Can I just remind that this is a Car forum!

[S2central.net]

No offense Msfunky, but many of your posts would pass most peoples 'dross filter' as far as this forum goes yet here you are announcing to the world that 'we have come to a conclusion' on the subject... The irony is killing me here. And you want me to freeze the thread with your words as the parting shot ? <exasperated>

[Fat Audi 80]

Glad you said it Paul, I have been mulling this post over in my head for a couple of days.

Sorry Laura, I know you said PM you about it in a previous thread, but IMVHO as a newbie I feel you need to be a little more careful with your posting style. I feel some of the issues raised in this thread are as a direct consequence of your posting style.

The "Can i have pink number plates" in the Group buy thread sums it up for me. You do not own and Audi, you know very little about these cars and you know very few people here personally, which again IMVHO means you need think about integrating yourself a little more gently into what is a very tight and friendly forum. I think some members, myself included are just trying to protect what is a very special forum.

That said, of course you are very welcome, but please think about what you are posting and where.

I mean this to be constructive and not negative, and I hope I have not offended you. Ross is a good mate of mine and the last thing I want to do is offend either of you, but I felt I had to say what I feel.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Acidburn]

Sorry Laura, I know you said PM you about it in a previous thread, but IMVHO as a newbie I feel you need to be a little more careful with your posting style. I feel some of the issues raised in this thread are as a direct consequence of your posting style.
Cheers,

Steve.

I know I have not been on here that long and have read thru this post and followed it, I admit that I do post quite alot and I think a few people arn't keen on this but I hope that in general my posts are towards helping people and that they are not just classed a waste of time.

I enjoy the fact that I am getting to know alot of you thru both the forum, shows and in general msn and sms for general banter. This is a great forum and do enjoy reading the threads about detailing/engine upgrades etc.

Tbh as with a few people I speak to on the forum I generally just have msn on and use that for chatting to people and just comment on threads that I feel I can help out with.

[Sonic]

I have been following this thread closely.

I appreciate that some people like to keep the forum open in the background during work hours etc and clock up hundreds of posts in a very short time through a little banter, i belive its what makes the forum seem quite active and brings alot of people together.

I do also completely agree that for people such as Paul who dont sit there with the forum open 24/7, coming back to find 1000 posts about absolute rubbish is quite disheartening!

The idea about allowing customisation of the homepage to display custom forums is a very good one. Im not whether there is a mod or similar that would allow vbulletin to do this. If not, it could be something i could look at (if thats ok with an admin), although as Paul has said - some of us have day jobs

Unfortunatley its not just an SQL query. It would have to be modified so it could be customised and stored on a per-account basis, and integrated into the existing vbulletin software.

To appeal to both the people who like to chat on the forum all day and those who like to respond to more targeted technical posts would it be an idea to integrate a chat program into the forum? That way you would end up with a forum for the threads that need to be stored and responded to over time, and a chat program running simultaneously for those that want to banter with anyone else who happens to be sat in front of their computer at that point in time.

Some IRC program would work fantastically or i could use something a little more "custom" if required?

If Paul or Greg has any questions about this drop me a PM, i would be more than happy to explain software and server limitations (if a service was required on the server or a web app etc).

Cheers!

[Cullam3n]

I don't own an S2. I don't have a real strong intention to own one. So why am I here?

I try to help out where I can; I love helping people. I'm one of those that will go above and beyond to help others, even for something miniscule, and honestly not expecting anything back as that is how as I was raised, and because I know the feeling of having someone that you can count on that will help you out whenever, wherever. I don't have an s2, and so I'm not up to snuff like most of you lot about S2 specifics. I have less real world experience than most on these S2 engines. However, I read almost every thread on this forum, because I love to read and learn. Nothing makes me happier knowing I helped someone out because I remembered reading somewhere of someone who had a similar problem and what could be causing it.

I know I'm guilty of making off-topic posts, and of course I take full responsibility for my actions. I'm not perfect, and I do like have to have fun sometimes. However the difference is that I try not to interfere with others on a serious thread. There has been plenty of opportunities to make a quick joke or chuckle but I, and probably others, would deem it as irresponsible/childish/inappropriate/take your pick. If anything, I will wait until the original poster has had his question answered or problem fixed before I will say anything entertaining.

The fact is, it may be fun now, but down the road when you are using the search button like you are supposed to, you have to wade through all sorts of crap in order to see what you are looking for. It's not the mod's fault for failure to moderate the thread, it's not the fault of the poster-before-yours because he misinterpreted your post, it's your fault for starting it and giving others the opportunity to continue on it.

It's not hard to keep on topic; just take an extra second to preview your post, and think, is this relevant to the thread? That's it. All you have to ask yourself. Preview and pause.

I'm not singling out anyone or anything, just standing on a soapbox for quick second. And now I'm getting off before my rant goes off the grid of the thin nonsense line it is now standing on!

[dest]

Why would the forum need a mod to hide a free chat area?
If you dont want to read or see the threads, just dont go into it?!

[Fat Audi 80]

I don't own an S2. I don't have a real strong intention to own one. So why am I here?

