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I've never been a huge poster on any of the many forums I'm a member of. I've always been a lurker. Especially of project car threads. I miss seeing build threads with pictures and step by steps of what they found while building the machine of their dreams.

It seems like Facebook has basically replaced forums for car builds with people now preferring "likes" and comments on a pic every few days over a dedicated thread that can be archived and found years later...
I'm not a Facebook hater or anything in fact I was one of the earliest adopters of the platform when it was only for college students, but the amount of trolling that happens on most of the car pages (and the internet in general these days) Is really starting to wear on me.

Maybe it's because I'm older but It seems like 10-15 years ago there were fewer forums but the forums that we had were full of builds. I guess it's a combination of the economy and the way social media evolved that sort of pulled so many away from dedicated forums.

/rant over


Thoughts?

When I sold my Z, thus ended my project threads. The Maverick wasn't really a 'build' as much as I'd tackle problems as they came along, it was just transportation. The Capri is more fun, but I'm also suffering through getting it to a decent point and am unsure of starting a thread about it.

I'll make a thread sometime. I still love IDW, so it's been nagging at me that I don't have a thread going for my car.

I broke my point-and-shoot camera and don't know how to use a DSLR.

I probably will be bumping up my thread in the next couple weeks. If you recall, it was mainly me doing maintenance and spouting nonsense about stuff I don't know. I do have a few updates outside of maintenance that might constitute a "build", but nothing extreme.

I don't like Facebook.

Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. FB is replacing car forums, and it's unfortunate because it's nowhere near the medium required to support an information-based community. As you said, likes and comments are replacing factual posts and in-depth descriptions, and even when good information IS posted, it gets lost in either the sea of comments, or just falls down the page into oblivion. Instantaneous temporary knowledge has become a replacement for actual learning, and it's sad. Information is no longer a commodity for a growing number of enthusiasts, and in its exodus made way for what is simply a popularity contest, one where the majority of participants understand no more than how to bolt up coilovers and slide the camber plates all the way negative... They don't understand what it does, or even more important, WHY it does it, but they sure do get their lifestyle-validating "likes."

This, I've found, is only a partial solution: https://www.facebook.com/thespazevo. I don't care about likes, despite the fairly common knowledge around here that I'm a total attention whore, but at the end of the day that's what I get out of it. I don't get comments, I don't get real, genuine input (even from my tuner, I have to go visit him at the shop for any real, non-cryptic input, and it drives me fucking nuts), and it's just sad to see that even something put together with a knowledge-centric goal still ends up falling short on today's internet.

The last of the real enthusiasts are in their late 20s, having grown up on message boards, no social media, having to earn approval through knowledge and action, not through the posting of a singular image. Knowledge is dead to the younger generations. Sideways hats and wheels and likes are in.

RIP automotive culture.

It's a shame. I'm part of said younger generation, and most of the stuff I try to find is usually answered with "just throw money at someone who knows how."

I want to learn to do things, but it's gotten to the point where I feel like I'd have to take a whole class for one thing. (I even did for a year.)

This post has been edited by Miura Seri on Jul 8 2015, 10:02 AM

This is a really difficult concept nowadays, if only because people who are supposed to know how don't. I guess if you have unlimited monies you can continue throwing money at them even when they screw up...

I totally understand things come up so I wasn't taking shots at anyone here directly.. Just sort of in general speaking.

@Spaz That's a pretty cool Idea. I might have to copy that.

I give so few shits about getting attention, that I can't be bothered to make a project thread. Hell, there's a fitty% chance I'm going to delete this post after typing it and then not post it.

I figure if I'm not interested to read about my own project, why should I bother typing it out so only the excessively bored can read it? No offense to those who make these kinds of posts, but I only very rarely read any of them.


(Now I'm resisting the urge to not delete this post just to prove a point)

I really don't don't mind reading or skimming through a person's thread mainly because I get that sense of What that car is even if they are still learning a lot themselves.

I'm one of those people if it interest me enough I will trad about the simple things and if it gets better I learn everything I can about it if I get my hands on one myself I'm going to tear into it myself and see what kind of results I come up with.

But to answer the topic better I don't mind seeing people on Facebook putting up bits and pieces of a build they are on but information will never be as good as a regular forum that will archive, sticky, or even turn into a complete colaberation of info into one thread on certain subjects that can still be searched on the forums. I'm in my early 20's and using a forum hasn't failed me yet.

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I too fell your sentiments. I was once truly excited to update my blogs, post on my car forums, and update people with pictures and stories as to what I was able to do with my vehicles, but alas, that frame of existence has been removed, the truly personal touch of design and unique character is simplified through great, albeit bland, user interfaces.

