy spending time with you.