What are we here for?

[NosFEratu]

Hi all 

I have decided to start a new thread rather than post this in the Motor-Ex thread.  Please note that I do not aim to offend anyone, I just would like to perhaps make people think a little about a couple of things I have noticed.  I will not be offended if I am told to pull my head in - so say what you like about me cos I won’t be biting back!  (well I'll try very hard not too!  )

I must admit there has been an increase in aggression on the site lately whether it be aimed at individual forum members or cars in general.  A couple of observations I made over a period of time are:

• if a forum member posts info about their car there appears to be a general acceptance of it - those that don’t like it obviously don’t comment and that’s is fair enough
• if photos are posted of a car that is seemingly not a forum member people are not backward in coming forward with their comments

   
I admit my comment about the wagon not likely to be getting too many stone chips in the near future could be perceived as a slur against people that prefer to show their cars.  Perhaps this person will show their car for a couple of years and then get great enjoyment out of driving it - I personally hope they do.  Maybe they will, maybe they won’t - but as long as they’ve built the car the way they want, and do with it what they want then that’s all that really matters.  The fact that these three cars (forum/club members or not) were at this show is fantastic as a couple more examples have been saved and they are participating in and promoting both the sport and the model.  But, in having said that, those that choose to drive their car on the road rather than show it are also saving and promoting a part of Australian Motoring History.

I’ve tried to find info on the main purpose of the forum but can’t - I can only assume that it forms part of the of FE FC Clubs Australia wide in that they are “Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of stock and modified FE and FC Holdens”.  Maybe I’m too warm and fuzzy, but I thought that also meant:

• providing support to others through sharing knowledge and experience
• accepting club/forum members for who they are
• having a little bit of lighthearted fun along the way
• promoting the sport and marque through all of the above

If I’m wrong in my assumption and I am politely informed of this then I’m happy to accept the error of my ways. 

Remember, derogatory comments about people or their cars only serves to do one thing - it prevents, or potentially limits, future growth as is discourages those that might be interested in our sport and marque.  So my question is …

What are we here for?

Kathi 
F4+ =^{^^}=

[brett_f]

Kathi,
That was very well written. As a fairly new member i must say that most forum users appear to be genuinely interested in the current build that i am doing at the moment (308 EFI FC). The questions asked are from people that obviously could do with ideas that they have been thinking about for there own builds and have been stuck on ideas and how to go about them. I have had no hesitation in replying to these questions and supplying photo's and this is what the forum should be all about. I know if i did not have the knowledge to perform these tasks, i too would be asking members for their thoughts and ideas. In saying this i also do not mind a bit of a laugh providing it is not at the expense of someone who has asked what we would seem a stupid question as this person if they knew the answer would simply not ask the question in the first place. I have some more photo's coming shortly and this includes VE commodore front disc's and calipers fitted to my FC without flares.
Regards Brett

[colt]

Hi, Kathy. Good points. My own preference is mild modifieds with warm greys. Having said that, I get just as much pleasure in a stocky, restored or not, as well as more highly modified cars. We all have a common goal, keeping our old cars alive & well. I've got 2 on the road, 1 in bits & 1 being built. I certainly don't begrudge anyone trailering their cars, knowing the work & effort that goes into our cars. This forum from what I have seen is the most informative I have seen. Every now & again we have a dummy spit, but we all get over it & move on.
To all on the forum, a BIG hello, a BIG hug, till we see each other again.
Colin.

[mcl1959]

I also agree your words are well written and as a long time member of this forum I always try to participate with the goals you mention as my initiatives.
That said, the very nature of a forum is that opposing views are proffered and sometimes words are typed which are regretted later.
I do tend to agree with you that lately a lot of criticism has been directed at a few cars and occasionally people. This can generate a negative atmosphere, but the administrators have done a great job so far and delete threads or comments when things get out of hand.
I think the car on ebay generated the most criticism lately, but if you stand around at any show talking to your mates, the general discussion about any new car you see after the first few words of pleasure at seeing something new, generally tends towards what they don't like about it in their own OPINION.
I love the 3 new cars at Motorex, they show different styles of build and all are big dollar cars that do much to add to the general promotion of the marque. The owners/builders are to be congratulated on building cars which suited their needs and ideas, but I don't think this makes them free from criticism as long as it is understood that the criticism is an OPINION only.

My suggestion is that all on this forum remember that the comments made are OPINIONS of the writer and if they are negative then this should reflect on the writer and not on the forum in general. Plenty of others are willing to make positive comments so I would encourage those members to keep writing the positive reinforcement and try not to be discouraged by the "glass half empty" people.

The 3 most common areas for disagreement are:

FE v's FC
Stock v's modified
Show v's drive
Queensland v's NSW could be added as a 4th but who really cares about Rugby anyway?

There will never be total agreement on these points and generally discussion with opposing views is healthy as long as the writer's fingers are not in drive before their brain has been engaged.

Ken

[RET]

Rugby

Rugby? Despite everything else you wrote, you really do want to pick a fight, don't you Ken? State of Origin is Rugby League.

Kathi,

You've hit the nail on the head. As the administrator of this forum since cocky was an egg, I've always found that insularity that some forum members display really intriguing. To their detriment, quite a few forum members have discovered that just because someone isn't a regular poster (or even registered) on this forum doesn't mean they don't read it.

Very few forum members would dare to criticise the car of a known forum member (or known to belong to one of the FE-FC Clubs - you don't see criticism of cars entered at the Nats, for example), but think nothing of putting the boot in if the car is 'anonymous'.

The forum is a place for opinions, as Ken says, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be mindful of what we write. I've had to remind people many times that what we write here is completely accessible to the public. Whilst we are our own little community, and we do everything we can to foster that community feeling, we have to remember that our little walled garden has walls made of glass.

