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

One group of Autopians who get "some" recognition within this forum are those of you who are Beta-Testers for detailing products and equipment from various manufacturers. I cannot give them enough "THANKS" for what they do in testing these products and equipment because all Autopians benefit from their efforts.
Unfortunately, in my Captain Obvious nosiness, I have asked question of many of you Beta-Testers went little tidbits of information are "leaked" about a new product or piece of equipment in such a test, knowing full well nothing can be revealed about them due to signed legal confidentiality agreements and "gag or no-tell rules" with these car-care detailing manufacturers. It`s just "difficult" to have to wait for something new, especially when it may have a game-changing effect on and for the detailing industry or is light-years ahead of existing products or equipment. It is two-sided conundrum for me personally (IE, No information and having to wait)

The other group of Autopians I want to acknowledge are those of you take the time to test and post reviews and photos with their experience and opinions of detailing products and equipment. Some do this just because they want us Autopians to know, while others have been given such products or equipment for free in exchange for their posted review. I have NO PROBLEM with the free distribution of such items by car-care detailing manufacturers to you Autopians for such reviews. I, personally, see such gestures as a great, cost-effective marketing and advertising tool and am more inclined to buy and use a product that has been reviewed by a fellow Autopian and wish more such manufacturers would feel inclined to do so. I also appreciate the candor and honesty when those of you write a less-than-glowing review or at least present the "cons" of such products or equipment. Than`s an important part of these reviews and evaluations. I know it also saves my limited detailing budget from overspending (AKA, the detailing rabbit hole ) from buy-and-try, trial-and-error personal experimenting of such newer products or equipment. That, too in invaluable (pun intended!) to me and I am sure to other Autopians reading this post.

Sorry if I sound repetitive with these accolades , praise, and thanks that I have posted over the years for such things mentioned above.
But the purpose of this thread topic is to keep this forum going and it because of Autopians who do those things mentioned above that are an integral part of the existence of this detailing forum and that cannot be overstated.
 
Coatings=crack said:
I do miss mary’s polisher post and her collection…
Click to expand...
I really miss the female Auopians who used to post here...and I really hope they didn`t bail over Toxic Masculinity or something else along those lines (e.g., certain political opinions which I too find utterly repulsive).
 
Thanks for this thread, Captain Obvious! To me, YOU are one of the members that contributes quite a bit. Be it questions, be it comments, your posts help keep this forum moving.

I do miss Ron, for various reasons, but it seemed, at least to me, that he helped quite a bit with posts, and kept some momentum to the posts and activity on this forum

That extensive list you provided...haha. I know it well and agree with just about all of it. Though, I had no clue Mike went from Griot`s to Dr Beaseley`s!!! (sp?)

Anyway...myself, I decreased my posts, especially reviews, due to the issues with photos. First, the fiasco with PhotoBucket. Oh, that was soooo bad. Somewhere along the line, I started using the sister site`s image hosting and shared pics off of there. Unfortunately, even that started having issues and several of my pics in some threads were no longer available. It`s discouraging for me to go through the work to document, photo, adjust, upload, name, rename, post, and only to find out some of those threads with pics no longer have the pics.

At any rate.... I too appreciate this forum. Still my favorite, though I`m not so active any more. There are plenty of fine folks here.

In fact, when I ventured off to make the Coating Caddy(TM) Ceramic and Graphene Bottle Holders, it was these fine folks I reached out to! Most of my testers were chosen for their contributions on this very platform!

Long live this forum!
 
I assume Youtube and various outlets that allow monetization has contributed to forum usage decrease in general.
The content and people of Autopia are wonderful, and its sad to see less posting.

But, I`m at fault just as much as anyone else. Don`t post nearly as much as I used to 10+ years ago.
 
It seems that in certain ways, the forums are harder to do certain tasks such as uploading photos than facebook. That probably plays a role in their diminished activity. The other thing is that individually owned auto sites have largely gone away being purchased by larger corporations which restrict certain content. Lots of users abandoned sites after the corporations made the sites less about the users and more about the ad revenue.
 
I mentioned this forum is an "Open Forum" and the fact that "other manufacture`s" detailing products and equipment can be discussed that are not sold by the Autopia Store or its affiliate, Palm Beach Motoring Group (PBMG). That presents a real conundrum for PBMG and the forum admins, because some of these products and equipment compete directly with the manufacturer`s inventory that they do sell. I understand the marketing decision when admin police these threads and will then take down and delete internet links to such competing manufacturers. It`s a rule that has been in force and agreed upon by members when they sign on. i try to sell-police myself NOT to post such links and inform members that they themselves can use an Internet Search Engine (Like Google) to find more information either directly from the manufacturer or an internet re-sell, dealer, or distributor. I HOPE that that forum policy of allowing thread discussions of competing product will continue and that the PBMG will not censure such discussions, although I can see the day when it is because it does, indeed, directly affect their business financial operation. But as this policy currently is is WHY I continue to be a member here in this forum. I am sure you Autopian members and non-member lurkers a have a lot of different detailing products and equipment from a wide variety of sources, including "non-detailing"-related stores like Big Box stores, hardware stores, home and carpet cleaning stores, not to mention the plethora of all-things detailing internet stores/re-sellers/distributors mentioned in this forum, AND the ever ubiquitous Amazon.

There are two "problems" that I see with limiting product and equipment discussions to PBMG-only sold items:
1) Many detailing product or equipment manufacturers have a "limited distributorship agreement" with a specific re-seller, which controls the inventory, price, and area that their products are sold in. PBMG and by default, the Autopia Store, cannot become a distributor because of these agreements and how they are structured. it sounds like a controlled monopoly, but it is an extension of free-market enterprise. That just the way some detailing manufacturers operate. Like I said, chances are you Autopians and forum lurkers have purchased these "other" products from somewhere else simply because they are not available through PBMG stores.
2) Some products and equipment are only available to "certified installers or detailers". While I may not like it, the manufactures has made that decision to:
a) Guarantee the product is used and applied correctly and thus the quality is maintained, as is the reputation of the manufacture;
b) Control its price because it is an exclusive market.
That`s just the way free-market enterprise economics works here in the USA, even though I may not like it.

It`s impossible for PBMG to sell EVERYTHING detailing-related and as stated above, it simply cannot or is not allowed to do so, which negates all the lobbying by Autopia members for such items. But they do a pretty good job with their selected manufacturers products` offerings and prices. Like I said in the opening thread post, one way for the continuance of this forum is for Autopians to BUY their detailing products from the Autopia Store as much as possible, but for reasons stated above, that doesn`t always happen. It`s a real challenge for myself and this wish.
 
That`s a decent summation, Lonnie. I read every new post on this forum every day and that`s pretty much the rules we play by. No one likes to see a heavy hand in moderation and no one likes to be the heavy hand but it has never been PBMG`s intention to become a click-through portal to the competitions site.
 
In its heyday, this forum was my happy place. Let`s not forget some other valuable posters from the past -- cheers to ZaneO and 1_Clean_WS6.
 
Same here Lonnie this is really my only source for detailing chats and tips and Im not on there a very long time but I feel the same way. If we create a patch to put on our shirts like “IAD” ……“International Autopian Dipsticks” it would encourage new membership.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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)
 
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