i must admit to being slightly obsessed with these here forums
i mean, without going down the path of "aren't i wacky... look, look... my socks don't even match" i accept that i have an obsessive side to my nature... or possibly just an obsessive personality.
again. i'm a geek as well... i had a few glorious years where circumstances dictated that i was a bit *cooler* (for want of a better word) but as mrs councillor said the other night (and just the
idea of referring to my wife as the female equivalent of my cyber personality... absolutely ridiculous) i have descended almost totally back to where i was as an adolescent, only without the bono-style quasi mullet. i digress.
anyway, i wasn't one of those who rode the first wave on the information superhighway, but it's got to be a decade now since i became aware if it and its 'uses', although it was only really the (planned) synchronicity of becoming a parent and a bus owner which brought my 'obsession' with forums to the fore (no pun intended).
like anybody, with spare parts and the like not necessarily readily available in halfords or somesuch, it's only natural to turn to the internet as a source of spare parts, and any search for parts back then tended to lead one to schofields or JK in particular, and i'm only guessing here, but it seems obvious that the 'forum' there or indeed any forum of a similar
automotive nature might have started merely as a way for people to trade technical advice, and gone on from there, given the social nature of our specie. species. whatever.
but, and i dunno if it's just me... it's a dangerous world you're entering where one post, and that's all it takes, and all of a sudden it's like, "i'll just check if i've got any replies..." and before you know it, "oh, no replies but what's mr blue camper going on about here... i don't think that's right..." and you're off. now, like i say, somewhat fortuitously
this period for me coincided with a time when i was 'stuck' in the house with an infant who spent a fair bit of time asleep in the day, i couldn't make a noise for fear of waking him up, obviously couldn't go out, what are my options ? read a book ? yeah, been there, done that, great it was. magazines ? got 'em coming out of my ears thanks. the internet. oh, ok, i'll give that a go... "hold on, that's not the correct torque setting for a flywheel gland nut on a type 1..." etc. etc. etc.
i think it's fascinating, and terrifying in equal measures, the amount of time i waste (or wasted) sitting here tip-tapping this drivel out... but i can't help it. it's ace
knowing when to reign it in, switch it off and eat an apple and go for a walk is difficult but i'm making (slow) progress :roll:
where VZi is concerned... no, actually it's no different to any other forum, or any other factory or office or playground across the planet... sure there is a natural 'hierarchy' and yes there are some desperate saddos on there, just as there are some right dickheads, some really kind-hearted souls and some people (and they know who they are) who are just downright cool (again, for want of a better way of putting it) and they stand out for me like a sore thumb... i do go on there and read stuff still and just occasionally amongst the pages and pages and pages of shit there'll be some little throwaway comment ('cos it's always the ones who
aren't trying too hard) that'll just make me think, "YES... that was worth the effort" 8)
i say this place is like JK in 2002 because it's a small forum, it has a 'family' feel to it, and because i'm a 'know it all' by nature i'm still delighted by some of the technical naivety shown on here... at times on VZi (if i'm to offer any criticism at all) it struck me a bit at times like 'i've just got my first bus and i'm hoping to put airbags, porsche brakes, ABS, fuel injection, turbo, lazers etc. etc. on it' whereas on here the technical questions are so
genteel in their nature (how do i wire up a leisure battery ? really ?
) that i feel i have to stay out of tech. for fear of upsetting the applecart... and stuff like that wishbone thing that red9 have come up with is held up as some sort of modern day excalibur
plus... a poll to decide what time for earlybayers to meet up at @ dubfreeze ? aah, bless :wink:
that's the bit i don't get about all of this...
this place is where i come to
escape from real life, and problems with emptying the dog dirt bins in the park, and who'll win the contract for getting rid of the weeds on the riverbank, and all the rest of the dross... why would anybody want to 'meet' somebody off here in the flesh, when you can leave them cryptic messages on an internet forum that they'll in all probability never read or understand ?
*beats me*