03-05-2010, 02:51 PM
Any of us who have been around for a while know that not everybody gets along. It is no different in car forums. It is no different in the 968 world either.
6 years ago, when I first came on the scene, there were a few people who were very active in the 968 community, and had been for a couple of years. They were particularly vocal, and essentially led the community.
Then I came along. Admittedly I was a bit like a bull in a china shop, and they had no idea of my background or abilities, and I didn't spend any time or effort giving anybody any background info first. I was not met with open arms, and rather as soon as it looked like I might be doing things on my own, or that I disagreed with them, I was met with resistance and disdain. This was not the case with most of the people in the community, but there were a few who took issue.
I was not the only one to receive this kind of treatment from some of these people, but I have probably been the biggest lightning rod. They make no room for anyone who might actually have something of their own to contribute. This attitude led to constant bickering and fights. It went from site to site, and continues today.
When Eric Sandoval started 968forums, it was met with extreme resistance from them. Some of them continue to spout their tirades about the evil owners of this site, and how it is a horrible place, yet they never bother to come over and say that here, nor even are they wiling to confront us personally. Instead they have led behind the scenes letter writing campaigns, resulting in unwarranted bannings from sites, and continual baseless slanderous and libelous commentary.
When 968.net died, they tried and failed to start another site. The attitude of exclusion was the reason for that not succeeding. It's a big turn-off for most people, as it should be. You cannot exclude people if you want to attract people. We have a very different policy here. We invite everyone to join us. We have banned nobody. We still welcome everyone, including those who would call us or me the anti-christ or some sort of dictator.
Now, it has come to my attention that there are a few people who are upset that we have an involvement in the Hershey event. Personally I think that is just plain nuts and narrow minded, but I welcome anybody taking that position to contact us, privately or publicly, and let us know why they think that way. We have always been an open forum, and no matter how opinionated or overbearing I am, the site has always allowed and encouraged people to express their own opinion. We do not censor people. We do not exclude people. It does not matter what I think about a topic, issue, or even a person. That does not influence how the forum operates, or what someone is allowed to say. That is exactly why we have 3 owners, and not just one. When I bought the site, I wanted and brought in partners who would help balance out my tendency to run over or offend people. What I say and write tends to be very matter-of-fact, generally unemotional, and frankly often comes off like a cold hearted son of a bitch. This does not serve me well in many situations. It has certainly alienated a few people who cannot seem to separate me from the site. But choosing to cut off the rest of the community because of any one individual is very childish and anti-social behavior. Any free thinking adult should be easily capable of separating their feelings about one member from those of the collective, and move on in the interests of all. It does the community a great disservice to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I extend a lot of time, effort, money, and resource to this site, the community, and the development of products it wants. I would think that everyone could see that, and take with a grain of salt anything I might say or do that doesn't sit well with them, and realize the greater good. I am old and cranky, and piss off my fair share of people, but I also provide things that people want, and only because they have said they want them, so it can't be all bad.
It is my hope that those people can come here and see what a great place this is, in spite of whatever I might say or do. I am not the site. The site is the ultimate resource for 968 fans, and I am but a contributor. Sure, I am very vocal, and am in the middle of a lot of things, but I am not the reason that anybody should make any decision about the site. It is the members that make this site what it is. It is the members who shape it on a daily basis.
The only comment I have for those who would speak ill of us, or me, or have a problem with one or the other, is "get over it". For the betterment of the community, put your personal feelings aside and join us. Divisiveness and separatist attitude does not serve the community. This is the best and only place for the 968 enthusiast, and we would all benefit by the participation of everyone.
We have a "Letters to the Editor" area. Please feel free to post your thoughts there. We are constantly looking for input on how to make this site better. It really is the only place in the world where you can get this amount of 968 information, or meet this many 968 owners and fans. Any other site pales by comparison. It is the membership that makes that. It is only our ability to grow and change and adapt that will maintain that.
I hope to see many of you at Hershey and let me pour you a glass of wine, or see you at another event soon, and that you get a chance to meet me and perhaps see that what you read, and conclude based on that, is not necessarily what you think it is, and that you can pass that along to others who may well have formulated an opinion that prevents them from enjoying the things about this site and the community that most of us have come to enjoy.
