Subject:
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Re: International Society of Meccanomen
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general, lugnet.loc.uk
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Date:
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Tue, 21 Aug 2001 16:03:46 GMT
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Viewed:
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460 times
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In lugnet.general, Simon Bennett writes:
> The Meccano can I opened continues to spill worms...
>
> I have had the following email from the Chairman of the International
> Society of Meccanomen:
Is this a for real org, or just 3 guys and a website? Any sense of that from
the letter?
>
> "Dear Simon
>
> One of ISM's members (a prominent Civil Engineer) has sent me a copy of page
> 17 of New Civil Engineer of 19 July, with your letter on the relative merits
> of Lego and Meccano.
>
> I too have been writing to the newspapers. You might have seen my letter in
> The Sunday Telegraph of 22 July. In case you didn't, I attach a copy.
>
> As things stand now, the media take huge delight in seeing hobbyists such as
> ourselves having a good set-to in public. It's like cock-fighting: the
> journalists strap spurs on our legs, and we rip each other apart for their
> amusement. They leave us bleeding and go off in search of some other
> nerd-like pursuit to deride.
THIS is an excellent point (ties in with my general disdain for mainstream
media nicely)
> It seems to me that the two communities, of Lego enthusiasts and Meccano
> enthusiasts, would be much better engaged in working cooperatively to secure
> the future of the use of constructional sytems for the generations to come.
Good point, except one does need to note that this whole set to started when
the Meccanomen (well maybe not them, but some Meccanohead) said bad things
about LEGO.
> Are you interested in exchanging views on how our two communities could
> present more of a united front to the cynical world of the media? If you
> are, I will undertake to compose a Review of where the Meccano world finds
> itself, and I hope that you would do the same.
Seems useful.
Aren't you lucky, Simon, you seem to have evolved into the UK's Official Fan
Spokesman!
> The similarities and
> differences might be helpful in planning our joint futures. (Example: I
> believe that you generally think well of the Lego Company, and get some sort
> of support from it even if only moral, whereas the Meccano Company seems to
> think of the adult world as being at best an embarrassment to its marketing
> campaign directed towards children.)
Meccano could stand to take some lessons from Lego, then. BUT... Lego no
doubt was in that mode (and much of it no doubt still is). What has the fan
base done to show Meccano why it's valuable to engage? More than just talk,
I mean. The LEGO fan base has demonstrated why, by doing shows and suchlike.
> I look foward to your response.
>
> With best wishes
> Adrian Williams ISM Chairman"
>
> I replied to explain that I was happy to co-operate in some way if others on
> Lugnet thought this would be beneficial. I think it is clear that the
> Meccano community is more formally organised and also feels more besieged
> than we do.
>
> Can we / should we help Mr Williams?
Well there's help and there's help I guess. Any of us is free to
unofficially do whatever we wish to help. But when you say "we", that means
to me that the sort of help is more than one person can on his own do. It's
not fair to expect you to take it all on... you've done a lot already (with
some kibitzing and input, yes).
What sort of help do you think is wanted or appropriate?
That said, I'm not able to offer more in time than vague encouragements and
a bit of pontificating... at least not at this time.
++Lar
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: International Society of Meccanomen
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| (...) Well I've emailed him since and he mentioned he might mention this at the AGM so I get the feeling it's quite formal (I don't wish to appear prejudiced but I would expect it to be mainly composed of late middle aged British blokes who could be (...) (23 years ago, 21-Aug-01, to lugnet.general, lugnet.loc.uk)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | International Society of Meccanomen
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| The Meccano can I opened continues to spill worms... I have had the following email from the Chairman of the International Society of Meccanomen: "Dear Simon One of ISM's members (a prominent Civil Engineer) has sent me a copy of page 17 of New (...) (23 years ago, 21-Aug-01, to lugnet.general, lugnet.loc.uk) !
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