Curiosty finally got the best of me and I contacted Earle R. from the Amigo's board to find out what's up. The following is his reply.
Bill,
Good to hear from you! The BajaNet & the Amigos have both died a quite death on Aug. 21, 2003, ending an 8 year series of weekly reports & information
for Baja travelers. I was going to try and get something up on Metcalf's site this week, but I'm sure this will serve that purpose if you would be
kind enough to pass the word on to all the Amigos.
There was no one thing that lead to their untimly demise. The commitment to getting them out every week was a major factor, as was the havoc that
played on our personal plans & commitments. It was also never able to generate enough funds to pay for upkeep although that was a very minor problem.
There is also the fact that there seems to a lessening interest in tourism in the Baja area. We have witnessed a continuing decline in the number of
new folks coming onto the site and looking for travel information. For whatever reason, that decline in interest seems to be escalating & making our
services redundent. There was just no valid reason to keep abusing ourselves while evidently "preaching to the choir" as it were.
Anyway, it's a done deal and I'm sure there will be others taking up the slack and providing a fourm for all of us who still appreciate what the area
has to offer. It was fun while it lasted, but I have not seen Eric this relaxed in a long while!
Hope our paths cross again somewhere down south.
Hasta la vista,
Earle
It is sad to see it go. I can only imagine what all of them have been through to keep it alive for all of these years. Thanks goes to Earle, Trish and
Eric for doing such a great job and for putting up with so much B.S. or non B.S. (Baja Stories) as the case may be.
Wild Bill
Get Outside, Have Fun and Be Safe! capt. mike - 8-26-2003 at 03:47 PM
this will be a good substitute and with picture capability, it is a step above as far as BB's are concerned, but they had it pegged as far as the info
available there. i wish i would have printed all their pages for reference!! Bajabus - 8-26-2003 at 04:41 PM
I wonder if there is some way to get those archives, lots of valuabale info there. In the end everyones posts got deleted......well I suppose that's
about as fair as you can get. To all those coming over here, welcome and please remember to be civil and decent in your debates and opinions. This
board has been a great refuge for us Amigo outcasts and the spirit of tolerance that exists here while streched at times is something to marvel at. DanO - 8-26-2003 at 05:36 PM
All good things must pass, eh? I'll try to mind my manners, or as is my usual preference, keep my mouth shut when I don't have anything to say. Hey
bus or anyone else, how do you load an avatar into your registration? Bajabus - 8-26-2003 at 05:50 PM
Dano, You first have to have the avatar located on a server somewhere, like the personal webpage that you may have with your ISP or one of the many
picture hosting services and then from your control panel (click on the link at the top right of this page), go to personal profile > avatar URL For
instance in the avatar link box I have "http://bajabus.mystarband.net/images/bajadudes%20logo.jpg" in other words you have to link to it by putting
the URL of the jpeg you want to use.
I also think the issue is addressed in the FAQ. By the way, to you savy folks don't waste your time going to my website it's just a jumble of jpegs
as messy as my storage unit.A?jeo Coca - 8-26-2003 at 07:18 PM
This is reall too bad..a (searchable) archive would really be a treasure.
Kudos to Earle for all of his hard work over the years. I'm not sure there will ever be a true replacement.
Glad I have an Amigos T-shirt!
David K - 8-26-2003 at 07:25 PM
Be patient... Amigos may not be all gone, just yet... However, thanks to Doug Means, we have a great place to share stories, still...Bajabus - 8-26-2003 at 07:35 PM
boy if there were some way to get those archives up somewhere......8 years of incredible stuff there......the good the bad & the ugly all of it is
worth preserving somehow.Wild Bill - 8-26-2003 at 09:00 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Be patient... Amigos may not be all gone, just yet... However, thanks to Doug Means, we have a great place to share stories, still...
David,
You really do live in the dark, don't you. If, for one minute, you think that I posted this information as a joke, then that simply shows how inept
you really are.
Be thankful for the time they had it up and running!
WB
Get Outside, Have Fun & Be Safe!
[Edited on 8-27-2003 by Wild Bill]reefrocket - 8-26-2003 at 09:43 PM
I've accessed the "Old Board" post while doing searches for old post of David K & Chopy (RIP) using Goggle. But all the post of the New Board were
deleted from June back couldn't find a thing until I came to the Old Board posts. I suspect all of the post from July to the "WORM" are now gone.
As said on Fred?s board ---" it is like a friend has died". A friend that linked us through common love for Baja and it's splendor and uniqueness. David K - 8-26-2003 at 09:46 PM
Wild Bill, Jeff understood exactly what I was talking about (thanks Jeff)...
