Dec 18, 2014
andrewket I thought of this as well, but I think we would have to raise significantly more $ to be meaningful and self sustaining. However, I bet tesla would match us with this idea. Honestly, I think we, like most things around here, are over thinking it. KISS, keep it simple, stupid.�
Dec 18, 2014
bonnie Saying 'thank you' is never inappropriate, regardless of how much people are paid or how little other people do not. You sound as if giving in one area is mutually exclusive to giving in other areas, and it is not. People willing to give are typically willing to give in multiple areas.
One thing I learned in running quality at large organizations ... when those on the manufacturing floor feel appreciated by the people using the products they build, they feel like it's more than just a job. It matters for anyone, in any job, to feel that what they do matters. Don't join in if you don't want to. But to lecture people about wanting to give really is inappropriate.
You must forgive me for brevity ... I just got back from four hours of volunteering at a local school for at-risk foster teens. I'm not about to listen to a lecture about how inappropriate it is to say thanks. To anyone.�
Dec 18, 2014
andrewket To be fair, I think kris's rant (his words, not mine) does have some merit. In the back of my mind I've been thinking about other, perhaps more in need causes. But Bonnie's statement is spot on. I can only speak for myself, but I give to many charitable causes. If I only had $10 to give, I would give it to a more noble cause. But thankfully (and this is why I give), I've been very lucky, and can afford to give to charities that I believe in AND do something nice for Tesla employees who have enriched mine.
It also somewhat moot, because at this point Tesla is paying for the pizza. The only we're doing is writing a letter and a few of us are going to state our appreciation in person.�
Dec 18, 2014
Andyw2100 This is definitely your rodeo, Andrew, and if you want to KISS, of course that's your call. But I'll just make one point on the self-sustaining issue, as I also thought of that, and realized, of course, that we would need to raise a heck of a lot more money for this to be self-sustaining. The point I want to make is that there is no compelling reason that the scholarship fund needs to be self-sustaining. No one is going to be counting on this scholarship for their ability to go to college. In any given year we can give out whatever we raise in scholarship funds--no more and no less. If Tesla saw fit to match the funds, all the better. If this year we gave out two or three thousand dollars in scholarships, and then it never happened again, that's still better than if it never happened at all.
I was never suggesting the kind of scholarship fund where the principal remains in tact and we pay out scholarships from the interest. We clearly would not have funds for that.
Naturally I defer to you, but I didn't want the lack of sustainability to be the sticking point.�
Dec 18, 2014
andrewket We can fund it with TSLA stock. It should be naturally self sustaining ... right?
�
Dec 18, 2014
CatB +1 on Bonnie's comment that it is never inappropriate to thank someone for doing a job well.
As a TSLA owner who thinks they are all doing an awesome job and as a TMC member who is pulling for everyone hoping to get their P85D this year (even though that model obsoleted my, um.. Now classic limited edition P85), I think this great.
I second the motion on letting Andrew and Bonnie pick the funding destination, just please let the rest of us know where to contribute. And it sounds like a banner would be cool, and even if we don't do that, sending cards would also be in order. Since I don't even know if my DS is still at Tesla, and since I want to thank the factory floor heroes, address please? They might enjoy opening some personal holiday cards while they eat some pizza�
Dec 18, 2014
andrewket I just heard back from Tesla. They are targeting December 27th for the event.�
Dec 18, 2014
bonnie Calendar is marked. I'll be there.�
Dec 18, 2014
omarsultan Cool. Whenever we you can provide more details, I can nail down the rest of my plan.
O�
Dec 18, 2014
JPP ...nuts...I'm out of town....�
Dec 18, 2014
AlMc OK. So, should we send our 'thank you' notes to one of you to be delivered 'en mass'? Then fund a banner and with the remaining funds donated to a local charity?�
Dec 18, 2014
bonnie I'm happy to collect thank you notes. You can either send the note to me (as an attachment) and I'll print, or pm me for my address. (Those of you who attended last year's PartyAtPicnicCreek have it already.)�
Dec 18, 2014
redp85d Ahem ! Couldn't be a better day! My birthday�
Dec 18, 2014
evboost I'm game. Just need some details about what time and where to meet there. There is a slight chance that I will be taking delivery that day as well, if I get lucky. Scheduled for Dec 28 delivery right now.�
Dec 19, 2014
markb1 I'd be interested in attending in person. I'll be in NorCal that day, anyway. Not sure if this is open to everyone who wants to go, or if you just need a few volunteers. I might need a ride from/to the train station, though. (My car will be back home in San Diego.)�
Dec 19, 2014
eepic Hi krisg81,
True, their current task is to build an expensive sedan but we all know the Model S was/is a necessary stepping stone to the mass market EV that will likely catalyze a change in the world's fossil fuel consumption. They are hard-working engineers and folks looking to change the world for the better.
