Well it’s gone. Myautocar.com is now officially deceased, and that’s why I’ve found my way on to here.
Having read the magazine for more years than I can remember, even going back to the day when there were two separate magazines – Autocar, Motor and later Autocar & Motor – I figured it would be a good place to start my first foray in to blogging.
Then came along the new and improved autocar.co.uk website and the old one was set out to pasture. The only down side as far as I was concerned was a lack of a public blogging section. On the 22nd September 2008, the old site was officially laid to rest…… all say ahhhh. I still wanted to blog, and do it in a motoring arena so I posted on the forum a request as to where would be good place to go.
Now, any of you that have been on the Autocar forum for a reasonable period of time will have seen the hoo-har that went on when one of the more popular staffers, Chris Harris, left to work on a new on line venture.
We as the public will not know what went on behind the closed doors of Autocar towers, but I am guessing from the general demeanour of the remaining staffers it wasn’t a particularly happy parting. In honesty it probably comes down to legal contractual agreements and the like, and shouldn’t concern the general public.
After setting up an account on blog.co.uk, I was e-mailed by Chris Harris suggesting that I have a look at the new site he was involved with www.drivers-republic.com where if I wanted to blog, I could. After registering and posting my first blog, I decided to post the link to the footer on my Autocar account, so people could continue, if they wished, to keep reading the rubbish that I spout.
That’s when it happened. I was censored! The link had been partially asterisked obscuring the main part of the address. Now I understand that companies don’t like advertising their competition but having now navigated the drivers republic site, I would suggest that it isn’t really competition, more an interesting alternative to the Autocar site.
So, come on Autocar, let’s be a little more grown up about it. If you are not offering certain features on your site, don’t stifle those that do. I’ve been loyal for this many year’s, I don’t want to turn my back now.
http://www.drivers-republic.com/community/profile/?MemberGUID=59efef185ade4581bc00aa195bf55757