A Christmas Wish from Captain Obvious: KEEP THIS AUTOPIA FORUM ALIVE and GOING

[wannafbody]

PBMA has a dedicated forum in the Autogeek site so this site being more open to various brands doesn`t really hurt them. They also get some money from some of the brand sponsors who have sections here. The big issue is that site traffic has fallen off quite a bit.

[dgage]

I do like the more open discussions of products for a wider array of brands. I agree that it is too bad site traffic has fallen so much.

[Bill D]

My fear about Autopia is If traffic falls too much management at PBMG is going to have little reason to keep it open. I guess this forum is continuing to lose to Facebook and the like. I for one will never join it. This is my Facebook.

[Lonnie]

GearHead_1:
"Sorry" that I forgot you on my All-Star list as a Super Moderator. What you do as a moderator for this forum cannot be understated, and that is true for ALL of you who are moderators. It`s a thankless job and responsibility is integral to making this forum as it is: the greatest detailing forum. That does not happen without you and your tireless efforts and judgments.

I know that some have complained about what may seem as heavy-handed, judgmental, censorship is in reality keeping this forum detailing-centric and subject to the rules as made by the owners, PBMG. I do know there have been "disagreements" by Autopia members when certain internet links are removed, BUT for good reason: they violate the rules set forth by the owners of this forum, either because they may be a scam, or may compete with PBMG business, or is simply not related to detailing. Thank you for your vigilance in this matter.

I do have on request is that the moderators inform Autopia members of changes or updates to the forum rules pertaining to posting of content. One area that needs to be addressed is the use of links to YouTube videos and copyright material if that can legally be done in this forum.
We`ve been through the Photo Bucket fiasco and its impact on this forum`s older posts. I would hope to avoid that in the future.

[Bill D]

Youre right, moderating is a thankless job. You should`ve known what it was like years ago

Regarding censorship, it`s always a good idea to warn and/or inform an offender as to why he is being censored. Obvious rule infractions should still be pointed out. I did my share of this back in the day.

Its still all worth it to keep the forum running smoothly even when the member doesn`t agree.

[GearHead_1]

...You should`ve known what it was like years ago...

Actually I do. This is my 19th year moderating here on this very forum through its various iterations beginning with Detail City.

[Bill D]

I meant Lonnie should`ve known

Remember those crazy days?

[GearHead_1]

Yes, I remember.

[Lonnie]

I remember!
Breaking Zaino news... (THE never-ending "discussion" on Zaino products)

Actually many of the "Epic Threads" Category of this forum fall into that "historic thread" discussions. I have no idea how they got there and who made that determination to place them there, but they do make for "interesting" reading about past detailing subjects.

Since we are talking about detailing history, here`s some detailing-related questions that just seem to keep being asked over-and-over again in this forum:
1) How do I get started in detailing?
2) What`s new in detailing?
3) What are the best products for (you pick the detailing task)?...Actually, that`s MY series of Captain Obvious questions: "Suggestions for products for whatever the specific detailing task"
4) What are the best products for black paint? (Black has its own "challenges", which is why no self-respecting detailer owns a black-colored vehicle.. Wait; I do! A Black 2005 Ford Freestyle...hey, it came they way from my Mom`s estate when I bought it)
5a) How do I clean leather? (Like the color black, leather also has its unique "challenges"... Ask Roger Koh!)
5b) How do I clean and polish chrome? (Are you sure its chrome and not polished stainless steel)
5c) How do I clean windows? (OK, that`s MY question. CarPro`s Clarity Glass Cleaner and their GlassFiber Microfiber Towel seem to be the answer, Captain Obvious)
6) What buffing machine should I buy? (Thought the Lake County Power Tools User -Defined Orbital Stroke (UDOS) machine would be THE Holy Grail of buffing machines to have, but you know the story of its delayed production)
7a) Can this be buffed out or fixed? (Usually deep etching from bugs or bird droppings or pine tree sap or clear-coat failure, all from a lack of a timely washing and/or car-care)
7b) How do I fix a burn-through when I was correcting with my new buffer? (Quote:"Experience is the best school, but the cost of tuition is high." or "Live and learn" or "You did WHAT to your Dad`s new Mazda?!!!)
8a) How long should a full detail take?
8b) How much should I charge for this detail? (answer is in 8a)
8c) If I become a full-time detailer as a business, should I have business insurance and do I need to be an registered legal business entity?
(You DO live in the "I`m gonna sue you" USA where the government demands their "far share" of your income to operate)
9) Is Over-The-Counter Simple Green safe to use on cars? (NO! End of story... Don`t get me started. Or find out when all your aluminum in the engine bay turns white)
10) How do I get special characters in my typed post text, like the degree symbol (°) or trademark subscript symbol (™) or copyright symbol (©)?
ASCI Typing Shortcut Keys for Special Symbols:
Degree Symbol (°) = "Alt" key held down + the numbers-lock keypad keys "0176" simultaneously
Trademark Subscript Symbol (™) = Alt + 0153
Registered Trademark Symbol (®) - Alt + 0174
Copyright Symbol (©) = Alt + 0169
Squared Superscript (²) = Alt + 0176
Cubed Superscript (³) = Alt + 0179
One-Fourth Fraction (¼) = Alt + 0188
One-Half Fraction (½) = Alt + 0189
Three-Fourths Fraction (¾) = Alt + 0190
International Diameter Symbol (Ø) = Alt + 0216
Plus/Minus Symbol (±) = Alt + 0177
(I`d cut-and-paste this information into MS office Word, format the text to my liking, print it out, and keep it near my keyboard for future typing reference when I post in Autopia)

