[DML] Re: Digest Number 1520 (Unhappy about the DOA and DW)

["therealdmcvegas" <DMCVegas@xxxx>]

No one here is really questioning Ed Bernstein, nor his involvement in the 
current format of "DW". What the point here is, is that the magazine is 
extremely lacking in viable content that the mnajority of people are interested 
in. That's it. Now thru another local owner here in town, I was able to view 
both an older copy (from '96 I believe), and the recent copy of the "Northwest 
Passage (the one will the girl wearing the ball cap). The only thing that I 
could think was, "Wow, what in the hell happened?!?" Yes, DeLorean World 
magazine has been around for quite a long time, and indeed has provided a 
great source of info to everyone. And this is indeed quite evident in the past 
issues that I've skimmed, and read over. But it's new incanation is totally 
lacking in DeLorean content. In the older issue, I read about owners who 
retold stories of personal experiences with their cars. Hell, there was even a 
Q&A section of people who were writting in with problems that they've had, 
and were recieving answers. None of that content was available! All I read 
were stories from people who were going on trips that they enjoyed, and the 
only tie-in was that they just happened to be driving a DeLorean at the time! 
Unlike previous stories of travel, where the focus was on the car, and not the 
destination! The old issues were both thick, and really full of useful 
information.

The only "tech" articles were the installation of a custom speaker/amp in the 
rear parcel shelf wall (pretty good), and a dragged-out article on clutch 
operation, and symptom explanation with modified diagrams. And even then, 
this was dragged out way too far. Something like that should be only 3-4 
pages at max, not a 2-part series broken up into 2 magazines! The constant 
use of stock photos was really overdone. Especially when you have them 
accompanying stories about Points of Interest that have *NO* DeLorean 
content within them what so ever. But the one that takes the cake is the 
spread that shows out the equestrian center complex, for the story about the 
same subject. In an effort to try and make it more DeLorean related, someone 
(the editor perhaps?) cut and pasted a picture of a DeLorean a bunch of times 
to try and make it look like they were sitting in the parking lot. Great 
Photoshop skills there, I'm just surprised that a couple of lense-flairs didn't 
make their way into the pic.

So in the end here, many people agree that the content of the magazines is 
gone. Many folks here have retained their membership to the DOA for those 
magazines, and now that they no longer provide them with what they want, 
people are looking elsewhere.


Now, let me comment on a couple of your quotes here:
<SNIP>
> If any of you are interested,
> then why not send a letter, or e-mail to a Board member? I am sure most
> would gladly inform the board at the next meeting. Along those lines, If you
> have a concern, why not write to the president? why sit here and piss and
> moan, no one here can do anything about it, you all say, "if things would
> change..." then send your concerns to the President! 
<SNIP>

Ok now. Looking at the current roster, YOU yourself are on the Board of 
Directors! So now, the directors know! In addition, you're the "Publicity 
Director"! So now, I think it's safe to say that the "Board" is now quite aware of 
this concern. And by the way, what a fine job you're doing! It's good to indeed 
see that when members of an organization begin to voice concerns, a 
Boardmember from that very same organization tells them that they're "pissing 
and moaning", and that they're basicly wasting their time by saying anything 
at all. As long as there is at least one boardmember here that is able to see 
these posts, then indeed the voices of those here who are concerned, have in 
fact been heard. In any case, the majority of both data transfered, and material 
commerce in the DeLorean community is exchanged via the Internet. I would 
have thought that with such rapidly changing times that the board would have 
both recognized this, and adapted to it. But I guess that the best way to be 
heard, and to get a point across is with one's own wallet. Which many here 
are in agreement on.

Since you are also Publicity Director, that means that you have been 
appointed to you position to represent the rest of the board in their opinions, 
and feelings on subjects thru your statements. So I guess that these concerns 
are nothing to the rest of the DOA either then?


<SNIP>
> ...all I know is that if you look back, DW has over 72 issues, which
> have covered just about everything there is to with DeLoreans and tech, the
> new magazine still has tech, but again, in 20 years, its all been said...
> You say its not interesting any more, which is why the format has been
> changed...
<SNIP>

You're absolutely right. How many times can something be said? Just look at 
the common threads here on the list of "Who can insure my car", and "Where 
can I find financing?" Hey, I sympathise. Unless new material is added in, how 
many times can one keep on publishing the same data? And with a limited 
subject such as this, how can one incorporate various new material, to tie into 
the basic subject? That is an excellent point, and one that I agree with you 
whole-heartedly on. However, others out there are publishing magazines, 
and they are indeed acquiring new memberships. What is it that they're doing, 
that "DW" hasn't? Well, I guess that research on what kind of content that 
people really want wasn't properly researched. Perhaps if there was a director 
of marketing....

Otherwise, "DeLorean World" magazine just seems to be past it's prime, and 
ina big way at that. It was a good run, but it looks to have come to an end.

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"