Road Race / Autocross Forum Update

As some of you have noticed, there's been alot of bickering and fighting in the forum lately. I'm rather tired of it, and its really time for us to all act like grown ups and not do this type of thing. I dont think I have to point out which threads are in question here. Its become a rather common occurance. I want to make some changes within the forum - and this goes for everyone, myself included. There's things I will strive to be better at as well.

I would also like to see the forum move towards a more tech-oriented approach - more than it is now - and away from alot of the BS that occurs. I would also like the forum to be a bit more accepting towards novices - something I can certainly work on as well. While alot of questions can be answered with a zerosearch, i will be putting forth a little effort in retrieving a few links to get new members started before the thread gets locked. Some of these may turn into useful discussions. Tech really should be the focus of the forum - we get some very interesting stuff from time to time - so it doesnt have to be boring. We are all here to have fun and share our experiences - if it wasnt entertaining or satisfying we wouldnt do it, and we all share a common passion and drive.

Of course, the standard forum rules will apply, as sticky'ed to the top of the forum.

Some things i'll be cleaning up within the forum that i'd like to see:

1. Posts that contain personal attacks
2. Posts that are completely unconstructive to the topic at hand
3. Posts that involve discussion about the rules and regulations of various sanctioning bodies and racing series. Honda-Tech in no way sponors or is affiliated with any race series or organization, and Honda-Tech is not the appropriate place to discuss such matters. Keep in mind, this is only for rules and regulations - not for event results and pre-event smack-talking
4. Postwhoring to a minimum
5. Threads that do not adhere to the forum guidelines

The forum is a community. We have had people like Roger Foo and Tom Fowler both post on the forum as well as many newbs to the RR/AX scene. A comment/post that hurts one personally, hurts us all. Conflict is ineviatble but controllable in this environment. We cannot please everyone but we can make sure everyone is not afraid to be attacked personally when they post something. At the same time i cannot micromanage the forum - so if there's things going on, use the "report to moderator" feature to notify me. A certain amount of joking and comraderie is expected - as long as we keep it on-topic.

I will continue to allow people to comment on products they purchase and the service they recieve. I know JohnW and others do not have big advertising budgets and rely on word of mouth to sell products. These threads are not an open invitation for flames. There are lots of businesses that support the racing community at a grassroots level. Its a two way street - support those that support you for the best relationship in the end.

Comments, suggestions are always welcome - this forum is for you guys, so we all make it work together.

RJ

 

Why can't we discuss rules and regulations? They are def. related and def. on-topic. I understand that they sometimes get out of hand, but making the whole discussion against the rules is just like the open container laws. All it does is make the cops job easier. I know you are not paid for your time here, but tough-titty. You signed up for it.

If you pass the blow test, why should it matter if you had a beer while driving?

If you keep it civil, who cares if we discuss rules?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Adrift &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why can't we discuss rules and regulations? They are def. related and def. on-topic. I understand that they sometimes get out of hand.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is exactly why they wont be allowed - because people do not control themselves and the arguments always end up destructive in nature.

Aside from the fact that rules are not made here. Honda-Tech is not associated with any particular race series or sanctioning body. There are designated sites for those discussions, and this forum isnt one of them. They are not tech discussions, and they are fueled by emotion 99% of the time. Also, people who are not associated with these organizations are free to interject at any time adding more mud.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you keep it civil, who cares if we discuss rules?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I refuse to micro-manage threads and the forum to continually steer them on-topic. If the threads need to be babysat, they shouldnt be here in the first place, so *flush* they go.

 

RJ,
What if we make it if a discussion arises and stays constructive we let it be.
If it becomes destructive it dissappears.
We cannot promise any rule changes will be made or that anyone will give a rats ***.

It is up too you man.

 

I just see the available topics that are allowed to be discussed here shrinking. Anything racing related should be allowed. Pretty soon you will just have a locked down forum that doesn't allow new posts. Everything will have been discussed. This forum will become a search archive.

