Help the zone get back on form (old skoolers only)

[HartgeH27]

Exactly Paul !

[Cotty]

Oh great, can't we get rid of the spelling police while we are rewritting the rules. Please.

If you are that worried then run everything though a spell check before you post. On the other hand I post on another forum and if people pick me up on my spelling (not great) then i tell them to Foxtrot Oscar. After about the 20th time (and they realise I post when I have had a few drinks) they give up.

[sihooker]

I do hope Dezzy realised i was only messing about. I dont pull people up on their spelling because, without my spell-check on, i'd get some serious abuse back!

[Rav335uk]

I do hope Dezzy realised i was only messing about. I dont pull people up on their spelling because, without my spell-check on, i'd get some serious abuse back!

Don't worry about him, he's a big boy,
Not his fault he can't spell , he's "Speshul"

[sihooker]

We're all winners here

[Dezzy]

I do hope Dezzy realised i was only messing about. I dont pull people up on their spelling because, without my spell-check on, i'd get some serious abuse back!

Don't worry about him, he's a big boy,
Not his fault he can't spell , he's "Speshul"

Oi you.

Dont think I don't know what your getting at

[Rav335uk]

I do hope Dezzy realised i was only messing about. I dont pull people up on their spelling because, without my spell-check on, i'd get some serious abuse back!

Don't worry about him, he's a big boy,
Not his fault he can't spell , he's "Speshul"

Oi you.

Dont think I don't know what your getting at

What

[Dezzy]

You know what

[Kammy]

Having read on from my original post, I'd just like to mention 2 things, firstly it was mentioned that the test for posting should be is it funny (apologies for not quoting properly), this would work but what is funny for one person may not be funny to another, If there is a group formed and they have their jokes etc then an outsider is obviously not going to get that what is said is a joke or meant to be funny. At the end of the day, would you really go into a pub and 'joke' around with somebody you don't know?

Secondly respect was mentioned. As far as i'm aware respect has to be earned. On a forum it is not earned by post count but how others think of you. You could have a massive post count but be known on the forum as the local idiot or as the most reliable and helpful person, bothe would be respected differently and to new members, presumably get different types of replies.

Also with regards to posting pics of your cars and the banter that goes on, sorry guys but all of your comments to me make it obvious that you know each other with the way your are posting, would you really post similar comments on a newbies post about their car? as it has been said, there are ways of saying things and to give an opinion to somebody you have never met would be just that, an opinion but do blatantly go out and cuss or take the p155 out of somebody's car over a number of posts to me at least would be wrong.

I myself can take can take the critics and as some will have seen, will give as good as I get, that's just the way I am and of my experience of being on forums. However if there was somebody new to all this and was just recommended to the site by the person they may have purchased the car from, i'm not sure they would always take it the same way.

Basically I think people should get to know each other before they start slating and then the people concerned will know the how to take the said comment. It is usually when people that know each other effectively 'gang up' on somebody the do not know, have never communicated with before and start making inappropriate comments that this becomes and issue.

[spook]

Arc at you lot being all nice to each other


Bunch of gay coonts

[Dezzy]

Arc at you lot being all nice to each other


Bunch of gay coonts

[sihooker]

@ Kammy

I see what you're saying, but by the same token, would you expect to wander in to a 'locals' pub and expect them to change their ways because you said hello? It's a complicated issue. The newbie would have to respect the fact that the guys and girls at the bar are possibly half drunk and it's been their local for ages.

It's got to be seen from both sides because some zoners have been on here for years, and they do know each other very well. In fact, without their support in the first place this site may not be here at all. Dont get me wrong, i'm not supporting newbie-bashing, but when you join a club/forum/new job, etc., it is as much the new guy's responsibility to fit in as it is anybody else's.

[gareth]

There is a big difference in how i reply to people i've met and those i haven't. Apart from a few who i've chatted to loads on here (dezzy for one) i try and refrain from taking the pish too much. after you've met someone, banter generally will be taken as a joke. without meeting that person, you have little idea of how they will react.

From a newbies point of view, it can be rather daunting and i think we all need to remember this.

[eko]

Ah bless,look at all the love on the `Zone`

[sihooker]

Here's an example of what i'm on about.

On the first thread i started as a newbie, right near the end, this guy called DJK (where is he??) wrote "dont mind me, i'm just postwhoring". Now, check out my name, which happens to be my actual name!

I didn't know what postwhoring meant as i'd only just started using the internet. I could've kicked off and accused him of pee-taking, but i took a step back and learned how the zone worked. I soon realised that Doug wasn't the offensive type, but if i'd reacted to it i wouldn't have lasted five minutes here...

[Kammy]

I see what you're saying, but by the same token, would you expect to wander in to a 'locals' pub and expect them to change their ways because you said hello?

