Mike S

Mike S

Senior Curmudgeon
I just got an e-mail that due to having a life to live -------my words not his----- Bob Collins is shutting down the "RV Builders Hotline" weekly newsletter.

I will be sorry to see it go away, the hotline has been a great source of info to me, and I am sure to others as well. Luckily I have archived the ones I got.

Good luck in your other pursuits.

Thanks for all you have done for all of us.

Mike Starkey
 
Archives

Mike,

would you have those archives available to email. I would love to get any and all you could send?

Thanks,

Peter


Disregard.....I just checked and noticed Bob has left the archive up.
 
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Thanks

Bob, thanks for all your effort. I always looked forward to reading each issue to find out what I had missed during the week.
 
Thanks!

Thanks, Bob for all your contributions.
It will be missed for sure.

Good luck,
Sam
 
Thanks, Bob

I also have enjoyed reading Bob's weekly newsletter and found it to be an excellent source of information relating to RV's. Thanks, Bob, for the time you have put in to this effort. I for one really appreciate how much time it must have taken.
Perhaps you can be a guest writer for some of the regular publications whether they be on paper or in cyberspace. :D
Thanks again. And, as you say, we will still have you on VAF, yahoogroups, RV-list, etc.
Sincerely,
Don
 
I posted a reply here earlier but it disappeared or never went up.

Anyway, thanks for all the kinds words. I was very surprised, actually, at the inbox this morning. The reasons were a little more detailed than what was described up thread but, yeah, juggling all the balls and keeping in the air is problematic at Casa Collins.

Several folks have suggested a different delivery schedule and I'm noodling on that one. Every-other-week is certainly doable but, on the other hand, the Hotline was always meant to focus the spotlight on sites like this, as well as Matronics, YGroups, SoCal, RVSQN, RVUK etc. It was basically geared to the folks too busy to keep up (bowing). Would it be able to have the same mission on an every-other-week basis? I'm not convinced it would.

At the same time, it was never meant to -- and I'm pretty sure never did -- compete with sites like this one, so a softer less-time related format probably wouldn't work either.

And some folks have suggested paying. No way. Money isn't an issue here. Rob Riggen donated the servers and even wrote the program that made distributing a one-button affair. And, of course, there's no paper or ink.

The archives will stay on site , the address is still the same. I'll noodle on this delivery schedule idea, but, obviously, I'm not convinced.
 
My Thanks as Well....

Bob, thanks again for making the effort as long as you did - it was nice to get the pointers to sites that I didn't have time to scan myself. Saw lots of neat stuff I would have missed. But you need time to get that airplane finished, so turn off the computer, get out in the garage, and get to work!

(And never forget...Minnesota politics will consume as much time as you give it...turn it off once in awhile as well!) :rolleyes:

Paul
 
Thanks, Bob.

I know on several occasions I got news for the VAF site from your newsletter (especially the EAA chapter news).

Thank you for your hard work and efforts. I'm looking forward to shaking your hand at the OSH BBQ.

Best always,
Doug
 
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Thanks Bob

Bob,

I too want to add my thanks and appreciation for all of your efforts. Others have said it better, but I looked forward to your weekly updates, which were always interesting, well written and relevant to our RV building and flying activities. We'll miss your perspectives! Thanks for your contributions.

Sincerely,

Dan Miller
RV-8 N3TU 220 hours since July
Battle Ground, WA
 
Oh no!

Bob,

I realized your true dedication to the newsletter and it's one of the best I've ever seen!!! THANKS for all of your time and effort!! Good luck and maybe time will free up for a monthly??? ;-) Your RV newsletter was my Saturday morning cup of coffee for sure. :)
 
Thanks Bob. While I follow Doug's site pretty closely, I don't have time to follow the others, so your digest and compilation was much valued. Definitely understand how you have other priorities in life.

BTW, if you continue to write personal columns, it would be great if you'd post them here. Those who can write AND have meaningful things to say are few and far between.
 
Bob, if you ever write the occasional article....

alpinelakespilot2000 said:
snip.....BTW, if you continue to write personal columns, it would be great if you'd post them here. Those who can write AND have meaningful things to say are few and far between.
Click to expand...
Kudos!

Bob, if you ever get the urge to write the occasional RV type story, please feel free to fwd them over so I can host them in the 'Articles' section. A long time ago Austin Tinker wrote some wonderful pieces and I always enjoyed reading them (some over and over).

Thanks again for all the hard work, and it IS hard work, and I'll see you at the OSH BBQ.

B,
D
 
I remember when Bob started the RV Hotline I was thinking, "Oh great, yet another thing I gotta go read." Boy, I was wrong about that. Well done, Bob. What I liked best is how it highlighted builders and their progress, as well as tips & tricks.

