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halfgut
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:20 pm    Post subject: Kudos to this forum Reply with quote

I don't know if you ever read the other forums on the Samba but they can be down right mean - especially to people who have a differing opinion or are new to VW. There is none of that on this forum and for that, being new to VW, I am really thankful.

The collective knowledge on this forum is vast and people are more than willing to share it with others. More importantly, people rarely get their undies in a bunch even when the same question about tire size or heater repair gets asked.

So, Thanks.
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bciesq
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Second that.

The attitude here was actually one of the reasons that I decided to get a Thing instead of a Ghia.
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Ferretkona
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, if you make a typo or say something stupid here members laugh with you instead of at you.

Everyone is cool if you want to modify or stay stock, it's your Thing.
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kubelmann
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are VW people, then there are air cooled VW folks, but far beyond all are the VW Thing folks. We are a collective of our own. Although I have spent a lifetime loving and learning about air cooled VWs, nothing compares with my wonderfel experience from making friendships as a result of my focused involvement in the VW Thing comminty worldwide..
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WD-40
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ignorance is bliss - Most of the Thing bashing happens in the other forums. Wink

I remember when the rest of The Samba used to be this clean though. I hit a point a year or so ago when I had to quit reading it at work- you just never knew what was going to appear in a forum post. Sad

- David
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Towel Rail
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WD-40 wrote:
Ignorance is bliss - Most of the Thing bashing happens in the other forums. Wink

I remember when the rest of The Samba used to be this clean though. I hit a point a year or so ago when I had to quit reading it at work- you just never knew what was going to appear in a forum post. Sad

- David


You're not supposed to be surfing at work anyway. Wink
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bciesq wrote:
Second that.

The attitude here was actually one of the reasons that I decided to get a Thing instead of a Ghia.


Although I've only been browsing the Thing forum for a short time, I have been a regular (daily) reader of the Ghia forum for about a year and a half. I really don't see anything going on there that's all that negative.

Now the Rants, well that's another story Very Happy (But that's why we go there, isn't it? Kinda like slowing down to see an accident.)
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Ferretkona
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KGCoupe wrote:
Kinda like slowing down to see an accident.)


A guy I work with had a great excuse for that. He said he had absolutely nothing else in his life worth talking about. He figured if last nights accident came up in conversation he would have something to talk about.
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bucko
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was on Beetle forums (both here and on "shoptalkforums") for 3 years, then I moved over to this forum when I got the military 181. I have made more "forum friends" than the Beetle for sure. I recently brought back from Germany a 1984 Vanagon Westy, and have been spending time on that side getting my knowledge base up on the "wasserboxer" engine. I have found some "personality and ego" posters there, and is a bit difficult at times to get some answers.

I have never found that to be the case here in the Thing forum. Great bunch of folks here.
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bciesq
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KGCoupe wrote:
bciesq wrote:
Second that.

The attitude here was actually one of the reasons that I decided to get a Thing instead of a Ghia.


Although I've only been browsing the Thing forum for a short time, I have been a regular (daily) reader of the Ghia forum for about a year and a half. I really don't see anything going on there that's all that negative.

Now the Rants, well that's another story Very Happy (But that's why we go there, isn't it? Kinda like slowing down to see an accident.)


I while back in another thread I wrote this as to why I got a Thing:

bciesq wrote:
It was always between the convertible Ghia and the Thing for me. A couple of years ago when I was finally ready to get that air-cooled VW I had always talked about, I started lurking on these boards. In the end, it was the Thing community that made the difference.

I'm not putting Ghia folks down and I still love those cars, but I felt vibe with Thing owners that suggested I would be more at home in the homeliest of all VWs. It's the same vibe that causes some people to walk past the pure breeds to adopt that neglected hard luck hound. I'm not talking pity, but the satisfaction of appreciating what others may overlook and not really caring if those other folks ever figure out what they're missing.

Considered in that light, the choice between the Ghia and the Thing was not difficult.

The Ghia will look in the mirror and ask "Who is the fairest car of the them all?" The Thing will ask "I wonder if I can use that as a replacement side mirror?"


Again, I'm not putting down Ghias or Ghia owners -- really, some of my best friends drive KGs -- but I'm more comfortable with this community.
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bciesq wrote:
I while back in another thread I wrote this as to why I got a Thing:

bciesq wrote:
It was always between the convertible Ghia and the Thing for me. A couple of years ago when I was finally ready to get that air-cooled VW I had always talked about, I started lurking on these boards. In the end, it was the Thing community that made the difference.

I'm not putting Ghia folks down and I still love those cars, but I felt vibe with Thing owners that suggested I would be more at home in the homeliest of all VWs. It's the same vibe that causes some people to walk past the pure breeds to adopt that neglected hard luck hound. I'm not talking pity, but the satisfaction of appreciating what others may overlook and not really caring if those other folks ever figure out what they're missing.

