Miata Mailing List: March 1998, Message #48

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Steven Ting wrote:

>I, for one, will be calling as Norm suggested.

I wish you nothing but luck in your attempts to communicate with Norman, no
matter what medium you choose. My attempts to do so, regardless of medium,
have almost always failed. He repeatedly expresses or implies a distaste
for e-mail, despite the fact that it can be considerably more effective
than more "real" forms of communication, in that it can be edited for
clarity and completeness before being sent, can be sent and received at
both users' convenience (no risk of interrupting dinner or something even
more important), and doesn't cost anything like a coast-to-coast phone call
of any length. He says he prefers the phone. Fine, but my experience is
that you are likely to get the answering machine and he doesn't return
calls. For what it's worth, despite having had many long and interesting
(to me, at least) conversations with Vince Tidwell, I have never succeeded
in engaging Norman in even an in-person conversation of any significance.
You don't get much more "real" than that. Maybe, despite my seven years of
membership in his club, I'm just not important enough for him to bother
with. Maybe he's just shy, as Barbara claims. Beats me. All I know is that
my attempts to communicate with him have fallen on deaf ears more often
than not.

I am posting this publicly in the hope that it will have the same effect as
messages from disgruntled users to the leaders of CompuServe's Motor Sports
Forum used to have when they would add to their complaints, "Of course,
you'll never allow this to stay posted because it disagrees with your
views." Predictably, those messages always DID stay posted. Despite my
prior efforts to point out why I thought a "revolution" was ill-advised, I
understand that some out there managed to interpret what I said as
fomenting revolution. Maybe Norman is right about E-mail after all,
although I think careful reading helps. Anyway, I don't mind sacrificing
myself on the altar of non-sycophants if it will help get the phone
answered. I agree with others here that the payment of money earns you a
right to be heard, regardless of the underlying structure of the club.
"Revolting" against the existing club, however, in my opinion, is not ever
going to work. Those of you who think there are issues to be addressed need
to address them with the powers that be...assuming that they will allow you
to do so.

If Norman thinks he is not expected to call you back, maybe he will call
just to spite the expectation. Please believe that I am sincere when I say
that I hope that any and all of you who call have more luck with this
approach than I ever had.

For what it's worth, despite the fact that it may sound like it to some, I
do not dislike Norman. I have never gotten to know him well enough to like
or dislike him. I do, however, find it hard to have a lot of reverence for
someone who doesn't follow through and do what he says he will do...no
matter how big a shot he is.

For what it's worth II, I love the "new" magazine and have no complaints
about what Barbara, Phil, and Jay are trying to do with it. If I did, I
wouldn't submit articles to it and pay for ads in it.

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Voodoo Bob
Team Voodoo proprietor
San Diego Miata Club
Age & Treachery Racing, Ltd.
http://www.teamvoodoo.com
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