| Okay, so now it's time for me to get on my soap
box. There was an editorial in the recent issue of DeLorean
World bashing the DMC-News
mailing list.
For those of you who haven't seen the article in D.W., it's
one of those things that you just have to read to believe. I for one, am
rather surprised at the arrogance expressed in the article.
The DOA implies three fundamental, inalienable, but completely wrong principles:
1) There is only one way to fix a problem with a DeLorean, and only the
DOA can tell you how.
Other opinions are "misguided and dangerous". Apparently a DeLorean is the only car that faces such
imminent peril if handled improperly. Apparently, the DMC will not be a roadworthy
vehicle unless one purchases
his/her parts and services only directly from a DeLorean World advertiser. I have never seen any other marque or model of automobile
described as being so dangerous if mishandled. If they are correct, then the DOA is in fact stating that the DMC simply isn't a good car. I
take that as an insult to the marque. It's my opinion that the DOA is preying on it's less
mechanically-savvy members, leading them to believe their car would be unsafe to drive unless taken to a DOA-authorized
service center. As we all know, this simply is not the case.
2) The DMC News mailing list is a continual boxing match where "personal attacks" and "flaming" are the norm.
I have not seen very much of this, to be honest. Any time you put 1,100
people together semi-anonymously, you will get friction. That is simply
a fact of life. I personally run a mailing list for 1955-61
MoPars, with over 350 people subscribed. You get conflict. The article goes as
far as personally attacking the moderators as incompetent. Maybe we should disband this list where healthy disagreements and differences of
opinion over various subjects flourish. Heck, if we keep it up, we all just might actually expand our minds, and that would just be wrong. I
guess joining the DOA would be much better -- a utopian society where we
wouldn't have to have our own opinions! Imagine -- every thought about our cars can be easily dictated to us by someone who will personally
profit by telling us his opinion. And as we all know, the DOA has -no- conflict amongst its members, thanks to to the filtering process of
D.W. magazine straining any differences of opinion. Sign me up! (Oh, and
nevermind the fact that I know at least 10 people who have quit the DOA
over the infighting in their organization, and the fact that all of the regional DOA chapters split away... they were all just troublemakers
anyway, right?)
3) And I quote: "As the economy improved, quality DeLoreans were selling
in the 20's. Then came the mailing list and values plummeted".
Uhhh.... what? Face it. These cars are collectibles, but they're just not $50,000 collectibles, and likely never will be. It's a basic truth,
and we all need to admit it. I have in front of me, several issues of Hemmings Motor News from the early 1990's, and several from the
present. The DMC was selling for the same price then as it is now. The
whole argument is just plain false. To blame the mailing list isn't even partially correct. In fact, it's sad that the DOA has gone as far
as seeking out a scapegoat because their fantasies of riches in DeLorean
sales has not come true. Their argument is such: The DMC plant closed,
and prices went down. Then the JZD trial, and prices went down again. Then the recession (which ended before the trial, by the way), and
prices went down further. "Then came the mailing list and values plummeted." (?) Values have been around the same since about 1985, and
that's a full 10 years before the mailing list came on the scene. There
simply is no correlation. None whatsoever.
So what's my overall opinion? Am I mad at the DOA? No. Will I still join? The answer is a very loud YES. Even after this slap in the face
to over 1,100 people, many of which have taken enormous amounts of their
own time, going FAR out of their way to help me, seeking nothing in
return... I will still fork over my money to the organization that has gone so far out of its way to be so hurtful to us.
Why then would I possibly still even consider joining? It's simple. They care about the marque. With a passion. With great passion,
actually. That's the way all of us who love DeLoreans feel. And despite what ever direction your passions might take you, I will still
respect you for simply even -having- the passion. I just wish the DOA could feel the same.
A difference of opinion is not a sin. Open discussion is not bad. The DOA does a lot for the DMC community, and we all owe them a great debt.
It's just sad to see them so angry, so petulant, over discovering they are not the only game in town. It's also sad, but apparently an
unfortunate truth, that simply by writing this article, I will likely be
forever banned from buying parts from "One" DeLorean supplier.
If the DOA truly wishes to expand the fame, recognition, and camaraderie
of the DeLorean marque, they need to welcome -all- opinions, from any and ALL sources. To do otherwise is to deliberately drive a wedge right
through the middle of the DMC community.
Now, having said my peace, I will click "send" and welcome (unlike some others) responses to my one-man editorial. |
