I've held my toungue long enough on the latest OT debates..........
02-27-2003, 01:00 PM
#1
Elder Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've held my toungue long enough on the latest OT debates..........
I've been an active member for over two years and an enthusiastic attendee at TT gatherings large and small, official and otherwise. I know many people here personally and am proud to say that a few have become good friends. In short, none of that would be true today if not for OT posts.
Without question, I am about as mechanically challenged as a rice krispie on a strict Vegan diet and, admittedly, many technical threads go practically unnoticed if not completely over my head. That said, I originally came to this forum to learn about my car. I knew I loved its design and I knew I loved the way it handled but I didn't know enough about why I liked it and what I could do to love it even more.
My first post was a question about Winter tires (a fairly common and "safe" newbie topic). After getting a couple of suggestions, I began to study the various winter tire compounds and I even learned what a sipe was. That topic lead to a better understanding of Quattro and ESP (an understanding which seems to be ever evolving). After several months I started asking about mods and soon thereafter had my Bilsteins installed.
Then came the weeks before TT East Fallingwater when the Forum became downright hysterical. By then most everyone knew that I was incapable of performing basic car maintenance let alone sway bar installations and Denboot upgrades. I began to see the forum as a place where a large group of diverse people could meet to discuss common interests. Obviously, we all had one common interest, the TT, and many (if not most) also had a deeper interest and background in the mechanical and technological aspects of our and other cars. Many discussed driving methods from heel/toe to double cluthing to clutchless shifting and many more learned from those topics even if they didn't contribute to them.
More importantly, it was clear that the forum was so much more than just a bunch of car fanatics talking about cars. It reminded me of a golf club tap room where members and guests met after a round to talk about the great shot, the sh*tty shot, the next round, that night's dinner, last night's movie, school, work & everything else that makes up a life and a personality.
It was in that spirit that I wrote that "EXTRA, EXTRA" post before Fallingwater and the original TT Song. I hadn't a single one of you before writing them but I felt that I knew at least a little bit about what made people on this forum tick and what made them come back so often. Was it the technical info?? For some, yes -- but for many, no. That said, even the biggest OT contributors appreciate and learn from the various mechanical topics.... but isn't the opposite just as true???
Do we need to look any further for confirmation that OT is just as relevent as MAF than September 11, 2001? How many here visited the forum all day for information, support and strength? Who can say that they spent time with a more compassionate group of people anywhere throughout those terrible days? Who thinks that support, companionship and friendship would have existed on a "car talk only" forum? How about our sister forums right here? We were the ones that tried to put a donation together in the name of a member of the Allroad Forum. We were the ones who, which so much support from AW, got the TT Cookbook togethr and raised money for the relief effort. It took a family to do that and families do not survive without diversity of thought, diversity of interest and diversity of discussion.
My own wedding was made that much more special because of a few friendships I have formed exclusively through this forum. I look forward to sharing new experiences (good and bad) with people here and I am proud to have been able to help console and support others who experienced difficult times and tragic events.
Are friendships off topic?? Is laughter off topic??
Surely, some threads get out of hand from time to time but so do second cousins. We don't send them on their way and tell them they can't be part of our family anymore because we're only going to talk about A and B from now on. I'm not a fan of "newbie bashing" and I haven't supported any of those threads. It's ironic that two years ago we all lamented the fact that there were so few members and we even talked about slipping AW TT Forum business cards under the windshields of random TTs. Well, we have what we wanted back then and there's no reason why we can't benefit from the experiences and the personalities of the new members.
Personality. That's why I'm here. This forum has it and as long as it does, I'll be a "delightfull knucklehead" (as Denny called me), TT Songwriter and, most importantly, an enthusiastic member. Without OT posting, this forum will lose its personality and will lose many members. Will I stick around? I honestly don't know. I've lost plenty of friends and I don't look forward to losing any more so I hope there will be enough here to keep me interested but it will be a very sad day when I can't respond to a post with "yo, what's up?" After all, that's OT.
Come and get me (or feel free to e-mail if you'd rather keep it off the forum).
Without question, I am about as mechanically challenged as a rice krispie on a strict Vegan diet and, admittedly, many technical threads go practically unnoticed if not completely over my head. That said, I originally came to this forum to learn about my car. I knew I loved its design and I knew I loved the way it handled but I didn't know enough about why I liked it and what I could do to love it even more.
