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Membership has surpassed 300!  I normally go through the membership lists every so often and remove any "looks like spam" members that sneaked through the spam filters.  This new theme security is much tighter and I have only found 2 spam scums from Russia that I needed to remove.

I'll make an educated guess that they have about 3,000 or less paying members.  300 permanent members here would seem to represent 10% of the volume of the VCA.   Many here are VCA members in good standing. 

Two venues are a good thing.  It helps build perspective. 

There are a lot more than 2 venues.  Viper Alley is probably as large as the VCA forums now because a lot of members moved there when they said they didn't like honest questions being deleted instead of answered ...

A couple months after Tim and I started thevipergarage.com Viper world started as well as a few other Viper sites. 

My experiences with the Alley haven't been very positive.  It was almost like they hated the new guy and please..... "DON'T ASK QUESTIONS" or out comes the flame thrower.  Now that was back in 2005-2006 time frame and well, I never really went back to be a contributing member.  I just go and read what interest me.  I guess we all know what that would entail.  Vipers of The World was a bit of a shell game.  The owners sold the VTCoA and then invited everyone over to the new site (me included).  So for the most part it was a Viper Truck Forum with very little Viper involvement.  Still kind of that way.  Same with my site if we are being honest, only difference, I didn't do any recruiting like the World did.  I just sent emails to people who had registered their Vipers and Viper Trucks.  There are a few other Viper sites that I've found over the years, but... well.... never really enjoyed them.

So here we are on the ViperGarage. If I just consider the VCA, Viper Garage, Viper Alley and Vipers Of The World, this is how I would break it down on a scale of 1-10

Acceptance of New people
VCA - 6
VG - 8
VA - 4 
VOTW - 1

Site Activity

VCA - 9
VG - 3
VA - 9
VOTW - 2

Access to information

VCA - 7
VG - 8
VA - 8
VOTW - 4

Over All enjoyability

VCA - 7
VG - 9
VA - 3
VOTW - 1

There are a few other area's that I could go into, and I decided no one is really a 10.  But here it is from an outsider that just happened to check the place out because another Viper Truck Owner said I should take a look.  The Viper Garage unlike the VCA, didn't send me several PM's telling me to be careful what I post from moderators.  Unlike the VCA, I have access to all parts of the board.  Unlike the VCA, a hand of friendship was the first thing offered instead of a warning.  The Viper Garage (for me) just left the Alley in the dust.  Simply again, because the first thing offered was friendship, not condescending posts and an arrogant attitude simply because my Viper was a truck.  The Vipers of the World is almost pointless.  There is almost nothing there that is Viper related that is part of there daily routine.  There are Viper owners there, but ask about an issue you are having and you can almost hear crickets (Ok, maybe I'm a bit biased on this one, so bear with me)

I know with all high traffic sites, things can go bad fast and stay bad.  I've been on my fair share of sites where that has happened.  I can only hope that the Viper Garage continues it's growth and continues to extend that hand of friendship to every new member, because at the end of the day.... That’s what the majority of us will remember for years to come.

I still visit all the other sites, I just don't post very much.  The Alley not all all, I get enough static from my kids, I really don't need any more static from someone else's kids.  VOTW, I really not a "quality member" there since I quit as Moderator because the owner out and out lied to me.  I could have picked a thousand ways to leave, I did it poorly and I have to live with that.  Now to the VCA.  I pretty much only post one thing there and that’s photoshops.  I'm not even sure that is accepted very well at times.  Yes Ted, I was questioned on two that I posted that included your car.  They were removed (by me) without question or argument.  I spend a lot of time reading posts from pre 2000 (well at least the ones I can find) that deal specifically with Vipers and questions.  A lot of very interesting topics.  I bet I can read for years and never get a full understanding of the enjoyment from then as opposed to now.

On the Viper Garage, I feel comfortable posting anywhere.  I know I'm a bit of of fifth wheel because I don't know the history, however, even with that I post. 

Thank You and keep up the good work with a place that is so different from the others, it's inviting.  It's really hard to say that about any message board these days


Jeff

Wow, thanks Jeff.

