Some of you just plain suck

I think this is a great site. I've only been viewing for a couple of months, but I used it to great effect to gather important information on these wonderful cars and people alike. This led to my first 360 purchase. The beauty about having threads is that you don't have to read the ones you don't want to.

It's always a tricky path to provide a forum closed enough to satisfy people that already own F-cars, and open enough so that newbies wanting to purchase their first car can participate.

 

I remember when I found this site just after I bought my 1st Fcar. That was a few years ago and at that time all of the chat was related to fun/pain of Fcar ownership. The group would bring out a lot of instructions/suggestions on how to fix these cars as well as where to get parts. It was great and informative. There was vast technical knowledge that was shared with the group. It now has grown to various special interest folks that boggs down the site with insignaficant material. You have the folks that want an Fcar but can't afford one and you have the ones that buy new and just run the hell out of them and get them serviced. Then there are the buy the fix er upper and need help and advice and then there are the buy a good one and learn how to maintain it yourself. So take your choise but I joined the site because it was a site about Fcars for people who owned Fcars and needed info on Fcars. If I want to talk about my Jag I go to my Jaguar site and not here. Looks like the site is getting watered down. To bad. Now back to the technical section.

 

I haven't seen that big a problem...but then I skip threads that get nasty, and I'm mostly in the technical section. I thought this entire site was going to subscription? Rob? If you charge $15 that would clean things up significantly.

Ditch the "premium site" idea...we don't need it. Only creates another level of "us and them"....or "haves and have nots"....

 

Well i bought the car of my dreams and i do the work on it myself. I have no ferrari envy as i would not switch from what i have. However i do appreciate great automobiles. My first exposure to ferrari came as i walked over the pedestriam bridge on the backstretch at the montreal gp with rene arnoux passing underneath. If this site were limited to ferrari ownership then the board would stay stagnant because of the limited nature of the marque and the fact that posting on the web is mostly a younger persons hobby. I drove over the weekend with a group car nuts like myself and some in the ferraris said to me they don't use or care about fchat. An f-car limited board would just get smaller and smaller as people naturally tire of things and move on. I saw one other f-car board before i found this one and it was pathetic because there was so little content due to the tiny viewership. I have found most people here to share the same interest as i do, fast capable cars that sound and look great and i don't think most would want to limit it. What would be the next criteria? You sound like the FNA guy who shooed away the NJ f-car fan from the HQ building on another thread. Hey where's the service entrance everyone?

 

GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!1

 

I agree with Jim...I've been on for over a year (formerly KAZ) and like Jim, use to be on all day. Now it's a few times a week, maybe.

This site is not the same as it use to be - however, that is the nature of the beast. Any internet community is dynamic and things will change.

Just have to roll with the changes.

 

I don't feel it is necessary to say everyone is an idiot and MY world is falling apart (it's like Clyde on the Ferrarilist).

Hank-

It's a guy like him that denigrated many members on FerrariList. That's why so many have left 'The List' and migrated elsewhere.

Lets not let that happen to 'Chat'.

I know of only one 'Lister' that Steve Cook ever banned from the List, and that was someone that posted under the guise of 'Lambodude'.

I think he may be on 'Chat' now, but using a different moniker.

Rob, I'm computer illiterate, but after someone has made a number of very offensive posts, isn't there someway you can send them off into oblivian permanently?

 

I have been ready chat for about 3-4 months now when I was first bought my Ferrari 308, my first ferrari just as with most other people. I found this to be a very nice site, very informative and the people helpful. But I was mostly in the Q&A section. I have noticed many posts recently that I would rather skip over. I just wanted to get a post in from this cold state of wisconsin, incase they decided to go with this club that you need a certain number of posts.

 

LOL...! Not tired at all...

FerrariChat (as weird or sad as this may sound) is the best thing that's ever happened to me... i remember when i first joined... i pretty much forgot about the site for two months, then began posting regularly in October of '02... i remember stepping out of line a few times and getting cute with the mouth; i felt like a troll with the way some people would respond to me... There was a lot less crap a year ago than there is now... Now i don't feel like a troll, but i see these other folks and wonder if they're just experiencing some friction slipping into the right position here or if they don't give a crap and just wanna break balls... There's so much more "soup" here now than there was back when i first joined and, although i've not been here as long as Jim (nor have i contributed as high a level of pertinent material as he has), i can sympathize... Still, as others have said, sometimes you just have to look past it... Jim, i'm sorry you're not getting the enjoyment out of FerrariChat that you should be; sometimes it's difficult with all the morons running rampant... i would speak of patience, but then again, what do i know about patience...?

 

Oh, by the way, Rob... How high does the post count have to be to be considered for your conceptual Rossa Corsa forum...? Please let me know, ASAP, so i can get crackin'...!

