I gotta admit...

[Jngrbrdman]

I have been away from Autopia for a really long time. I had some personal issues with the former management as well as a small family I needed to focus on and a career I was really focused on. I just haven`t had the time for the forums like I used to. However, I have been involved in a few other forums on different levels, but none of them really had the feel of Autopia. Some of them either just move too damn fast that your questions get buried ten minutes after you ask them, or it is just one post after another of people showing off their work without any real helpful stuff being written. Then there are those which have all the elements a forum needs to be successful, but it still doesn`t have the old Autopia feel.



I`ve only been posting back here for about a week now and I have to say that it feels like the old Autopia here. Maybe that is because a lot of the old timers are still around and doing their thing. It wouldn`t feel right without them around. Maybe that is what was missing on some of the other boards and forums I`ve been playing on.



So I just want to say thanks to the powers that be who have kept Autopia.org alive and kept the spirit of what we tried to make it be all those years ago alive. It is still the Autopia I remember and it feels great to know that there is still a place or two left on the interwebz where someone can post an opinion contrary to the herd and not get flamed for it. There is a lot of respect being shown to each other by the members here. I love seeing how diverse the culture has gotten too. We have pros from every level as well as the weekend warriors and enthusiasts. And newbies can still feel comfortable asking questions without being intimidated by people shouting out to do a search or whatever. I really love that part. No `know-it-alls` have really stood out to me as people who make others feel stupid for their questions or opinions. No post whores just going around saying `yup` to threads so they can get that all important post count up. I have no doubt that the top ten posters earned every single one of those posts.



Anyway, I just wanted to share that feedback with you guys and let you know that you are all doing an outstanding job and I am really pleased to know that Autoipa is back! It may have been back for awhile, but I`ve been kind of busy and haven`t had a chance to really get to know it again. Thank you all so much for keeping Autopia alive even in the midst of struggles and changes. Now that I`ve got a job which allows me more time to focus on some of my passions, you can expect to see me around here more often for sure.

[Bill D]

Same here. I returned this past spring. Sometimes a loooong hiatus is what`s needed. Thanks for returning.

[togwt]

Glad to see you, back here, look forward to some more of your informative posts....

[Dan]

yup

























.lol... just kidding, welcome back!

[Jngrbrdman]

yup

























.lol... just kidding, welcome back!

lol A wiseguy, huh?



You know, I remember when we made the Hot Tub not count toward your post total. We got all sorts of complaints from the people who lost 2/3 of their post totals. lol We did the same thing in the Moderator forum to make those posts not count and I lost 4000 posts. In the end it isn`t the post total that really matters. There are a couple forums I frequent that don`t even show the post count. It doesn`t really signify anything other than the amount of time you spend on the board. Some of the most knowledgeable guys here have a low post count simply because they don`t waste a lot of words (like I do). David Bynon gave me some awesome advice once that I really need to stick to. "Use fewer and more impactful words" he once told me. It has stuck with me for a lot of years even though I don`t always apply it.

[Bill D]

"Use fewer and more impactful words" he once told me. It has stuck with me for a lot of years even though I don`t always apply it.

I`m guilty of generally being wordy in many typed communications. It takes me longer to boil things down but without risking them becoming "more stale" if you will. I`m glad to see it when I come across other wordy writers. It reminds me I do have some company.

[C. Charles Hahn]

It`s funny, ever since Autopia started letting those of us who Bynon put on his hit list (add an "s" to that if you prefer) come back and I`ve been posting here, I find the other forums I had been frequenting instead less and less enjoyable, and the content on them seems to often be less and less useful. This forum was and is the original, and it`s still the best (or rather it`s the best again now that the trash has been taken out).

[Jngrbrdman]

I don`t think you have to be 100% loyal to one forum or another. I love the Autogeek forums because it is solely there for the discussion of Autogeek products. Since that is where I do 90% of my shopping online, it is a really good place to get information about the products I buy from them. There isn`t anything wrong with having a forum dedicated to the discussion of the products at your store as long as those are the rules. DetailCity may have been sort of a marketing arm for PremiumAutoCare, but it was still ultimately an open forum with other sponsors. I`m glad it was something I could be a part of while Autopia was going through some of its changes. Really these are the only three dedicated detailing boards I`ve been on very much. The rest have just been owner board detailing forums. I`ve been fairly active on the LegacyGT.com detailing forum, for example. There`s no place like Autopia though. The depth of the archive here is rivaled by none.



I was thinking about it some more and if I had to put a real definition to the feeling this place has it would be this: The other forums feel like `work` to me. They are very professional and structured and that is the way they work best. Autopia has that enthusiast `fun` feel to it. I don`t know why it is different feeling over here, but it just is. I detail for fun and profit and not as a job, so I guess that is why I feel more comfortable at a place that has a more enthusiast atmosphere. Plenty of pros here too, but it isn`t a contest of ego or anything. Maybe I haven`t been back long enough to say this for sure, but nobody is trying to be the superstar "I know everything and have an answer to it all". That means nobody is trying to de-throne that person either, so the feeling is more like people just trying to help and not competing with each other for the best answer. Autopia lost that feeling for awhile and that is when I left. I`m not sure when it came back, but I`m glad it did!

[BigAl3]

This forum was and is the original, and it`s still the best.

There`s no place like Autopia though. The depth of the archive here is rivaled by none.

agreed gentlemen! :hifive:

[Lowejackson]

I have only just returned to Autopia after some considerable time and I must admit that I have not really spent a lot of time doing very much to my car. I am not actually that sure why I choose to refocus on cleaning a car in December but whatever the reason, I did miss Autopia and it feels good to be trying new products on my car.

[David Fermani]

Thanks to Anthony and thanks to all that have returned and found the current Autopia much like the old. That`s great to know because those are some very big shoes to fill. The new management has a totally open door and mind to new ideas and are not using this forum to convey their agenda like many others. The real goal is to have a world class place for the most unbiased source for hardcore Autopian detail information. I think we are really greatful to have such a wonderfully talented and seasoned group of individuals participating here. It`s truly a unique dynamic compared to all the others in the market. Keep up the great work and stay posted for more great things to come.

[MarcHarris]

Great to have another old school guy around with some insightful comments. I doubt anyone can downplay autopia`s significance as so many well known "internet detailers" all got there start on autopia in one way or another.

[imported_flatstick]

Welcome back ! most of the people that were here years ago are still here. some of us do not post much but we are always around to keep things interesting.