I joined the Viper Alley when I was looking for a modified Viper to purchase.  I found the VCA after that.  I didn't join it.

After buying my first Roe supecharged Viper I "was on a mission" to learn everything I could and already had a lot of knowledge from my studies previous to buying the 98 GTS.  I posted and answered questions on the Viper Alley becaues newbies would ask questions and they would get sworn at, abused, insulted and disparaged.  Many were told they "were too stupid to buy a Viper" ot suggested that they go buy a vette.  I would read 2 pages and there would be NO answers to the newbs questions so I answered quite a few.  I got insulted, swaorn at, called stupid and wrong and even managed to average about 5 negative rep points each time I tried to help.  Like you, I got tired of that real fast and quit, then joined the VCA.  Had a total blast and was exposed to Chuck, the WIZ, read many thank you's to JonB for his help getting owners a fair deal from their insurance comapny (John is recognized as a marketing expert), partsrack, Sean Roe, KcoBean, Leslie and hundreds of other Viper fanatics.  Everything changed while Chris Marshal was Nat president.  At VOI 11 I received the VCA regional Member of the Year award, then he banned me for life and then said it was "just the website language", I was suspended indefinitely.  Marv told me to be quiet and stop rocking the boat and I would be reinstated in 2 months when he became president.  That was 2 years ago.  Understand that many of my friends have also been banned and like JonB, unless the VCA gets completely new management ... it's not a car club for car guys - it's a Yes man club for CM's company.  Jon and I (and Jeff) aren't welcome in that Club, even though we are probably Viper's most fanatical worshipers. 

Bottlefed and I wanted a website that was for building and posting Viper information.  We still wanted to helpm people fix and modify their Vipers and enjoy their cars (the old VCA Mission statment).  We did.  Marv and CM told the WC pres that I had to shut down both VG and VN and a lot of other BS before I would be allowed to rejoin the VCA.  Under Marv's presidency a lot of unkown (to me) people came here and posted their complaints about their posts getting deleted, then dishonesty etc etc.,   That's why there is a Board for VCA complaints and it's mostly (you noticed?) for VCA members to vent.  It was also an attempt to keep VCA complaints in the Viper community instead of being in the Mustang and vette communities. 

After getting bylawed from all VCA events by the VCA managment I felt forced to open the site and encourage more "off brands" because I was no longer allowed to compete against Vipers.  Not a problem as I went out into the big wide world and really started using the Viper advantage to spank all those other brands.  www.vipernation.com was mostly Viper stories (many published in Viper Magazine (JRTs) and a few other Dodge stories published in Domestic Driver and Hot Rods and Classics magazines.  CM fired JRT and now it's HIS magazine.  I started vipernation with help from Shep and Kala.  I helped host and attended several more Viper events with my friends (all of the WC and Wash. VCA were friends) until there was bylaws passed so that anyone suspended was not allowed near Viper events.  That lead to ALL the stories on VN being about spanking the other brands and no more VCA camaraderie since it was no longer allowed.  I also stopped getting emails and invites from WC.  I moved on. 

It's a better world without the VCA.  The SSCC/NORC is the absolute best and most active event I've ever attended.  The Race the Base event was awe inspiring and our Vipers were well received by the mostly billionaires that I was kicking butt on!     I made several Lambo and Ferrari buddies since the VCA and have learned a lot about those Italian machines (TT kit for low boost/600whp is $75,000).  Our trannies suck but the Gen 5 is fixed ...

Here we welcome new people as we love having friends all over the world and as Timbo (Tim W) says, "It's our mission to make people smile."  And Timbo (no longer a Viper owner or VCA member) spents thousands of hours making gifts and auction items to help all of the VCA smile.  One of the nicest pieces of Viper collectables is a 12" aluminium Sneaky Pete crest that Timbo gave me!      I donated a few of Timbo's pieces to several WC VCA members for their dedication to the club and Viper last year.  JonB also donated stuff to me for the WC VCA.  Jeff you are helping make smiles on people here as well.  That's what this site is all about.

Thank you.