Do we need a resource Library

Once again today someone has posted pages out of a rare document to help out. Every few days we see details out of a repair or parts manual, production/delivery record, factory history sheet etc appear only to be lost forever in the vast forum.

I have seen at least 4 discussions over the past 2 years on how to operate a two-speed axle with the result someone puts up a scan of a truck dash plate or the page out of the owners manual to have it lost in the grey sponge only to be repeated again and again.

We daily see answers to technical or historic questions which could be a stand-alone resource - not just back and forwards discussions and suggestions - for people to reference in the future. Such things as "how to change polarity in a generator - steps 1,2,3", not a general discussion of people's experiences with old generators and what could be tried - that is for the general forum.

Many vehicle forums have a Resource section that is invaluable to many people far into the future, what about the truck forum?

The Resource section would not replace the various help, restoration, where do I find it etc sections which would remain the active centre of discussion. In fact, no discussion would be allowed as it would just be a factual depository. Moderators could move/remove superfluous posts if required.

I would suggest the section have fixed threads for each make or maybe the major brands and a "general" thread for such things as engines, transmissions, suspensions etc that could be of interest to several different make owners.

Maybe we could just have the very common makes listed in their own thread, plus maybe "English Trucks", "European trucks", "Other Vehicles" to keep it tight.

Without these fixed sections providing a rough index, within a short time there would be pages of unrelated threads to scroll through, many with uninformative titles.

Posters would be encouraged to make a second post into the resource section with their long term resource material when they put it up in a general discussion in a daily section.

Anyhow, a suggestion.

Lang

G'day Lang,
In short, we probably do, and should have had one a long time ago.
But there is a 'but'..
The way I understand it, the way this Forum Software is structured, the images are not kept 'onsite'.
Even if they were contained within a designated section, if a poster , moves, edits, deletes or even changes their 'photo' account settings, the images will be lost.
Im not sure whether the server capacities that are currently available would cope with the additions either.
I guess too, the available 'person power' to keep such a valuable section in order may be a bit limited also?

Yes its a great idea and would be an invaluable future resource.

chocs

In addition,
Someone may be able to provide a Website, with the capacities and software to house such a resource.
Then, perhaps a permanent link from various sites could be provided to broaden audience.

There could be a small membership fee to such a site, to assist with the storage and maintenance etc.

Just an idea...

chocs

Chocs

I don't think the Photobucket etc problems would be all that great - we don't see many deleted photos from the causes you listed. If the photo was deleted the original post will still be there and an interested party could just PM or Email the poster and ask to be sent a copy. It is still a permanent resource for that subject.

I don't know about the site technical problems but I am sure we will find out if it is doable or not from the experts.

Lang

A how to register your truck or what ever you want to register and the rules of each state might be a good resourse library
Colin

PS, I should sell up and move south of the border because I think it's a better system over there

It's gets very expensive when you start to add storage space for pictures and also very time consuming.
All this information is available within the current forum and all you need to do is search for or ask for it.

Also

HCVC has already got a massive paper library available to all members so if you join up it's all available.

Trevor

Trevor

The reason I suggested it is because finding source material is not easy on the forum as several people have noted recently. Really relevant stuff gets lost in posts which nearly always are expanded away from the short title.

I know you can ask for it but the same questions get asked regularly not because people are lazy but specific searches are very poor on a forum (any forum, not just this one).

I am not suggesting a librarian is appointed but it could be guided by very limited subsections which kept posts at least marginally in relevance. You would have to put stuff in the closest section to your subject.

People would then have a first port of call for a more focused search before trying to extract one item from thousands of threads and hundreds of thousands of posts in the main forum.

It would also be a repository anytime for things that never appeared in forum discussion if someone found some good technical or historic information such as serial number date lists or particular vehicle series spec charts that should be shared and saved.

We are well aware that the forum is here only because of the good grace of the HCVC and the many hundreds of interstate and overseas forum members and probably thousands of unidentified visitors benefit from the foresight of that club. It is by far the most nationally uniting, informative and entertaining tool in the whole of the old truck movement.

The fact the HCVC has a huge library in Melbourne, as do many other clubs at their homes around Australia, does not help a national member base. I am sure HCVC does not have the manpower to become a document search resource for the whole country but an electronic depository such as I have suggested would address some of the lost information problem.

As Chocs suggested, I, and one might surmise, the bulk of the forum members would be more than happy to make an annual donation in return for our electronic benefits to pull our weight with the HCVC.

I already am a full member of two truck clubs, a military vehicle club, two old car clubs and a vintage aircraft club and feel 6 or 7 hundred dollars a year in subscriptions is a fair contribution to Australia's transport preservation. Many forum members are in the same position.

There is no suggestion of usurping HCVC operations or resources, it was merely a thought to streamline the existing system and provide everyone with more information than is now readily available.

I have little idea of what it would take technically to achieve this outcome and when the experts think about it I am sure they will grab the idea with both hands, water it down or kill it stone dead. What will be, will be and the forum will still roll on being the great place it has been for years.

Lang

Yes Lang..
It is a great resource we have here and yes we need to capture some of it and categorise it, before it is lost in the depths again.
The wealth of knowledge that has been delivered here on a vast array of all things mechanised is second to none..
Harnessing some of this information, can only be of a further benefit in future...if we can find it..again..

chocs

A resource library seems to cum up on a few different 4Mz

the masses seem to think PDF format is the way to go

me rekons a jpg pic of the page saved n printable to A4
it also offers WYSIWYG

here B xhibit A ...... (2009)

Clikity . ClikClikCLik

the pages were originally A4 size ... but the host mob shrunk all the pages

jist me 2c worth

cya

There is two parts to the discussion.

Hosting pictures/manuals and locating the threads in the forum.


I'll leave the picture/manual discussion alone.

However, with regards to the locating the threads. A folder could be created and managed by the admins. If a thread was deamed worthy, admin could create a new thread appropriately tilted and then simply add the original thread URL to the body. The thread could be locked after that.

jd.