Just because it's not visible nor obvious doesn't mean the folks aren't making personal sacrifices behind the scenes to help push this dream forward. For equal effort, I think many of them could likely be earning more money elsewhere if that was their only priority. In their shoes, I think it's incredibly motivating to see that the work they do is important enough that there are communities that will go out of their way to show support.
I give small amounts to many charities each year and one even comes straight out of my paycheque. I'm sure some of the folks at Tesla make more than me and I can't comfortably afford a Model S yet, but I'm definitely in for contributing to this token of appreciation.
It's fine if you don't agree with this, but it's a little pompous to suggest where I should be sending my hard earned dollars.�
Dec 20, 2014
sitter_k I can just imagine the headlines in the press now. "Tesla customers to reward employees"
First time ever for a product?�
Dec 21, 2014
andrewket Time for an update.
I have drafted a letter of appreciation on behalf of all tesla customers (can't say TMC because technically TMC is incorporated, and I *don't* represent TMC.) Stevezzz was kind of enough to play copy editor, and I think it's in good shape. I sent a copy to Jerome, just to make sure there wasn't anything in the letter that he wouldn't want said to the entire company. Once I have his comments, I'll share it with the group here. Having said that, I really don't want to go 30 rounds of edits. Too many cooks and all that.
I hope to hear more on the scheduling of the event tomorrow.
Andrew�
Dec 21, 2014
bonnie I have a handful of thank you letters coming to my house & plan on reading both Andrew's letter and a few of the other notes at the event. There is still time to get it to me in the mail (just pm for address), or, just send it to me via pm & I'll print and bring along.
Really great job getting this going, Andrew - and really great on all your part to make this happen. Can't wait to report back!�
Dec 21, 2014
Andyw2100 Thanks, Andrew.
"Tesla Customers" seems overly broad. I understand you can't say TMC, for the reason you explained, but could you say TMC forum users? Failing that, could you say the more generic "Tesla internet forum users", which is still more specific than just "Tesla Customers."
Just some thoughts.�
Dec 21, 2014
bonnie I think it would be fine to say 'a group of us on TMC'. You're not implying that you're representing TMC, only that you're all on TMC.�
Dec 23, 2014
andrewket I have an update. The event will be this Saturday, December 27th, at 10:30a (Pacific) at the factory. Since I will be traveling and unable to attend, Bonnie will be coordinating from this point forward. Tesla has asked that we keep it between 5-10 people. So now that the exact time is known, please reply here if you are interested, are able to spend a few hours on Saturday, and are willing to say a few words and/or read notes from others on here.
Thanks all - this is exciting!�
Dec 23, 2014
bonnie If you are interested in attending (and I see a few people here have indicated so), please send me a private message with your full name, email, and a cell number. I'll confirm and also give you my contact info. I need to supply a list of who is attending to Tesla, so please be sure you will be attending (because that is one spot taken) and if you haven't confirmed, please don't show up figuring 'it will be okay'.
The day before, I'll send an email to all with any additional details.�
Dec 24, 2014
bonnie Just a reminder to folks: If you'd like to send along a thank-you note, I'm collecting. It might be too late to mail, but I've printed out a few that have been sent to me via email or private message. And I have a handful (some with pictures!) that have arrived in the mail (thank you!!). I'm both bringing & scanning those.
On Friday, the HR department will be emailing all these scanned thank-you notes, including the one that Andrew wrote, to all of the manufacturing employees and beyond. The more notes, the better - their employees will very much appreciate hearing first-hand from their customers. I've committed to getting those scanned notes over by Friday morning.
One last note - thanks for letting me be part of this. Many thanks to andrewket for putting the idea forth to begin with, and then to the rest of you for carrying it forward. I get the fun part - showing up at the factory with the thank-you's and talking to employees. I wish each of you could be there, too. Happy Holidays!�
Dec 25, 2014
CatB Many thanks to both you and andrewket for making this happen. Wish I could be with you in person on Saturday, but glad to be there in spirit (hoping my card makes it in time!)
