Faq:club info

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VROC Club Info


What is VROC and Should I join?

VROC is not a club in the traditional sense. VROC is a group of Vulcan owners and riders who communicate mostly through the Internet. Although VROC was started by a group of 1500 Classic owners, it is open to owners of Vulcans of all sizes.

Communication takes place in several different ways; visit the Discussion Group link to find out which method is best for you.

What do you talk about?

VROC members exchange information about almost anything. One subject is, of course, Vulcans and how to customize and make performance improvements. If you want information on your Vulcan, then you will not find a better place than VROC.

Members also discuss rides, friends, politics, and just about everything else. Over a period of time, you get to know the members and become friends with many.

VROC is more about the people that own the Vulcans than just about the motorcycles themselves.

What kind of club is VROC?

VROC is not a traditional club. There is no organization or hierarchy. The only rule is "there are no rules" as far as the club is concerned, simply because there is no organization. To use the VROC server, you must adhere to the "Terms and Conditions of Use" statement which you can access at the main VROC web page. In reality, the normal informal rules of the Internet apply. If you get out of line, you may get soundly flamed by the other members. Even if you are not out of line, you may get flamed. Just keep a thick skin and be reasonable just as you would anywhere else in society and you will get along fine. If you choose not to adhere to the "Terms and Conditions of Use" statement, the system administrators may limit or block your access to server resources.

As with many places on the Internet, there is little filtering or censorship of language or discussion that may prove offensive to some. As with groups anywhere in society, you will find many individuals here who express themselves in different ways. If you are easily offended by or have no tolerance of occasional profanity, this may not be the group for you. Please take this into consideration before joining VROC.

VROC was started by a group of individuals who wanted to talk about their Vulcans (see the FAQ in FOLKLORE). Ken Bass runs the mail listserver and the news server; Rick Jakubas keeps the main web site and member pages up to date; Joseph Greene monitors the assignment of VROC member numbers; John Shreve maintains the web forums and keeps the technical information in the FAQs accurate. Many other people donate time and effort to make this group work free of formal dues.

Constructive suggestions are always appreciated, but, anyone who whines or bitches about the way something works will become very unpopular in the group very quickly.


Are there any special terms of use for the site?

Yes. This site has been created and is run by private individuals for their own pleasure. They aren't hard-noses or prudes; they're pretty easy going on most stuff. They want everyone to have a good time on VROC. But, they also expect everyone who uses the site to adhere to the rules of common human decency. There's more info in the official Terms and Conditions of Use, but here's the main paragraph:

"Your presence here is exclusively at the whim of the Administrators. You may be asked to leave, be un-subscribed or otherwise prevented from posting at any time, for any reason whatsoever or for no reason at all. You have no recourse. This Web Site is operated by the Administrators for their own amusement. They make all the rules, and may break any and all rules when it suits them. If you don't like it, you may leave. You have been warned."

Think of VROC as the Administrators' house and they're having a party. Come in and have a great time with your friends. But, if you start behaving like an ass, you'll be asked to leave. Pretty simple.



If you don't like it here or the way things are run, there's no reason to stay; go away and start your own web site.


Yes, but, what do these terms of use REALLY mean?

VROC is for the most part an un-moderated forum where people are free to speak their mind, even when their expressed thoughts are incredibly stupid, disgustingly vulgar and/or provocatively offensive. However, every social group, if it is to continue its existence, is compelled to impose some limits on the conduct of its members or participants. This is no less true of a cyber group like VROC.

Therefore, be forewarned: when your conduct becomes too over-the-top outrageous, i.e. when it begins to threaten the very existence of the group, you're going to be kicked out. Who will make this determination? We, the Administrators, will.

  • You don't think this is fair? Fine, leave. On the other hand, if you are offended by the posts of any particular member, do not complain to us. We are the final arbiters of what threatens the group and what does not.
  • You don't like the absence of a democratic approach? Fine, leave. There is plenty of cyber space for you to start your own forum.

