What other forums do you use, and how lucky are we!

[jameshoward]

Until recently, I was a member only of this motoring forum (less the odd strand that comes up each blue moon on the Merc Club site relating to 113s). However, being concerned about my carbon footprint, what with these energy saving light bulbs, etc, I recently purchased a Land Rover Discovery. There is a particularly large forum for this vehicle (www.disco3.co.uk) at 7240 members all over the world. It's massive and very active, and there's a ton of good advice to be found. That said, the difference in tone is quite staggering. So what? Well, I just wanted to place a post for everyone who, like me until recently, only knows the amazing forum that is sl113.org to remind us how great this place is and how lucky we are that everyone is out to help rather than look clever.

Whilst it's true that the LR site has masses of good info on tips, tricks and how to tackle repairs, one has to sift through a TON of utter nonsense, rants, personal attacks, and utterly useless drivel to find the occasional pearl. And most of the rubbish seems limited to just a few posters. Here's a link that whilst unusual, is not atypical.

http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic40714.html?highlight=

JH

PS - to anyone reading this who happens to be a member of D3 - please don't let the cat out of the bag! I really need that forum too!!

[waqas]

Looks like the offending posts might have been deleted already. Otherwise, the thread seems fairly friendly and supportive.
What's your beef James, you trying to start something??

Indeed, I do agree that the tone in our forums stands apart and above, as compared to most others.

[cascadia]

I find this type of thing interesting.  Because I deal in vintage cars, I belong to a number of different forums and have found there is a WIDE RANGE of tone among them.   I've found that Corvette, Street Rod, Mopar performance and Ford performance forums are loaded down with a lot of backbiting and one-upping.  On the other hand, Pre-War cars, Professional Cars (hearses, ambulances, etc) and of course our great forum are some of the friendliest I've come across.

[jacovdw]

...Indeed, I do agree that the tone in our forums stands apart and above, as compared to most others.

I agree with Waqas wholeheartedly on this one.

When I compare this forum to our local club forum in SA, the differences are astounding. One gets tired of reading posts with utter nonsense and back stabbing and "pearls of wisdom" gets buried as a result.

It is refreshing to be part of a community where ego's take a back seat when it comes to what we love about our cars.

[mdsalemi]

I think part of it simply has to do with the cars we have, how special they are.  We know it and not all the world does yet.  We are an elite group without being elitist if that makes sense.  We're not out to hurt anyone, just to keep them all running, and get more of them in better condition.

As a PUB veteran and veteran of this and the old Yahoo forum, it's working very well indeed.

[Kayvan]

Its based on socio-economic demographics....with declining conflicts within each ascending strata.

-The corvette Forum is the wild west, the Viper Forum more respectful and the Ford GT Forum complete bliss.

-The BMW forums are know to be contencious, later model M-B forums status concious, and elite vintage M-B (300 SL, 113, cpe/cab) genteel

-The late model Ferrari/Lambo forum have  alot of nouveau angst, while the investment grade era (60s era, 275 GTB, Miura) forums are calm.


Certain hobbies like watchs, pens, swords, cameras tend to have alot of negative issues because of the comparatively low entry price point (even for Rolex, Leica), and collecting complusion, and as such any manner of person is in the mix.

Forums serve a purpose, but a lot of time spent in any online venue v. real world is to be minimized for ones happiness  

[Cees Klumper]

Besides this forum, I also regularly frequent the Dutch motorcycle forums (84,000 users, having posted around 14 million posts in over 240,000 topics - The Netherlands are a small country with not that many motorcycles, mind you) and the tone there is surprisingly positive and helpful, considering that everyone is in the mix there. Same thing with the Volvo forums (also many, many members, topics and posts). Problem with those two forums is finding information in the massive databases, but it is in there.

[Norm]

I also frequent NSXPrime which has a decidedly younger member profile.  While I love my "red car" just the way it is, many forum members like to alter the car with wide body kits and turbochargers or superchargers to gain horsepower that I would not know what to do with.

Norm

[Benz Dr.]

Before I was around here I was on the MB mailing list which was email based and not a web site. I also had a look around '' Banned '' for a while but ir was a bit too much for even me.

 If you want to try something really off the wall, with a few pearls of wisdom thrown in for good measure try '' Info wars. '' The chat portion is insane. You can say anything you want, and I mean anything. It's free speech at its best and without a doubt, its absolute utterly banal, toxic, hateful, spiteful......you name it, worst.

[thelews]

 If you want to try something really off the wall, with a few pearls of wisdom thrown in for good measure try '' Info wars. '' The chat portion is insane. You can say anything you want, and I mean anything. It's free speech at its best and without a doubt, its absolute utterly banal, toxic, hateful, spiteful......you name it, worst.