I am still not clear if we are still planning an "alternate gift" (to a charity in their honor). If that is still in the works (now that Tesla picked up the pizza tab) can someone please post how we can contribute towards that?�
Dec 25, 2014
bonnie Your card did arrive! I've already scanned yours and all the others I've received, so those (along with Andrew's) will be going out to all the employees tomorrow. I'll leave the hard copies there so that they can be posted in a common area.
I don't think there is a charity plan going on now, but I could be wrong. Anyone?�
Dec 25, 2014
AlMc at one time it was suggested that we have a banner made commemorating our appreciation for all their efforts???�
Dec 26, 2014
andrewket Couldn't be done in time for the event over Xmas. We could still do it and send it Tesla after the fact. I'm sure they would hang it.�
Dec 26, 2014
AlMc Whatever the group (OK, you and Bonnie) decide is fine by me. Banner, more food, donation to local organization. THANK YOU both!:wink:�
Dec 26, 2014
Andyw2100 I second this!�
Dec 26, 2014
JPP Many thanks for making the trek and representing the TMC enthusiasts. Wish I could be there....�
Dec 26, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla Andrew, Bonnie, being out of town, I missed out on sending out a note but, thank you both for the wonderful effort!�
Dec 26, 2014
bonnie I'm happy to be part of this - but Andrew is the one who deserves the thanks for making it happen.�
Dec 26, 2014
andrewket Oh, you're co-managing at this point. Stop kidding yourself.
I just heard from Jerome, the letter I wrote was sent out today to the factory. Pizza party is still a go for tomorrow. Here is what I said in the letter:
????????December 21, 2014
It�s been said that the foundation of a company is the people who come to work every day and make a difference. In great companies like Tesla, these leaders teach us to own and take pride in our work, no matter how large or small the task. They obsess about customers, the customer experience, and the product or service they perform, to the smallest detail. They think of the company and the mission first, often making personal sacrifices in the process of delivering results.
To the people of Tesla motors, on behalf of Tesla owners worldwide: thank you. Thank you for building a company that is reshaping the automotive industry, and for creating technologies that move us forward towards a day where renewable energy powers our everyday life. But most of all, thank you for your hard work in building an automobile that your customers love passionately. Every owner I�ve met says Model S is the best car they�ve ever owned.
It�s a fact that people who are �behind the scenes� often don�t get to speak directly with customers and hear about the impact their work has had on others� lives. If you had the opportunity to speak with Tesla owners, there is one thing they would tell you that is universal. It doesn�t matter what model Tesla they own or the language they speak. It�s what we�ve come to call the �Tesla grin�, the smile that comes across our faces every time we get behind the wheel.
Thank you for all your hard work, now and in the future.
Sincerely,
Andrew (last name redacted, but google it and you'll find me in sure), on behalf of Tesla owners everywhere�
Dec 26, 2014
bonnie Thanks for sharing it, Andrew. I'll let the others who wrote thank-you notes share theirs, if they will ... but know that I scanned them and sent them in early this a.m. & they were all part of one big package with Andrew's note leading the way. Tesla was thrilled to be sending out the email to all.�
Dec 26, 2014
Andyw2100 I sent the following to Bonnie, hand-written on a thank-you card:
--
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Dear Tesla Employees,
As I write this early on a Saturday morning in December, the gorgeous Tesla Model S P85D you have built for me is getting close to completing its three-thousand mile journey east. It is spending today being freshened up at the service center in Mt. Kisco, NY, after its long, cross-country trip. Tomorrow it will be trucked just a couple of hundred miles before winding up in my garage in Ithaca, NY. I am incredibly excited, and very grateful, to all of you, for making this possible.
Eleven days ago this exceptional vehicle that I�ll be driving tomorrow was just thousands of pieces of metal and rubber and plastic and glass and whatever else you miraculously turn into the finest car the world has ever seen. Eleven weeks ago no one outside of Tesla had even heard of a P85D! You should all be very proud of yourselves!
By the time you are reading this, and, I�m sure, for many years to come, my wife Kim and I will be driving the safest car ever built. We�ll be enjoying every minute of it! Thank you very, very, much for everything you did to make this happen! Your work is really appreciated!
Sincerely and with much gratitude,
Andrew W.