Obviously, i can keep saying this and it doesn't have **** to do with the rules you make up, but it sucks.

 

Good work, RJ

 

 

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Adrift &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just see the available topics that are allowed to be discussed here shrinking. Anything racing related should be allowed. Pretty soon you will just have a locked down forum that doesn't allow new posts. Everything will have been discussed. This forum will become a search archive.

Obviously, i can keep saying this and it doesn't have **** to do with the rules you make up, but it sucks.</TD></TR></TABLE>


No, no, no, critczing constructively is what we want. We need to find a medium with the rules. Right now, we feel this is the best start.

 

 

I think that's far more restrictive than necessary.

From my experience here, the range of topics that have historically been allowed here is about right. Some of the more socially-oriented threads I could have done without, but I would not have wanted them removed because they help maintain the sense of community that is part of what makes this forum such a valuable resource. Besides, I can always just not read any thread that doesn't interest me.

Threads that degenerate into pointless name-calling or otherwise render themselves irrelevant but unending should be locked, but not deleted. After all, they often start out as valuable discussions, and a reader can always just stop reading when he reaches the point of where the discussion no longer has value.

This place seems to run hot-and-cold with the bickering. Sometimes there's none and sometimes there's nothing but. That just seems to be the nature of the beast. But overall it has always seemed pretty balanced to me. Making a drastic change seems unnecessary and possibly damaging.

$0.02 please.

 

QED.

 

hmmm.....more censorship.....nice just what i wanted.....

we all know fighting on the internet is just like talking to a "HOT CHICK" on the internet.....really no point to it.....

anyways....if i can surf through the babble why can't anyone else?
what's wrong with a good personal attack every now and then?

anyways....

to censorship.....

discussion of rules should be the first thing allowed in this forum!!!

 

Keep it coming.


I do not think there will be a drastic change. We want to eliminate the childish behavoir that seems to develop after a while. As far as name - calling threads. Well maybe we can handle them a different way. But sometimes not. That is our desicion, it is why we are here. If i catch posts happening early enough it can be a fine outcome, otherwise it spirals downward.

I do not like however the fact that it seems Karl Shultz, Chris Cobetto, NASA-VA, etc. as a whole have to defend themselves personally instead of professionally.

 

RFE?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
what's wrong with a good personal attack every now and then?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

come on Chad, if there is one thing I will not tolerate it is personal attacks over the internet

we are not censoring, however be it you guys read into the rules or not, but always remember that this is NOT a democracy. we choose to post what we would like to see the forum adhere too. We could just delete/lock/ban/edit with no warning.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> to censorship.....</TD></TR></TABLE>
bingo.



Modified by Willard at 11:57 AM 7/28/2003

 

YBO.

 

Nevermind.

 

ZCP!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

1. Posts that contain personal attacks
2. Posts that are completely unconstructive to the topic at hand
3. Posts that involve discussion about the rules and regulations of various sanctioning bodies and racing series. Honda-Tech in no way sponors or is affiliated with any race series or organization, and Honda-Tech is not the appropriate place to discuss such matters. Keep in mind, this is only for rules and regulations - not for event results and pre-event smack-talking
4. Postwhoring to a minimum
5. Threads that do not adhere to the forum guidelines

</TD></TR></TABLE>

You pathetic cheeseball. You BROUGHT these ******* problems here you JACKASS! You and the rest of the j00 ideyot fucksticks that came over here around the summer of 2001, exiting the kills forum and ploping yourselves down here. YOU are THE main purveyor of what you detail as problematic in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5! You, not the people that have been here a fuckload longer and were just freaking fine with how Chris moderated things and were probably all flustered that our new moderator was the biggest post ***** of the entire damned place. This is ridiculous in so many ways - you have things to work on. No ****! You create a problem, create a tone, then say WE are all acting like children? OMG how deluded are you exactly?

And why in the world would someone report something to you? You lock thread that have completely valid questions and for what? Because YOU don't know the answer or think its spurious? Have a blast guy, enjoy cleaning up the mess you have been more than an active participant if not leader in creating.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by urbanlegend21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Keep it coming.