 

First F-Forum I joined was not Ferrarichat.
Was aware of, and observed other Forums. Read on 2 of the other 3 forums about how Ferrarichat was a cesspool of idiots and wannabee's and infighting and... uh... things akin to what the author of this thread says it suddenly became since the shift to the new software. Wrong. Happened somewhere between 50 and 3000 members on the old board.

After 4 weeks of observation, I joined other Ferrari forums.
Watched paint dry on other Forums.
Observed Ferrarichat from a distance, with hesitation at first - after all, they said it was... oh... normal. 99.9% good. Screw the .1%.

Joined Ferrarichat on the old board. Since I knew his type, I personally trained allanlambo to behave less like a ****-throwing monkey. You're welcome. Recommended Gary Green be banned - with cause. 2 out of 3 ain't bad. You're welcome.

Trolls can be treated numerous ways.
While on old board, I indicated the following:

Please do Not Feed The Troll
______

Mandatory Reading For Trolls:
(tip type="Interpersonal Communication/Lubrication")
Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untravelled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as 'empty', 'meaningless', or 'dishonest' and scorn to use them. No matter how 'pure' their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.
(/tip type="Interpersonal Communication/Lubrication")
_____

Mandatory reading & best advice I've seen to new F-chatters hellbent on trolling:

The treatment you receive here is exactly what you receive in any other web forum, news group, discussion board, or in real life when you barge into a room, society or organisation full of other people. There is a basic technique called "lurking" employed online; read any guide to netiquette and it will tell you to read a forum for around 2 weeks before posting so you can work out what is acceptable and desirable. So don't claim this is some kind of forum of evil. If you want people to like you unconditionally, you have to pay them. Sorry.

(See RFC 1855 for more information -- see link. It suggests reading for one to two months before posting.)
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.html
_______


Ignore. Been there, done that. See above. And below.

The lines of actual "defense/offense" weren't working with those who were responding. (Old board)

Respond to religious or racial slurs. You bet your ass, baby. Doesn't matter who you are. (Old board had several users making vile comments. Thus far, only two have - and were subsequently banned.) You're welcome.

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Depends. If it can turn into high comedy, give stupid answers.

Kick his teeth in. More fun than should legally be allowed.

Wonder where Trolls are - in print. Bad idea. The worst.

Kill Troll, immediately. The best.
Want to stay healthy? Want to avoid unauthorized blood donations? Would you watch a mosquito inject his proboscis into your arm? And let it do it again? Allow a fire ant to crawl up to give you a memorable sting? Watch a fly plant maggots on your food, while you're eating? Sit back as a cockroach crawls across your morning paper? No. You'd take your shoe and swat at it like a freshly liberated Iraqi, not wait until it's blown it's wad to maybe "shoo" it away and hope it doesn't come back.

If a troll, fly, skeeter, cucaracha or fire ant comes along, kill it. Use the shoe, not the "shoo." Close the troll's account - immediately. If it comes back in another life - kill it again - immediately. Keeps you(r board) healthy and gives you(r board) "peace of mind", so you don't have to give "piece of mind." Advertisers like it, too.

Remember - the November-December stretch is the holidays - so some are getting their year's worth of stressed-out ya-ya's out. Let 'em unwind a little.

Incidentally, the 3 old boards I first joined? Keep your expectations low. Only visit one now - Strictly vintage. F-Chat covers all the bases. Maybe that's why you have such high expectations. Your expectations are already met, daily. I suspect some just haven't been able to see it - not because of the new and improved software - but because some couldn't be bothered to find out who, what, where, when and why.

 

I agree that things have changed. I find the majority of the threads not that helpful/informational/passionate anymore. But there is nothing that you can do about it when you have a free chat site. I used to log in everyday and enjoyed the pleasant discussions. I remember that Wayne called me at home after Jens and Amar had died. I don't feel that kind of connection anymore. The vision is troubled by a mist of trolls. My number of replies have reduced dramatically in the last 6 months.

Ton

 

I am getting tired of all the melodramatic winning and 'THIS IS MY LAST POST' threads. Sounds like a bunch of spoiled brats. I think the site has changed and for a different reason.
How many times can we vote for our favorite color for a 360? How many times for tubi or not tubi? Many subjects do come up again and again. I find myself looking for different posts but due to the size of the site many of the old subjects just come up.
In my opinion this doesn't make the site worse but you must not necessarily get involved in every post. Ther are a lot of good posts and good members on this site. I am impressed with the level of detail that some guys have. Many times I feel like a chief mechanic from a car mag. is posting. The torque/H.P. discussions I have read have been great.
Lighten up and have a Happy New Year.

 

Reminder: (The time period of these account's creation appears to have begun in earnest in late May of 2003). > Jeffrey Wolfe (The Anti-Zion) & Tony Roberts (chatline, duh), et al preceded Gary (mr green - chatline, duh) et al - The predecessors to the odds-on favorite self-flagellating closet boy ended up in the discard bin, and were the root cause of this thread from old board:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/256121/277938.html?1056929209
which was posted in response to concerns about F-Chat posted by Peters - who obviously cares as deeply as Jim Schad.