VIN P64227�
Dec 26, 2014
andrewket Ah, excellent. Jerome didn't say that they had sent out all the letters. I thought perhaps they were saving the others for you to share tomorrow. Good stuff. I'd love it if people shared their letters with us, but of course its optional.�
Dec 26, 2014
omarsultan I can take point on the banner, since other folks are handling other parts of this. Two things:
1) Suggestions on what it should say
2) If folks want to send me an image of their hand-written name of signature, I can virtually place them on the banner
O�
Dec 26, 2014
Andyw2100 Thanks for offering to take this on.
One of the suggestions that had been offered up was for the banner to include the signators' VIN numbers. (Obviously not the full numbers--just the way we've been using them here, I'd imagine--a letter followed by five digits.) I personally like that idea a lot.�
Dec 26, 2014
omarsultan I like that too, so how about this:
1) Send me e-mail at osultan at mac dot com with your partial VIN and how you want your name to appear on the banner
2) If you want to get a bit fancier, take a thick marker and sign your informal signature (how you sign birthday cards, I am not looking to build a collection of legal signatures :wink: ) on a sheet of paper and either scan it and send me a PNG of JPEG or take a pic and send it to me.
I'll start laying out the banner - still need folks to offer suggestions on the verbiage.�
Dec 26, 2014
TEG It is confirmed that the note has been received by factory employees.
Those bringing Pizza are deemed 'VIP customers'.�
Dec 26, 2014
Andyw2100 Great!
How about something like...
--
"Thanks for all your hard work building our cars this year and always!" --Tesla Motors Club Forum Users, December, 2014
--
Also you shouldn't have to foot the bill for this.
Originally the idea was we were all going to chip in for pizza, a banner, and perhaps use the remaining money for a donation. I think once you have an idea what the banner is going to cost, a few of us should help cover the cost.�
Dec 26, 2014
stevezzzz Here's what I wrote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 23, 2014
To All You Fabulous Tesla Employees...
...who designed and built my Roadster, my Sig S and my new P85D, and who are helping to propel us all into a greener future:
Thank you!
It's not much, but it's from the heart. We who believe in Tesla the company know that it's the people in the work force who make great things happen, mainly through their tireless efforts and dedication.
We who drive the fruits of your labors marvel every day at the stunning achievements in concept, design and manufacturing required to bring us these automobiles. While it's true my Model S is the best car I've ever owned, by a country mile, it's also the ONLY car I've ever loved.
And I do love it, immoderately. It's a symbol of something larger, something fine and praiseworthy about American spirit, ingenuity, and grit: something you can all be proud of.
So, please: know that you're appreciated, every one of you. Keep up the good work, and continue to make _us_ proud to be the consumer face of such a great company.
[signed]�
Dec 27, 2014
andrewket This is a really nice letter, Steve.�
Dec 27, 2014
RichardL Just got back from the factory - absolutely awesome (in the correct meaning of the word).
There were some 2000 pizzas! Costco were delivering them on pallets.
I am sure Bonnie will provide a trip report, and a picture or two.�
Dec 27, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla Great to hear! Thanks for the update, Richard.�
Dec 27, 2014
dsm363 It was fun. They said the letters were a big hit with the employees so keep them coming. Great idea Andrew and the others here had to do this. It was well received and greatly appreciated by all at Tesla.�
Dec 27, 2014
omarsultan So, the timing ended up being ideal, as they are in the middle of the end-of-year crunch, so the morale boost was welcome. I am following up with Mark Lipscomb, VP of HR, on where we can hang a banner, which will dictate size, which then gives us some design parameters. With that, I can get a cost estimate and we can tin cup to cover it.
In the interim, keep sending me your info and ideas for the message.�
Dec 27, 2014
Sgt Barone Glad to hear it went well! Can't wait to hear a full report.�
Dec 27, 2014
CatB This is great! Can't wait to see pictures. I wish I could remember what I scrawled on my card at the last minute exactly, but I basically said that my P85 was a major attraction at our annual neighborhood steeplechase and that the first year, hardly anyone knew what it was and the next year, brand recognition was way up!
oh yeah, I addressed the card to all the other iron men and iron women at Tesla.
