Email membership lists

[richard tann]

Hello again

During the membership renewal process a few members have asked me for the list of email addresses mentioned on the renewal form.

I have checked this out with Jon Hodges and it is OK for me to issue this, it was agreed at a previous AGM.

The lists are stored at present, along with other membership information, on Microsoft Excell. It would obviously be very easy to run off a list of members names, country, and email. Is this what you want ? Is there anything we could do to enhance the information to make it more useful, perhaps not immediately, but in the future when more information could be gathered by way of the renewal form ?

It would be good if we could use the list to get members with similar interests together, for example, Silk or Sociable owners. It would be better still if we could help overseas members get together and contact others nearby. I would like to see these members getting a bit more out of our Club.

Keep in mind that I am not sure how up-to-date or accurate our records are. Some members are very “casual” when it comes to completing forms ! Please also keep in mind that I am not running the Starship Enterprise here, so no wildly ambitious schemes, unless you want to help ! All offers gratefully accepted.

Let me know what you think.

Regards

Richard Tann
Membership Secretary
tannandsons@aol.com

[richard tann]

ps. About 300 members have given an email address.

Richard Tann

[Colin Hough]

Richard,

Great news that you are getting the email list together – I would suggest adding the location/town so people can identify those near to them.

I’m not sure if everyone can read Excel spreadsheets as that software tends to come with Microsoft Office and many home computers only have Microsoft Works (or Apple). However, conversion to .pdf would mean everyone can read them as the reader software is free. If you do not have the software to convert from Excel to .pdf (Adobe Acrobat), I can do this via my office laptop as they give me the software.

Concerning addresses etc, I am surprised that we (the SOC that is) do not publish the full addresses. I know that a few new members have asked for this as an aide to contacting local members, but the general feeling is that this is a security risk these days. Interestingly, when I first joined the SOC in 1967, my name and address was published in Yowl as being a new member (along with all the other new members). Hence this is a change from the ‘good old days’. Also, my wife belongs to a couple of organisations for foreigners in London (expat Ozzies and the Petroleum Wives Club) and they both publish a full list of members addresses to help them get to meet other local members. Any thoughts about this for the SOC?

Regards,

Colin

[richard tann]

Colin

To be honest there hasn’t been a great deal of interest in the email address list. Only four or five members have asked me for it so far.

I do not think I would be allowed to give out a partial address, country, but not any more.

To be of any real use the list would have to state the area of interest of each member. We do not have this information at present, it would have to be “gathered” in subsequent renewal forms. I had hoped that this list would be of most benefit to overseas members, enabling them to get a little more out of the Club.

I agree that a members list would be a good thing but the Club ruling at present is that it will not be, and I have to abide by that. If you feel strongly about it speak to your Section Secretary, and bring it up at the AGM. A list could easily be constructed excluding members who wished to protect their privacy.

Regards

Richard Tann

[Rod Norris]

You are crossing in to an area of the data protection act and for several reasons it is wise to avoid. I use a number of sites and message boards and it is surprising how you can find out about people. there is a program that is freely available that has all the electoral registers on it as well as the national phone book. It is available to anyone fairly cheaply.
So on this board I mention that I have a number of bikes and state i live in say Bristol. I type in your surname in that town and depending on the name would depend on how many results. i then type in your forename and we are soon down to a very few or perhaps just the one. Some weeks later you mention on the board you are off on holiday for a fortnight so won’t be making comments on the message board for a bit.
You return home to find your bikes have gone but your home is untouched. It is then easier to piece together what has happened. We don’t tend to think that way but for the criminals it is second nature. The power in a computer makes this task very easy and the ability to draw conclusions to be a very powerful tool.
With a post code you are withina an area of just a few houses. Whilst the pre-fix for the code may seem general, the last part allows others to taget you more specifically. Auto Route will pin point a post code or you can use several site on the internet that allow you to zoom in on a map.
I did it on a message board with some who did not believe this was possible and they were surprised when I could tell them their exact address.
There are a lot of visitors to sites who never leave a message and as usual its the minority who spoil it for us all. It is something to be considered when handing out other people information. For the criminals, we are leaving our electronic key under the mat to the front door.

I used the program to track down a mate who I knew had moved to mid Wales some years ago. My intentions were honourable and we have since met up and talked about old time together. Because of programs like this you now have the right to have your name removed from the electoral register that is made available to companies for a fee. Your name is there to be checked at elction time etc but companies can no longer purchase the full listing if you have asked for your name to be withdrawn.
I have no problem with people offering their names forward on a list but they must be aware of the possible consequences however small they may be. To some this will seem fanciful or even paranoid, but if you’ve been broken in to by professionals with hydraulic equipment, wanting to take all your bikes, then your view will be more likely to concur with mine.

