Where am I?

[Fenman]

I'm pondering if I've signed up to the wrong place, I was expecting a community forum about cars etc and in my insomnia fuelled venturing at quarter past sparrowfart this morning I've come across:

Arrogant/aggressive/unpleasant members taking chucks out of people for being helpful or daring to ask a silly question
The sort of inane junk my wife moans about on netmums
Discovering this is not a community forum but just another Haymarket wheeze
Endless advertising including Pistonheads tyres, which seems a bit self serving to me
Mixed in with a smidge of genuinely helpful advice

Or perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong part of the forum?

[Sway]

There's all of that, and more.

However, as a community I've been both recipient, participant and observer of some of the largest acts of kindness and support for people who are, after all, strangers...

What sort of stuff are you into? Non motoring, the specialist fora are full of enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful people. The lounge is a reprobates corner, however some great humour and a generally friendly banter that's as good as you'll find anywhere.

There has been a bit of a shift over the last few years - the forums have become more popular, and therefore there isn't the same awareness of other posters, which leads to misunderstandings, too blunt comments which get taken the wrong way, etc.

After all, its a bunch of blokes (and laydeez) wittering on anonymously on the internet - in text. So yes, there are some aholes, but most of the time it's handbags due to misreading the tone of posts etc.

Welcome, hope you like the place and stick around. If not, well hey ho, but give it a chance, there's a reason its so popular...

[ukwill]

Feel free to find another forum. Obviously this one isn't for you.

[Oggs]

swerni said:

There's nothing stopping you staying if you don't like it.

Yep

[MrBarry123]

Yes OP, you're on the wrong forum.

Probably more suited to one discussing whether Always or Bodyform is better.

[Fenman]

Or perhaps a more mature person looking for advice not childish bickering and cheap shots?

[quiraing]

Fenman said:

I'm pondering if I've signed up to the wrong place, I was expecting a community forum about cars etc and in my insomnia fuelled venturing at quarter past sparrowfart this morning I've come across:

Arrogant/aggressive/unpleasant members taking chucks out of people for being helpful or daring to ask a silly question
The sort of inane junk my wife moans about on netmums
Discovering this is not a community forum but just another Haymarket wheeze
Endless advertising including Pistonheads tyres, which seems a bit self serving to me
Mixed in with a smidge of genuinely helpful advice

Or perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong part of the forum?

Check out the thread re Stolen Escort Mex V8 and the support shown for the OP of that thread.
Also, no advertising means no website. No one is obliged to purchase anything.
But, anyway, post up your request for advice and see what happens.

Edited by quiraing on Friday 6th March 08:11

[ukwill]

Fenman said:

Or perhaps a more mature person looking for advice not childish bickering and cheap shots?

Or, you're a whole 5 posts in and you've already put the backs up of a whole lot of people. Yes, I'm sure that makes people really want to help you out.

[Fenman]

Yes, awaiting help on a new lease for an NX, fingers crossed I get some helpful advice

[PorkInsider]

Fenman said:

I'm pondering if I've signed up to the wrong place, I was expecting a community forum about cars etc and in my insomnia fuelled venturing at quarter past sparrowfart this morning I've come across:

Arrogant/aggressive/unpleasant members taking chucks out of people for being helpful or daring to ask a silly question
The sort of inane junk my wife moans about on netmums
Discovering this is not a community forum but just another Haymarket wheeze
Endless advertising including Pistonheads tyres, which seems a bit self serving to me
Mixed in with a smidge of genuinely helpful advice

Or perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong part of the forum?

You've obviously not looked around enough, yet.

Have you not happened upon PH's very own online fake SAS regiment? Or the PH UKIP appreciation society, or the 'winter tyres: should I or shouldn't I?' thread?

I think you need to spend more time here before judging PH as you have done.

[Hoink]

Fenman said:

Or perhaps a more mature person looking for advice not childish bickering and cheap shots?

It can't be that bad. You're still here

[Fenman]

It's been less than 24 hours, the forum is still on probation

[thatdude]

Welcome to the fking internet

Now ps off




(don't actually leave, I'm just joking - every forum everywhere has users who like to stir up some trouble or get wound up by others)

[Fenman]

Very funny, seriously though I never understood why people feel it necessary to be wantonly arrogant/ argumentative just because they hide behind a keyboard! Plus they talk like this in public?

[LordGrover]

Perhaps a little time reading the various forums before joining would've been wise, OP?
It's not as though it's changed in the short while since you joined.
Some of the the long-termers may be justified in such comments, but noobs like OP and me should maybe reserve judgment.

[V8forweekends]

Fenman said:

Or perhaps a more mature person looking for advice not childish bickering and cheap shots?

I only come here for that.

[Bennet]

Fenman said:

I've come across:

Arrogant/aggressive/unpleasant members taking chucks out of people for being helpful or daring to ask a silly question
The sort of inane junk my wife moans about on netmums
...
Mixed in with a smidge of genuinely helpful advice

You just have to learn which threads to get involved in and which to leave alone.

Where anything controversial is being discussed, the trick is to get in on a thread early while it's still funny and relatively civilised. Once it reaches much more than 6 or 7 pages, stay clear. Most people worth talking to will have said their piece and left.

I've learned a lot from this forum. If nothing else, it's worth sticking around just to hear other perspectives on driving attitudes. It makes you more tolerant when you see it on the roads.

[V8forweekends]

Fenman said:

Very funny, seriously though I never understood why people feel it necessary to be wantonly arrogant/ argumentative just because they hide behind a keyboard! Plus they talk like this in public?

I've never understood people who moan on about "maturity" and "hiding" behind a keyboard (which would be flip all use in my case, I'm much, much bigger than a keyboard).

Every day one the road, people cut me up and treat me in a way they wouldn't do face to face - do I whine about them "hiding" in their tin box? (well OK I do a bit) But seriously, it's the internet - get used to it or go and visit the Disney Princesses site or something.

[V8forweekends]

Bennet said:

You just have to learn which threads to get involved in and which to leave alone.

Where anything controversial is being discussed, the trick is to get in on a thread early while it's still funny and relatively civilised. Once it reaches much more than 6 or 7 pages, stay clear. Most people worth talking to will have said their piece and left.

I've learned a lot from this forum. If nothing else, it's worth sticking around just to hear other perspectives on driving attitudes. It makes you more tolerant when you see it on the roads.

Agreed. It's useful to hear other's opinions and it's a great place to test out whether you've got too far up yourself.

[robinessex]

Where else would you find out such useful information such as hammering frozen sausages into an 'awkward' neighbours lawn. Or arouse the spelling and grammar police, pulling to pieces your latest masterpiece posting. And hating your choice of car. Pick the right topic though, and you'll wet yourself laughing. Look up some of the historical (hysterical ?) topics. But not in the office though. Here's one to start you off:-

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by robinessex on Friday 6th March 09:14