I will have to post the pix I sent from my laptop.�
Dec 27, 2014
evboost I saw the mountains of pizza boxes in the break area during my factory tour. The tour guide even made it a point to call out that it was pizza day. Everyone seemed to be quite cheery at that factory today.�
Dec 27, 2014
bonnie Mark just sent me a few photos that he took for us near one of the break areas (which means no, I didn't break my NDA) ... 2000 pizzas were ordered today, delivered during different shifts. They literally have trucks from Costco backing up at the dock, with pizzas on pallets for delivery. It was a LOT of pizza. FYI - Tesla has told people that the pizza was from owners on TMC (even though they picked up the full bill for us). And employees were smiling at us, very appreciative that customers actually cared about the work they were doing. Win for everyone. Thanks for letting me be part of such an awesome team.
�
Dec 27, 2014
docgarner I'd go with "Your work keeps us grinnin' " with a photoshopped montage of Model S owners sitting in their cars grinning/smiling (emphasis on faces/smiles) made 50% translucent to white and then faded 50% onto a backdrop of Tesla red.
Alternatives:
"We love the work you do"
"Smiling because of you"�
Dec 27, 2014
RichardL I can't emphasize enough how special Tesla made us feel today - we went there today to thank them and they made us feel really special. We got to see some special stuff - to go 'upstairs' and see production of many of the component pieces, plus see how the factory had matured. I was there a year ago and it was 25% utilized - today it is nearing 100% - and the place is quite simply breathtaking now.
I feel a real thrill to witness something really special as it occurs in American engineering.
Thank you again, Tesla, for allowing me to see this.�
Dec 28, 2014
bonnie Really no good place to post this, but thought I'd take a pic for those of you who save Tesla memorabilia ... this card was given, with special t-shirts, to the Tesla folks who were part of transitioning the old manufacturing line to what it is today.
�
Dec 28, 2014
omarsultan Folks:
Update on the banner:
Size & Location:
We have tentatively settled on a 10' x 4' banner that will hang in the open office space area where many of the manufacturing folks sit (to the left of where the tours start). Mark is going to confirm the size tomorrow.
Timeline:
I'd like to use the next week or so to collect signatures, then finalize and produce/deliver the following week - maybe Jan 8 or so
Content:
Still working on the message - will post a couple possible messages this week based on suggestions so far, but keep the ideas coming and keep e-mailing me if you want your name on the banner. I only have 5 folks so far - I think it would look better if we have at least a couple of dozen names, but the more the better (see my instructions up-thread)
Cost:
The cost is pretty minimal - its a fun project for me right now. However, if you have holiday money burning a hole in your pocket, I have an alternate suggestion. When I am not on Tesla-related websites, one of the causes I support is an outfit called Alpha K9 that donates service dogs to vets with PTSD -- I am sure they would welcome any (tax-deductible) dollars you might want to send their way. Anyway, keep sending me names whether you donate or not.
O�
Dec 28, 2014
gpetti I will definitely participate in this as I can't help thinking that my reorder car - hopefully built soon - will benefit from all these happy(er) employees.�
Dec 29, 2014
Asphalt&Battery Since Tesla ended up covering the pizza,everyone should treat their local SC. I would probably skip the simple carbs though. Just sayin�
Dec 29, 2014
bluenation it was a nice and very correct decision for tesla to foot the bill for their own people, as opposed to accept TMC's money.
i agree that people here who wish to contribute, should do so for their local SC's. It would also accentuate the personal connection which you may already have with your centers.
wait, the fremont location is near 100% utilization? fascinating...�
Dec 29, 2014
HankLloydRight Yeah, I found that remark rather odd too. There's no way Tesla has built out the entire facility just for models S and X. Maybe they've finishing building out the areas they started with.
I think the NUMMI plant produced 300,000 cars per year. I don't think Tesla is quite up to that level of production.�
Dec 29, 2014
RichardL It certainly looked that way - everywhere we went, on both floors was used and busy. Also, that is what I was told, by someone who knows.