Considered in that light, the choice between the Ghia and the Thing was not difficult.

The Ghia will look in the mirror and ask "Who is the fairest car of the them all?" The Thing will ask "I wonder if I can use that as a replacement side mirror?"


Again, I'm not putting down Ghias or Ghia owners -- really, some of my best friends drive KGs -- but I'm more comfortable with this community.


Laughing

Never thought about it that way, but I think I probably could hear a Ghia saying something like that to a mirror (with a sexy Italian accent, of course).

Just wondering, does your Christmas tree look like this by any chance?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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bciesq
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KGCoupe wrote:
Laughing

Never thought about it that way, but I think I probably could hear a Ghia saying something like that to a mirror (with a sexy Italian accent, of course).

Just wondering, does your Christmas tree look like this by any chance?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Laughing

It starts out that way, but with the help of the Thing community, we get this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Let's join hands ...

Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya! ...
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bciesq wrote:
It starts out that way, but with the help of the Thing community, we get this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Let's join hands ...

Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya! ...


Laughing

Wow! Shocked This community is much more powerful than I thought.

Quick, everyone...............gather 'round my Thing......we can get it looking good in no time Wink
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bucko
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KGCoupe wrote:
bciesq wrote:
It starts out that way, but with the help of the Thing community, we get this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Let's join hands ...

Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya! ...


Laughing

Wow! Shocked This community is much more powerful than I thought.

Quick, everyone...............gather 'round my Thing......we can get it looking good in no time Wink


Just keep asking for help on this forum, and in no time at all, it shall be done!
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ztnoo
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:26 pm    Post subject: Numero Uno in the Thing world Reply with quote

As I view it, there are three distinct and significant reasons this forum is the most relevant and friendly place to be when it comes to Type 181's and 182's.

1. A savvy, aware, and informed readership (I include in this group even those who are new to Thingdom and Samba), who have a hunger and burning desire to work on their vehicles and learn as much as they can. The readership also has absolutely no qualms about sharing what they know or have learned.
2. All the bells and whistles which go with The Samba site including free classifieds, the option to post pics in the Gallery as well as discussion threads themselves, loads of technical data in brochures, forums devoted to about any conceivable area or aspect of VW's including a Buyer and Seller feedback forum to blow about the good, the bad, and the ugly, and even a forum to just blow about anything. The collective expertise present in any of The Samba forums is unmatched in my opinion.
3. The attitudes of the site owner/webmaster Everett Barnes, and the moderator B L Jones.

Let me expand on the third point.
No where else in any of the available domestic Thing forums, is a reader/poster allowed the freedom to explore, inquire, and state personal opinion to the degree which the Barnes/Jones team allows. No where else.
Everett and B L have given us the opportunity which permits the definitions of "forum" to come to full fruition:
1. A public meeting place for open discussion.
2. A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website.

There truly are no sacred cows at Samba and everything seems to be fair game as far as subject matter goes.
Witness recent threads and discussions concerning a supplier not to be mentioned by name by me here, but thanks to the enlightened attitude of free, honest, and open discussions which were allowed, the perpetrator of numerous credit offenses against buyers is now known to anyone with the ability to search and read.
This would not have occurred without the hands off demeanor of the captains at the helm. The primary concern seemed to be to let as much information come out as possible to help protect Thing consumers, and that attitude has clearly served the community well.

That outlet or vent was long ago snuffed out at other Thing sites, specifically Topica and Shoptalk.
Why? Well, that's valid question, but one I can not completely answer.
Topica has a membership in excess of 850, yet fewer than 25 different readers post with any frequency.
This site was once the golden orb of Thing discussions, but has devolved into mostly a group of newsletter readers who virtually never or seldom contribute to the body of knowledge. They seemingly read a digest of posts every couple of weeks for entertainment, and that's the extent of their participation. They appear to be owners of Things or interested in them but would rather lurk, be silent, and/or have nothing to offer. Often times weeks go by without a post.
The title page to the site states discussions there are unmoderated. Yet during recent discussions about the above mentioned topic, the owner suddenly appeared and stated the site was only to 'talk about Things and VW motorcars'. Open discourse was squelched under the guise of being off topic and the "flaming of an individual", i.e. we can talk about our cars and how to work on them, but woe be on anyone discussing where we buy the parts and the business reputations of those selling the parts.
Since the site owner is a parts and vehicle seller himself and a fellow Thing Ring member, this decree could easily be interpreted as maybe someone was hiding something or covering someone's rear end.

Over at Shoptalk, much the same closed door attitude has been displayed....'we just want to talk about our cars'. Recently the mod there has bemoaned the lack of member participation and appealed for guidance to help solve the problem, but seems to have no clue that his protective and subjective editorial stance has just flat turned lots of posters off. Disbelief of allegations were voiced by the mod early on and eventually the owner despite repeated and constant reports of wrongdoing. The official attitude displayed was like they were afraid someone was going to get their feelings hurt. I think, given the things that happened to lots of Thing owners, somebody should have their feelings hurt....and worse. Their closed door attitude about this has lead to a great decrease in participation. There seems to be no recognition of the correlation between the decree 'we aren't going to talk about that' and a significant reduction in forum participation.
I think the readers at STF saw right through the logic they heard there about not discussing vendors. Just as at Topica, I think this has lead many to believe someone is attempting to cover someone else's backside.

