Where is everyone?

[mrtew]

I've been here since June 2002, soon after I bought my VX new and I still have it. Those were different times. We were young and cool and rich and were driving the car of the future that grabbed everyone's attention just driving down the street, especially in bright yellow. Now everyone has freaky crossovers and ours are just odd looking antiques that require half an explanation before people's attention drifts back to their iPhone screen. I was really into this site for a long time but after 10 years I got a Camaro and got more into that site and only used my Isuzu for the winter months since it goes great with snow tires and is already rusty underneath. I'm still here though and I'll hopefully always have my VX!

[89Vette]

I also check the site often...at least a few times per week. It doesn't take long since the nice feature that displays current posts shows how utterly inactive it's become. It was pointed out that the look/feel of a changeover put some people off. I think it's a combination of a few things.

I don't think the look/feel was the biggest problem. That it took so long to transition was a bigger issue. Visiting forums...and having conversations is a habit. That's why FB and phones are "addictive". When you remove an addiction, it's easier to break the habit. Maybe "having a different look/feel" is a polite way for saying the site was delivered "broken" after such a long hiatus? Functions don't all work after that transition and (to me) links to IMPORTANT historical threads weren't retained. Tracing your way through what USED TO BE some great information is now MUCH more difficult. It's sad that the site owner cites major health problems for the inability to restore better operation. I would add that the passing of time aggravates any ability to restore/relink historical posts/information.

Ironically, one of the last posts (by the owner) suggested he was looking for a buy-out. (That's how I interpreted his feedback anyway). Like a fine sports-car, if you tear into it and "break it" before the sale, the value to others is hurt. So, it doesn't seem likely that will happen. As a profit enterprise, you also have to consider the size of the audience -- which seems also "damaged" ...especially the longer site inactivity continues to be the norm.

Really, the older our vehicles become, the more likely I would think it would be to seek out assistance to diagnose, fix problems, and source parts. As such, I'm not sure you can point dwindling participation to much other than site problems.

[ipd]

There is simply no way the information on a social media site can index, catalogue, make searchable, etc. information to the same extent or quality that a dedicated forum can. I get that FB/twitter/instagram/insert-favorite-site-here are all quite popular...but they are NOT designed for long-term information storage. No offense to those who use them, but those sites are better suited to announcing what you had for dinner last night; information that will be soon forgotten. If you want to save a detailed-write-up for how to change your kanuter valve or blinker fluid....FB simply sucks, imho.

[VX KAT]

There's been several discussions about what occurred that made the forum start to wither on the vine.
Sure there have been numerous sales as peoples lives and needs changed, some were for financial reasons (such as myself), and other reasons. Many people say the hiatus and then the "new" software/format were what caused them to basically leave this forum. Many found it non-intuitive, awkard and very frustrating. I just plain gave up!

Coincidentally at the same time, the FB VX group was taking off and many, many jumped to the FB group. I absolutely detest FB (just like you ipd), but over time I realized if I ever wanted to be in touch with many VX friends, and many others, I'd have to give in and use it.

For many months I saw FB peeps ask question after question, that I knew were well documented on .info and I'd suggest they search there....or I'd attach the link (that worked) from my personal info library.
It was so frustrating.

I'd frequently rail about FB not being intended to be a searchable database, and thus, the same questions get asked over and over.....and I got tired of referring people to the forum, over and over....or re-typing the same info.....but nothing changed....they didn't use it. Most want instant infomation, and aren't interested in searching for anything, let alone on software that's not complete and not fully functional.

FB is the only real "active" Vehicross site now, and love it or leave, it's all we really have now. Don't know what will become of the massive database and the invaluable info on the forum!

I have to agree.....this new software/platform is so hard to manuever around, that even I gave up. It doesn't show every new post in the "front page" index! Makes me crazy.

What really makes me sad about this, is the loss of rapport and camaraderie most of us enjoyed on the forum, and the fun and joking around. There's virtually none of that on FB. What a shame. We had way more fun on the forum than we do on this monster "social network"......<sigh>


BIG TIP:
IF YOU GET THE 404 ERROR MESSAGE CLICK ON THE URL AND IF IT HAS THE THIS FORMAT:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=xxxxxx
DELETE THE WORD "FORUMS/" FROM THE URL and hit enter again....it will take you successfully to the link.


So there ya have it......"and that's all I have to say about that"...(sorry couldn't resist...watched Forrest Gump the other day ).

