Recent autopia.org forum issues

[pgp]

I had .Autopia.org saved as my go to address for the forum. It had all the new posts on it. Recently it does not work. I guess it was changed, anyone else have this issue?

[wannafbody]

Front page isn`t showing up.

[01GreyStangGT]

Hopefully someone will think to fix it. I miss how active this was 10-12 years ago.

[dwaleke]

Hopefully someone will think to fix it. I miss how active this was 10-12 years ago.

Everyone has moved to social media. Which IMO is a significant downgrade in user experience.

[Dan]

Everyone has moved to social media. Which IMO is a significant downgrade in user experience.

And it attracts people that can’t seem to help themselves. Sometimes it makes my brain hurt at how dumb some posts are.

[wannafbody]

I don`t think the product wars under David B helped any.

[Pats300zx]

I don`t think the product wars under David B helped any.

Ahhh the good old days !!!! Zaino vs Duragloss

[Setec Astronomy]

I don`t think the product wars under David B helped any.

Which of course, directly lead to us not being able to get to the desired home page.

David B hasn`t owned the forum for 12 years or something...I don`t see how he has anything to do with the current software discussion or with how social media has affected forum participation.

I found 99 posts (not threads) that mention Facebook from the first one in 2006 through the end of 2010...so that`s across Autopia, Detail City, and Truth In Detailing; I think it`s safe to say that DavidB didn`t drive the Autopia membership to social media.

Complaining about DavidB is so...last decade.

[Lonnie]

And it attracts people that can’t seem to help themselves. Sometimes it makes my brain hurt at how dumb some posts are.

That statement would appear to be directed at myself. I do ask those seemingly dumb "Captain Obvious" questions a lot.

I think, though, that your analysis about everyone going to mass social media formats to "publish their expertise on how-to-do-it-yourself" on detailing is an accurate assessment of the reduction of viewing traffic within this detail forum. What IS difficult to assess is what is good advice on detailing and what is just "lets get some viewer numbers/following/hits so I get paid for my social media post".
That IS one aspect of this Autopia Forum that it has over social media on detailing subjects: REAL detailing hobbyists and professionals with detailing experience and advice that is accurate and helpful. Anyone who is posting is not going to get paid on the number of hits they get, so the "incentive" is just pain truthful, helpful advise based on their application of methodologies and use of various detailing products and tools from their personal experience. While I may not trust ALL information given here, as it may be just the opposite of my personal detailing experiences, I also have learned their is more than one way to detail OR that I may have been doing detailing tasks "wrong or incorrectly" all these years, hence my many "Captain Obvious" questions about car-care products and requests for exact or more detailed detailing task methodologies. it might irritate some posters and even those of you whom I consider Autopian All-Stars, but they are important to myself. AND if I have a question or concern, chances are so do others, even at the self-deprecation of appearing "unintelligent" (AKA, dumb).

I really do not have a good answer to what this forum has morphed into and how to increase viewership and posts. You can view those concerns in the my started topic : A Christmas Wish from Captain Obvious: KEEP THIS AUTOPIA FORUM ALIVE and GOING

But "fixing"the software and programming associated with the User-Interface operation and functionality of this Autopia Forum IS a concern and not addressing those "issues" in a timely fashion implies that the owners:
1) Do not have the financial resources to do so; and hence,
2) The personnel to do so
3) It`s just not a priority to do so because of the return-on-investment (ROI)
That`s a subjective evaluation based on my personal perceptions, but because I am not privy to the actual operations of this forum or the financial situation of its owners (Palm Beach Motoring Group) it is just that: subjective perception without KNOWING the true facts behind what IS happening within this forum, hence may be (and probably is) totally incorrect and false.

However I would like to see this forum continue. It IS important to myself in my pursuit of my detailing hobby and without it I would not have the opportunity to converse with and learn from my fellow Autopians.

[pgp]

I see there is a new Posts tab on the top. ( home - forum - store -new posts - ...It is similar to what I am looking for. I don`t remember it, Is this new or has it always been there ? It could be what I saved before.

[dgage]

I see there is a new Posts tab on the top. ( home - forum - store -new posts - ...It is similar to what I am looking for. I don`t remember it, Is this new or has it always been there ? It could be what I saved before.

Unfortunately not the same but that may be what we’re stuck with now. New Posts was available after clicking Forums but you may be right that they added it to the top navigation recently.

[wannafbody]

Which of course, directly lead to us not being able to get to the desired home page.

David B hasn`t owned the forum for 12 years or something...I don`t see how he has anything to do with the current software discussion or with how social media has affected forum participation.

I found 99 posts (not threads) that mention Facebook from the first one in 2006 through the end of 2010...so that`s across Autopia, Detail City, and Truth In Detailing; I think it`s safe to say that DavidB didn`t drive the Autopia membership to social media.

Complaining about DavidB is so...last decade.

My comment is more regarding the amount of traffic. I`m not sure facebook can be the only reason. David B wouldn`t have sold if it was a cash cow. This site is a loss leader. This site has been in decline for a decade or longer.

[Setec Astronomy]

My comment is more regarding the amount of traffic. I`m not sure facebook can be the only reason. David B wouldn`t have sold if it was a cash cow. This site is a loss leader. This site has been in decline for a decade or longer.

I haven`t frequented AGO or MOL in the last few years, but my recollection is their traffic was also down significantly "for a decade or more". If you remember DavidB also sold his interest in the Autopia Car Care store at the same time (although I believe he retained his interest in the Ultima line for some time after), so it wasn`t just the forum. I have studied his resume and although this is informed speculation on my part, I just think there was a confluence of his hobby interest (cars), with his vocation (computers/internet), where he decided to try to merge them for a while, and either grew tired of it or thought there was more money doing something else. (I`m not sure what he`s doing now, but after Autopia he had some website having to do with Medicare).

You may look at this site as a "loss leader" but apparently Max didn`t at the time he bought it, and he`s a pretty darn savvy businessman if you ask me. I think calling it a "loss leader" is also throwing some shade at the current owner/management, which I don`t think they deserve. They have managed a huge physical move recently, which requires more intestinal fortitude than I have.

[Lonnie]

Setec Astronomy:
Thanks for the above post. You have more "insider` knowledge about the owner`s situation than anyone.

My defense of this forum and its existence can only be personally supported by:
1) continued buying of detailing car/care products and tools from the Autopia Store to support it financially
2) continued posts to existing topics or starting new post topics to keep it active

I am a social media anomaly, as I do not belong to any of the popular social media platforms due to my desire for personal anonymity. That said, I think those of you who read my posts and started thread topics within this forum throughout the years "know" me by what I have divulged about myself, so in that respect I am a hypocrite. As I have stated before, this forum IS my social media shared with those interest are detailing-related.

[Setec Astronomy]

Setec Astronomy:
Thanks for the above post. You have more "insider` knowledge about the owner`s situation than anyone.

I do? Just because I have googled DavidB a few times over the years, read some bios at the M37 site, and listened the other day to a podcast with the COO of PBMG?