[BRIAN MARSHALL]

We need to be VERY careful here. I am an insurance claims assessor/investigator, and let me tell you what I saw only two days ago. A man in Nottingham advertised his top spec model Harley somewhere on the net without his home address, just his email address and a mention of Nottm.. [he has an unusual surname so is easily found via the electoral roll]. He woke in the morning to find that thieves had taken roof tiles off his securely locked outbuilding, kicked the ceiling down, spent a while dismantling his bike and somehow got the large lumps out and away through a window!!!!

[Stan Thomas]

To produce any list such as even an email list would require an authorisation from the member under the data protection act.

Having said that, surely if you own an Harley ithe thing to do is to simply leave it outside with the keys in. Shame about the damaged tiles.

Stan.

[Rod Norris]

I do remember reading in the Yowl how 2 people had lived only a short distance away for many years and it was a pity they didn’t know about each other. I’m certain the request to hand out details is for perfectly honourable reasons but these days we don’t inform too many people when we will be on holiday etc. This got me thinking about how the 2 people who lived so close, had not met previously.

Many clubs have events where people go along who don’t have that type of bike but have an interest in the make or just a general interest in old bikes. As we only have 1 major event each year, that we tend to keep to ourselves then I believe this is really the problem. We don’t go overboard on advertising, other than to members and perhaps a few other select organisations. Perhaps we should all do a bit more to make ourselves known to a wider audience. Until I bought a Scott, I didn’t know anyone with one or even see one on the road. Maybe when we go to different events we should let others know that there will be a Scott presence. Then when we meet people we can decide whether we hand out our details or not, as is normal practice.
I have one bike that I have owned from new for 24 years and I have been all over Europe on it. If it was stolen, nothing could replace it, so I am protective over my details.

As regards the Harley, I just presumed the thieves couldn’t start it and that was why they broke it up in to parts. Now an Indian would be completely different.

[Trevor Scott]

reading all your comments “its a sad distrusting world we live in & you all should be ashamed of conforming to modern distrust ” I have recently been shown a list available to the New Imperial owners club of members & contact details which I think is a great idea as you could be living 2 doors away from a true marquee enthusiast & never know they exist which, in my opinion is especially important on the mainland. In nothern Ireland where I live everyone knows everyone or someone who knows this person etc etc & but there are still people who are low key & would love the company of other scott owners given the opportunity to meet up. I have made nothing but friends through the scott owners club & have never come across any “undesirables” yet, in fact I have only met true gentlemen. I personally think it would be great to know where your scott neighbours are, compare machinery, or just strike up a friendship as that in my opinion is what the whole thing is about ! if you want to belong to an organisation of secrets, Join the masonic not the scott owners club
you have my vote to publish our details
regards
Trevor

[Rod Norris]

Trevor,
Peoples knowledge on computers varies significantly and like most topics “I wished I knew then what I know now” is relevant to us all at some time or other. Offered knowledge I had gained so you could be aware of any implications so that if this issue comes to a vote then you have opportunity to gain information before voting. It’s at the heart of democracy.

There are programs set by companies to search the internet for comments made about them so they can monitor peoples views and if something libellous is stated they can take the appropriate action. This same program can be used to look on message boards by people who are not bikers or motorcyclists and will steal anything from anyone. Of course you don’t meet them at the owners clubs it’s not how they work.

Why you should adopt such a “holier than thou attitude” is incomprehensible. I offered other ways that people could meet up and at the same time increase the awareness of the club. You aren’t much of a neighbour if you don’t know the guy 2 doors away has a Scott in the garage. If you are not a member of the New Imperial Club and hold a position then they may well be in breach of the data protection act if the information is held on computer.

I will join any club I like and do not need your permission. You can offer your vote to hand out your information but not mine.

Next time just realise that people can have a different view without resorting to rudeness and showing your ignorance.

[Trevor Scott]

Norris,
I am not developing a holier than thou attitude, I just was simply stating that I have met nothing but “Gentlemen” through the scott owners club & it would be nice to know where your scott neighbours were.
I feel that if everyone develops an instant distrust in the world it would be a sad place to live. I take people as I find them & I admittedly have been dissapointed a few times but on the hole I find you reap what you sow.
I dont necessarly mean publishing the members contact details on the web but it may be a consideration to send out a list yearly with the “yowl” magazine to enable members living near each other to make contact.
you have scott meetings in different areas on the mainland but as far as I am aware there are no meetings in northern Ireland & I only know of two other people here who belong to the Scott owners club (one of them being my dad) but I would guess there must be 40/50 members.
I appreciate there are criminals about who’s only desire is to steal but I dont think many belong to “the scott owners club”
if you want to remain annonymous in the club thats your choice or indeed any other members choice but my reason for joining the “scott owners club “was to meet other members !
sorry if I offend you but it was not meant in that context, I was just comparing what I found to be helpful in another club which I am a member of !
regards
Trevor

[Rod Norris]

“its a sad distrusting world we live in & you all should be ashamed of conforming to modern distrust “
Those were the words you used in your comments and I don’t think anyone on this site has published anything to be ashamed of.