[ipd]

Thanks for the insight! I agree, Kat. I can't speak for the rest of the community, but THIS site will be my home. Mods I make, pictures I take...they'll ONLY be on here. It's not perfect, I know. I've been part of another VIBRANT car forum that died. That one went under because the owner didn't pay to keep the site up or whatnot...and it disappeared. At the time, it was the 2nd largest forum for that car platform. I feel it when a forum I love dies--and even worse when it's THE forum of record for a platform I love. Without this site--without Jo--I don't even have a VX. That's a FACT. And that's just in the last year; proving that even though this site may not be as lively as it used to...it still does some good.

For those who are in the Southeast, I'm hopefully moving back to GA soon. So if any of you would like to arrange a meet, or if you're passing through my neck of the woods, you can hit me up on here.

P.S.
I'm probably never having kids. I'm financially better off than 90% of my peers. I'm moving back to the south (no road-salt). And I'm keeping my low-mileage VX 100% stock mechanically. So unless some idiot clips me...I will be keeping my VX for a LONG, LONG, LONG time. I plan on being here.

[CatFish]

I am still here but there is not as much action on the forum as there used to be. It is true a lot of people just post on Facebook now, I also resisted the Facebook but found I was missing out on gatherings and events so I reluctantly joined Facebook, if you want to join us there here it is https://www.facebook.com/groups/32929439606/

I still like the forum and find it much better than Facebook in many ways, when I have good info and want it to live on longer than a day I post here so the topic and info does not just fade away like on Facebook.

Congrats on the VX, I hope you can join us for a gathering or in Moab 2017 http://www.vehicross.info/showthread...-rooms-booked-)

[Triathlete]

Still around, just not as often.

[MSHardeman]

I'm still here and check in every day at least twice a day. Not a big Facebooker, and I'm sure that I am missing some scintillating conversations, but I'm OK with that. I really don't find the .info layout all that difficult to navigate so I'll be cruising around here for a while. I know the full transition to the new format was never completed due to Scott's health issues, but there is still a TON of great information here.

Maybe I should start downloading and cataloging everything that I can from the site so that if .info ever goes away the information won't be lost.

[Mile High VX]

Like Mark said...still here a few times a day. I'm on the Facebook side too, but it's not great for searching for help like it is here...

[spaceCADETzoom]

Oh wow. I think it was the changeover and was gone for a while. And it snowballed because the only reason I checked this was to see new conversations, but if there are no new ones, I would check and see a ghost town, so stopped looking here daily...weekly... It's apparently been so long since I logged in here that I had to accept some agreement before I even posted this reply. heh. Even the trove of knowledge is hit/miss because I often get errors now, and the searches don't seem as responsive (especially if you're coming in from google). Facebook, as mentioned, has leeched some, but I think that's because in a way it's convenient, and one doesn't have to go out of their way to log into something on the internet that's vx specific...on fb it's just part of your feed. Regardless, I too worry about the information base lost by a fb page vs forum. I think it's kind of internet use in general, though; I'm frequenting a Ford Fiesta ST subreddit after buying that car a few months ago. Reddit sees my eyes over the associated car forums because it's not out of the way too. I think maybe all car forums are becoming a little like that, except for troubleshooting and/or maybe classifieds--and those things get smaller and smaller if the car the forum is about is disappearing from the planet too.

[ipd]

Reddit isn't much better than FB. It's also poorly laid-out compared to a proper forum like this. Reddit reminds me of message boards circa 1998.

[spaceCADETzoom]

Which works for what it is. Everything is cyclical

[blacksambo]

I don't do Facebook either. We still have two 99's that we drive daily. One has 177K the other 114K.

[Anita]

I confess that this old original owner started spending less and less time on the forum. It felt like I was one of the few here who didn't take our VX off-roading (though I am a veteran of two Moab meets and scores of other meets), or load her with aftermarket upgrades.

I still have my baby, she is running like a top, and for the most part she has very few aftermarket products on her. The VX still has her powervault muffler prototype on. What a roar now! She could use a bath and a good detailing job but I love her as much as the day I picked her up from the dealer. My mechanic who worked on her since 2000 finally moved out of state, so I am in mourning.

I miss the ol' gang -- everyone is moving on but I'm feeling the pull of the forum again. True, this new format really stunts what functioning we had in the past.

Hello to everyone who remembers me - and hi to everyone else!

Anita

[MSHardeman]

Anita, it's good to see you on the board again. It HAS been a while, but how could we forget you?
I may not be an original owner, but I have owned my VX for more than 11 years now and, like you, I still love her as much as the day I picked her up. I am lucky enough to have her as a garage queen now, but I usually visit her a few times a week just to say hello.