[Edited on 8-27-2003 by David K]Packoderm - 8-26-2003 at 10:18 PM
Man, just when everything was finally going smooth. Everybody seemed to find their niche, while at the same time find a place for everybody else
without forming impenetrable cliques. DK, JS, SH, and everybody else in that group were happy on Amigos. Nosey and Jacky found a good home at Baja
Nomad. There were a bunch of different people at the Bundos. And, Fulano seemed happy to be all by himself / herself. I guess he?s a guy; who knows.
I?ve been lurking at all of the sites everyday since I last felt like spouting my mouth off on all of them quite some time ago. I have a feeling that
it is going to be deja vu all over again.
Deja vu all over again...Let's hope not!
Stephanie Jackter - 8-27-2003 at 12:20 AM
Bajabus couldn't have said it better. Welcome to all, but please be tolerant of those of us who became unwilling regufees from the Amigos board.
I just hope that those who come here will simply click on the posters that interest them and avoid the ones they don't agree with. There's room for
everybody if just a little respect is given to the worth of everybody having an opinion whether we agree with those opinions or not. It's such a
simple concept, but so few people get it.
Doug has been an excellent host and who knows - this board may wind up being even better than Amigos in the long run, if enough people with a halfway
open mind move here. I think it very well may sort itself out that way, so I wouldn't be too pessimistic.
Nighty - night, Packy- JackyPappy Jon - 8-27-2003 at 11:38 AM
Well, well, well ... lookie what I found. AMIGOS! Wondered where ya'all went.
notification
Capt. George - 8-27-2003 at 01:18 PM
I notified all amigos that I had private E's for....perhaps we could all do the same and get back together....
Capt. GeorgeDavid K - 8-28-2003 at 06:54 AM
Hi Capt. George,
We 'Nomads' of Baja travel will get together in person to meet, swap stories, have fun.
In Baja, Baja Nomad Moderator Michelle ('M') has her BBBB parties, open to all who show up. In Southern California, I have the Viva Baja
get-togethers, held in restaurants (limited space, so by invitation only).
'M' announces her BBBBs on the board. I email invitations to about 150 Baja amigos. If you would like to get an invitation to the next Viva Baja, you
must be someone who 'shares' Baja with others (ie. posts travel stories, writes books, has a Baja tourism business). If you are one of these, then
drop me an email at the address in my web site, so you will get notified of the next Viva Baja.
See BBBB (1,2,4) and Viva Baja (1-4) photos, linked in my web site...
Newbie to Baja
Capt. George - 8-28-2003 at 07:25 AM
David K, I'm sure I'll become a part of your get-togethers. Have already formed a Mexican Corp. "Saliente Luna" and have purchased a lot in Loreto on
Pipilio. Hope to build a small casa and a couple of small guest units....Will rent a place this winter, October through May, still looking. Anybody
have any leads?? Happy about this site, really missed the Amigos board.
See you in Loreto!David K - 8-28-2003 at 05:54 PM
That would be great George... Braulio - 8-28-2003 at 06:56 PM
David -
Don't take this wrong way man, but the BBB thing and the deal you put on have always stuck me as kind of cliquish (as in exclusive) . I hope this
board doesn't become the same.
Sometimes bigger ain't better.
Let's not make private stuff we have going on too high profile.
Braulio.el fino - 8-28-2003 at 09:30 PM
I don't see how the BBBB could be considered a cliquie when it was stated that it is open to anyone who wants to be there. As for David K's party,
yes, I can see where it is considered private, because it is by invitation only.David K - 8-28-2003 at 11:21 PM
Sorry if it sounds cliqueish... Not so...
If you read my post you will note that if you 'share Baja' (everyone who posts on the boards falls into this catagory), and you email me your desire
to be invited, friendly to fellow amigos... I will invite you!
The first (to room capacity) to respond (RSVP), are in. This is because it is an indoor event, and there's only so much room, sorry!
Viva #1 had 50 guests, Viva #2 had 67, Viva #3 had over 105! Viva #3 was the last party before I had to become more strict... A few people who were
invited, just showed up without sending an RSVP. One called me the morning of... I couldn't say no to amigos who wanted to attend our Baja
celebration. I really want as many of you, who want to enjoy being with your fellow Baja nuts, to come, as possible.
But, we were at room capacity and it wasn't comfortable for many folks (nobody complained, because Baja people are very adaptable).
I announce the party date (email invitations) about 2-3 months in advance. So, there's plenty of time to send in your dinner check/RSVP. The
restaurant needs an accurate count, etc.
It was suggested to me to send the exact party location to only those who RSVP'd to prevent the same situation, and that worked perfectly. Viva #4 was
a full house, but not stuffed.