That said, I respect your updated priorities! I'm happier without the Hotline, knowing you have more time for your own stuff.
 
I knew it was too good to last!

That message was the first thing I saw in my Inbox this morning and I thought Rats, what a way to start a day. For someone working 10 to 12 hour days at one job and runing a small business on the side, all I can say is your newsletter was a GODsend for someone pressed for time. Sign me up as the first subscriber if you ever decide to do another version. But, as Paul said.. get out in the garage and get that airplane built... and get the priorities taken care of.

Thanks,
 
I thought the newsletter was great for the many links to various EAA chapter newsletters.
This helps spread chapter Ideas and happenings from all over (world?)

I can fully appreciate the time it takes to put together a weekly newsletter but it
looks like you've created a market that wants your product (awsome thing), and it would be a shame to let it drop
(I'm sure you have quite a list of voluntarily submitted e-mail addresses)

How about a monthly (or bi-monthly) link-letter that just has links to various Club/Chapter newsletters?

Maybe someone can take it over?

Anyway... thanks Bob !

Rich
 
Bob,
We started our project a little over one year ago and discovered your newsletter at about the same time. You provided an incredible resource that always meant access to ideas and Web connections that otherwise had passed us by. Yet it is your wonderful editorials that brought the human side to building that we will miss the most. Nothing beats building and flying....but great writing comes close. We hope that when you feel the passion to write...you will share it here with your appreciate friends.

See you at the BBQ!!
 
Thanks Bob

If you ever restart the newsletter, whether once a week or once a month it will be appreciated just as much as it has been to date.
 
I talked to Rob Riggen while driving home tonight. As I indicated, I'm less than satisfied with the idea of an "every other" schedule, and I don't want to put out schlock (sp?).

Rob suggested alternating, one week with a production as it is now, and the alternating week with an "express" version... maybe even a narrative that provided a little context to the threads.

We're going to chat some more. Rob is really the brains behind this. As I said, he made the distribution platform and he's noodling on some tools to make culling through all the RV information a little easier. Quick blush: Rob could create an automated architecture and take on the production work and I could do the "contributing editor" thing. You know, stories about my screwups and the Editor's Page rambling of...well... I don't know how to characterize that stuff.

I know it sounds trite, but I've been very surprised by the mail today. As I was telling Rob, I work putting out a news Web site and everything is anecdotal. You can kind of guess how people use a site and you can kind of guess what people are looking for and navigating and what information they're looking for. In my day job, the problem is that people change online habits (snap) like that.

The responses today were very instructive and illuminating. People are busy and people want RV information and many -- not all, certainly -- are looking for some help sorting through it all. And, the thing is: the content that people are providing to VAF and Matronics and elsewhere is so good, it's important it not get lost in the abundance of information.

Personally, I think Ted Chang's trip down through New York City was about the finest post I've read in years. So inspiring.

Anyway, I'd already put half this week's issue together (yeah, Ted's up top) and in the next few days Rob and I will talk some more and maybe come up with a plan to make this possible while allowing me to build more of the plane and, ish, get my day job (which is also my night job and weekend job, unfortunately) done.


More on Saturday, I guess.
 
I saw that this morning as well ... just as I was about to walk out the door. Bummer.

Bob, we are all going to miss you fine work. There is so much "stuff" out there but your compilations pulled it all together. Of particular note was you unbiased approach to using the various sources of RV info and particularly the use of stuff from various EAA Chapters.

James
... hoping it ain't so ... but understanding if it really is.
 
Another thanks ... that hotline was always a highlight for me. I made a point of sitting down when I could go through the entire thing word by word ... there was always something new / interesting / informative.
I'll be sorry to see it go, but do what is right and best for you.
Thanks!

Thomas
 
The hotline was one of the best new things to come along. There is so much information and activity out there on the web these days that having someone do the -hard- work of slogging through the chaff to find the kernels of wheat was a real service. I totally understand the demands of dealing with getting something like this out on deadline (and was shocked when Bob first proposed it thinking "where will he get the TIME??"), so also totally understand if it can't be sustained.

But ... dang ... I'm gonna miss it. Thanks for all your -fantastic- work, Bob!
 
Thank you Bob

Bob,
I looked forward to reading your newsletter over a cup of coffee every Saturday morning. I was even surprised, and a bit proud, to see my fuselage progress pictured a few times! Building time is precious and we all understand, and encourage, balance in your life and time to buck a few rivets!
Best,
Ray Swanson
N858JK (reserved)
Ready to hang wings for first time
 
Excellent work Bob! Will be missed here. Liked the format-- very creative and user friendly. Hope you can get your plane flying soon!!

Best,
Scott
 
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