Is that where you warm up before coming here? 

[scoot]

For 113 information, this is the only forum to go to.
For other benz stuff (I have a 114) Benzworld.org is OK and http://mbca.cartama.net/index.php has good information.  Both have people who are helpful.
I used to be active in a C230Kompressor forum, until those cars got "old" and the forum was killed off by the owner.  It was extremely useful, extremely hands-on.
I used to read priuschat.com but that was when I needed to learn things about the Prius.
I used to read a ford trucks forum, again, when I needed to learn things about Ford Ranger.
Both of those were pretty helpful and friendly.
If you want to find some real bastards, check out flyertalk.com  -- totally a bunch of blowhards with WAY too many frequent flyer miles.  BORING. 
TomTom forums are dull.
Ebay forums are really dull.
Basically it's this forum first, then MBCA and Benzworld.

[Garry]

Be a bit careful of Benzworld in the 'for sale' area.  I have picked up a couple of fraud offerings that had no item to sell but were happy to take your money.  The big come-on was free shipping.  Thankfully when I pressed the seller in both cases to give me an address for inspection, suprise, they disappeared.  I reported a couple of others that were suspect but heard no further.

[Mike Hughes]

This is the only "forum" that I belong to.  That said I am a frequent contributor to the mail list for the International Merkur Owners Network "IMON," and both the M.G. "MMM" and "TABC" lists.

[Benz Dr.]

Is that where you warm up before coming here? 

Nooo..... I generally start out Ice Cold. Only a few people around here have ever made my blood boil, and they know who they are....

[Dash808]

Nooo..... I generally start out Ice Cold. Only a few people around here have ever made my blood boil, and they know who they are....

And to think they say this place is like a big family...  Or maybe it is! 

[abe280SL]

I like this forum and the bmw "e9coupe" folks.  Those guys are also tame like here.  The Porsche forum..rennlist...well thats a different story. The 911 aircooled guys are pretty good.  The 997 newer models have topics like.."what is the most expensive watch you own".  Alot of those guys get offended when you tell them they paid too much for the 2 year service (oil/filter, and air filter change, check fluids..$800!!!) and very defensive when you tell them to DIY.
Then comes the arrogance of how their time is so valuable that its better for them to pay for it....although I haven't seen too many say that in this economy.
One other thing I noticed is that the most newbies on this site, the e9coupe site, and the old 911 sites introduce themselves before asking a question.  The 997 newer P car they just ask the question and expect an answere without any introduction as if the world revolves around them.  Heavens forbid they get a flat tire in a dead cell zone....they wouldn't even know how to open the trunk.
abe

[Jonny B]

Hopefull it wont be considered traitorious but I also belong to the 190 SL group (assisting with the restoration of a 58 190 SL). I have found this group to be very helpful and responsive.

Perhaps the passion for MB invokes a special response??!

[Kayvan]

The Porsche 997 type posters need to be nuked....

That self important attitude is BS...cars are cars.

They should drop in to some exotic car forums where the cars are multiples of value of a 997 and the owners are varied and down to earth (some have made fortunes in dry cleaning or being bail bondsman).

One example, is a foum I post on where I mentioned in passing I was looking for a Pit Banner from the Rolex 24 Daytona.  One member bought it and mailed it fed ex to me, getting my address from the Admin.

Some car guys are just classy.

[Benz Dr.]

And to think they say this place is like a big family...  Or maybe it is! 

Yeah, no kidding. You can't pick your family though.

In fairness, I've probably kicked a few sleeping dogs over the years. The dog usually doesn't realise that I'm just playing with it and sometimes trys to jump up and bite my ass, which is a big mistake. Stupid dog.....I'm takin' that puppy to the vet to get it neutered...

( The moral of this little story is some people don't see that I'm joking with them. Other's aren't smart enough to realise when I'm not joking. Either way, it's not hard to tell.... in person. )

[mdsalemi]

...and the owners are varied and down to earth (some have made fortunes in dry cleaning or being bail bondsman...

Our local MBCA section had its fall color tour a couple of weeks ago, and one of the multiple destinations was "Hostetler's Hudson Museum" in Shipshewana, Indiana.  This is a collection of Hudson (and Essex and Terraplane, related cars) cars like no other.  I didn't count them all, but nearly all of them were pristinely restored to museum quality, and I'd say there were many dozens of them.  All were collected by one humble Indiana farm boy...Eldon Hostetler.

Where did he make his fortune in order to buy AND RESTORE all these gems?  Poultry farm egg conveyor equipment.  Go figure.