I’ve been reading a lot of threads of late where the OP is or has become disgruntled. Some are new members, others are long time veterans, and all in between. Is the CF growing more hostile? Yes, I did ask “more hostile”. Maybe I should rephrase the question and ask: Is the CF becoming less professional? A lot of the disgruntled post’s I am reading are located in the For Sale sections (all years) but not limited to these sections. I see a tremendous amount of bashing occurring and it disturbs me. Let me be the first to admit, that I am no saint in some of my replies, but what I have been reading lately is just over the top, and sometimes just down right cruel. I fully realize that sometimes the written word is misconstrued and / or misunderstood by the OP (that’s why we have smiley and other animated icon’s), but, that does give others here the poetic license to jump on these misunderstandings in a feeding frenzy. I see some post's locked, for no apparent reason and then others that just bash the poor OP into the ground…never to return. I also realize the Moderators have their hands full here, but, for the life of me why they lock some threads and why they let others to continue bashing is beyond me…and that’s not to lay blame for the bashing replies on the moderators here, as they are not the ones doing the bashing. Maybe it’s just shameless self promotion, boredom, or other, which brings these posts on, or maybe we should all take a step back and reevaluate what the CF is all about. Sorry for the rant, I just seem to be seeing this all too often, of late. Anybody else feel this way?

 

A lot of the level headed knowledgeable members are long gone. It's like the wild west now.

Oh, an IBTL.

 

Who put your panties in a wad?

j/k

IMHO, it is a small indication of some of the divisions in the country spilling into our "little" club. That said, CF C3 sections are moderately tame compared to other places. You should see OT & PR&C...

 

I was sitting on ready for that one!

 

Gregg,

I agree with what you are saying. I sincerely believe that the USA is in the most overall foul mood that I have ever seen.

And, why not? Many Americans have either lost their jobs or their businesses are hurting. I have noticed that courtesy and morals are dwindling. Without getting into the politics, I believe that it is fair to say that our elected officials in Washington have totally failed us. This will change, I guarantee you, on election day 2010. I just hope and pray that it is not too late. I am praying for this nation daily, and hope that my CF Colleagues are also.

Let us not forget that CF was formed to create profits. (That is o.k., as private enterprise is the backbone of America.) CF's creators saw a need for a forum where passionate Corvette owners could communicate with each other and the corporate sponsors. May each CF Member make it a point to act courteously, professionally and responsibly in 2010. Wishing all of my CF Friends a Happy & Prosperous New Year,

Rickman

 

It's winter.
Cabin Fever has set in early for some.

 

Are you talking about rudeness, trolling or heated discussions?


To me there seems to be a small minority who think theirs is the last world on any Vette related subject.

They get off on the adulation from other members and react aggressively and rudely if anyone dares to question their god like Vette knowledge.

These people are probably marginalised in real life and crave the attention and 'internet respect' they get as they don't get any in real life. It's the classic 'big fish in a small pond'. It's easy to sound knowledgeable when the guys they're talking to are novices but they soon become unstuck when pompously posting to someone who really knows their stuff.

These people are easy to spot, look out for the following attributes.

Quoting wikipedia
Demanding supporting documentation
Demanding dyno results
Cutting and pasting inappropriate/inaccurate text from web sites
Quoting other forum members just because they agree with their point
Avoiding answering questions

Also posting..
"I've been playing with cars for 20 years" (so what)
"Why did Chevrolet build it like that then" (it was the 60's/70's and even today manufacturers make mistakes)
"Stop ruining the OP's thread" (it's a discussion forum, not a 'you're word is final' forum)


One of my most disliked aspect of any internet forum is the way people offer advice without reading the OP properly and just trying to sound clever to the other forum members.

They fail to appreciate that their half baked reply, or inaccurate ego massaging post, could cause an enthusiastic owner to spend an entire weekend chasing their tail trying to fix something.

 

Gregg, I have noticed some of what you described of late. In general, I just try to tune out the negativity and stick to the pleasure that Corvettes and Corvette discussions bring to me. The vast majority of people here are knowledgeable and good natured. Why not focus on the good and tune out the bad. That's what I have tried to do, for the most part .

I think as far as the moderators, the volume of threads and the limited time they have to intervene (as I'm sure this is not their primary job) factors into seemingly endless negative threads continuing.