Note: Italics are mine. Bold is Rob's original highlight.

Rob Lay Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 8:39 pm:
Peter, I see you've only been registered since 1/2003 and maybe you don't have wide spread online community experience. There has always been trouble since day 1. Most online communities experience more problems than what we experience here. Jeff and Tony are actually mild compared to F King of last year. Again, the beauty of an online community is the efficiency of communication and lack of barriers. That also presents the risk that the freedom can be abused. I prefer a policy of light moderation to preserve the 99% of the good communication. Online communities aren't for everyone, you have to learn to look past and ignore that 1% while also keeping the thick skin when it hits close to home. It's hard, I still let things get to me now and then. Either you learn to deal or move on, I can't worry about every little user that might not be able to handle it. We have at least 1,000 users that can handle it.

I'm always thinking of ways to improve the community. With some software improvements over the next couple months there will be more control for me to keep everyone happy.

My new favorite saying that I think will remain around forever with FerrariChat.com is... What's up with all the Drama Queens?

While the above thread was posted in regards to user(s) who had accounts only since May, as Rob indicated, it's been going on since Day 1. Again, they were "nothing" compared to F King of the year prior.

Solution: Kill 'em all. Let Godzilla sort 'em out.

 

Rob,

I think your idea of a yearly membership fee is a good one and well deserved. As an infrequent visitor, it is easy to see that you have done an excellent job with this site based on the level of civility, and the amount technical content contributed by its patrons. Motor Sports are a passion of mine, but as a business owner, I find it necessary to limit my visits to sites like yours to late evenings and weekends. I may go 6-9 months between visits but this has not prevented me from paying membership at two other sites I find similar to yours. Both sites offer a “members only” area that gets very little use but is available nonetheless. Also, one of the sites offered a “Life Membership” ($100) for a limited time that I purchased, and I would recommend you do the same. For me, having this designation next to my signature shows appreciation for your hard work and a compliment to the membership for their contributions. Hopefully, as a sporadic poster, this would afford me some tolerance for my indiscretions.

 

I'm a new member here, but I have been lurking around for the past couple of months. While I have always wanted a Ferrari, I have only just felt that I was in the position to afford one. I started frequenting the various Ferrari sites trying to get information on the various differences in models that were in my price range, and let me tell you that this site has been extremely helpful.

While I think the idea of a paid members only section is good, the only thing I would ask is to make it readable by everyone. The long-term members are the ones I have gotten the most information from, particularly with what it is going to take to work on one of these cars. At this point, since I am still only looking, I don't think I would pay to post. I just don't have anything useful to add to many conversations, but I would hate to loose the ability to read all the useful tips that the old timers post. Also, how will new Ferrari owners and fans know the quality of the existing members if they can't see what they have written.

Having said that, I have noticed an increase in the number of new posts in the past few months. Currently, I have to scroll through about a page-and-a-half of new posts per day in the General section. Some good posts get pushed off the front page rather quickly. In my opinion, frequent moderation is the key to keeping the site on track. Swift moving of posts to an off-topic section when warranted will keep the main thread clean and easier to read through.

 

I have truly enjoyed participating in the Fchat,have learned a great deal,received help,and made some great friends.Unfortunately this type of open forum attracts a small percentage of A-holes.
It seems to me the best way to deal with them is to totally ignore their posts and not get into a pissing contest thus playing into their need for attention and disruption.
I do not think that a small membership fee will discourage this type of infantile behavior.
I get more upset when some of our valued members sink as low as they thus lowering the standard and ethics of an otherwise great board.
End of pontificating! (for now)

 

Maybe when the site starts charging admission things will get better.

N

 

Hey, Doc, thanks...!

i think, for one of the few times in my life, i've adapted to a community rather than trying to have a community adapt to ME! i really like it here and look forward to being here for a looooooooooooooooong time... (i can hear Rob groaning from here...)

 

Hanknum, with all that typing, you could have nursed it for 2, maybe 3 posts! THEN, perhaps your opinion would count! Kidding, of course.

Rob, tell us more about the Rossa Corsa lounge. Will there be cocktails and pretty girls?

 

LOL! You personally trained me? You wish you did, you little a$$clown.

Maybe you should concentrate more on getting out of your Saab.

 

I am new to the site and have been "lurking" about 10 times per day for a few months.
I dreamt of owning an F-car since my father lived across the street from a dealer in SoCal; I was in my teens then. I finally bought my first one a little over two years ago (360 F1) and was looking for an enthusiast site to learn from. I was lucky to find F-chat.
This site's members have taught me a great deal and have provided many hours of escape from a busy schedule. I still feel that I have more to learn than contribute, so I tend to read more than write, but from the standpoint of a newbie, the site is a source of great pleasure for me.

Just a bit of positive feedback. Please don't lose site of how much good is here!

Thanks to everyone on the site for what has been created.