It's got to be seen from both sides because some zoners have been on here for years, and they do know each other very well. In fact, without their support in the first place this site may not be here at all. Dont get me wrong, i'm not supporting newbie-bashing, but when you join a club/forum/new job, etc., it is as much the new guy's responsibility to fit in as it is anybody else's.

I get your point but just by saying hello, i'm not asking anybody to change their ways am I? I definately don't think i'd be entitled to a slating just because I said hello at a new pub i'd never been to before. Unless I went in all guns blazing in the first place of course.


Also granted that plenty of all timers have put in a lot of effort to get this place to where it is but I seriously don't think that it is these guys that are causing the issues. If it was, i'm pretty sure this site wouldn't have got to it's current position as many people would have been turned away from the beginning. The newbies do need to fit in to the site but if they get abused on their first few posts, do you really think they will stay or come back. Surely the existing members have a responsibility to make all feel welcome to the zone irrespective of what sort of people they are.

[Felix79]

I think some people take banter as abuse and vice verca. I use a number of forums for my various intrests ( Concorde , FPS , MMORPG's , CPU Clocking ) and I have found here to be very different in what people find aceptable to say to one another when they do not know the person they are dealing with. Some say here if you can't take it then don't bother using the forum but why not show a bit of reserve and respect before going in with "banter". In the 2 years I've been on here I have managed to meet a great number of people and made some good friendships , which makes the forum more fun but for new members it can be really intimidating to come on here and ask questions and take part. Surley it makes no different if your an new or old member it's about sharing a passion for the cars and the social aspect of being a car club.

[sihooker]

Zoners do make people welcome as a rule. Sensible questions are answered sensibly most of the time, often with a dose of humour attached free of charge...very generous!

The rub with the long-time members happens when a new guy comes in with an attitude.

[Kammy]

That's what I thought it was about, sharing each others knowledge and expertise whilst getting to know people with the same interest as you, hopefully a few local and making some new friends. Not to get accused of being from a certain background or name calling or general mick taking/slating by somebody I don't even know (these are just examples by the way).

[Kammy]

Zoners do make people welcome as a rule. Sensible questions are answered sensibly most of the time, often with a dose of humour attached free of charge...very generous!

The rub with the long-time members happens when a new guy comes in with an attitude.

I can definately say that I did not come on here with any attitude nor would I but have already met a few people that led to 'interesting' converstaion shall we say.

As said before though it works both ways, in some instances it may well be the newbies that are coming in with the attitude, however in other instances it is definately the existing members. These existing members may not be the helpful ones but if they don't help and are slating newbies then surely questions should be asked. In the same way, newbies should also be advised of what is and is not acceptable if they do come in with any attitude and the consequences if they don't tone down.

In other instances I also accept that someone may have had a bad day outside of the zone or on another topic and something on here has triggered them off to post something that they normally wouldn't, however if this was the case then surely the comments would not be repeated/continued on a second or third day by which time the person would have normally realised their mistake after getting over any bad incident or drink effect wears off etc.

[sihooker]

Zoners do make people welcome as a rule. Sensible questions are answered sensibly most of the time, often with a dose of humour attached free of charge...very generous!

The rub with the long-time members happens when a new guy comes in with an attitude.

I can definately say that I did not come on here with any attitude nor would I but have already met a few people that led to 'interesting' converstaion shall we say.

Oh

I hope you'll give the rest of us the benefit of the doubt because this really is a great forum when you get used to it, and the characters that haunt the zone really are knowledgeable and come through with good advice when you need it the most.

[Kammy]

Don't worry mate, I have a rule of my own: "there's always one".

As in if there is one newbie to spoil it for the newbies, there will be one existing member to spoil it for the old timers too, we just have to live with it but in this day an age, the question is why?

[Ace 325i]

The zone is a really good place for information and knowledge. I've learnt so much about E30's - both technical and the physical side of things, and true say..i might be lost without it!

I had a person come to buy a car off my brother yesterday - came in an E30 and saw mine parked up - was a fellow zoner! Not really a facelift coupe person but looked very retro-cool/ standard

[hongkongfuey]

i was on another forum the other day(non bmw) and i asked the dreaded question of someone's opinion, i asked about service parts (after i had searched the 'shop') i asked what oils and plugs were prefered. the first response i had was oh look another noobie with a 'what do i do question' . after several arguements one said "how dare you speak to me like that, you've been on here 5 mins and iv'e been here years, look at my post count"

Not LSOC was it Rob?

Yes, i've not been on there since either, apparently soarer world is clicky too?

[skipunda]

Very good posts by all, an absolute credit to the forum. I'm locking at this specific part, splitting it and putting it back so that everyone can have their say if they so wish. One moment...