Welcome to the NEW Cayman Register . . . !

[Gator Bite]

Welcome to the New PCA Cayman Register . . . !

My name is Michael Souza. You might know me as Gator Bite. I'm a passionate Cayman enthusiast and I'm proud to be the new PCA Cayman Register Advocate. As the Cayman Register Advocate, I've accepted the challenge of leading this exciting initiative. Together with a team of other passionate volunteers, we'll work to guide and grow the Cayman Register toward one simple goal, to help enhance (y)our Cayman Ownership and PCA Membership experience.

If you're a member of the Porsche Club of America who finds the Cayman model interesting, we hope you'll Join Our Community. If you own a Porsche and you're not a PCA member, what are you waiting for...? PCA membership offers so Many Benefits for less than the cost of one tank of fuel. Sign up here so you can join our community and start having fun.

So what's a 'Cayman Register' you ask? Well, the idea of vehicle registers was formed a long time ago. Long before the internet and cyber networks of today, owners of unique automobiles would form register groups. These registers centered around a printed list of vehicles, their owners and contact information. These lists were shared among members so they could stay in touch, plan get togethers, meetings and social events. Through these registers auto enthusiasts could share their common interest. They could share their experience, learn from one another and enhance their ownership experience. The Porsche Club of America maintains many vehicle registers, sometimes called 'Special Interest Groups'. Some of them are very new, some of them are very old. There's a register group dedicated to virtually every model and vintage of street Porsche. (Complete list of PCA Register Groups)

Fast forward to 2010 and we have the opportunity to bring new technology to an old idea. This is the New Cayman Register. This is the place to be if you're a PCA member who owns, or is interested in, the Porsche Cayman. Here you can register your car and share your enthusiasm with other like minded Cayman enthusiasts. Here we can do more than the members of past vehicle registers. Web forum technology allows us to meet online to discuss our cars, regardless of the geographic distance between us. We can share our experience, our knowledge and our passion. We can plan events easily and dynamically. We can share stories, pictures, videos and friendships.

[BlackShadow]

Gator Bite,
It appears as of today that this Registry now has 50 members consisting of 12 in Zone 8. Your explanation on the introductory post provides the history of Porsche Registry's which I now appreciate better and of course the reason for a Cayman registry. This is very welcome from my perspective but I am interested in the background of the creation of the site.

When I purchased my Cayman in late 2006 I was thrilled to have an extremely fine performance car that continues to provide thrills and enjoyment. Of course I learned about the Cayman Club and found this a very informative site. Joining PCA was, of course, the next logical step although I do not race my car however it seemed appropriate to keep up with the news and info offered by PCA. I am happy to be a part of this new Registry.

K-Man S created a terrific club in my opinion but I have to admit I was a little annoyed that the Cayman Club evolved to include Boxsters and then morphed to an additional special group who for a modest fee could have the opportunity to get in on group buys etc. As many know, "Planet 9" was created this year and now includes all Porsche vehicles I think. I suspect I am not alone in the desire to have a Cayman specific club. Is it possible that others were unhappy as well and that is the reason for this Registry?

It would be good to have your thoughts on the benefits that this Registry will provide members.

Again, many thanks for leading the creation of this Registry and I look forward to many more years of Porsche ownership.
:thanks:

[Gator Bite]

Black Shadow,

Actually, as of this morning we have 277 members. I think you may have gotten your count from our 'Member List' which only lists 50 per page. You'll see a page count that will allow you to see the rest of them. You've asked some very good questions, and I bet you're not the only guy pondering them. A little history lesson will help me answer and clarify some of them. Let me tell you what I know, based on my experience and exposure to the old club which started in October of 2006.

As I mentioned in this welcome message, in the old days vehicle register groups were small collections of vehicle owners who shared a common interest. In 1995 the PCA decided to create and cultivate a program that would encourage the creation of register groups inside the PCA. That's when they started appointing 'Register Advocates'. The Register Advocates were PCA members who volunteered to create those register groups and administer the register lists. At the time of this writing, there are 24 registers inside the PCA. You can view the list by clicking the "PCA special interest group" logo on the upper right corner of this page, or by clicking here. Let's get to that history lesson.

Back in 2005, after Porsche had released details about an exciting new mid engine coupe called the Cayman, an enthusiastic PCA member and Cayman fan from the Kansas City region stepped up and volunteered to create and administer a register group for the new model. That of course was Ken Smiley, aka K-Man S. Ken not only started a register group, but he raised the bar by cultivating an on line web community around that register list. That was the birth of what you refereed to as Planet 9, it started as the Cayman Club, and then when Ken was appointed as the Cayman Register Advocate, he named it the 'Cayman Register' and assigned it the very same URL that brought you to this place today, www.CaymanRegister.org. Back then, CaymanRegister.org and CaymanClub.net would basically bring you to the same place.