I was wondering exactly where the 3 would be built myself, but it was never appropriate to ask. Remember, though that even though they are building out the space they are nowhere near full throughput yet.�
Dec 29, 2014
HankLloydRight That was probably the one or two buildings out of 10+ on the campus that they're actually using. There is a map of the complex of which buildings they are using and for what function. It appeared that only 20% of the entire facility was occupied.�
Dec 29, 2014
bonnie I remember the conversation somewhat differently (though we talked to so many people, could have conflicting information). We were talking about the changes from NUMMI with the manufacturing designer, Gilbert Passin (such an honor!) and while the areas that we saw were dark in the past are now part of the current manufacturing process, when I said 'plenty of room to expand yet', he laughed and agreed there was plenty of room yet to expand.�
Dec 29, 2014
ecarfan Richard, glad to hear that you so enjoyed the factory tour and even got to see some typically "off limits" areas, but I am pretty sure that the Fremont factory is nowhere near at 100% capacity. My understanding is that claimed capacity is 500,000 cars/year. Currently it is running at a fraction of that even with the new production line in place.�
Dec 29, 2014
RichardL I really don't want to keep laboring the point - I asked a very senior person (not Gilbert) 'what percentage of the factory was utilized' and he said 'essentially 100%' - now maybe he was referring to the upper floor only and I (or he) misunderstood the exchange - and clearly the factory is nowhere near capacity - rather the large 'black holes' have now all gone. Working with all the space does not imply that it is unable to be more efficient - just that the space is now 'allocated'
What I really wanted to get across was just how gracious the Tesla people were, as well as how many piles of boxes accumulate from all those pizzas :tongue:�
Dec 29, 2014
ra-san Just to add a note about Tesla production vs the old NUMMI numbers, the Tesla guide we had a while back had also pointed out that NUMMI was fed by lots of other facilities too, whereas with Tesla much more of the work is done in the single facility. So you wouldn't really expect Tesla to be able to do the same numbers, even when build out, since so much subassembly was done outside of NUMMI to reach those final assembly numbers.
Back to the pizza
It's really cool Tesla did this, and that TMC folks started and ran with it - especially those of you lucky and dedicated enough to represent us for the factory.
I brought home made cookies and a few dozen doughnuts for my service center when I picked up my car, but I'm glad the folks in the factory got some of the recognition they deserve for working their butts off to make things happen.�
Dec 29, 2014
omarsultan A couple of folks have asked, here is a very rough first cut at the banner layout. I will probably spend a some more time on it tomorrow. If you want in, instructions are in posts #160 and #176. I am waiting of the final TMC artwork (hint, hint) and the final count of signatures/sig images to finalize layout.
�
Dec 29, 2014
GreenT Why is the Tesla logo there? TMC claims to have nothing to do with TM?�
Dec 30, 2014
bonnie I've asked TMC administration to send you the artwork you requested.�
Dec 30, 2014
Jaff Looks great, I like it!�
Dec 30, 2014
omarsultan Thank you�
Dec 30, 2014
ModelX Very nice!�
Dec 30, 2014
JPP Well done--thx.�
Dec 30, 2014
docgarner I don't get it.� it's supposed to be from us... why have joke VINs and such instead of the actual signatures of some TMC owners and their VINs?�
Dec 30, 2014
Andyw2100 Pretty sure those were just place-holders, to show the design. The actual banner would include our signatures and our VINs.�
Dec 30, 2014
omarsultan ^^^That
A couple of folks had pinged me off-line as to what a banner might look like. I'll start working on real layout in the next day or so, but basically want to get across the main points: horizontal banner, Tesla logo, TMC logo, main message that is easily seen from a distance and a collection of names and VINs. The actual treatment for the names/VINs is going to depend on how many I get.
Hope that helps,
O�
Dec 30, 2014
JakeP That rough cut layout looks great...nice and simple! FYI, I saw a P85D with a VIN north of 60K in Cleveland SC this weekend.�
Dec 30, 2014
3s-a-charm Looks great...
If it gets delivered by Dec. 31 but if not can we get a 2015 banner?
Will it have a next gen logo or will it get the old logo until the new one is ready then we can send someone there to swap it?
Can an it be heated or only if delivered in 2015?
Forget it... I'm done with this. I'm cancelling my involvement and will go on the next banner!
Just kidding of course - great thing you're doing here!�
Dec 30, 2014
HankLloydRight Funny.�
Dec 30, 2014
omarsultan @3s-a-charm: funny
@JakeP: The number is based deliveries made through 2013 + the guidance on the earnings call for 35K deliveries this year�
Dec 30, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla Just PM-ed you, @omarsultan. Thanks much for doing this!�
Dec 31, 2014
Rheazombi Thought you guys would enjoy the card I made a few weeks ago for the guys at the Watertown Tesla Service Center, in MA.
Gave it to Brian in person. He's normally an understated guy, but he was super stoked!
