Well thank you, I'm suitably flattered and I think you're quite right about the website, I ought/it could be made into a better resource.
I know we have discussed setting up a forum before (for 1/32) [owing to the lack of "functionality" of the (my/any) Yahoo group] and I guess we may very well have exactly what we wanted "in here" as part of Cynric's empire - especially as he has fallen fairly heavily for the charms of the scale and its possibilities.
Talking to John Dale earlier this evening, he made the very good point that "my" FS32 Yahoo group despite having quite a lot of members (141) is on the whole very quiet. (Although Roger Fry has just posted some pictures of his lovely scratchbuilt ballast wagon there rather then here, if you see what I mean)
Why is this I wonder?
On the whole I put it down to the lack of functionality of the Yahoo group, but I wonder whether there isn't something else going on (or not going on). Despite my making encouraging noises from time to time it seems to have adopted the cool reserve and lack of conversation that in some ways is typical of the two G1MRA Internet organs. Of course the irony is that I mainly bore people with my own modelling ramblings on here, having previously spent a while on "Fred" following an earlier (but largely non 1/32) "existence" on the (at the time) nascent RMweb.
As I said, I personally tend not to use it because of its lack of functionality, although if I am honest I am put off it (my own "place" mark you) by a sort of unfriendliness that seems to haunt it. We have certainly never managed as rational a discussion about the merits or othrwise of G1MRA membership as we are having here and now chez Cynric.
I still come back to quite liking the notion of instituting some more formal group for those that wish to model in 1/32 scale, with the current very loose grouping it is very hard to get a "handle" on what interest there is and there is nothing around which any of us feel we can "group". Well that is my feeling anyway, from other perspectives I know that John has been disappointed with sales of his 1/32 kits and yet on the other hand I have had quite a lot of conversations over the years with people who have read my website and are more than broadly supportive of its aims.
I completely agree however that if anything should develop it wants to be an intelligent organisation which fully utilises modern communications. I guess it would need some sort of formal constitution but I'm sure it wouldn't need committees and necessarily involve endless circular discussions.
Returning to G1MRA, I increasingly tend to the view that a lot of its problems arise from trying to be "all things to all men" the dreaded "broad church". That's it - it's suffering from BC syndrome!!
I'd be interested in others views.
Hopefully you will get more views than just mine, but I have noticed that Forums are better for breeding camaraderie.
The biggest problem with forums is that adding an image is not as simple as it is for an email: why there cannot be a simpler uploading process which automatically restricts the size of images is beyond me, but there you go. I suspect, though, that there are two reasons not much modelling appears:
1) Not many people are doing it;
2) Most of those who are, are too busy doing it to photograph and post it!
However, it doesn't matter whether it is an email list, a Yahoogroup (slight differences!), a forum-based enterprise or a more or (preferably) less formal society, things will only happen if there is a driving force behind them, which means someone assuming the mantle not necessarily of leader, nor even of shepherd, but an element of herding is required - think of goats rather than sheep, guiding rather than driving, creating possibilities so that people "choose" the path you would like them to follow...
The great thing about 1:32, other than the advantageous of mass, etc, is that there is quite a lot of stuff already available, such as rail, chairs, wheels, axlebox and spring castings, buffers and couplings, so anyone who is seriously interested in doing some 1:32 model making is set fair for the future - other than a few scenic features such as people, one does not really need much more than that small list to get on with making things. But in fact there is more than this, and there is in all probability more to come, which is all a wonderful bonus. So the committed model-maker can simply get on with it, without outside help, but many would appreciate a bit of friendship and a forum to exchange hints, tips, and to lavish praise on each other's achievements as this is quite simply the best form of encouragement there is.
By all means "create" something if you must, but be mindful of the fact that it is already here in a 21st century form: it is a virtual society, no rules other than respect for others, and anyone can join by taking part in discussions and proffering their own achievements for public viewing and constructive criticism - if they wish to. OK, so it is maybe a bit vague, but then, clouds are - and I like clouds, they are so varied and fluffy and indefinable and individual, and whilst they obey the laws of nature, they do so in their own way. Be mindful also that if
you create something,
you will have to keep it running (and this means being regular with updates, rather than as and when you feel like it) and someone, somewhere, sometime, may well come along and imply you to be some form of dictator. (Said person will not, of course, do any modelling, just stir it up for everyone else.)
And how will you have a constitution without people getting together, someone taking notes, and someone sitting in the chair? Why not simply see if there is a suitable village/church hall available somewhere central to the people you know to be interested, find out how it would cost to hire it, and ask all those who come to chip in an equal share? If it is near a pub and/or fish and chip shop, you have also solved the major part of catering, too.
Do you want to assume this mantle, especially when no one is clamouring for it?
My vote, if there is one (oh dear, getting close to a formal thing there) is to leave things as they are and to let them develop and go along in their own merry way; to let the ScaleOne32 universe to continue to rotate about its centre, which socially at the least happens to be you, really - and if you put a bit more effort into the website and people start to send you stuff, the whole need for anything more will simply go away.
This is the only branch of the hobby without a constituted society, as far as I can see, and it offers a safe haven from rules and regulations: we agree that the G1MRA "Fine" standards are not correct, and that if adjusted slightly (open out the B2B just a tad) such wheels are compatible with ScaleOne32, as are Proto:32. Also, ScaleOne32 uses nice round(ish) for the most part (45mm gauge, 1.5mm flangeways - simple!) so it is a lot simpler to get one's head around it. Provided models are built to 1:32 scale, have wheels with flanges between 0.9mm and 1.0mm wide and a sensible width (scale or slightly over, say 4mm - 5mm as the prototype varied a bit) and depth of flange (scale - 0.9mm again - or slightly deeper) set to a back-to-back of 42.25mm, then everything else is fine, and what more is needed?
The important thing is good modelling to a scale of 1:32, with agreed, published track standards.
Who needs or wants a "society" once that is established?