The Cayman Register / Cayman Club was a success. By mid 2006, it had grown to include more than 2,000 members. Those members where setting the Internet on fire by posting discussions that contained excitement and enthusiasm. The Cayman register had become the reference point, the place to be if you wanted information on the Porsche Cayman and it was outgrowing the bulletin board software that it was built upon. Ken made the decision to recreate the board using a more powerful backbone, the vBulletin web forum software, the software that you're using right now. This move predated my involvement in the club, so I can't say why, but the use of the URL www.CaymanRegister.org sort of faded away and the place became known as www.CaymanClub.net.

The PCA servers were not configured to run a vBulletin web forum, and the PCA didn't really see the value (yet). So the Cayman Club was created on a separate private server, a server that cost money each month to run and maintain. To offset those costs, the Cayman Club sought donations and soon added on a couple of sponsors who would provide a small donation in exchange for some advertising exposure to the rapidly growing list of members.

As time passed, the Cayman Club started morphing into something big. Sponsors were lining up to get exposure to the growing community and to be part of the infectious passion that was seen inside. Then something big happened outside of the Cayman Club. 'Internet Brands', an Internet media company that sells advertising exposure, started acquiring automotive web forums. They bought 6SpeedOnline.com, Rennlist.com, G35Driver.com, MyG37.com, My350z.com, ZDriver.com, NorthAmericanMotoring.com, and ScoobyNet.com. They paid millions of dollars to get these forums under their umbrella. The Cayman Club was on the map and it was one of the boards they considered buying. It possessed quality that those other sites could only dream of. It's member list was small but full of mature and affluent members and it was growing at an exponential rate. The one flaw that made the Cayman Club unattractive for acquisition was the fact that it catered to one model of car and therefore was seen as a niche forum, one that could never deliver the advertising exposure that a company like Internet Brands would value. There were also requests from owners of other Porsche models asking if they could register their cars at the Cayman Club. All of these circumstances seemed to result in a change of direction. Suddenly, the business model changed and the Cayman Club became Planet Porsche.

The Club was growing further and further away from what a PCA vehicle register was intended to be. The site was taking in significant revenue from sponsors and advertisers, there was a pay to play members only area. The model focus was lost as other models were invited in, and the growth into other models was overlapping the efforts of the other PCA register groups. The PCA had a hard decision to make. They needed to ask the guy that raised the bar in regard to vehicle register quality to relinquish the Cayman Register.

You're not alone in your desire to have a Cayman specific club. I feel the same way, as do many other folks who valued the accomplishments of the Cayman Club as much as we did. I took that desire one step further, I volunteered to fill that empty spot and to restore the Cayman Register to what we as Cayman Enthusiasts want it to be. So to answer your question, yes. It is possible that others were unhappy as well. But that is not the reason for the registry. If I/we didn't step up, the PCA would have found someone else to take over the registry and it would exist regardless. It may not exist to this level, but it would exist.

We don't require exclusivity from our members, and we're not selling any of the products that Planet 9 is selling (advertising). So we're really not competitors. Our goal is to restore the high quality, focused, non profit, advertising free, Cayman specific web community that will help PCA members derive enjoyment from their Cayman ownership and PCA membership experience.

This place belongs to all of us and it's future is in your hands. I hope you will ride the wave with us. I hope you will make some small contribution to the community. Be a friend, help a member answer a question, share your knowledge and experience, tell people about the PCA and the Cayman Register, organize a coffee run in your area and help us show the world that the Porsche Cayman is not only the best little sports car out there, but it's owners are a step above the rest.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. I guess I've been hitting the Kool Aid a little hard. If you appreciate the Kool Aid too, I'd love to get a "Hell Ya.....!" Let us know if you value this mission, if you want to be a part of this exciting ride, if we can count on you to bring your kindness and friendship to the New PCA Cayman Register.

:cheers:

[Speedy]

I'm a few days late the party - but not late enough I couldn't keep my screen name from Planet-9 - but I'll be happy to give you a "Hell Ya!" :dance:

I'm looking forward to being involved with both Planet-9 and this new Cayman Registry. I can tell you folks I've see Gators' work on the other board for a couple of years now and I can say without a doubt the Registry is in good hands.