The automotive culture though? That is not going anywhere. Come on guys, our forefathers were able to mess around, share information, and grow from an era where color TV was not even a standard.

I have often talked with my fellow enthusiasts about this topic, but the new comers to the scene these days are noting like that of the previous generation. All style, no function is key. It is a generation of "hey look at me!" screaming out from underneath garish cloths. I despise going to my local car meets anymore as the amount of attention to individualism and bias is unreal. "You can't park here, I am holding these five spots for the rest of my crew", or maybe a scraping the ground civic with open headers, or some lifted truck doing a burnout to call attention to authorities. Sad really.... it used to be so different.

As I age, my priorities change too, I seriously have been a member here for 10 years now, and been into cars longer than that. Funny to look back and say, yea I was different back then, things were different back then, but perhaps more importantly is to say, yea, I have matured since then.

This post has been edited by backalleyracer on Jul 9 2015, 02:33 AM

My sentiments as well. Not just surrounding personal automotive blogs but alot of different topics in general. Message boards are kind of a dying species. I enjoyed the days reading peoples progress through a particular game as well as bumps they ran into along the way, or advice on getting 'said item.' As said earlier, much of this has been replaced by simple one sentence, one word or just some meme post all in the name of earning a 'Like'. I'm kind of reminded of the recent South Park episode with Kyle watching his little brother do little more than watching game playthroughs rather than actually playing the game.

I'm right there with him because I'll watch someone else play through a game :/

Times have certainly changed

I don't think car culture has gone, but it's no longer anything close to what it was, and I doubt it ever will be again. The days have arrived where people would rather "snap necks" than snap axles, and I feel like the social media shift is really to blame for that.

As humans, we're wired to find the easy way out, and it's easier to get likes and feel validated with a picture of a slammed Mk4, fenders resting inside the lips of Porsche twists than it is to get likes on a stock looking car with a ton of work into it that'll walk on anything else within 40 posts on your typical news feed, because the latter has to be explained, or read about. And as such, pretty colors will beat pretty numbers every single time.

I only put the Fairlady thread out so you could share my obsession and frustration and madness and because I thought what fun it would be to do a Sci Fi Space Opera style build thread. The car was once interesting. Now the car is a daily; driven sometimes 100+ miles a day and capable of sustaining 90mph off a 40 year old motor for half an hour at a time. She's a well mannered little lady. A long way from the rusted derelict of a temperamental little zombie that would barely start and couldn't drive more than 1 mile without breaking down. Nowadays very little of the work I put into it is dramatic enough to warrant a post and certainly lacks some of the charm that made the melodrama of converting things into space opera terms fun for myself and readers. It was never actually about the car.

As for my other cars, I don't think anyone wants to watch me do basic maintenance all day... And well the GT-R- I prefer things that are appealing because they remain secret <sips scotch>

I don't mind posting that stuff because I'm still learning and don't know how to do half the stuff some of you know how to do. You guys (car forum people in general) have been extremely helpful in helping me out and guiding me in the "right" direction.

I don't have as much fun in car meets or shows as I think I should. Watching rally and hill climbs on YouTube are much more entertaining to me. I also enjoy automotive museums because I like history.

I think we all realize that social media is made for people to show off. Pictures can only capture a moment, and moments that are easy to capture happen to be stationary. What makes stationary car pictures interesting? Bling. Parts. Girls. Videos are far less common, unfortunately.

I've never been so I can't say, but I feel like traditional car culture is hidden in private garages and/or at the track. Somehow less accessible for those of us that are constantly wired and don't go outside. The internet can only provide so much.

The worst thing to happen to car forums is this:

"Hey guys, how do you do XYZ"
"LOL NEWB JUST SEARCH LOLOLOLOLOL ITS BEEN COVERED A MILLION TIMES"

It's ironic because the guys usually responding with that don't know the answer either.

Anyways, back in mid-late 00's, this was okay, the communities were large and there never seemed to be a stop in the flow of information. But there are a couple huge unintended consequences for doing this over an extended period of time; dying links and a drought of information.

wanna do ABC? sure thing! search it up and get some outdated crap from 2007 that requires a part a company no longer makes.
Need to use Brasso on plastic? Too bad the current formula isn't safe for plastic anymore! But I'll still recommended it anyway because that's the general consensus right?

Need pictures to help you do something? Too bad that writeup from 2008 has broken picture links and the author is consistently going "DO THIS LIKE YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE"

So basically, a few very large car forums I know have just turned into the internet version of a Detroit inner city public library, full of outdated and busted books. The only people who go in there are loud and don't really give a damn.