Those of us who devote considerable personal time and energy (gratis) to maintaining this one are prepared to do whatever is necessary to preserve it.



End of discussion.


How long does it take to get a VROC Number?

First, make sure you have provided your full name (as it would appear on your drivers license, for example), and a valid email address in your profile. Without at least these pieces of information, you won't get a VROC number.

Make sure the email address you enter is a valid email address because that is where your VROC number will be sent, along with other important information for new members.

Your new VROC member number will be emailed to you automatically when it is assigned, normally within a few days. Be patient about receiving the number because sometimes the Number Administrator may be traveling, busy with the normal duties of life and work, or away on vacation. All numbers will be assigned in the order that members join, so don't worry about seniority.

Be sure to check the Club Roster and/or the Where Are They? pages from time to time in case you missed the email containing your VROC number. You'll see your VROC number there as well.


Where can I buy VROC items like patches, shirts, pins, etc.?

Go to http://www.vroc.org and select the "VROC Items" section of the web page to find who is offering what VROC merchandise. VROC merchandise is offered by private individuals.

Do not contact the system administrators for information on buying items. The administrators do not sell merchandise and cannot assist you in purchasing. Contact the private individuals who are selling the merchandise for information related to purchasing.

Does VROC have local groups?

Some areas of the U.S. that have a high concentrations of members have started local mail lists and websites in order to help keep local email and ride planning traffic that would be of little interest to the rest of the world off of the main VROC newsserver/mail list.

You can get a list of available groups under the "Chapters" link.


How to participate in the "VROC Emergency Road Service" (VERS) volunteer list.

Ever worry about breaking down far from home when traveling on your Vulcan? Thanks to VROC member Tom Miller, we have the "VROC Emergency Road Service" list (VERS). This is a list of VROC members who have volunteered to assist other members if they were to have a breakdown in the volunteer's geographic area. The volunteers may offer a truck, trailor, place to stay temporarily in an emergency, or maybe just some transportation and a friendly face when you need one.

To participate in the VERS list, you must be a VROC member with a VROC number and password. Go to http://www.vroc.org and "log in". Select "Access my Profile" on the left, then select the VERS tab on the Tab bar at the top of the profile. Follow the instructions in the VERS form to join. Be sure to read and understand the VERS terms of use when you join the list. Only those willing to provide their own contact information and are willing to assist others in an emergency can access the VERS list. The VERS list contains private contact information (telephone numbers) and should not be shared or distributed other than through the VROC server. Please respect the privacy of others and adhere to this policy.</p>

How Do I Get Listed as a VROC Vendor?

Check under Parts 'n Stuff - take a look at the sub-categories and how other vendors have described their services/merchandise. Drop us an email using the Contact Us: Vendor Form and provide us with the info you would like added, being sure to include: contact information (Name, Phone, Address, Email), web site (url), whether you will give VROC members a discount and/or whether you will contribute to the VROC server fund, and any other pertinent information.

How can I suggest that an item be included on the FAQ pages?

To suggest an item for the FAQ web pages, use the Contact Us form.

If you have a specific item you want included and have all the details, please try to format it in the email as you would like it to appear in the FAQ pages.

Please do not ask to have items included that I would have to research. We are not a professional mechanics and do not have time to research details for you. We will be more than happy to include items where information is readily available.

Do I need a sponsor to join VROC?

No. A sponsor is needed only if you don't have any access to the Internet. The sponsor would be the one who created your profile online, put his/her email address on it, and keeps you updated with info on VROC.


Off-line, personal, or harrassing email

We have had instances where members complained that non-members had sent them personal emails directly, sometimes in a harrassing manner. This is something the administrators of VROC have no control of.

Because someone send you an email in response to a post you made to VROC does not mean that individual is a VROC member. Non-members can read VROC posts, but, they cannot post to the newsgroups or forums. They can, however, send email directly to an individual who posts. Because we cannot control personal email, the best recommendation we can make is to contact and complain to the individual's Internet Service Provider (ISP).


Can you provide me with a list of members contact info so I can start a chapter or sell something to them?