Here's to enjoying the ride! :burnout:

[Gator Bite]

Originally Posted by Speedy

I'm a few days late the party - but not late enough I couldn't keep my screen name from Planet-9 - but I'll be happy to give you a "Hell Ya!" :dance:

I'm looking forward to being involved with both Planet-9 and this new Cayman Registry. I can tell you folks I've see Gators' work on the other board for a couple of years now and I can say without a doubt the Registry is in good hands.

Here's to enjoying the ride! :burnout:

Welcome back to the swamp Speedy... It's great to see another familiar face. But at the same time is equally exciting to see the many new faces here. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Thanks for your vote of confidence. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about something. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[BlackShadow]

Thanks Gator Bite for the quick reply and filling in the gaps in the history. I am a little "computer challenged" and missed the following member list pages. Sorry for the oversight. Glad to see a much larger membership than I thought and I expect it to grow quickly. I now understand the technology and financial support issues faced by the Cayman Club.

Being directly involved in the Cayman Club you have a terrific knowledge and experience in how that organization grew. I think this makes you uniquely qualified to take on this role and again I thank you for doing this. I expect that all of the PCA Zones are very active with all models and I know there is a large group that meets monthly in Zone 8 in Santa Monica for breakfast and coffee runs.

K-Man S has a good post on the Planet 9 site as well ( I saw this after my post here) and he makes the point as you have that this is not a competition but makes the point that the "world is large enough to have multiple sites covering the Cayman" and I certainly agree; I don't think we as owners of this fine car can have too much information. Clearly K-Man S and the multitude of volunteer moderators (you included and specifically mentioned in that post) were very successful in appealing to what is now over 17000 members.

I am equally excited to see what the new year will bring to the Register and will support as best I can.

[RonR]

Gator Bite thanks for your well written explanation. I too was kind of sad what the old Cayman Club had morphed into, although I do understand the reasons why. This site seems like a breath of fresh air and hearkens back to the day I saw my first Cayman and ran home to google it and read everything I could find about the car. I was hooked! Six months later I bought my first Porsche. I have met a lot of great people and have learned so much from the Porsche community. I look forward to being part of the Cayman Register. Thank you for all your hard work getting this site up and running. I can only imagine the amount of time that this site consumes. You must have an understanding family. Oh, Hell ya! I look forward to the ride. :thanks:

Ron

[The Chad]

I am all over this wave! HELL YEAH! When the Cayman Club became Planet Porsche I felt like someone ripped my heart out, then kicked and stomped it. It was no longer the remote pool of water we could hang in. I guess it is like a lot of the farm land hear in Maryland over the last ten years, it got developed into a bunch of little boxes on the hill side for big profits. It makes me sick. There is NO ORIGINALITY any more! A SUPER BIG THANKS gos out to Mike, Brad and Sonny for bring back that remote pool of water! I like to call this THE SWAMP. So come in the waters great.

[Wolfie]

Originally Posted by RonR

Gator Bite thanks for your well written explanation. I too was kind of sad what the old Cayman Club had morphed into, although I do understand the reasons why. This site seems like a breath of fresh air and hearkens back to the day I saw my first Cayman and ran home to google it and read everything I could find about the car. I was hooked! Six months later I bought my first Porsche. I have met a lot of great people and have learned so much from the Porsche community. I look forward to being part of the Cayman Register. Thank you for all your hard work getting this site up and running. I can only imagine the amount of time that this site consumes. You must have an understanding family. Oh, Hell ya! I look forward to the ride. :thanks:

Ron

+1 on that "hell yeah"

I haven't been involved in a Porsche Register since I stop sending dues to the 356 Register a bunch of years ago... so it feels good. :cheers:

[Left Hander]

+1 as well!

Gator it was far from a rant, it was an excellent history of the C.Club journey.

I guess I started using the CC site Q3 2008 leading up to my first porsche purchase in jan '09 and found it quite useful. I did see the rapid evolution in that short time from CC to porsche planet to planet 9 - it seemed like every couple of months it was morphing.

I do like this focused cleaner site.

only bad part is the amount of time I kill here - I just cannot imagine the hours the moderators must spend to keep abreast of what we are doing!

thanks!

[gomarlins3]

I am happy to see this site up and going. Hopefully it will live long and prosper.

[Retired-Teach]

HELL YEAH!

[Gator Bite]

Originally Posted by Retired-Teach

HELL YEAH!

That's what I'm talking about... Thanks Teach....!