Grape jelly does not make a good car wax.
6 years ago, when I first came on the scene, there were a few people who were very active in the 968 community, and had been for a couple of years. They were particularly vocal, and essentially led the community.
Then I came along. Admittedly I was a bit like a bull in a china shop, and they had no idea of my background or abilities, and I didn't spend any time or effort giving anybody any background info first. I was not met with open arms, and rather as soon as it looked like I might be doing things on my own, or that I disagreed with them, I was met with resistance and disdain. This was not the case with most of the people in the community, but there were a few who took issue.
I was not the only one to receive this kind of treatment from some of these people, but I have probably been the biggest lightning rod. They make no room for anyone who might actually have something of their own to contribute. This attitude led to constant bickering and fights. It went from site to site, and continues today.
When Eric Sandoval started 968forums, it was met with extreme resistance from them. Some of them continue to spout their tirades about the evil owners of this site, and how it is a horrible place, yet they never bother to come over and say that here, nor even are they wiling to confront us personally. Instead they have led behind the scenes letter writing campaigns, resulting in unwarranted bannings from sites, and continual baseless slanderous and libelous commentary.
When 968.net died, they tried and failed to start another site. The attitude of exclusion was the reason for that not succeeding. It's a big turn-off for most people, as it should be. You cannot exclude people if you want to attract people. We have a very different policy here. We invite everyone to join us. We have banned nobody. We still welcome everyone, including those who would call us or me the anti-christ or some sort of dictator.
Now, it has come to my attention that there are a few people who are upset that we have an involvement in the Hershey event. Personally I think that is just plain nuts and narrow minded, but I welcome anybody taking that position to contact us, privately or publicly, and let us know why they think that way. We have always been an open forum, and no matter how opinionated or overbearing I am, the site has always allowed and encouraged people to express their own opinion. We do not censor people. We do not exclude people. It does not matter what I think about a topic, issue, or even a person. That does not influence how the forum operates, or what someone is allowed to say. That is exactly why we have 3 owners, and not just one. When I bought the site, I wanted and brought in partners who would help balance out my tendency to run over or offend people. What I say and write tends to be very matter-of-fact, generally unemotional, and frankly often comes off like a cold hearted son of a bitch. This does not serve me well in many situations. It has certainly alienated a few people who cannot seem to separate me from the site. But choosing to cut off the rest of the community because of any one individual is very childish and anti-social behavior. Any free thinking adult should be easily capable of separating their feelings about one member from those of the collective, and move on in the interests of all. It does the community a great disservice to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I extend a lot of time, effort, money, and resource to this site, the community, and the development of products it wants. I would think that everyone could see that, and take with a grain of salt anything I might say or do that doesn't sit well with them, and realize the greater good. I am old and cranky, and piss off my fair share of people, but I also provide things that people want, and only because they have said they want them, so it can't be all bad.
It is my hope that those people can come here and see what a great place this is, in spite of whatever I might say or do. I am not the site. The site is the ultimate resource for 968 fans, and I am but a contributor. Sure, I am very vocal, and am in the middle of a lot of things, but I am not the reason that anybody should make any decision about the site. It is the members that make this site what it is. It is the members who shape it on a daily basis.
The only comment I have for those who would speak ill of us, or me, or have a problem with one or the other, is "get over it". For the betterment of the community, put your personal feelings aside and join us. Divisiveness and separatist attitude does not serve the community. This is the best and only place for the 968 enthusiast, and we would all benefit by the participation of everyone.
We have a "Letters to the Editor" area. Please feel free to post your thoughts there. We are constantly looking for input on how to make this site better. It really is the only place in the world where you can get this amount of 968 information, or meet this many 968 owners and fans. Any other site pales by comparison. It is the membership that makes that. It is only our ability to grow and change and adapt that will maintain that.
I hope to see many of you at Hershey and let me pour you a glass of wine, or see you at another event soon, and that you get a chance to meet me and perhaps see that what you read, and conclude based on that, is not necessarily what you think it is, and that you can pass that along to others who may well have formulated an opinion that prevents them from enjoying the things about this site and the community that most of us have come to enjoy.
Grape jelly does not make a good car wax.
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
