Legal Bill

In another thread, Steve posted that Lynda is taking a break from S2Ki for a while. That really got me thinking about the future of this site. I think we all recognize that this place is pretty much dead. It used to be one of the most active forums on S2Ki.com and certainly one of the most active communities in the real world. But not any more. I was telling Steve the other day that I mostly come here for old times sake, just sort of wishing it would suddenly turn around and be the place it used to be.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't really do anything anymore by way of planning and hosting meets. I hardly even attend meets any more. I'm wondering how the rest of you feel about it. I dont mean to criticize Scott and Erick, the current COs, about this. I know they both said that they would do very little by way of organizing meets, etc when we approved them, so there really is no surprise that they don't organize a lot of meets. But where does that leave us?

This is not meant to be a pot stirring thread or a social experiment. I just wonder how others feel about the status of the board. I've listed some options above that people might not feel comfortable saying in a post. But I'd be more interested in seeing what you think.

ScottyBallistic

I think after ten years it just got old . I stay to do what I can and for the freinds I have made over the years . This is still one of the best forums I am apart of . I think the difference is that us old timers is what made it great. This is the only forum I am on where nobody prtends to be better than anyone else and most respect each other and learn from one anothers expertise. Most of the other forums I am on the kids just constanly bicker and put each other down.

I think the car not changing much over the years did nothing to keep people interested so what there was to learn or reinvent has been done. Plus the world and economy has changed alot I rarely step out of NE as the rest of the forum has gone down hill from the past. EX. I saw Lotus get bashed in the FI section because engish is not his first langage and what could he posibly know about turbos . But yet he works in the turbo industry . Pretty sad I think .

I have offered my CO position up and no one wanted it . It is always avalible if anyone ever has interest . The way I see it is anyone can make a organize a meet . We never needed a CO to do that before .But I dont see new people stepping up to do so. If any of the new guys think you need the CO title to organize a meet , take mine and make it happen. I met lots of great life time freinds here and at meets.

What I like about NE is that it was never about the car but about our love for all autos and great engineering. The core group was more car Geeks and bought there S2k for the feel of a real drivers car and enjoyed pushing them to there limits. I remenber a hand full of us getting together to Auto-x all the time . Granted I had more free time when I was a employee than a owner .

I also beleive Glenn was the glue in the past while everyone had their part in helping and organizing everything. Dont get me wrong , everyone did their part.

I am trying to get through a few projects here . But I do what to have something at the shop .

I am working with Tom as he wants to do something on Aug 14th . I am seeing if it is a open invite like the past .

Legal Bill

After 86 views we have one post and seven votes. I think that describes the problem in a nutshell.

PsychoBen

Bill, if you liked the old days, you would have really like the time between early 2000 and 2002 when the group began to take shape and developed its identity. The car though was still the center of attention. We were all super passionate about the car and its new modifications that were just rolling out. The Boston area owners in particular gather at least once a week in smaller groups to help each other with mod, maintenance, do group drive, auto-x, or just get together for dinner to chat about the car. This in turn forged strong friendship. The forum was vibrant and full of excitement. More than any individual the car was the glue that bonded us together. It’s the one common thread that we all have.

Over the years the core group left in many ways. Some unfortunately passed away. Some moved. Some grew tired of the bickering and left the forum. Many have sold their S2000, including myself. The car itself became stale and there’s not much else left to talk about that hasn’t been said already. Had Honda made a new S2000, I think things would have been much different. I and at least few others would still be S2000 owners. There would’ve been an injection of new S2000 owners. Forum topics would be more centered about all the new things about the new S2000 instead of “Yo, XXX” threads.

Bass

got me bill and while i agree with some of Scott's posts i disagree with other parts - ie the glue part

there was a time when it was all new and fun and we ALL got along - things change, people change BUT still the new folks today don't know about that so i would say that is not the issue
back then we didn't have people posting crap all the time and locking their own threads and being generally argumentative ( yup even me sometimes)

maybe it's a like a marriage – BUT I think we've pretty much done everything - we all know each other and certain clicks were born out of that.

Also as the car got cheaper maybe there is less comradely here as the younger folks hang with their own crew/ websites


heck I toughly enjoy hanging out with folks and wrenching like jeff, erick and I did a few weeks back and I enjoyed the car show meet you set up. I enjoyed helping Derek yank his engine with Joe and erick And I enjoy the friends I’ve acquired through this site – so I don’t know

people sell the cars – people have to watch the kids / grand kids – people don’t have the disposable income they once had – people grow tired of the same thing over and over -

I just don’t know


heck come to my Drive on the 13th and let’s discuss

ScottyBallistic

For those that voted that they would step up but the old timers control this place ......


I say STEP UP !!!!!!!!!!! . I have never seen a new member post a meet that was shot by a old member ????

Legal Bill

I'm glad to see some more votes.

Steve, I think that some of the wrenching meets are fine, but seriously, I don't think that builds a community or sustains it as a lot of folks are not going to travel to a meet to work on someone elses car. That may sound selfish, but it is just the way it is. I'm not saying no one will show up at all, just that a lot of folks are not going to be interested enough to make the trip. At least not until they really know everyone. You need more social meets for that.

PsychoBen

There WAS this one spirited group drive that got shot down...

I think group drive is what we need. Driving is still the one thing we have in common no matter the demographic or what car we drive. I hope to organize a VT drive later this year.

Bass

so drives, dinners, drinks car shows, cookie meets, Pirate parties

we've tried that

i also think it's the same folks who do the same thing and they are getting tired of it

i know Erick mentioned a "drinking and driving" meet so hopefully he organises that

HARDtoTOP

Yeah but Bill, what else can we really do besides wrench at this point?

Ben hit it on the head. When the car was new, it was exciting. New mods were being developed and everyone wanted to see the next guy raise his hood at a meet to see what the new stuff looked like. I enjoyed going broke buying everything and selling it for something new the next week (OK so I still do ). But, now there just aren't new mods being developed as the platform is ten years old.

The car is still fun, but it's just incapable of being the center piece any more. I talked about the car more with a few teens outside a parts store last week than I have with actual owners in years.

The social meets are great, but it's really not about the car anymore. The friendships have eclipsed that which is why the forum is secondary at best to anything that takes place anymore.

If it weren't for Erick and Steve, I would be wrenching at home most of the time. Thankfully, them and a few guys like Kenta are always doing something to keep me interested.

For me, this forum has morphed into two distinct parts: One being social meets that I enjoy as I would with any of my friends that don't visit S2Ki. Secondly (and my favorite by far) is wrenching with guys like Erick, Steve and Kenta. I only mention those three because for the most part they are the only ones who routinely get involved with nuts and bolts and are close enough for me to hang out with. There is the occasional person that wants help with something and is then gone like a fart in the wind, but for the most part, those three guys keep it fun for me. In the old days, everyone was wrenching and it was great.

It's just different now. There is less excitement to the whole thing. Good, bad or indifferent.. it is what it is.