I try to help out where I can; I love helping people. I'm one of those that will go above and beyond to help others, even for something miniscule, and honestly not expecting anything back as that is how as I was raised, and because I know the feeling of having someone that you can count on that will help you out whenever, wherever. I don't have an s2, and so I'm not up to snuff like most of you lot about S2 specifics. I have less real world experience than most on these S2 engines. However, I read almost every thread on this forum, because I love to read and learn. Nothing makes me happier knowing I helped someone out because I remembered reading somewhere of someone who had a similar problem and what could be causing it.

I know I'm guilty of making off-topic posts, and of course I take full responsibility for my actions. I'm not perfect, and I do like have to have fun sometimes. However the difference is that I try not to interfere with others on a serious thread. There has been plenty of opportunities to make a quick joke or chuckle but I, and probably others, would deem it as irresponsible/childish/inappropriate/take your pick. If anything, I will wait until the original poster has had his question answered or problem fixed before I will say anything entertaining.

The fact is, it may be fun now, but down the road when you are using the search button like you are supposed to, you have to wade through all sorts of crap in order to see what you are looking for. It's not the mod's fault for failure to moderate the thread, it's not the fault of the poster-before-yours because he misinterpreted your post, it's your fault for starting it and giving others the opportunity to continue on it.

It's not hard to keep on topic; just take an extra second to preview your post, and think, is this relevant to the thread? That's it. All you have to ask yourself. Preview and pause.

I'm not singling out anyone or anything, just standing on a soapbox for quick second. And now I'm getting off before my rant goes off the grid of the thin nonsense line it is now standing on!

Great post!

[martinjs]

If you dont want to read or see the threads, just dont go into it?!

Thats the whole point though, you click on a thread about a certain subject and are confronted with a few pages of banter about something completely different.

[S2_Dave]

Why would the forum need a mod to hide a free chat area?
If you dont want to read or see the threads, just dont go into it?!

A mod wouldn't hide anything, the user would, based on their personal preference - keeps everyone happy.

[dest]

You are confusing the term mod as in modification to the forum, with mod as in moderator.

If all off topic chat is kept it one area, then it wouldnt be found in technical threads anyway?

Surely a little common sense is all that is needed really?
Of using various online forums for over 7 years, I dont think Ive ever seen anything so trivial blown out of proportion so much!

1)If you want to off topic chat, do it in the off topic chat area
2)Anyone posting "chat" or pointless comments where they shouldnt be, gets dealt with by warning, temp banning, or perm banning etc
3)If you dont want to see off topic threads or pointless posts, dont go into that area.

I really dont see why it cant be made as simple as that?!

[S2central.net]

Yes - some darn fine points by Cullam3n.

Dest - What I might consider doing is creating a 'Dross' area of the forum that is separate from the Open-Topic area. I can't just avoid the Open-Topic area as there are often useful, interesting or funny topics in there - I just hate sifting thru the dross trying to find them.

I just had another thought about Msfunky - she was ~12 yrs old when the S2Forum was created. How funny is that... Gotta say the girl has some hair on her balls with the attitude that is apparent in some of her posts and I for one grumpy old man don't appreciate it one bit. However, she (and anyone else) is welcome to post here all day as long as they -
(a) have a point
(b) aren't posting just for the sake of it
(c) have some inherent value or information
(d) aren't dross or chit-chat that is best posted privately or in another forum

Paul

[dest]

This is where it becomes a grey area.... EVERY user considers different things to be "pointless posting"
Where is the line drawn? If you do create an area for nonsense to be posted, how is it moderated as to what belongs in there, or stays in Open-topic?

For example, if someone posts a link to a youtube video that THEY consider funny, or think others may want to see, do they put it in the nonsense area, or the Open-topic one? What one person may find interesting/amusing, another may think is just pointless.

A Vauxhall forum I used for many years solved this problem quite easily, and it works VERY well.

There is a main section called "Community Central" the description (rules) of this area are simple: "ANYTHING can be posted, as long as it is CAR related".

There is then another section where people are allowed to post threads on ANY subject. Some are interesting, some funny, some totally pointless.
The simple factor being, if you dont want to read or expose yourself to such threads, you dont go in there.

Everyone is happy.

[martinjs]

You should think yourselves lucky, i remember 'back i the day' (about 5 years ago in my case) on the old yahoo s2central group discussion forum, way before s2forum began, none of us really knew our way round the s2 very well. fitting an aftermarket dv was a big deal, the only ways for a remap was a visit to QST or AMD (about £1200), go register and have a look, LMAO none of us really knew what we were on about. taking an engine apart yourself didnt even enter the equation.
Nowadays everythings pretty much been covered/done many times, and a simple upgrade ie. uprated arb's or a homefry, the infamous mark h mod, 7a cams, RS2 this that and the other are taken for granted whereas back then wern't even considered or known about.

[dest]

Thats not always a good thing though is it?
Remember that you longer standing members had the fun/enjoyment of finding out these mods and being the first to do them etc.
Once everything has been tried and discovered, its not half the fun it used to be!

Plus, you can say the same about every car forum really, they all started with a very small knowledge base amongst members

[martinjs]

Of course its a good thing if it sorts someones car out but maybe not if your searching for a thread on a perticular topic/problem only to be greeted with a few pages of talk about something completely different.