Where has the VZ Cluster Programming Thread Gone ????

[ZerOne]

Hi everyone,
Myself and the moderators are starting to get a number of P.M.s regarding obtaining access to the Programming VZ Clusters thread.

A number of regular forum contributors (especially the dozen or so that have been contributing to the wealth of information to the thread),
have requested that the thread be moved to the contributors forum area.


What Does This Mean ?
The Contributors section is an area where if a member contributes something significant (I.E. an EEPROM Binary or an unknown EEPROM location, Can Bus Information, or some information that has not already been published before), then a member can request access to this section. (If they do not have access already).


How Can I get Access to This Section ?
Very Easy...
To gain access to this section, simply post up a dump of an EEPROM from a device, explaining where the dump was obtained, and some details about the EEPROM dump.
(I.E. Submit a dump of YOUR VY or VZ cluster to the forums, and you will be eligible to gain access to this section).
NOTE : Do NOT (I REPEAT) DO NOT post a copy of an EEPROM that you have already obtained from this website, and claim it to be your own.
Members may find that the lifetime BAN from the website that will swiftly follow may be of some inconvenience.

Likewise, helpful members (I.E. members that post helpful replies regarding questions raised by other members), can also get you access to this section.
The idea is to GET involved. (Having a handful of generic posts does not count either !)


Why is the CarModder Website Doing This ?
To put things very bluntly, most of the information available on this website is a collaborative effort.
The more people working on a problem, the quicker a problem can be resolved.
Likewise, it seems that a very small minority are continuously contributing their findings to the community,
whilst the vast majority of "Members" are content to kick back and use the hard work of others for their own personal gain.

Sadly, more and more contributing members are telling us that enough is enough.
CarModder WILL ALWAYS give preferential treatment to those people that are helpful, that are WILLING to contribute, and willing to put in the time and effort in to learning and trying stuff out for themselves.
If these PREFERRED members wish to limit the access to this information, then our options as moderators of this website are,
1) DO NOTHING - And Keep this information open to everyone, (And in the process pissing off the ONLY members that are contributing to the forum, to the extent that they no longer share information and leave)...... OR
2) Assist these PREFERRED members, move the section to a limited access area where members that have been contributing to the wealth of knowledge here, have unlimited access to this information.


This is TOTALLY UNFAIR ! I was planning on contributing, but now I WONT !
Yes, it is totally unfair !
It is unfair that this website has over 46000 members, over 16000 images, 17000 posts, 389 documents, and only around 40 members that have contributed to this colossal effort.
It is unfair that these contributing members are constantly bombarded with P.M. requests, for favors, free information, free software, cheap parts, cheap services, and other things from people that they have never heard of, do not know from a bar of soap, and people that will never likely return the favour themselves in the future.

We are not asking for much... just contribute and be active.
We are not asking for member donations (Hey access to this website IS free as in beer),
We are not asking you to do something that you would not normally do.
(I.E. if you want access to programming information, or EEPROM locations, the LEAST you can do is upload or share what you SHOULD already have).


PLEASE think about these points raised above !!!!
I am seriously thinking of locking this whole website down to making the whole website an INVITE ONLY site.
PLEASE Dont make this decision easy for me to make !

Regards
Matti (Website Founder and Moderator)

[jezzab]

As said by Matti. Every member that has contributed information, NOT said "hey good job", has been added to the invite only section and the thread is continuing to this day without a problem. If you feel you have information to contribute then start a thread and add your finds into this and based on your merits you could easily be added. Its not hard. If you just want the software, finding, information and have nothing to add then why would you get the information? This site is not a library, its a place to SHARE information. Taking information and not giving information back is not sharing, its leeching.

EVERYONE on this forum who started hacking a module from Holden VE/G8/IQ Radios, VT-VE Clusters, etc etc started with NO information, nothing. They worked on their own and found this site and other people that were working on a similar project/goal. The information that Matti had provided (and some other members) as How-to's are a free gift to you to push you into working on gaining more information by playing with things.

Lots of people thought it was ok just to download a bin file from here and upload it pretending they read it out to gain access to the Invite only forum. Sorry but that doesnt fly anymore. Your submissions will be checked. Sounds like a bit of a Nazi approach but alot of people have spent alot of time and breaking things to obtain alot of this info and are willing to share it with like minded members.

Access to this information is a PRIVILEGE not a right. If *I* hear of any one harassing any one of the moderation staff, major contributors, the administrator etc they will be personally banned for one week by me. If they send another message on their return or question this decision , they will be banned for LIFE. This is not a threat, its a promise.

Go in there. Make a thread, submit some of your info and you will find how deep the rabbit hole on this site really goes

[ZerOne]

^^^^^^

Very well said !
We have heard ALL the arguments for wanting access to the contributors section.
(I cant afford to brick my daily driver, my car is rare, and parts are scarce, I will contribute ONCE I have this bit of information)...

Essentially if you want to play the game, you need to pay to play.

The following image is JUST the modules that I have in my bedroom that have been modified beyond usefulness.
Not including the cubic meter of looms, trim parts, and other bits I have in my garage.
(And this does not include the stuff that I have given away to help others that have contributed valuable information, in the spirit of benefiting everyone).




(All these clusters have EEPROM sockets soldered on to them to allow for quickly removing and swapping out EEPROMs)
The Colour Radio also has EEPROM sockets soldered on to it for quickly swapping out BINs.

I have broken trim bits that have been destroyed through constantly removing them to "test" something.
I have parts and modules from expensive and rare HSV CalaisV and Caprice models, that I have paid a premium amount for to obtain and hack !

Now here is the crux of this argument...
I am DEFINITELY not the only one that has invested this amount of time, energy and money in to this stuff.
I reckon that if the top 10 contributing members listed how many man hours, how much money, and how much intelligence has been invested in this sort of stuff,
then I think a lot of the non contributing members would be horrified.

As Jezzab said, access to these sections is NOT A RIGHT !
Do the right thing, contribute, and you WILL be rewarded !