I liked this forum when I found it (actually, when RobG pointed me toward it) because it was actually an Isuzu forum, and an active one at that! I had 50 times more questions than answers, and I got hit with "this has been covered a lot, try a search" a few times in the beginning. But it never came across as hostile and once I searched, I usually found that it had been covered before.

I'm a pretty quick learner, and information about something that interests me just sticks in my head with little effort. Now I have been around the forum for awhile, and answer 50 times more questions than I ask. I like to feel that I hand out some good info/experience...... and I have been known to hand out a "this has been covered a lot, try a search" from time to time, but its never meant to be hostile.

My point here being that, as with everything in life, this forum is running in a continuous cycle. New people join, not knowing exactly how the forum works and get their wrists slapped a few times. They either decide its not for them and move on, or find a groove in the system and start gaining experience. New newbies come, and the old newbies have become regulars that answer a lot of the basic questions (probably the same ones they were asking a few months before), the previous regulars become old timers that handle the more in-depth stuff, and the previous old timers appear less and less active from day to day, but when they do post, they usually floor you with their knowledge.

And each day the forum gets a little off-track. Its really minute things, so the moderators let it slide for awhile. But tiny step by tiny step it moves until one day one of the moderators or other members look and realize its a little further from the original plan than it should be. One or several of the mods start getting more strict and letting less of the petty stuff slide and reminding members what this forum is and isn't about. Some feelings get hurt in the process, but most wounds heal up and the forum is more back to its roots........... only for the cycle to start over again. Nothing wrong with it, that's just how things work on The Wire's Isuzu pages......... and everywhere else in life. I wouldn't change the way this forum works at all <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

As an admin at the Aztek Fan Club (www.aztekfanclub.com), I thought I might throw in my .02...

On our forums, there are very specific rules that some don't agree with, but that guarantee that everyone has an enjoyable experience.

Yes... It is MY website, technically speaking, but it is the members that make it worth having. Therefore, once a member has been active (more than 100 posts), proves to have useful info, and truly "gets it", we nominate that person to be a moderator. All the other mods vote on whether or not that person would serve well as a mod, and then if the majority shows that it is favorable, I approach them and ask if they have any interest in doing so. If they do, then I go over some details with them, and they are in. In over a year, we have about 6 moderators. We don't just go around nominating everyone, but by selecting the best of the board so to speak, we not only have good mods, but the board actually gets run "by the members" so to speak. It really works out well, and everyone is happy. We have a policy about deleting "questionable" posts... It is moved to the moderators area and then voted on by the mods. If the majority say "delete it" then it is gone... otherwise, it goes back to where it came from.

You can't make everyone happy all the time, but if you can make most happy most of the time, then you have something!Just thought I would share.

Great replies. I will have some more time to dedicate to a response later today. I appreciate everyones's comments. A few things I expected, a few things are new.

Keep them coming.

Michael

Please bear in mind too, Michael, that the nature of the moderators job means that if everyone is 'playing nice' there isn't much to do (um, aside from sharing your immense technical knowledge! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />).

I'm sure a lot of it is like any customer service type position...if things are going good, few think to thank you for it. If something gets testy, you can be darn sure you'll get flamed!

So, (as others have done) let me take the time now to thank you and all the moderators for their unpaid work to keep these forums working!

THE RULES have been stated several times (and dusted off and re-presented when necessary) and it seems to me that you are all pretty consistant in holding us to them. I don't think we can ask for more than that!

Jay

It's all a big love-fest in here.

Of course, that's because all my posts stating what draconian nazi's on a power trip all you moderators are keep getting deleted. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

It's a joke, people. (I've learned to put that dislaimer on my posts.)

I feel as I need to speak up here, as I may very well be the straw that broke the camels back. I had posted something I thought was somewhat of a technical topic but I was unsure talk or tech?

I deleted my post and moved it to talk. Not only did I do this because I wasn't getting any answers but I questioned the actual technical nature of the subject. It wasn't really mechanical, i.e. asking about ring gaps on a rebuild or how to rebuild a carb or something.

Long story short I got pissed when my post was moved right back to where I was getting very little responses.

I guess it would be good to have a better line of communication as far as what's Talk and what's Tech.

I mean to me an electrical issue isn't necessarily tech. It could be a power window issue or installing a head unit. Both are electrical, right?

Well I turely think that this board is invaluable and all those involved, posters as well as those who moderate us get my utmost respect. That doesn't mean I won't get pissed off when I don't understand something but life goes on. And I do want to follow the rules.

I guess that's why I got upset to begin with, I thought I was following the rules by deleteing the original post and replacing it in the Talk section.

And as for the "use the search feature" comment I see all the time, I try and anwser every question I know how to, and at the end of the answer I tell them that there is a search feature that is avaliable to them. Of cousre the search feature used to be a joke. I'd type a message and try and search for my own dang message about a week later and the search wouldn't find it. I will say it's much better now.

So all in all I feel you guys do a great job, but a better set of rules or description of where posts should reside would be handy.

Joe

Well I guess I could step up to the plate.I love this place!I am a member of many forums but the first one I check is this one.I have gotten more information and met more friends than anywhere else.When I say friends I really mean it....we go wheelin together and they have even let me use their garages or come help me with something of mine.Basically I wouldn't have stuck around or at least not posted if I didn't like the way it was run.I don't believe I have been slapped yet but I'm sure my time is coming...LOL.

The only issue I see is the whole cross posting thing.I saw a fella from the Mitsu board(think that's where he was from) and he got a major smack for asking a question over here and sent back yellpin'.That ain't right.If I have a question about a Mitsu say for my mom and ask over there am I gonna get spanked because I asked a question???If we are all "THE WIRE" shouldn't we all be able to intermingle???I have gone wheeling with the Toy guys here in Indy and heaven forbid I go post on "their" baord to tell them what a great time I had.I know there are Trailriding boards for just this reason but unfortunately I myself do not have all nite to stay on one board.

Sorry if that whole thing sounded mean because it wasn't ment to at all.I would just like to see the ability to cross post once in a while for the benifit of all.I know that can clutter a thread but if you have a question about a Toy axle for the big change over it would be nice to ask someone questions that owns that particular axle.

OK I'm done.I really do enjoy this place and that would be my only change.One more suggestion befor I leave...How about having a sticky up top with the general newbie type of questions answered in one place.Have the tire sizes and backspacing and ticking issues all in one spot and then if there are further questions they can ask.

PS I want my Pirate Smiley Face Back. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

That's a great idea. if i may tweak it just a bit, i'd suggest archiving some threads featuring the aforementioned newbie questions. That way, when sent directly to the archives rather than the search feature, they're sure to find the best of the best threads. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
BTW, can I fit 33s on my 1st gen.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

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The above quote was one of many that I found reverberating in this thread. [color:"Red"](Well aside from the fact that you MODS ROCK!)[/color] But with that in mind - does a general FAQ exist? Something that is short and sweet but has all the testy bits like - what you should and should not discuss, actions that are not tolerated, and most importantly some REAL Frequently Asked Questions like those that hopa2000 pointed out.
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If this does exist - then I'm a little slow in finding it. If it doesn't, should it? If so, can I help you MODS put it together?

Just a thought! -Molly
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OK I am officially everything we just discussed in this thread that makes us all crazy! A Newbee - I didn't even get to the end of the second page before posting my wildly NEW FAQ idea <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" /> So with that said. Um Yeah - What those guys said!
*grin* -Molly