�
Dec 31, 2014
Zextraterrestrial ^^
that's cool.�
Dec 31, 2014
ModelX Very nice!�
Jan 2, 2015
kabirakhtar looks awesome. may be interesting to change the font to Gotham to match the car's OS font, but i don't want to be a back seat Tesla (banner) driver =)�
Jan 4, 2015
omarsultan Banner Update - 04 Jan 15
Hey Folks:
Here is the latest version of the banner. A couple off notes:
- As I was playing around with the signature image files, they were breaking down as I scaled them and not looking so hot. I could convert them to vector graphics, but frankly, don't have the time to do that, so I punted on that. Sorry I could not make that work out (I have deleted any image files folks sent me).
- Still playing around with placement of the signatures
- For those of you who have sent me info, please check and make sure its to your liking (I had to do a bit of editing on some submissions, but apologies in advance if I totally hosed something up). As one last reminder, this info will be displayed in a semi-public place.
If you still want in:
- Send me your info to osultan at mac dot com
- The cut-off is 5pm PT tomorrow (05 Jan 15)
- Cost: I am picking up the cost for this (its not that much). As I said up-thread, if you have holiday money burning a hole in your pocket, instead of sending it to me, please consider donating to AlphaK9 which is a non-profit I support that donates service dogs to vets with PTSD.
In terms of the timeline:
- Finalize layout: 05 Jan
- Submit design to Tesla and TMC for approval (as we are using their respective logos): 06 Jan
- Production: 07 Jan
- Presentation: Late this coming week or early the following week
�
Jan 4, 2015
Andyw2100 This may be an unpopular sentiment, and if I am shouted down, outnumbered, etc., I understand.
But personally I think the signatures should be signatures, without additional comments. We, as a group, are making one, combined, group statement on the banner. Our names are our attestation to agreement with and participation in that statement. The additional comments detract and distract from that one, group statement. The banner was not to be a place for additional, individual statements. Everyone had the opportunity to make statements of their own through Bonnie last week, and at any time in the future, by simply sending a note to the company.
So I'd like to see the signatures become just that--signatures, with VIN numbers, and that's all. No statements of any kind in the signatures.�
Jan 4, 2015
Rheazombi I assume that means actual signatures right? Seeing peoples' names in that boring font just isn't doing it for me. *dodges shoe*�
Jan 4, 2015
Andyw2100 I didn't mean they had to be signatures. I have no problem whatsoever with the current appearance. I just mean the names and VINS shouldn't also have individual messages.�
Jan 4, 2015
omarsultan I don't have religion one way or the other, although if we get an influx of new folks, I may have to cut the statements to free up some space.�
Jan 4, 2015
wk057 Sent an email over. If you end up doing real signatures let me know.�
Jan 4, 2015
ModelX Looks great! Thanks for doing all this work!�
Jan 4, 2015
gpetti Yeah thanks for the work - really appreciated. I'm ok with the signature as is and if the consensus is just signatures/VINs I'm fine with that too. Apologies if I haven't dug far enough back in the thread but have we committed to where an how to contribute to the banner?�
Jan 4, 2015
omarsultan Cool.
As far as cost:
�
Jan 4, 2015
andrewket Whatever we do I think it should be consistent. Right now it's all over the place. Personally I like town/state/province/country as it shows they have made a global impact.�
Jan 4, 2015
Andyw2100 I'm fine too with adding location, etc., as long as we're consistent. The thing that bothered me was personal messages supplementing the group message.�
Jan 4, 2015
omarsultan I get that, but I also don't want to compel folks to reveal more info about themselves than they want to otherwise...different folks have different sensitivities around privacy and am trying to be respectful of that.
O�
Jan 4, 2015
AlMc My 2 cents: Thank you! I would 'suggest' that personal messages be taken out and 'country' of each person be put in. This will create more space, add uniformity and not give out too much personal information but let the TM staff know that the thank you and TMC community is international.�
Jan 4, 2015
shelbri I'm good with country as well but would prefer if my first name was listed as Brian instead of Brain as shown on the latest version.�
Jan 4, 2015
omarsultan OK, how about this:
1) I will remove the personal messages
2) Everyone who has sent me info, please e-mail me you your preferred country
I have never found Tesla owners to be a particularly uniform bunch, so I think that is a good balance.
O�
Jan 4, 2015
NJ Plugin Info just sent. Thanks mucho to all the organizers.�
Jan 4, 2015
Jgdixon Info just sent.
thanks�
Jan 4, 2015
Andyw2100 Excellent solution!