A frequent poster here at the Samba Thing forum once described one of the above sites as "comatose". Because of recent edicts issued at each site, I would say both are "dead at the scene".
Talking about just nuts & bolts, procedures, and mechanical issues, and placing other topics such as vendors and ethical business behavior in another universe, just isn't natural. All these factors interact in the Thing world, just as they do everywhere else. The recent events have confirmed we don't live in the perfect world some moderators and owners elsewhere seem to fantasize about.
Everett and B L Jones allowed free and open discourse, heated and contentious as it may have been at times, to continue. My take is they feel it is just as important to the community, in particular newbies and foreigners, to know what's going on with questionable characters, as it is knowing which wrench to use or how to set valves. They believe it has relevance in the real world. Without these two champions of free expression, the real abuses would never have come to the full light of day.
To me, that is the real reason this forum is Numero Uno in the Thing world.
Kudos to Everett B and B L Jones!


Last edited by ztnoo on Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:46 pm; edited 2 times in total
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WD-40
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a good speech, ztnoo, but as always there is a flip side.

I remember one particularly heated debate over a vendor's credibility. Doc (site admin at Shoptalkforums) was threatened with a lawsuit for "allowing & hosting" what was essentially libel. He *DID* allow the complete and total discussions, as nasty as they got... and he got burned for it.

There were a few days of downtime then, while all related discussions were removed from the databases. You can say "the mod had a bad attitude" all you want, but when you get a cease-and-desist letter from a legal firm, it becomes very serious very fast.

- David
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keith808
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As i was reading this post I was revisiting in my mind about all the help I have recieved from our forum back when i built my Thing. And I was stoked to be apart of this unique subgroup of VW lovers. Then I saw that pic and my first thought was holy crap are my kids looking. Slightly on the fufu side. Lets keep commending ourselves on the quality advise we give and recieve and even more important on the friendships that are gained. We all live such vast distances apart and yet via this simple forum we have gathered a community.
aloha
k
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

keith808 wrote:
As i was reading this post I was revisiting in my mind about all the help I have recieved from our forum back when i built my Thing. And I was stoked to be apart of this unique subgroup of VW lovers. Then I saw that pic and my first thought was holy crap are my kids looking. Slightly on the fufu side. Lets keep commending ourselves on the quality advise we give and recieve and even more important on the friendships that are gained. We all live such vast distances apart and yet via this simple forum we have gathered a community.
aloha
k


If you are referring to the picture of the "enhanced" Care Bear, then I am more than a little surprised at your reaction. I mean, everyone has their own comfort level, and I would not be one to criticize anyone for being more conservative than me. I did not intend to offend anyone, and if I did offend you, then please accept my sincere apology. If in the future I ever decide to post such a Care Bear picture outside of the Rants, I will be sure to mark it as "possibly NSFW".

But seriously, and I really don't mean to offend here, how can you raise your children in Hawaii and be concerned about them possibly seeing a cartoon bear with two balloons on her chest when they must certainly see a lot more than that walking around every day? Do they ever watch television? Even the Disney channel has much more suggestive references if you pay attention and are old enough to understand them.
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bucko wrote:
Well, it started out as a thread to commend all of us here on how we stick together and help each other out. Then a bit of TU bashing (as if there's not enough of that on the Thing forums), and now some offense to pics.

Hopefully we put those aside and continue to help each other out.

Happy Holidays to all. Hope all of you have a great and prosperous year ahead. Keep the Things rolling!


Really?

First post:
halfgut wrote:
I don't know if you ever read the other forums on the Samba but they can be down right mean - especially to people who have a differing opinion or are new to VW. There is none of that on this forum and for that, being new to VW, I am really thankful.

The collective knowledge on this forum is vast and people are more than willing to share it with others. More importantly, people rarely get their undies in a bunch even when the same question about tire size or heater repair gets asked.

So, Thanks.


Second post:
bciesq wrote:
Second that.

The attitude here was actually one of the reasons that I decided to get a Thing instead of a Ghia.


I don't mind if you all pat yourselves on the back for being decent and helpful to one another - hell, you should , seeing as being nice (manners and all) is pretty much out of style these days.

Just please don't spread/reinforce negative stereotypes about other forum participants. Each forum is a different collection of people with similar tastes and interests. How they choose to interact with one another, and what personality traits are more predominant in that particular group is not a reason to criticize them.

Can't we just all get along with one another? I'll hang up now and wait for my answer. Wink
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Meyer
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1. What KG said.

 
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