My first post was a question about Winter tires (a fairly common and "safe" newbie topic). After getting a couple of suggestions, I began to study the various winter tire compounds and I even learned what a sipe was. That topic lead to a better understanding of Quattro and ESP (an understanding which seems to be ever evolving). After several months I started asking about mods and soon thereafter had my Bilsteins installed.
Then came the weeks before TT East Fallingwater when the Forum became downright hysterical. By then most everyone knew that I was incapable of performing basic car maintenance let alone sway bar installations and Denboot upgrades. I began to see the forum as a place where a large group of diverse people could meet to discuss common interests. Obviously, we all had one common interest, the TT, and many (if not most) also had a deeper interest and background in the mechanical and technological aspects of our and other cars. Many discussed driving methods from heel/toe to double cluthing to clutchless shifting and many more learned from those topics even if they didn't contribute to them.
More importantly, it was clear that the forum was so much more than just a bunch of car fanatics talking about cars. It reminded me of a golf club tap room where members and guests met after a round to talk about the great shot, the sh*tty shot, the next round, that night's dinner, last night's movie, school, work & everything else that makes up a life and a personality.
It was in that spirit that I wrote that "EXTRA, EXTRA" post before Fallingwater and the original TT Song. I hadn't a single one of you before writing them but I felt that I knew at least a little bit about what made people on this forum tick and what made them come back so often. Was it the technical info?? For some, yes -- but for many, no. That said, even the biggest OT contributors appreciate and learn from the various mechanical topics.... but isn't the opposite just as true???
Do we need to look any further for confirmation that OT is just as relevent as MAF than September 11, 2001? How many here visited the forum all day for information, support and strength? Who can say that they spent time with a more compassionate group of people anywhere throughout those terrible days? Who thinks that support, companionship and friendship would have existed on a "car talk only" forum? How about our sister forums right here? We were the ones that tried to put a donation together in the name of a member of the Allroad Forum. We were the ones who, which so much support from AW, got the TT Cookbook togethr and raised money for the relief effort. It took a family to do that and families do not survive without diversity of thought, diversity of interest and diversity of discussion.
My own wedding was made that much more special because of a few friendships I have formed exclusively through this forum. I look forward to sharing new experiences (good and bad) with people here and I am proud to have been able to help console and support others who experienced difficult times and tragic events.
Are friendships off topic?? Is laughter off topic??
Surely, some threads get out of hand from time to time but so do second cousins. We don't send them on their way and tell them they can't be part of our family anymore because we're only going to talk about A and B from now on. I'm not a fan of "newbie bashing" and I haven't supported any of those threads. It's ironic that two years ago we all lamented the fact that there were so few members and we even talked about slipping AW TT Forum business cards under the windshields of random TTs. Well, we have what we wanted back then and there's no reason why we can't benefit from the experiences and the personalities of the new members.
Personality. That's why I'm here. This forum has it and as long as it does, I'll be a "delightfull knucklehead" (as Denny called me), TT Songwriter and, most importantly, an enthusiastic member. Without OT posting, this forum will lose its personality and will lose many members. Will I stick around? I honestly don't know. I've lost plenty of friends and I don't look forward to losing any more so I hope there will be enough here to keep me interested but it will be a very sad day when I can't respond to a post with "yo, what's up?" After all, that's OT.
Come and get me (or feel free to e-mail if you'd rather keep it off the forum).
02-27-2003, 01:17 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 6,178
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great post, Joel. Now, switch hats and wear Jason's for a moment.
From his point of view, a problem has arisen which needs attention. But, it doesn't sound like he's wanting to eliminate OT, simply manage it better.
Trending Topics
02-27-2003, 01:18 PM
#8
Do you understand...
That nobody from AudiWorld is trying to put an end to anything you described either on this forum or any of the other ones?
People seem to think that we're going to "do away" with OT or something. Not true.
The changes are that <b>nonsense</b> is subject to deletion and moderators are going to stop arguing with people about our policies. Come to ME if you have a problem with the policies.
I don't think you'll see too much of a difference except (hopefully) less time spent debating why or whether a post should or shouldn't be deleted.
People seem to think that we're going to "do away" with OT or something. Not true.
The changes are that <b>nonsense</b> is subject to deletion and moderators are going to stop arguing with people about our policies. Come to ME if you have a problem with the policies.
I don't think you'll see too much of a difference except (hopefully) less time spent debating why or whether a post should or shouldn't be deleted.
02-27-2003, 01:24 PM
#10
Elder Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn't mean to imply there shouldn't be management of OT posting.....
and I have always supported Jason. My post was primarily an emotional snapshot and I'll likely be supportive of reasonable efforts to reign in certian OT posting.