My username and password do not work. Oh well, not a big deal anyway- I was just going to see if any old acquaintances were still hanging around the place and perhaps say 'hello'. It has been quite a while since I was there and at some point, they probably purged some of the riffraff. 

Brian

Hi BDF.
"I think" the system was updated. Part of the result is names are dropped after it isn't used in a period of time.
As I recall, everyone (including those that were regular users) had to log off and back in when the change was made.

NOTE: I may not have the details straight, {and you recall that I'm a computer illiterate} but I'm sure you can get back in by updating your username and password.

Ride safe, Ted

Yep, you are probably right Ted- the system did say something about updates and so forth. And I did actually go through the process outlined and have received an e-mail from the COG forum. So the whole thing may be awaiting a human somewhere to verify and approve my admission, which of course is perfectly fine and normal for most forums.

Now that said, I still think COG (and all organizations)  should occasionally clean up the debris and if I happen to get caught in that net, no complaints on my end. 

Brian

"I think" the system was updated. Part of the result is names are dropped after it isn't used in a period of time.
As I recall, everyone (including those that were regular users) had to log off and back in when the change was made.

NOTE: I may not have the details straight, {and you recall that I'm a computer illiterate} but I'm sure you can get back in by updating your username and password.

Ride safe, Ted

"I think" the system was updated. Part of the result is names are dropped after it isn't used in a period of time.
As I recall, everyone (including those that were regular users) had to log off and back in when the change was made.

NOTE: I may not have the details straight, {and you recall that I'm a computer illiterate} but I'm sure you can get back in by updating your username and password.

Ride safe, Ted

+1

Come on back Brian.

Ron

I've dropped off several forums through the years. Forgotten passwords, kicked out, What ev's.
I keep sticking around here, just waiting for the fireworks.
No Connie rider could be boring.

Brian, you can log into the COG Forum if you wish.

I was not really planning on spending any regular time there, just a pop- in to say hello to a few old friends, assuming they are still there. But thanks for the kind words!

Brian

+1

Come on back Brian.

Ron

Hi Fred- one of the very people I was thinking about! I understand you are expecting a package shortly and pretty excited about it- good for you and an early congrats. on that! Hope all is well and right in your world and glad to hear from you.

Thanks for the invite too.

Brian

Brian, you can log into the COG Forum if you wish.

I was not really planning on spending any regular time there, just a pop- in to say hello to a few old friends, assuming they are still there. But thanks for the kind words!

Brian

Hello !!  Would like to see you hang out with us more (in person even - let's do lunch - bring the bride)

Yeah, it is about time for a COG lunch or a COG 'something'. I do not believe we have done anything regarding motorcycle yet this year. We would have done tech. day but it skipped a year (I hope anyway; we are hoping it will be back for '18).

We would have to attend in a <choke, cough> auto but am more than willing to take the expected and deserved abuse for that. :-)

Brian

Hello !!  Would like to see you hang out with us more (in person even - let's do lunch - bring the bride)

Well, got a new log- in, did log in and said a quick 'hello'. Got a few responses from some old acquaintances (forum friends maybe?) and looked around a bit.

Nice to see that things are going along there, as I said, it has been years since I have visited or taken a look.

Brian

Awhile age when this site was down for a couple of days I went over there and poked around. Did it again when I was selling my C14. Now I visit there more often. Maybe once a week now.

Yeah, well there are two long, ugly stories that I will not go into but briefly mention:

1) That forum used to be this forum. Or, this forum used to be the COG forum and there was no 'their' forum. Long, drawn out deal and COG ended up with [this original's] forum name, and this forum got a new name. It was kinda' ugly and there was (and probably is) bad blood. The break happened in 2011 IRRC.

2) I have a history with the 'other' forum, again with bad blood and unpleasant. Now, I was an active member of COG also and had absolutely no problem with the 'face to face' (Easy Boys, not like that!) part of COG and still do not. But it was impossible to separate the physical, 'in person' side of COG from the forum side of COG, especially when paying dues, and so I stopped paying dues simply because I could not stand supporting the forum in any way, shape or form.... and that had the unfortunate result in greatly diminishing the 'in person' interaction with COG also. I am still in contact with many COG members, still participate in a few local events that are open to the public but am not involved in any direct COG function (read: anything restricted to members or available to non- members for a fee; I could not care less about the $10, $20 or whatever it is, I simply will not send money to that organization until and unless I am comfortable in supporting the forum). That said, no emotional connection now and no crankiness on my part anymore. And there were and are some really outstanding people that are current, active members of COG, so that is why I poked my head into 'their space' and said what I hope was a pleasant hello.

Any group of any size has a personality, be it a country's army, a store or store chain, an airline, a public service organization such as a police force, etc., etc. ad nauseum. It would not seem possible but fly three times on Southwest Airlines, and three times on United Airlines and see if this is not 100% true. In my absolutely useless opinion, I like this forum because of its 'personality'; well- moderated, tolerant but it has limits, reasonable and responsible moderation and an almost amazing lack of Goo Roos and the gigantic (and usually unwarranted) egos that go with them; not to mention the legions of mindless followers that will stone one to death if one were even to so much as ask if a Goo Roo may be anything less than a full- blown god (picture Eric Blair (George Orwell)'s sheep bleating "Four legs good, Two legs bad" endlessly for an example).  In fact, I only participate in three forums, none of which are related to the other in subject in the least, and that is how I choose them: they behave like gentlemen and gentlewomen, are knowledgeable, respectful and know how to act in a polite society.

Now of course there is a lot of knowledge on 'the other' forum as well, as well as a lot of great people and it would be foolish of me to think or say otherwise. It is merely the organization's personality that I am referring too, not the user's average 'niceness' or anything else.

