The Purpose and Creed of ATC
Dec 1, 2013 22:35:26 GMT -9
D.Martusheff, Davin M., and 1 more like this
Post by B.Harris on Dec 1, 2013 22:35:26 GMT -9
ATC Members,
There seems to be some confusion about what the point of ATC is, or at the very least, the goal of ATC. Allow me to take this time to explain. I hope that reading this will give you some insight into my actions and the directions I've chosen for the group.
ATC was originally designed as a catalog to see who's who in town and be able to identify each others vehicles. The purpose was to create a community of auto enthusiast's who shared a love for all cars, all makes all models, and then trucks and other types of vehicles. Once we had an established member base, I had to contemplate what our next step was. I brought in Josh Cuerdo and created the forum. He helped membership boom yet further with meets and cruises. Membership has since grown to over 300 members. With that much established, there needed to be something more concrete to solidify this new community.
I have the firm belief that when you love something, and use it the right way, it can be made into something even better. We love vehicles. We love Alaska. I knew before starting ATC that I wanted to involve charity and community outreach. I wanted to create a culture where we combine our hobby with the good of our state. For the people around us, for the by standers, and for the people who need help, but also for us as a group. You grow close to people you work with. Why not work with people who share the same passion and grow closer as a group AND help the community? Community service is a win win for everyone, as it get's us positive PR, establishes a helpful culture, and helps the community with which we live in a very personal way. Community service and charity will always be a part of ATC.
You might have a few complaints with the way I run the group. It's not like another group that existed or it isn't the exact group tailored to you. To be honest, that's not the purpose of the group. I want you to enjoy it. I give you room to play, and I ask very little. Online persona's build a sense of ego where small things become very large things. I want YOU to be a part of ATC. It is not a service for you to utilize, it is a community. It is not for very specific purposes, it is an all encompassing community. I understand you might think that I take this entirely too seriously, but there are dozens of dozens of non-serious groups and pages you can join. Again, ATC is not a service, it's a community I encourage you to take ownership of and be a part of.
That being said, here are some bottom lines..
1.The FB page is our PR page. We have members who are community reps and charity reps. I will not have our dirty laundry aired to sponsers and supporters. Thus, censorship can be fairly high to reduce traffic. We don't need to see your reposted meme's and exotic car dreams. We need to see issues with your car, events that are happening affecting our community, and what's going on with each other. The forum can be used for every other avenue.
2. The use of name is mandatory because unlike every other forum you participate in, this one promotes actually knowing each other. We do not hide behind handles. If I say I can beat J.Cuerdo in a race, You know who said that, and I am accountable for every time I speak. Accountability is important. It keeps people honest, and it keeps people close. When you see that person driving a purple miata you will know his name, and can introduce yourself to him as a member without having to remember some random handle. We have a few members who are better known by their nickname. That's fine too. A standard name that people actually call you is fine. But noone calls you 907Bootlegger907. No one calls you Fast_one. We are creating a culture of a club that knows each other and each others rigs, and reduce weirdness.
3. The only thing I have ever asked of anyone is respect, and I get a lot of flack for it. If you don't want to be a part of what I'm trying to accomplish, you don't have to be a part of it. Again, I don't run a service. But I encourage you to be a helpful part of our community.
I hope with all that said, you realize I'm not a miser who enjoys censorship and control. I want you to just know how to use our formats, use them properly, and respect each other. That is all I have ever asked. Please at least pay me the courtesy of realizing that ATC is more than just a group of car dudes. We can do more if you'll allow it. This group has positive staying power if you'll support it. I hope all of you can come to terms with this and help me make this the biggest, most unavoidable Motorsports group this State has ever seen. There is no limit to the good we can do for others and ourselves, if you'll help. We are at the treasury stage of group development and there's no telling the content our team can crank out if we can just establish our standards and stop putting out small fires.
Thank you all for being a part of this.
Brandon Harris
ATC Founder
Anchorage
There seems to be some confusion about what the point of ATC is, or at the very least, the goal of ATC. Allow me to take this time to explain. I hope that reading this will give you some insight into my actions and the directions I've chosen for the group.
ATC was originally designed as a catalog to see who's who in town and be able to identify each others vehicles. The purpose was to create a community of auto enthusiast's who shared a love for all cars, all makes all models, and then trucks and other types of vehicles. Once we had an established member base, I had to contemplate what our next step was. I brought in Josh Cuerdo and created the forum. He helped membership boom yet further with meets and cruises. Membership has since grown to over 300 members. With that much established, there needed to be something more concrete to solidify this new community.
I have the firm belief that when you love something, and use it the right way, it can be made into something even better. We love vehicles. We love Alaska. I knew before starting ATC that I wanted to involve charity and community outreach. I wanted to create a culture where we combine our hobby with the good of our state. For the people around us, for the by standers, and for the people who need help, but also for us as a group. You grow close to people you work with. Why not work with people who share the same passion and grow closer as a group AND help the community? Community service is a win win for everyone, as it get's us positive PR, establishes a helpful culture, and helps the community with which we live in a very personal way. Community service and charity will always be a part of ATC.
You might have a few complaints with the way I run the group. It's not like another group that existed or it isn't the exact group tailored to you. To be honest, that's not the purpose of the group. I want you to enjoy it. I give you room to play, and I ask very little. Online persona's build a sense of ego where small things become very large things. I want YOU to be a part of ATC. It is not a service for you to utilize, it is a community. It is not for very specific purposes, it is an all encompassing community. I understand you might think that I take this entirely too seriously, but there are dozens of dozens of non-serious groups and pages you can join. Again, ATC is not a service, it's a community I encourage you to take ownership of and be a part of.
That being said, here are some bottom lines..
1.The FB page is our PR page. We have members who are community reps and charity reps. I will not have our dirty laundry aired to sponsers and supporters. Thus, censorship can be fairly high to reduce traffic. We don't need to see your reposted meme's and exotic car dreams. We need to see issues with your car, events that are happening affecting our community, and what's going on with each other. The forum can be used for every other avenue.
2. The use of name is mandatory because unlike every other forum you participate in, this one promotes actually knowing each other. We do not hide behind handles. If I say I can beat J.Cuerdo in a race, You know who said that, and I am accountable for every time I speak. Accountability is important. It keeps people honest, and it keeps people close. When you see that person driving a purple miata you will know his name, and can introduce yourself to him as a member without having to remember some random handle. We have a few members who are better known by their nickname. That's fine too. A standard name that people actually call you is fine. But noone calls you 907Bootlegger907. No one calls you Fast_one. We are creating a culture of a club that knows each other and each others rigs, and reduce weirdness.
3. The only thing I have ever asked of anyone is respect, and I get a lot of flack for it. If you don't want to be a part of what I'm trying to accomplish, you don't have to be a part of it. Again, I don't run a service. But I encourage you to be a helpful part of our community.
I hope with all that said, you realize I'm not a miser who enjoys censorship and control. I want you to just know how to use our formats, use them properly, and respect each other. That is all I have ever asked. Please at least pay me the courtesy of realizing that ATC is more than just a group of car dudes. We can do more if you'll allow it. This group has positive staying power if you'll support it. I hope all of you can come to terms with this and help me make this the biggest, most unavoidable Motorsports group this State has ever seen. There is no limit to the good we can do for others and ourselves, if you'll help. We are at the treasury stage of group development and there's no telling the content our team can crank out if we can just establish our standards and stop putting out small fires.
Thank you all for being a part of this.
Brandon Harris
ATC Founder
Anchorage