[Pats300zx]

Been here since 1999 everyday. Not going anywhere

[David Fermani]

Actually many of the "Epic Threads" Category of this forum fall into that "historic thread" discussions. I have no idea how they got there and who made that determination to place them there, but they do make for "interesting" reading about past detailing subjects.

Great thread and thanks for posting it. I was single-handedly responsible for creating the Epic Sub-Forum and still thinks it’s a great place to visit and get re-grounded. This forum is my home and where I, and so many others, cut their teeth in the online world many years ago. I joined back when it was like the Wild West operated by DavidB and have seen it go through some very interesting (to say the least) changes. The biggest discouraging thing is the lack of presence by the management/ownership. Like zero! There’s been no advancement in any way shape or form. Heck, there hasn’t been any repair of the countless issues that has plagued this place ever since AG took it over from 3D. I’ve literally spent 100’s of hours trying to promote discussion, modifying for sub-forums, grow awareness and bring in new life yet it seems that it’s all gone down the crapper. Sure, it’s mostly because forums in and of itself don’t resemble what they used to, but I blame that on the creators of these platforms for not making them user friendly. I really think this forum needs to be condensed. There’s so many redundant and not viewed sub-forums. So many of the links don’t work so it’s not like we’d be missing out on any opportunities there. If someone gave me my moderator access again I would totally be willing to help reorganize what I think is out of touch.

[GearHead_1]

Sadly David, moderator access isn`t what it once was. There was a time when I had the permissions to do all the behind-the-scenes stuff and did. That went away a good long time ago.

[Older]

I understand PBMG’s position concerning their products. I do believe that if this turns into a clone of the Autogeek forums, there’s no real reason to keep it going.

Many thanks to the Moderators for all the work that they put in. It’s much appreciated.

[Accumulator]

Well, if nothing else, this thread has brought a few old-timers to their keyboards Hi, guys, nice to see you posting.

[danlc95]

This forum was so rich with content back in the day. The result is a wealth of knowledge and history.

It would be almost tragic to see it end.

The culture has changed, and become even more fast paced. The attention spans have shortened....

I see a similar thing with the Facebook Detailing Trading Post type pages. In 2015 they were hopping. I could post something for sale and have it gone within the day often times. The past few years they`ve been a ghost town.

Is it a sign of the times, or are brighter days ahead?

I remain optimistic that a resurgence is still ahead for the forums. They`re all down too. Meguiar`s, Autogeek, along with Autopia, but that doesn`t mean they`re out!

I still enjoy visiting for the review discussions. Sometimes It`s to see what`s new, to see how people used something in the past that I might be using, and It`s to reminisce on products I used to use that have either changed formulation, or are no longer in production.

The dawn of the random orbital is a fun time period to read on. The initial pads that accompanied those old 7424s. Remember Edge Pads?

I will always be thankful for those posts and the people who participated. I have learned so much, and every single one of the posters on all these forums have contributed to whatever success I achieve in this industry. There has to be young folks hungry for knowledge in a sort of "post-magazine" media culture. Forums are an excellent match for that curiousity.