I do not like however the fact that it seems Karl Shultz, Chris Cobetto, NASA-VA, etc. as a whole have to defend themselves personally instead of professionally. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree with this completely!!!

 

I know I'm a NOOB here, but I WAS a god/guru/icon/sage on another forum prior to it's complete implosion and distruction.

Since I'm new, my comments/suggestions will be taken with a huge grain of salt, which is 100% understandable. Anyways, here they are.....

1) This forum is here for everyone to discuss a "like interest". All forums go thru ebbs & flows, and some ebb long enough to implode, at which time they usually rebuild with noobs. Some of the regs bolt, and return later, after a cooling off period. Others, bolt forever. In some cases that's a blessing, in others it's a huge loss. What if it became such a daily pissing match that Foo & Fowler decided it wasn't a fun place to visit anymore. That'd suck for sure. I know I'm new, so you can flame away if you'd like, but I've spent alot of time on forums.... and this is just an ebb.

2) Respect your forum peeps, like you'd like to be respected in turn. There will always be some rebel rousers that are gonna **** a forum off. I've been here for a short time, so I haven't had enough time to discern who that may or may not be as yet. My old forum had some of the usual characters, who liked to start a fight for the sake of a fight. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes not. Most of the time, they were ignored to the point that they just gave up and went somewhere else to **** people off. Without the reaction, they had no mojo, and hence no fun.
But these people were definitely the exception to the rule. Most of the people on that forum, and this one as well, share a common interest which they are excited enough about to spend hours on-line discussing it! So, respect is somewhat warranted, even though it sometimes takes alot of tolerance to show it.

3) Moderaters do not suck - as a rule. (There have been exceptions, and this is only an observation from my PREVIOUS forum) Although it sometimes seems like moderators are out to perform a "fun-ectomy" on forums, that's surely not the intent. There WILL BE times when people take things too far, and personal attacks will insue. Threads will veer far off course, and sometimes become distructive to the forum and it's members. And, when people become passionate about their stance, the blinders go on. The problem is that the dude on the other side of the fence has his blinders on as well, and the jousting begins. Some issues will NEVER be resolved, no matter how long they are discussed. That's when everyone just has to agree to disagree and step back.

I never would have intended to make a "serious" post on a forum as a NOOB, and I haven't been here with all the veterans to know the whole story of this place and the moderators. So, I'm sure that some of you will think, "Where is this jacka$$ coming from". Good question, and well noted. I just came from a forum that was so involved, that we had 2 HUGE get togethers each year. One on the East coast, and one on the West. I DROVE from Vancouver, Washington to Lake Canandaigua New York for the last one. 2720 miles. We had 135 cars and 280 people at that event. 2002's EC event in Asheville NC, drew 161 cars and over 300 people. The comaraderie was amazing for a bunch of people who were only connected by computer screens and a common interest at one point. It was a community that I thought would never die. Well, it did. And it imploded in such a fashion that forum members, moderators, advertisers, and forum owners all became enemys. Not that this one is heading that way.... but I just wanted to share what I've seen before. This seems to be a great forum community from what I've seen so far. I've taken tons of great info from this forum already, and hope to be here long enough to give back all that I've taken, and more.

Thanks for letting me hand out with youz guys/girls. The above is just an observation, and mostly relates to what I experienced on my previous forum. It truly is just my 2 cents as a noob. Take it for what it's worth.....


Modified by Shortbus at 10:39 AM 7/25/2003


Modified by Shortbus at 10:48 AM 7/25/2003

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phat-S &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You pathetic cheeseball. ...... enjoy cleaning up the mess you have been more than an active participant if not leader in creating. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Dayam! Bitch slapped with Phat's spatula, yO!

 

I remember this episode of Star Trek - you know the one with the guy who played Lurch on the Addams Family playing Rock?

"You brought this evil among us......yes, I remember now...the Old Ones.....THAT was the equation!"

Scott, who's wondering if I'm the only one who sees this...