Alan, Bats, Mike Ward, David (who has backed off), Dub. The sad part is many of their old post photos are now gone. This is the nicest/politest forum I go to but still we somehow manage to burn out the ones with the most knowledge and are the most helpful. Guess all good things must come to pass. Sorry just reminiscing. Mark

 

I agree Mark. We've lost way too many good members here. Once in a while I run into them on other sites. Some keep in touch by e-mail.
Cheers, Greg

 

well there is a bunch of new blood and some long timers that do tend to act like children that hide behind their computers. They put out bad info based solely on the model year they are most informed on but not prevalent to the question or attack the question instead of just giving a stright answer. I've been answering less and less of the most popular threads or if I answer early and it goes downhill I just unsubscribe to the thread and move on. I dont have time to listen to bad information and whining trollers that pretend to understand how basic sytsems function or general troubleshooting. Then there is a certain person that jst repeats the most popular or most correct answer and make it his......I feel sorry for some of the new members that are looking for help and get rhetoric. Im about ready to join Bats and Alan and find something else to take up my time

 

RR, So very sorry to hear of you also backing off. Does ANYONE have any ideas or suggestions that could be presented to the moderators on what could be done to prevent more and more of us from looking elsewhere? I am also an airboater (40 years) and have witnessed what used to be a great site for that (Southern Airboat) wither on the vine. It's sad to see the ones that are the most helpful disappear.

 

For preserving the information on here, if I come across a particularly helpful thread I archive it locally. Might be worthwhile to start a Corvette Tech wiki, if only to preserve the photos. The forum is well archived via google but a lot of the photos are stored offsite at places like Photobucket and they tend to disappear.

I'm definitely sad that I missed the heyday of the posters you listed, like DUB who probably forgot more about Corvettes than I'll ever know. What we newbies need to do is celebrate guys who stick around like Richard454 and Rescue Rogers a bit more, let them know their insight is welcome!

 

Well guys, I for one truly appreciate all of the help you've given me since joining CF two years ago. Owning a C3 was on my bucket list since I was a kid in the 70's, and my uncle pulled into the driveway with his new Stingray. I was floored. I bought this car, knowing nothing about them and how they differ from every other classic car. I felt blessed to find the friendly folks here that were willing to point me in the right direction. DUB, Rescue Rogers, Greg, AllVettes4Me, 7T1Vette, . . . the list goes on. You guys have been the biggest help to me, and refrained from laughing at my questions regardless of how stupid they were, or many times you've heard them. I too am not a "social media" guy. I have no time or patience for trivial nonsense and name calling. Just know that the good guys, – you guys –, are appreciated. I hope you stick it out here.

 

Paul

 

Bats is doing well and still lurks now and again. Ive spoken to him few times but I doubt he will be back.... I can understand why we have lost members here, same as why I don't post a lot.

 

Not sure how to comment on this. I know many members mentioned were regulars, and do not know the stories behind why they felt they had to "disappear". I read the forum almost every day, contribute regularly, and really have not seen any kind of serious back and forth with people like David Howard or Alan71. Seemed to me that most posters had great respect for them, so it surprises me that they decided to leave. Bats could be controversial, but like me, he has a somewhat different perspective on things. I have commented many time on threads with "different" viewpoints on certain subjects, especially in opposition to the the routine and repeated ideas and viewpoints that many people have. Lots of times, statements get passed on from one to another that are really not based in fact, but in people repeating what they heard.....good example is that Harley motorcycles are junk and they leak. None of that is true today. In our C3 world, another is that chrome bumper cars are the only C3 Corvettes worth owning, when in fact ALL C3 Corvettes are 90% the same cars, with minor difference. Market values and buy recommendations are another subject that fact and theories vary widely.

What I have noticed is alot of people asking questions that make it clear the poster lacks even basic understanding of older cars or mechanical ability. There is nothing wrong with that, its a forum to gain knowledge, but when I think about how much it takes to restore or repair these cars from years of neglect or abuse, I think these folks are in for a big surprise and have a lot to learn. Old guys like me were raised around carburetors, points, clutches, etc. I encourage anyone to find the passion for C3 Corvettes, as I know the joy it has brought to my life. They are truly simple cars, and compared to modern hi-tech cars, anyone has a good chance of learning what it takes. This forum is fantastic for that.

I wish Bats, Alan71, David Howard, and anyone else who has decided to leave, would come back and continue to contribute to a great forum. I really don't understand why they left and I am curious why they did. I personally don't take kindly to personal attacks, but then again, a person has to have a certain amount of thicker skin when dealing with "social media".......often times the written words totally are interpreted wrong. In real life, standing in front of each other, it would be understood,....and often times, people would not say what they write on a forum or email. Believe me, I know.

And I will add this......you want to see name calling and vicious attacks, check out the PRC and Off Topic Corvette Forums........its outright war over there. On the Off Topic forum, if you are not a member of the "club" you are abused for even posting something. C3 General and Tech Forums are much more civil and useful to adults.

 

Well...I try to answer if I have experienced the problem.
Annnnnnd...sometimes my answer is wrong, anyway.
But...members such as Rescue Rogers always lead me and the O.P. in the right direction...
without humiliating me

 

A kind word of appreciation is always fitting for the assistance provided. But sometimes it is just plain burnout. Mark, I tried, several times, to 'like' your topic, but seemingly no joy.