I would love to have a place that could hold 200, but they are expensive, and we are saving money for Baja trips and toys, right? Smaller restaurants
don't charge for the room, if you eat and drink there.
If you guys would like to get together in an outdoor setting, and maybe do a pot luck (like Debra recently held in the Seattle area) then I guess I
wouldn't need to be secret about it, right?
We did these in the evenings before because we had some great video presentations and slide shows (Graham Mackintosh & his burro, Lorenzo de Baja
movies of 1963 Central Baja on his Honda 90, Marv Sherrill's oceanography class field trip to Las Animas, El Camote's Matomi & BBBB videos, and more).
We also do a 'Baja Show and Tell', and have lots of great door prizes (hotel stays, Capt. Mike's Screaming Airlines ride, books, Discover Baja and
Baja Portal gear, tequila, and more!!!
So, you see, I put my heart into helping all of you get to meet each other and have fun too.
{After Viva #3, a very small group began to not like my positive, 'share Baja' with Baja amigos attitude, or just misunderstands why I do what I do.
So they put a bunch of effort in trying to make me sound bad or to embarrass me with rude photos or silly cartoons or steal Viva Baja stickers off
private property. I have attempted to make peace multiple times, without luck...}
'M' saw a need to do this get-together thing (in Baja), where there are no room space problems, and created the BBBB (Boojum Buddies Baja Bash).
'Boojum Buddies' is what I called all of us at the first Viva Baja, and M did a fantastic job putting her gathering together.
So, I hope you all understand why Viva Baja has been by invitation. Certainly not to exclude any friendly amigos. Please email me at the address in my
web site, put Viva Baja in the subject line. You will be added to the email book for Viva Baja guests... fair enough?
Please see all the photos from the Viva Baja parties, listed in my web site. They all sure look happy...
[Edited on 8-29-2003 by David K]Braulio - 8-29-2003 at 12:07 AM
David -
Thanks for the long reply - but it really wasn't necessary. I guess more than anything specific my thoughts were based on how I felt people react to
one another on the boards.
My only point is that the bottom line for the board's existence ought to be the honest, unsugar-coated, dissemination of info about Baja. The
good,bad and ugly. The friendship stuff is great - but to me it's secondary.
Maybe I'm wrong - of course the only opinion that really counts is Doug's.
Take care man.
Braulio.
David K - 8-29-2003 at 07:20 AM
Hi Braulio, I was mostly replying to 'el fino' and others. I do try very hard (too hard?) to be understood, because a few loudly misunderstand me.
Communication is very important. People can read something I wrote and take it 180? the wrong way. I want to learn how to avoid that! For example, up
this thread, Wild Bill thought I was somehow calling him a liar, but Jeff understood what I was saying... You see, it is all about what you think my
intentions are.
Also, I took the opportunity to basically invite you all to the next Viva Baja... No clique, just space limitations.
I agree that these Internet Baja discussion boards are for information exchange, primarily. Friendship is just a fallout result of our sharing
information. Eric (of Amigos) told me that the friendships created from our association was the greatest success indicator of his web site.
Baja Nomads are what we all usually are, traveling about Baja, solo or in small groups. It just is so neat to see how much we enjoy swapping stories
and being together once or twice a year.
Have a great day/weekend!
Braulio and David K.
Debra - 8-29-2003 at 04:41 PM
Thank you both for this exchange. Maybe this will help others understand. I have to admit, do get 'testy' when I hear the old "clique" "private"
thing come up over and over again......."M's" BBBB is a great way to handle the space limitations, but, she does also request an RSVP and gather money
to handle her wonderful catering (I still don't know how the heck she does that!) and the camp fees, she does this out of the love in her heart FOR
US, David does the same thing with his Viva Baja parties, difference is (as David has stated) his are inside and he has limited space to deal with,
so.....he has to have an invite only type thing,.....and as has been stated again, and again.....all anyone has to do is email him (he's said that
about a killizion times!) and ask to be included the next time he's planning a party (seems pretty simple to me) There is no 'clique' or 'private'
when it come to Baja nuts......just people wanting to learn from others and make new friends....I might make a suggestion to David, since you have
such wonderful weather that you can count on in you area, maybe next time you might think about doing what I did and just rent a park, make it a
'pot-luck' less pressure for the host (you can enjoy the folks, and not have to work all the time)........and the 'invite' only thing will once and
for all be solved.......?????? Just an idea, might solve the problem of people thinking they have been left out. Debra
KERI'S PLACE is tops for a party!
capt. mike - 8-29-2003 at 08:23 PM
do the Pyramid. no, i was not compensated to post this. that place is perfect for parties! plan them DK and M!!