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: We value the privacy of the members and never disclose or assist in disclosing member data. Many members do choose not to disclose their email address or real names. Also, when they signup, the privacy policy states that we will not disclose this information. We have also gone to some effort to keep people from 'mass downloading' member data from the webpages. This request comes up frequently, from people wanting to start chapters or people wanting to sell something, and my answer is always the same. Sorry I cant help in this area.

The best method to start a chapter is to post your intention on the newsgroup as well as your chapter website. After your chapters has been around for a while and achieves some numbers of members, we can add it to the chapters page. We dont immediately add new chapters until they grow in size because many many people like the idea the starting a chapter, but they never get off the ground or the person starting the chapters loses interest or moves on to another hobby.
Please read the FAQ entry specifically dealing with starting a chapter titled "How do I form a VROC chapter?".

Take care and please Ride Safe!


How do I form a VROC chapter?

Many members ask for guidance in forming a chapter for their local area. In reality, we administer the server for the domain VROC.org, but, we do not manage any of the local chapters other than to add them as a link to the VROC web site, if they appear to be reasonably successful. By reasonably successful, we mean they have a reasonable number of participants and posting activity within their chapter.


In all honesty, there is a pattern where some members join VROC and, filled with enthusiasm, they decide they want to start a chapter in their area. Many times, this is done with little research on their part and little thought toward a long term commitment to establish and keep a chapter running for the long term. Our response to these members is to go look at what other chapters have done and what facilities they are using before you start. That can be done by going to http://www.vroc.org and selecting "Chapters" on the left. You can also select "Where are they" on the left and then use the "Proximity Search" tab to identify how many potential members you might have in your local area.


If you still wish to proceed, you can set up a web site and forum/mail list using facilities external to the VROC server such as Yahoo Groups, as an example. After you set up your site, make a post announcing the site on the VROC server. If you like, you might also email some potential members in your local area. Before you ask, we will not provide a list of members nor assist in creating a list of email addresses other than provide the existing facilties that are available on the VROC web site. If you set up your web site, there are VROC logos available from the VROC web site that can be used in setting up your site, however, we ask that you do not use the header graphics that are used on the VROC.org web site. We do not want anyone confusing a chapter site for the main VROC web site.


After you have established your chapter and you have a significant amount of participation and activity over a reasonable period of time, we would consider adding a link to your site from the "Chapters" area of the VROC server. Only if there is reasonable participation and activity over an extended period of time, would we consider adding your area as a forum/newsgroup on the VROC server. You can request a link to your site be added by selecting "Contact us" on the VROC web page.


We have established these general guidelines (and restrictions) for setting up a chapter and getting it included on the VROC server for some specific reasons.


  • We administer the VROC server as a hobby. We have no interest in creating or administering additional sites.
  • As a club, VROC has no heirchy or organization. Things happen through the participation and creativity of the members. We simply administer the VROC server and we have no influence over individual chapters. In other words, the VROC administrators control the server, but, not the club.
  • There seems to be a pattern where a new member would like a chapter for their own area. Few follow up on creating a chapter. Of those that do, most wither and die out in a short period of time.


We are not trying to discourage you from establishing a chapter, but, we strongly encourage you to approach it with some research and thought as to the long term commitment required to form a successful chapter.

Can a forum/newsgroup be added to the server for my geographic area?

We do not typically add forums/newsgroups to the VROC server on request. In reality, this is an area where we cannot make everyone happy. If we honored all requests for forums/newsgroups, we would have a few hundred forums and navigating them would be extremely difficult for the users. Some users would like individual forums for all local areas while many other users feel the, fewer forums, the better. We try to reach a middle ground.

Currently, the forum/newsgroups are associated with geographic areas. We will consider adding a forum/newsgroup that is associated with a geographic area, if there is an active chapter that has shown a pattern of significant and sustained member participation for that area.

If there is no existing chapter in your geographic area, please see the FAQ question titled "How do I form a VROC chapter?" for guidelines on forming a chapter in your local area.

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