In June the Society of Automotive Historians launched a discussion board (go here). This is a valuable new service — particularly during a pandemic.
Rubén Verdés (2020) welcomed readers by saying, “I look forward to reading your posts, seeing the pictures you share, and learning all that you may share about automotive history . . . from the art of automotive advertising, to the challenges of industrial production, to the colors and types of paint that were used in different eras . . . all of it . . . all the findings, facts, and fun of learning about automotive history.”
The Antique Automobile Club of America already had a discussion board set up. Thus, they graciously allowed SAH to add a section. This is a great display of collaboration.
SAH’s discussion board saw an initial burst of comments. Unfortunately, participation has more recently trickled to a halt. As I write this, no one has added anything new since August 12.
Will participation grow after summer’s end?
In a way I’m not surprised by the slow start. We’re in the last gasp of summer. A lot of folks may be outside, playing with their old cars. So perhaps activity will pick up next month.
I hope so. As discussed here, an auto history venue that brings together scholars and car buffs could lead to valuable conversations.
The hard part is building a critical mass of users. Unlike a website such as Curbside Classic, a discussion board doesn’t benefit from a constant flow of posts that can spark conversations. Thus, participants need to be more proactive in bringing up a topic. That ideally means making a discussion board a regular part of one’s life. A habit.
If anyone can make a successful discussion board, I trust that SAH can do so. After all, its membership tilts toward serious students of auto history. In addition, the group’s Facebook page is followed by more than 2,700 people. That’s a large pool of potential discussion board participants.
With some additional marketing, perhaps a goodly number of SAH members will turn its discussion board into a habit. That, in turn, could lead to conversations you may not often find at the commercial auto history websites.
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RE:SOURCES
- Verdés, Rubén; 2020. “Welcome.” The Society of Automotive Historians. Posted June 30; accessed August 26.
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