I am also a member of the Ariel owners Club and we are aware how many read the magazine and write in about articles and make criticism or comment and aren’t even members. They could work at the printers, read a fathers copy or work colleague and in an attempt to promote any club the wider the audience the better. Although its a bit cheeky to pass comment when they haven’t actually joined.
The point I am trying to put is that by publishing people’s names they reach a wider audience than the membership. Copies of Yowl have been on sale on eBay for several weeks now. There are organisations out there paying to get hold of databases, most for marketing purposes, a few with ulterior motives. If members are asked to volunteer their information to be published in a magazine then there is no problem, but it has to be with that person’s consent. My details are not subject to the democracy of this club or any club. Whilst the data protection is more relaxed on Clubs than companies, I do think they would deem it permissable either.
I wish you well in meeting more Scott owners in Northern Ireland or anywhere but perhaps a note in the local paper about a meeting of Scott lovers could be arranged that would help you to achieve your goals. 😆

[Trevor Scott]

yes Rod & they could go to your organised scott run & take down the registration of every motorcycle there & through a friend in the DVLA, police, traffic warden, ambulance service, any civil servants dealing with all forms of car crime,etc etc etc have the name & address of every scott owner there within 10 minutes. or they could follow you home from it ! its that simple ! but its all “what If’s”
talk to any insurance man they will tell you if a criminal wants to break into your house, steal your bike,steal your car etc etc he will do it ! all we can do is make it as akward as possible for him…….. but if he is determined to steal it, he will !
I honestly wish I had never put a reply on this site to this post as you are obviously paranoid about giving out your name & address…….. everybody is entitled to their opinion mine was that the advantages of having each others addresses would outweigh the negatives. ok I said what I felt at the time & maybe I should have been more selective in my wording but I felt the posts were going off on a tangent to the original statement & digging up issues that were based on paranoia about distrust & being robbed !
I have six scotts (sorry my father & I have) & anyone is welcome to come & view our bikes at any time, or any of the other 28 bikes that we have, yourself included, they are there to be enjoyed & if anyone takes pleasure in looking at them I will make them more than welcome.
sorry if I have offended anyone with my post it was not intended but as I have stated before, in all my dealings with people in the scott club I have found them to be nothing but “gentlemen” rodger moss, gill swann, etc etc & I do not feel any cause to be alarmed about giving out my contact details to any of them but as I stress “that is MY opinion”, in fact I would go as far as to say that classic bike enthusiasts in general are nothing but gentlemen & I have never been offended by any, or given offence knowingly to anyone !
I dont want to discuss it with you anymore I have expressed my pro opinion, you have expressed your negative opinion let the powers that be decide, I personally hope that all who are infavour of it, get access to each others details, as the bottom line is “the scott owners clubs purpose is to bring scott owners together & help each other to keep the scott name alive & as many scotts on the road as possible”
I take your point about organising a scott run in Ireland & I think it might be best advertised in Yowl as it could be a good event & perhaps some of the members on the mainland could come across & make a weekend of it & enjoy some Irish hospitality. I may be naive as there could be such a run in place but I am unaware of it at present. if you came over we would promise not to take a wheel off your scott as the Ireland rugby team did with your chariot yesterday (joke!)
here endeth the “holier than thou attitude” as you put it, in future I will keep my thoughts to myself !
regards
Trevor

[Springming]

For what it is worth,I belong to two other worldwide motoring clubs, in one instance the membership addresses ,Emails ,and models owned is published for members. In the other club address detais are given BUT NOT the models owned.
This gives the members the opportunity to get together if they wish and learn from others , which is of particular importance as I see it in the case of the S.O.C. To be suspicious of all others who have similar interests in vintage machines is surely bordering on paranoia.
I would welcome the information of other members in Canada without any dark desires on their possessions. Thanks Peter.

P.S I am just off to the basement to look at my Picasso !!!

[Rod Norris]

Trevor,
Debate is good and there is so much that we agree on, we should not concentrate on one small point of difference. I hope you get to meet more Scott owners and Rodger & Gill are indeed nice people. Your offer is a generous one and I thank you for it.
I will try to be more open like yourself but I think we tend to reflect our experiences. It took me 3 days to repair my garage after professionals came last time with hydraulic equipment and in breaking the steel lined doors open actually moved a double garage about 9 inches. My modern bikes are ground anchored to the concrete floor and I cannot obtain insurance without Thatcham approved locks & anchors etc. It is also has the house alarm extended to cover the garage as well. They managed to steal my wife’s bike which she bought new in 1983. My Hayabusa had £300 of damage as they tried to rip it away from the anchor. I got my wife’s bike back with considerable damage, luckily they had been disturbed or they could have manged to take the lot (Scott, Triumph TR6S/S, Ariel Huntmaster, Ariel Leader, Kawasaki Z1300 & BMWR100RT).
Paranoid? probably a little. But just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not after me does it? 😆
Enjoy your Scott’s.

[Author]

Posts