The result is an environment extremely unwelcoming to newbies, especially newbies who want to DIY. So I can certainly see the appeal of social media and asking a close or local friend who has a large library of knowledge and is able to help out.


Anyways, I'm all in favor of car forums doing more write ups. Especially stuff that's already been covered. To this day, I still see someone ask XYZ answered by someone who has probably never done more than change his tires to tell him "LOL JUST SEARCH"

This post has been edited by Sensation! on Jul 10 2015, 11:06 AM

TL;DR

Really what I think it comes down to that there are no shortage of "sayers" but very few "doers" in this world which is sad. I think social media and forums have just made it easier for the "sayers" to strut there stuff which makes it harder to find the "doers". There are "doers" out there you just need to go find them.

/TL;DR


[Long Version]

I have 3 "build" threads on this forum. Mainly for my own benefit. I don't post on the popular car forums, or really much on Facebook, well really anywhere online. Primarily this is so i have something to look at and see were I started compared to where I am today and I don't mind sharing it with others.

The reason I don't post everywhere however is because I spend a lot of time learning from the people who are"doers" and by that I mean I find people who actually do car things and learn what makes them better or why they do things differently. These are people who really aren't on forums or social media junkies. These are grassroots guys who have walked the walk, and I thoroughly enjoy being around these people.

This is of course not to say that people on forums don't have experience or knowledge, however there is no bar exam or test to ensure you have correct information. This also applies to social media, as well. However if I go ask Spaz or really any of the guys we usually drive with about brake pads, they can give me several examples and first hand experiences with them. Knowledgeable people are out there its just hard to find them online.

[/Long Version]

I definitely agree Sensation and Grappler!

In any given "thread" on a Facebook group you'll have maybe 1 or 2 people with actual experience and into the dozens of people responding to "search google" and then it turns into a meme spam that often times has absolutely nothing to do with the question asked.

The actual information gets buried 300 posts ago and there's nothing but silliness. Don't dare say anything to try and keep the post on topic or they gang up on you and you get banned.

On some pages I was a member of literally EVERY post ended up this way and I end up just leaving from disgust.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in feeling this way though!

The worst is when you ask a question, get no responses, ask it again with a "pic for attention", and just get a bunch of likes because you used an awesome photo.

Interestingly enough, the only cure for internet car forums and fresh information are new builds. In certain communities, its easier than others. The big S chassis boards are sucked dry of tech and new info, but this comes with the territory, finding clean a S chassis to start a new project is harder than it was in 2006.

That said, I can sort of imagine FRS BRZ boards going through a renaissance in 6 years or so.

and yes, 'global' internet memes are the worst thing to happen to any online community. The best jokes are inside ones formed by the communities themselves. That's how it was during 03-07. Remember the Vtec in a ditch guy?

Instead we get LOL WELL MEMED I TROL YOU LE RAGE FACE

This post has been edited by Sensation! on Jul 15 2015, 03:46 PM

To be fair, one of the first things I do when buying a new car is go seek out the nerd board for that car. I was a member on Legacy-Central, SVXWN, HybridZ, Maverick/Comet Forums, and now Team-Capri. Finding a board dedicated to the car you're into is awesome stuff. Lots of specialized advice not to mention part-swaps.

I'd lead to believe that the smaller more focused car forums (usually ones that pertain to more niche cars) tend to have a more solid community. I guess its because each other is all they have.

Its definitely something bigger forums can learn from since they take the individual so for-granted.

That being said,I hear some of the larger 4x4 forums aren't too shabby either. At least they have some semblance of community and fun.


It's something sorely missing from some of the larger sport compact communities, though sadly, car meets by those guys can make enticing legal targets by, shall we say; larger forces at play.
The weekly 310 meets in Zilvia are but a distant memory, in fact, the once active southern california regional section has pretty much died. The big picture obviously isn't just about the lack of build threads, but the old IPB style forum going away to social media.

I haven't looked around too much, but what about forums focused on, say, specific types of racing events?

This is just about it here.

I'm not the most vocal member, especially in recent years. I agree with what a lot of you have said. It's sad that some of the great car forums are not nearly as active as they once were. The biggest example I have of this is RX7club.com. It's still an amazing resource of information but not a whole lot of new content or new interactions. Like someone said earlier, Facebook is not a good platform to archive information.

I use Facebook to find out what events are going on but I don't use it much beyond that. For me, facebook is a place I go to visit and forums like this are home.