To paraphrase another rule in vehicle repair: "Preview twice, Post once".

RET

[NosFEratu]

Thanks for your thoughts Brett, Colin, RET and Ken.

I left this open to interpretation so people could indicate what they came here for or what they believe the forum is for.  It’s been good to get a couple of different interpretations of the question.

I’m very happy we all have opinions and believe we should be able to express them without fear of ramification - we are all different and if we weren’t it would be awfully boring here and I would be anorexic from sticking my fingers down my throat all the time!    I definitely support respectful rivalry between differing factions (stock/modified, show/street, FE/FC, grey/red & let’s not forget motor/engine) but………....

I do get a little concerned when the hallowed line where an opinion morphs into a derogatory remark is crossed. To set out to deliberately and maliciously degrade or humiliate someone is, IMHO, not the done thing and, as Ken so rightly points out, while it definitely reflects upon the writer it can also serve to degrade the forum as a whole.

The major problem with the written word is that we can’t easily convey that sarcastic tone in our voice or the tongue in cheek look as we converse with each other and some things can be interpreted in a manner we didn’t intend them to be – we just need to a little careful and re-read before we post as it my understanding that only a select few have the ability to retract and/or edit comments once the post button has been hit. But in saying that, the thread below notes you should have a grace period of about 10 minutes to edit your posts. I have never been able to do this – can someone please advise if this is still possible?  http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,11767.msg69442.html#msg69442

Now, in relation to the age old debates here are my preferences - and yes, I've got my bullet proof vest on waiting for the snipers! 

Modified
Custom Classic style is my favourite - I like it when they retain an original feel 

Street
Cos I love to drive – but I appreciate the enjoyment people get out of showing their cars through my past experiences

FE
I mean - what did you expect me to say???   

Grey
I love my big block FE series 132.5!   
But, as they say, it's a female's prerogative to change her mind and this could change at some stage in the future! 

Motor & Engine
Totally dependent upon the conversation!


Kathi 
F4+ =^{^^}=

[weddo]

Very well penned guys and Kathi, and thanks for the hug Collin I feel much better now.
I get a hell of a lot of enjoyment from this forum, by both comments and cars, and certainly the advise given is beyond anything I have seen on other forums. It reflects the true depth of enjoyment and passion members have for their vehicles. As for the derogitory comments, they get very ho hum at times, and as Ken has pointed out, not really warranted in any forum. I enjoy reading the light hearted banter amongst members, and the rebuilds, and the reminders (Kathy) and especially the finished products. I don't often comment, (just lurking in the background) but I do enjoy the read. Well done!

regards
Weddo

[RET]

... the thread below notes you should have a grace period of about 10 minutes to edit your posts. I have never been able to do this – can someone please advise if this is still possible?  http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php/topic,11767.msg69442.html#msg69442

It is still the configured setting. The icon appears on the bottom right of your message, immediately after you click "Post". After 5 minutes, it will add <<Last Edit: (Date/Time) by (User)>> to the bottom of your message. After 10 minutes, it no longer allows you to edit.

As an Admin, I can see this on every message, but as a regular user you should see it on your message if it was posted in the last 10 minutes.

[NosFEratu]

Thanks for the advice RET

Obviously I'm having too much fun on the forum and time slips away too quickly before I realise I've made a spulling mistake or that I've a word out 

Kathi 
F4+ =^^{^}=

[RET]

Well well. It turns out that the Modify option was only available to some member-groups, not all registered users. Now that I've located that very well hidden setting, I've fixed it.

All users should now have a "Modify" option appearing next to "Quote" at the top of their posts (if the post is less than 10 minutes old).

RET

[NosFEratu]

Thanks for that RET

That little feature might help some of us when we make little, or even big, foo-pahs. It might also give people that extra little window of opportunity to think how they would feel if they were on the receiving end of a post.  Your research and action on this matter is appreciated.

Kathi 
F4+ =^{^^}=

PS - it works!!!! I just added this! 

[Phantom]

Rugby league WTF is that? I agree with you 100% Ken, and what the F%^k is with the scrum in Rugby league? they just stand there while the number 7 whatever (else he does ?) just puts the ball on someones foot and picks it up and chucks it away, now a real scrum is supposed  to try and push the heads up the bums of the blokes in front of them , they really try and move the pack back, why don't the league boys just give away the scrums all together its just a joke.Just my opinion from a Mexican.(and a huge STORM fan)
                                         Cheers Rusty
 

[Rabbitoh]

while the number 7 whatever (else he does ?) just puts the ball on someones foot and picks it up and chucks it away,
 

As a former (albeit primary school) half back, [that's a number 7 to you Rusty] I think you have rather sold our noble profession short.
A Rugby League team would be totally lost without the quick thinking, nimble link men who seemlessly meld the "heavy lifting" of the barging forwards to the supreme athleticism of the flying backs. 
I too am born & bred south of the border, but never could support the Storm.  Was badly infected with mixo when but a wee lad.....
Go the Bunnies!

[Rusty_T]

 

Hi all,

 Thanks for the laugh Rusty and Rabbitoh,
"What are we here for"? That's what it's about ,to have a laugh and to help each other. It's the best site I have ever seen and the support is amazing. Keep it up.

Cheers Rusty

[Ed]

Hey guys,

just spent some time away from computer and the forum,

came back and it seems lots of existing users going by new names, no names, de-registered names?

I've missed the forum flare up it seems....  too busy skiing

Cheers

Ed

[FC427]

Ed I must have missed it as well and I was here, DAM I like to get involved .....And at the end of the day who really cares if someone has a different view ??........FC427........

[waynos]

yep its only a forum
don't take it too seriously
i'm an arsehole so its hard for me to say anything nice
i love you all
peace