 

Dub had health issues someone posted quite a while ago. Does anyone know how he is doing? Lars is another one that got fed up with people. Scott (Rescue Rogers), I hope that you do not leave the forum. I really value our friendship!
It is a shame that there are always some bad apples that ruin things. I came to this forum because people were so civil on here. Lou.

 

Yeah, I'm fairly new but Alan and David Howard are/have been two of the most polite, helpful and informative members on CF! I think Alan had been on the site this year and was hoping he would come back a few times a month just to hear from him. I hadn't realized yet that David was backing off but now that you've mentioned it.....it does sink in that there aren't any recent posts that I remember! Kinda sad to lose the knowledge and details that these gentlemen have. What ever they do, I wish them well!

 

Thanks lou, Im still here and posting occasionally. Theres a lot of you guys here that are great to talk to. But you are right when the know it alls and folks that belittle people asking questions whether its a new member or a long time member asking. I used to avoid the tech section all the time becasue those guys are all about trying to make everyone look bad or feel stupid for asking a question. The general forum was always a friendlier place, now its going the way of the tech section. I try and be nice and helpful to new members and help out the long term members if its something I know or something i think my limited knowledge can contribute too, but I do try and make the *** hats feel bad when they start to invade a civil conversation and make the OP look bad or just plain tell the OP his thinking is wrong with out even trying to answer the question.

If anyone of you guys has a question feel free to PM or email me. I'll do my best to help out or I'll join the thread to help

 

Yep,the old-timers here really helped

and alan,would post pics that helped alot


and everybody else that has helped for my past 15 years,,thanks alot

 

I was active in the beginning (a LONG time ago) and then fell away for a while. Actually, I didn’t do much with my car except drive it, so I was less active on this forum. Now that I’m digging into my version of a frame off restoration, I have appreciated the help from Lou and RescueRoger and others. Sometimes it hasn’t even been help, just words of encouragement, and that can be equally helpful. And the encouragement is even better when peppered with sarcasm! So just know that there are those of us here that do appreciate the help that still exists, even if others have left. I did buy one of Lars’s distributor spring kits back in the day. It may still even be on my car (who remembers at this point!). So keep up with the help, and sift through the BS. Most of us know BS when we see it and don’t mind it being called out.

 

Dub is fine- speak with him quite often. His shop doberman passed a few months ago- but he now has replacement in training!!! He's just a little burned out - and gotta couple of big jobs that are keeping him busy.

"It is a shame that there are always some bad apples that ruin things"- I always try to make the bad apples-into apple sauce!!!

Richard

 

I'm very new here but have some experience on other classic car forums (Mustangs) and the issues are the same. The oldest/wisest among the community eventually tire of the same questions being asked over and over again and/or others with less knowledge and experience parroting the wisdom of others and quite often getting it wrong.

I for one do very much appreciate the help and advice I've had since I joined here, from Rescue Rogers and quite a few others. That said, I do understand why they can tire of dealing with newbies and know-it-alls...

Unfortunately I also have to agree with a general trend on forums of the 'new breed' of self appointed experts who either attack the questioner ("if you don't know that, you shouldn't be on here" vibe), fail to address the actual question at all, or just give a glib answer that is unhelpful. For example, I started a thread yesterday asking for advice specific to a particular car I was interested in purchasing and at least half the replies were the generic "never buy a Corvette without having it inspected in person" chant. Yeah,OK I get it, but I was after some technical commentary based on the photos presented. Just telling me not to do something neither helps me now nor teaches me anything for the future.

All I can say to the gurus on here and other forums is please keep up the good fight - maybe you don't realise just how valuable your contributions are to the rest of us!

Cheers,
Brian

 

Brian, as the saying goes, look before you leap. Paint can, and will, cover a multitude of sins.

I received a 'great' welcome on my initial post here as I, with greatest affection, refer to mine as 'The Plastic Pig'. Can't take anyone serious when they talk like that.

There is value and knowledge here. Stick around.

 

Whereas I use to be on daily, I now find myself coming to the Forum less and less. A few times I've gotten annoyed enough that I've stayed away for weeks at a time. Even when I am on now, I'm much less willing to help someone, or respond to posts then I use too.

Not to long ago I responded to a post about handling, and accidentally reversed something. I knew the difference, I've spent most of my life building and crewing on road race cars, for both professional and amateur racers. It was an honest mistake, and even though the rest of the response included a lot of accurate and useful information, the attacks on me for that one simple mistake were unbelievable. I'm in my 60's, I own my own business, I've been through two battles with cancer in the last two years, and I still regularly crew on a Corvette vintage racer. I've been involved in the Corvette hobby for 45 years, the old car hobby since I was 15, and actively involved in road racing for 40 years. I come here for fun, and to try to help people out with things I've learned, not to be berated and belittled for a typo. I have better things to do in my life.

I have no problem with someone correcting me, if I post incorrect information, but I don't understand the need to attack posters, in some cases for no reason at all. I can understand why people have left the Forum, but unfortunately it's often the good people who have left, not the jerks that take delight in attacking others on here.