[ApexL8]

Originally Posted by gomarlins3

I am happy to see this site up and going. Hopefully it will live long and prosper.

Since we are doing references...

~ You know I have only the most enthusiasm and confidence in this mission

Can I get a...

Hölle Ja!

Chuck

[PDQ PDK]

It a pleasure to now own a 2010 Cayman S and to join this forum. I just purchased my 5th Porsche. Previously 1979 911, 1998 Boxster, 2000 Boxster S, and a 2005 Carrera S. I am a track junkie and a too active member (according to my wife) of PCA as Membership Chairman with the Suncoast region. With 400 miles on the new car, I think I like it! PDK because of a back problem forced me to sell the 911. I miss the back seat but love the PDK, Sport Crono, Plus, PASM, LD, Sport Seats and the Bose. I have been a track instructor for many years and will help anyone who asks questions. It was good to read that my new car is just as quick as my last car at VIR. I hope that will be the case at Sebring.

I do not like the plastic covering on the front of the car so I just reaserched bras and the only one made is 559.00 by Speed Lingerie. I just ordered it yestersday. This is my 3rd one and they fit perfectly. Huge price but they do not flap in the breeze.

Another happy owner

[silberrosa]

Hand me a Kool Aid please! I loved the Cayman Club and it gave me a quality and quantity of information I was unable to get anywhere else when I was ordering my car. For that I will be forever grateful. And although the changes were understandable, I preferred it in its original, more focused format. The Cayman Registry perfectly fulfills that desire and is in many of the same hands that made the CC what it is. Rock on!:banana:

[GvilleS]

Mike - Noticed you were "MIA" for a bit from the other site and then it all made sense! Glad to be on board here-people new to this and you are in for a thrill with your expertise and "exhaust mania" sickness...

On a personal note, the bracket you modified for me was perfect!

Good Luck with this venture...

Rich
Gilbertsville, PA

[old-racer]

Originally Posted by Gator Bite

Welcome to the New Cayman Register . . . !

So what's a 'Cayman Register' you ask? Well, the idea of vehicle registers was formed a long time ago. Long before the internet and cyber networks of today, owners of unique automobiles would form register groups. These registers centered around a printed list of vehicles, their owners and contact information. These lists were shared among members so they could stay in touch, plan get togethers, meetings and social events. Through these registers auto enthusiasts could share their common interest. They could share their experience, learn from one another and enhance their ownership experience. The Porsche Club of America maintains many vehicle registers, sometimes called 'Special Interest Groups'. Some of them are very new, some of them are very old. There's a register group dedicated to virtually every model and vintage of street Porsche. (Complete list of PCA Register Groups)

Fast forward to 2010 and we have the opportunity to bring new technology to an old idea. This is the New Cayman Register. This is the place to be if you're a PCA member who owns, or is interested in, the Porsche Cayman. Here you can register your car and share your enthusiasm with other like minded Cayman enthusiasts. Here we can do more than the members of past vehicle registers. Web forum technology allows us to meet online to discuss our cars, regardless of the geographic distance between us. We can share our experience, our knowledge and our passion. We can plan events easily and dynamically. We can share stories, pictures, videos and friendships.

My name is Michael Souza. You might know me as Gator Bite. I'm a passionate Cayman enthusiast and I'm proud to be the new PCA Cayman Register Advocate. As the Cayman Register Advocate, I've accepted the challenge of leading this exciting initiative. Together with a team of other passionate volunteers, we'll work to guide and grow the Cayman Register toward one simple goal, to help enhance (y)our Cayman Ownership and PCA Membership experience.

If you're a member of the Porsche Club of America who finds the Cayman model interesting, we hope you'll Join Our Community. If you own a Porsche and you're not a PCA member, what are you waiting for...? PCA membership offers so Many Benefits for less than the cost of one tank of fuel. Sign up here so you can join our community and start having fun.

Excellent site and looking forward to interacting with my fellow PCA members. Having had the pleasure of owning a multitude of Porsches and racing them in the past, I have been very pleased at the performance and handling of the Cayman. Thank you for the most welcoming thoughts.

[HT Kman]

Gator, Thanks for getting this up and running. As many others have said it is once again fantastic to have a Cayman owners site. You have a "Hell Ya" from me and I am sure all the other Swampies. We drive one of the greatest cars so why not have the best register!!!

[Finally @ 57]

Mike, Brad & Sonny...thanks for getting this site started...I love my Cayman and to have a place to go and discuss and share experiences with other owners who are just as passionate is as important as owning a Porsche...oh yeah...Hell Ya!


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