Thanks again!�
Jan 5, 2015
Jaff Info sent Omar...thanks again for your efforts! :smile:�
Jan 5, 2015
Cattledog If you haven't yet, please consider giving to Omar's chosen charity - good cause. Alpha K9
Thanks Omar.�
Jan 5, 2015
omarsultan Thanks Cattledog.
So, last call, I am doing final layout as we speak.
One design note, we are over 40 names (cool!), so I had to tweak the approach to layout a bit--I punted on the pseudo hand-written look as it was not space efficient and looking kinda messy with this many names and am re-doing the layout tonight in more orderly rows (think a donor plaque kind of look).
PS I still need country info from some of you�
Jan 5, 2015
docgarner Would it be more impactful to have scanned signatures and printed type beneath them with the VIN and country, all ordered in the columns as you suggest?�
Jan 5, 2015
omarsultan So, this was part of the original intent, but I ran into some practical problems:
1) Not everyone chose to share their signature, which is completely understandable, so we would end up with a mix of sig images and text anyway
2) The scanned images were breaking down when I scaled them up for the poster and did not look so hot
2a) I could address #2 by converting the image files into vector graphic files, but a) I don't have time to do that and b) it does not address #1�
Jan 5, 2015
Andyw2100 I think your approach is just fine. You've gone above and beyond. The banner will look great! Thanks again for all you're doing to make it happen!�
Jan 5, 2015
pgiralt Only comment is with the consistency in how the VINs are presented. Some have the P in front while others don't. Don't particularly care one way or another as long as they are consistent.�
Jan 5, 2015
kabirakhtar great job omar.
question - it says "55000 grins and counting"; my VIN is in the 65000s, and people are now getting deliveries higher than mine... so is 55000 the right number to have on the banner?
sorry if this makes for more work or is wildly unhelpful�
Jan 6, 2015
gpetti I wondered about this too. I think they are delivering into the 68,000 thousands now but I imagine finding an accurate number is difficult (until end of quarter) maybe 60,000+ and counting would work.
Just to add to the comments of others, I really appreciate all the work! - (money where mouth is, donation made).�
Jan 6, 2015
omarsultan I am glad to see we are the point in the project where folks' OCD starts to become apparent.
- VINs: I tried to stay true to what folks sent me, hence sometimes there is a P and sometimes not, I even learned that there are some "F"s out there. I guess, now that its a bit more formal looking, I can add Ps in or take them out so its consistent. I guess some of this is from my ignorance. I learned Founder's cars get an "F", do Sigs get their own letter or are all Sigs also "P"s?
- About that 55K: So VINs are not an accurate gauge of the actual production as the numbers get allocated out of blocks. Tesla's official numbers are 2,650 Model Ses delivered in 2012, 22,477 in 2013 and 33,000 projected in 2014 (per Q3 Shareholder's letter) which gives us a grand total of 58,127. I did not include the Roadster numbers since they were not built at this factory. I have updated my latest rev of banner to 58K.
In terms of next steps, I sent "final" to the TMC folks and Tesla folks for approval. Assuming I can get that locked down tomorrow, my goal is to get the banner delivered by the end of the week. Once I have approval, I'll post the image here and ask the Tesla folks to send me a pic once they have it hung, folks can see what they created.
Finally, thanks for all the "thanks" - its been a fun little project and its nice to "meet" other owners - for those of you who have made donations to Alpha K9, thank you very much for your support of them.�
Jan 6, 2015
Jgdixon yes F are Founders, S are Sigs and P are production�
Jan 6, 2015
sandpiper There should be a "B" to represent those of us who were in the original production run of Ds that were in the legendary black hole, lost to this earth for an extended period of time!�
Jan 6, 2015
mknox Done! Had a little trouble with Canadian Province/Postal Code, but PayPal works just fine.�
Jan 6, 2015
ricci21 I also donated. Thanks Omar.�
Jan 8, 2015
omarsultan Thank you.
- - - Updated - - -
So, dropped off the poster today - the timing was good, but I am not sure if I can say why. Again, they were very touched that TMC owners were willing to do this. In the next day or so, I should get pics from the Tesla folks, so I will post 'em when I get 'em.�
Jan 8, 2015
Andyw2100 Again, thanks for doing this.
And if what you're not sure about has anything to do with the 6.1 update, and it being a secret, it's not much of a secret any more. (There's a 20 page-long thread on it!) I guess if it's something else, mum's the word.�
Jan 8, 2015
gpetti Thanks! Was the timing good because they are about to start building my car :smile:
Pretty mysterious.�
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