I've been on this forum longer then most of my relationships.. I help when I can, I moderate when I have to, and I find my own little joy in this site everyday..

I couldn't ask for anything more myself

 

Well, there's really only so much that can be known about this car, but new owners with "new-owner jitters" will always be around. So for the "old timers", after a while, they've seen and read and commented on just about all the main issues there are related to the S2000.

Frankly, I don't really mind too terribly if somebody reposts something that could've been found using "Search" because being a new owner, and new to s2ki, I might not have seen or known about a particular issue that somebody has just rediscovered.

For example, when I first joined s2ki, there were threads on oil fires that've happened after recent oil changes. But I haven't seen a thread on one of those in a while. I am glad to have read about it before however, because now I know to be doubly certain about making sure all the old gasket material from the old oil filter has been removed before twisting on a new one. And hey, if somebody posts on it again, that is fine by me because that's just another reminder to double-check that next time. In fact, consider what I just posted a reminder-- for those of you about to get an oil change.

For the old timers, I'm sure it does get old responding with the same advice (don't VTEC w/ less than 2 bars is a common one), and so pretty soon they stop replying. But there are medium-timers who will reply, and the newbies will appreciate it. And if the medium-timers don't know, or have failed to post a small but important side-note, I hope the old-timers will chime in. That way, everybody stays well-informed, and the support structure of our little community is sustained.

in an ideal world, I should hope s2ki.com is structured something like this:

newbies (like me): just bought the car, are completely enamored, want to make sure that it is taken care of in the absolute best manner possible, and appreciate all advice shared by those who have owned the S2000 for some time.

medium-timers: know about a majority of the quirks and (thankfully few) issues of the S2000. they still actively post, and help people out, despite the fact that they see some of the same issues cropping up again and again. hey, they were once newbies.

old-timers: know pretty much all there is to know about the S2000 due in large part to their having been members of s2ki for some time, and primarily for having owned the S2000 for a while. they may not post as often, but when they do, their long-time experience with the S2000 is much appreciated.

and with my brief suggestion for the site owners/moderators:
non-owners should be limited to some small ppd # and definitely should be limited in the number of new threads they can start. why? because for me the really annoying clutter on the site is from kids who post silly crap. they do not own the car, and although they may be enthusiasts, how about just reading about the car in postings by actual owners, and perhaps occasionally commenting on something they may be expert in, rather than cluttering the site with their commentary about the S2000 that is often unfounded. I think it'd cut down on a lot of the flamers too, frankly.

So, I think s2ki is far from old or defunct. That's like calling a well-stocked library defunct just because it's got a lot of old information. Sure, maybe I don't need to worry about the plastic rear window (since I have an '03), but somebody who just bought a used '00 does, and they might not have even known to concern themselves about how it folds down, putting a towel back there, etc. There may not be a lot of new info coming out about the S2000, but when you've said it all, and when Honda has left S2000s pretty much unchanged for 4 yrs, there's only so much info to be had.

frankly, I'm glad this "library" is well-stocked with a lot of old info, even if a bunch of it is redundant. I'm likewise very thankful to those who stick around and make sure that the info being added, updated or re-hashed is in fact accurate, based on their long-time ownership of this magnificent car.

 

Burnout and turnover happen on every forum. The initial wave of excitement when the S2000 first came out couldn't be sustained forever, same thing will happen on the 350Z forums a few years from now. The problems get worked out, the knowledge base increases, FAQ's get created which (hopefully) reduce the repetitive questions. The search function on this forum is excellent, I can almost always find my answers without even asking anyone.

Since I'm fairly new here, my perspective of the forum is that it is very friendly and helpful. The depth of knowledge is a great resource, especially for new owners like myself.

I don't know what the forum used to be like, but I can tell you that it is very good as far as I'm concerned.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tritium_pie
[B]Well, there's really only so much that can be known about this car, but new owners with "new-owner jitters" will always be around.

 

As a newbie, I have found this site to be a tremendous help. I try to not ask stupid questions without first doing a search. Very good point about items like the oil fire risk - I'm new enough to not have seen that one and would not have thought to search for it. Now I know.

I am a senior member of a couple car forums, and I have seen the exact same thing happen elsewhere. Lots of excitement with a new model or version, then time goes by, people leave and a few hardcore nuts remain as the old-time senior members. Other comers may stick around to become old-timers. Newbies continue to ask the same questions that were first answered years ago. Still great information to be found here.

For me, a big part of the enjoyment of ownership is participating in an online community devoted to the car. Online forums excel as a way to communicate and share experiences with other people that can directly relate. An S2000 is an odd thing where I live, very few of them around and most don't know or care about them. It must have been rough to be an enthusiast pre-Internet and not have access to info outside of monthly magazines and car club rumors.

 

I have been a member of Maxima forum for 5 years.( I still am) and we have this phenomenon there too. Its enevitable. All car forums, computer forums, military forums, ALL forums/online communities go through this stages. Some veterans will "retire" since they get tired of answering the now obvious questions, but other newbies (now a respectable veteran, but once newbies themselves) will step up and fill in the gap. But yes when the old timers do respond to a thread, it usually contains very valuable and meaty information. But what surprised me about the s2ki board is how ACTIVE it still is. Its the most active of any forums I've visited. And if this is a died down version, I can't imagine what it was like when the s2000's first came out !!

There are only so much new things we can talk about on cars, computers, whatever. And that is perfectly normal. When you meet up with friends, do you always talk about NEW stuff? prolly not. we always usually talk about the same stuff over and over, but its still fun. lol. and thats how it is with online communities too, IMO. just a sign that the most important information have been covered and that the board is maturing and settling down.

 

Also, I'm sure many of us have made new friends as a result of being on this site - even if we didn't come out here with that in mind. To me that is a big plus. Don't you think so? Looks like a pretty nice day shaping up...Happy driving y'all!!

 

I must be a slow learner. My PPD number has risen over the past six months. Having been a member for almost three years, it takes quite a bit to budge the number.

Also, I've not heard of any recent #4 cylinder failures. Has anyone else?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barry WY Silver/Black '01
[B]I must be a slow learner.

 

The search function works great for me if I use the advance features and refine the search a few times.

It takes, sometimes, 2 or 3 tries, but I almost always get the answers I'm looking for.

If I were to post, asking the "same old question", it would take me longer to get a real answer.