Anyway, as I said- went over and said hello, got a couple of very pleasant replies from some old friends and all is well and right in the world. I will certainly stop again, perhaps around a holiday or something when it occurs to me, and do the very same thing- say a pleasant hello.

One very nice memory I will stick in here (Boys!): at the National COG rally in TN back in, I think, 2014, we had a totally accidental little hoard of us gather in the hotel's main lobby; all nice people, all known friends from all over the country. And so I end up doing a pretty well known shtick know as 'The Cat Joke' and it kind of turns into something. After perhaps 20 or 30 renditions ('The Cat' Joke' is not really all that funny until my wife is on the verge of wetting her chair), passers by start hearing it and then going off to get other people to come and hear 'The Cat Joke'. The new listeners would be directed to stand is a specific spot and listen and watch (because 'The Cat Joke' is very much a visual, group effort) the shtick and it kind of got funnier each time. This is a picture of that very thing: I am on the left, in the orangy shirt, the current listener is out of the frame on the right side, my wife is on the opposite couch wearing a red shirt, and the guy next to her is Chuck (Rev Rider), who is reaching for a newspaper to prevent my wife from having..... er, and accident on the leather couch. It truly was a great night and really pretty typical for an alcohol- laced 'clot' of COGgers. :-)  By the way, Chuck is a Presbyterian minister from TX, and eariler in the day he had a long and very full beard..... which I shaved off of him with a straight razor in front of a small auditorium of COGgers in a group called the 'Over the Pond', for charity, and I think we raised something like $800 or $900 for that cause. It was the first time (and so far, only time) I have every shaved anyone else although I shave with straights myself. So believe me, there was a significant amount of risk.... if my hand shook I could have cut Chuck and knicked the blade of a very old, very expensive razor, refurbished especially for that occasion, and then where would I be?

:-)

Brian

Awhile age when this site was down for a couple of days I went over there and poked around. Did it again when I was selling my C14. Now I visit there more often. Maybe once a week now.

I suspect the two boxes of wine contributed to the humorousness of the cat joke, but I still want to hear it 

And I remember the big reset in 2011.

Over the years I have had a few people PM me about the COG forum, and I let them know I have no information about them at all.  It is not that I like or dislike that group or forum, I just found this forum first when searching and ended up asking questions here and ultimately buying a Concours over six years ago due to that help.  At the time, I was researching something to replace my ZRX and I wasn't about to spend money to join any group to just casually explore the platform.  It's not about the money- At this point I would plop down money for this forum in a heartbeat if it were needed, since it has so much value to me.  And at this point I am pretty committed to being here and don't really need to follow another Concours forum (plus I am just too lazy). 

COG as a group (not as a forum) doesn't hold much interest for me simply because I don't do any long-distance riding, so it is unlikely I would ever attend any event.  It is great they exist and I am sure it is a great entity for many people.

zggtr.org has been invaluable to me and (like many others), I try to give back in any way I can.  Its contributors have made owning, maintaining, exploring, and "upgrading" the Concours so much easier, productive, and more pleasant.  I have been on many, many forums (of all topic types) over the decades and this one is the most civil and informative of any.  Sure we have had a few issues over the years, but they are just quick and rare events that barely matter.

And to Brian, I want to thank you for taking so much time answering questions and formulating informative and thoughtful (and yeah, comical) responses; so don't even THINK about leaving    I want to thank everyone, too, of course.  It is the sharing of all our experiences and knowledge through the forum that makes it such a valuable (and entertaining) resource.

And I remember the big reset in 2011.

Yeah, several months of posting and researching and learning and ending up buying a C14 and then a month later, poof!  Not a great experience.  But hey, "S*** happens!"  At least I was able to recover and repost a few important threads I thought were certainly lost (but ended up in, of all places, Google's cache).  And in no time, we rehashed all the major stuff....  speaking of which, I think we are overdue for an oil thread....

Well I respectfully disagree: there was a LOT of information lost, and quite a bit of it from people no longer on the forum, or things that were only posts and never written anywhere else. It had actually come to the point where the was so much data on this forum that I was using it myself for data mining almost daily. And while you DID do a good job of catching some of it and re- posting, the great majority was simply lost. That was a truly unfortunate part of the whole debacle; I do not blame anyone for what happened, and may well have done the same thing myself (I do have a temper.....) but still, it was a substantial loss to the C-14 (and probably C-10) community IMO.

Brian

Yeah, several months of posting and researching and learning and ending up buying a C14 and then a month later, poof!  Not a great experience.  But hey, "S*** happens!"  At least I was able to recover and repost a few important threads I thought were certainly lost (but ended up in, of all places, Google's cache).  And in no time, we rehashed all the major stuff....  speaking of which, I think we are overdue for an oil thread....

Well, I should not have given the impression that nothing of value was lost forever, because that was certainly not the case.  But at least a lot of good info eventually made it back.

Well, it has been a couple of months since I started this re- visit the COG forum idea and it went well!

First and most importantly, it was great to see a whole buncha' old friends and acquaintances still alive and well, and active over there. There have been some changes in management but frankly that does not make any difference to me, as a guest, and besides, I know a few of the folks now in management and believe they are fine folks so that if a fine thing too, IMO. I even found a few ancient threads and scanning them was amusing all over again; I remember them from back when and they were amusing then too.

In fact, it went so well I stop by often, check in and even post now and again if I think it might be of some use; I do not ramble or do much in the way of humor, I am a guest and it is not my place to get overly familiar I think.

But as I said, my visits have gone well, been perfectly pleasant so I call rate this decision (to pop in over there) with three thumbs up! Oh wait, two thumbs up (I was counting really fast and made a mistake).

:-)

Brian

Probably your data plan.