By and large it's a fun place to visit and contribute without taking it too seriously.

Oh.......IBTL

 

Thats cool...maybe I am taking it a little too seriously...thats the second IBTL....Why do you think this thread will be locked? I do not believe I am in violation of the CF rules, and moreover I think what I am proposing, would only benefit this forum. Deep breath...I will just let it go.

 

I thought I was very clear....if not, I can only add that I tried.

 

Rickman, lot's of good points...but, maybe I am just taking the forum to seriously.

 

Amusing in a sad sort of way, but I think you're pretty accurate.

 

Well, having only been around for a year and a half, maybe I am not the best person to comment, but I will anyway:

I don't think this is really true. I see a lot of the "level headed knowledgeable members" who seem to post a lot less than they did when I joined. But, when someone asks a real question and appears to be legitemately struggling with something, guys always seem to come out of the woodwork and help them. I have also gotten help through PM, which I know isn't ideal because others don't get to share the knowledge, but I can see how sometimes it just saves headaches.

I think there is a learning curve too. I am not a car or Corvette expert, but I did used to work on cooling systems for a living, so I understand car cooling systems well. I have gotten involved in thermostat threads several times in the last year or so, but have pretty much reached the point where I realize that in an effort to clarify commonly held misperceptions, I am really just wasting my time.

 

i've been here since 2002..registered in 2004... and have known some talented guys that left due to 'folks bashing them on modifications' ... i'll leave it at that

 

As a hole I believe the American people are much less civil today. Partly due to the general society and it lack of education in mutual respect, but more due to the overall economy and its physcological effects. The folks I know are feed up with government trying to control them and lying to them about it, the mainstream press on board with the lying government folks, and the unethical mess of government and private business. I have seen the forum change over the nine years I have been onboard. The changes are cyclic and as the economy improves and people feel better about themselves the tone of the posts will become more respectful. Also, I believe the way I feel also impacts the way I interpert the posts. Sometimes the banter in the posts can be over looked other times I wonder what rock the poster came out from under.

Roger

 

I personally don't think it should be locked but, in general, when you question why a moderator would leave certain threads open they would prefer you PM or e-mail them.

 

This forum is tame compared to Youtube. I post a lot of videos on there and I'll be damned if one of them doesn't have some argument raging on it. To me, it seems like anyone with an opposing opinion is automatically seen as an enemy. "Their thoughts are different than mine, so they must be wrong." That kind of thinking has gotten this country into trouble in the past, but I'm not going to get into that mess. Instead of assuming that we are right and they are wrong, even on the internet, one should listen to the opposing viewpoint and try to learn something from it.

 

I'm fairly knowledgeable (owned 6 different Corvettes, 2 now), and I pull out my research materials frequently to look something up, so I try to contribute in a positive way. I'm also on the side of the "original/stock" enthusiast, but some modification info is interesting to me. I like this Forum.

I'll tell you what I don't like here. Many, many, many (get the picture) posts are unnecessary; guys should use the darn search function. I enjoy the questions or observations that people have that are new or unique, or insightful, but how many times are we gonna get the same questions about Hooker headers?

The other thing is that so many replies are submitted without having read (or understood) the previous replies--that drives me nuts! It appears that many members read only the OP, and then lob in a reply completely ignoring the whole purpose of the Forum, which is "discussion". I'd rather have a little spirited give and take (within reason) than the exact same response (or worse yet, a duplicative incorrect response that has already been highlighted) posted 10 times.

The sniping that occurs doesn't really bother me, since most cases end up between two individuals (and it's not me). If some guy makes a statement, and is then asked to back it up, that's OK because if he can support it, then we all learn something new. If he can't, then we all know. I've been corrected on the Forum, and actually was delighted because I learned something new.

The last thing, and I'll probably get skewered for this, is that so many posts are either completely illegible, or so poorly written that you can't understand the issue, or are riddled with really bad spelling and grammar. I'm not trying to be an English teacher here, but jeez, take a little time, have some pride in how your writing reflects on you, and use spell-check...it only takes 5 seconds. I don't know how many times I've read a post and wondered if the writer was either kidding or was a moron.

Happy New Year--let's make the Forum a fun and educational resource.

 

Newbie.

 

I'm nicer when people post in the right section.

things would go so much smoother forum wide if everyone went here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/foru...and-rules-109/

before they post