5th Gen Forum Problem

[1engineer]

Let's get some things out in the open shall we?

Let's invite some people to the conversation first: Are you out there [MENTION=5653]admin[/MENTION] [MENTION=165]momo.75[/MENTION] [MENTION=25058]ChildrenOfBodom[/MENTION] [MENTION=58830]JWaldz[/MENTION]? If you are then here is the issue, explained by a guy who has been here for awhile and has read most of the posts.

The problem:
Over the past several months the level of animosity has increased between some members in the 5th gen sub forum. Sure, we all know that compared to other life problems this is not even a blip on the radar but for some, especially those with thin skin, no knowledge of forum banter, no sense of humor guys and those who have delicate feelings but these guys get mad. When people get mad they type things they shouldn't and when they do other people type things they shouldn't and it turns into a pissing contest. I will be the first to admit that I personally have not done anything to help matters. My only saving grace is I treat everyone equally. No matter what you own or who you are if you type an opinion and state it as fact or you type a rumor or myth and swear by it and I happen to know it's false then I will respond.

Many posts here are made in jest or are sarcastic. Unfortunately there is no funny or sarcasm font so many get the wrong idea.

Also there have been harsh and vindictive posts made by people no matter what thy own or who they are. That's wrong everywhere. This needs to stop.

Another problem is, since the 5th gen sales keep going up, is we have many more noobs coming here and asking questions that have been answered 100 times. A simple search would give them the answer but they don't. People tell them to search, others jump on the people who are saying to search and it turns into a threadmess.

The solution:
We can blame it on newbies, blame it on people who buy a certain trim level or blame it on the old guys (me) as the problem. The truth is it is none of the above! Sure, it would be better if the new guys searched, the old guys were more tolerant and the TRD PRO guys realized they only have a special edition 4Runner instead of the most coolest vehicle ever produced lol. In reality all the above would only be part of the solution.

The rest of the solution falls squarely on the shoulders of [MENTION=5653]admin[/MENTION] and the moderators. Even the most utopian place on earth needs law enforcement. Shoot, Mayberry even needed Andy every now and then!

There needs to be a moderator for this sub forum. In addition to everyone being a bit nicer the moderator will keep the peace.

Why don't we have one yet after Jesse1983 left? You guys tell me. I have personally sent a few pm's to [MENTION=5653]admin[/MENTION] asking for one. I know several others that have do this too.

A moderator would be able to merge those newbie question threads into existing threads on the same topic.

A moderator would step in and say "Cool It" before the thread turned nuclear and people got hurt feelings.

A moderator could move those annoying threads that shouldn't be here in the first place.


Bottom line: We all (especially me) could be nicer and moore respectful and tolerant. With that said we are still human and have those pesky things called emotions. The best intentions would eventually lead to anarchy without some type of offical peacekeeper. Anyway this is what I think. Thanks for reading.

 

[jdtaylor42]

I have to admit, when I joined this forum I was like "that engineer dude is kind of a jerk" buuuuuuuuuut all the times you said to "SEARCH!" led me to, you guessed it, search! Lol. This prevented me from posting new threads and finding literally ALL of the answers I was looking for in existing threads. :thumb:

 

[1engineer]

I have to admit, when I joined this forum I was like "that engineer dude is kind of a jerk" buuuuuuuuuut all the times you said to "SEARCH!" led me to, you guessed it, search! Lol. This prevented me from posting new threads and finding literally ALL of the answers I was looking for in existing threads. :thumb:

I am a jerk but I am an equal opportunity jerk.

Forgive they typos above. I typed it on my flip phone...

 

[Titanpat57]

I had to erase this twice, but you are right Greg....I like a good brawl as much as anyone, but I sense the PC crowd has infected the 4runner landscape, and like all things in life that can't be equal, their not sure how to deal with it.

I'm glad the Pro guys have something unique, because at the end of the day, we're all trying to do that with the same product.

It would be nice if the waterheads would search...but trying to embarrass them gets old as well....their stupidity wears you down. Some civility would go a long way, as well as some folks following some very basic rules. I do think it's in people's nature to help one another out.

 

[4RnR Grl]

When it comes down to it, we all drive the same truck and come here for help, technical advice, friendship, offroad tips, build ideas and to share what we've done to our own truck with others. This is a community.

When it comes to brass tax, every community has rules... I encourage every member here to go back and read the forum rules. Then hit up the FAQ section. After you've done that, learn to use the search feature (not as easy from a smart phone via tapatalk as I've found). There is really very little that has not been discussed at length. If you need to revive an older thread to get the answer you seek, do it. This can help other members as well. There are many members who have contributed a lot of knowledge here that may not be around anymore. Read the build threads. You can learn SO MUCH from these threads, not only about a member's build but also about their personality.

Read as much as you can. Stay away from threads you are not interested in. Learn from other's mistakes. Give positive feedback and be kind to one another.

 

[Panzerpatty]

It would be nice if the waterheads would search...but trying to embrass them gets old as well....their stupidity wears you down.

Lets be honest here. This forum is organized like a 2005 video game forum. The search function is trash and even when it does work you find 10001 page of comments %99 of which are garbage and you dont know who to trust. When I first joined the 5th gen section of april 2015 I was simply overwhelmed. You will never be able to reasonably ask people to read thousands of pages of comments to choose a lift, esp when it's just for looks. Ultimately it's our responsibility to help these people find reliable info quick without posting and completely or continues to deal with the new owner questions.

The FAQs need to be cleaned up. A lot of them are obsolete or the pics link to 404s. I understand that many of the OGs of the forum put a ton of work into stickys and such in 2011 but stuff has changed in 4 years.

So heres what happens at the end of the day with the current set up and culture of this forum: most people come here, try to figure things out on their own, get overwhelmed, ask a question, get berated for not searching and being a noob, then leave while saying 'what a bunch of a$$wipes'. So the core group of people get to drive off the noobs and 'clean up their forum' but it does not build a community at all. Turning this place into a huge circlejerk with no new thoughts or insight.

As to people being too emotional or sh!t talking eachother I think it boils down to the fact that peoples egos get linked with the forum. =D

:ak472:

 

[phillyd2]

All well and good as there is not much to disagree with. But one still can't escape the simple fact that we hummed along just fine without any of the drama for many many years.

The search function has always sucked. There were always new members joining. Sarcasm was our middle name. Moderation has always been minimal.

If we are really being honest here.........if not, carry on.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

5th Gen forum has always been this way, The dog-whistle effect of the TRD not withstanding. It's just part of this forum's eco system: not for the thin skinned. It has gotten really out of control recently though.

It was someone new in their SR5, Trail, or Limited asking basically the same questions and getting the same responses - but now there is the extra sensitivity/scrutiny based solely on their model of choice. I mean, c'mon, "Can I lift my Trail with out removing KDSS?" has been asked as much as "Can I do x to my TRD??".

Want it to change? Clean up the FAQs and add more stickies for the commonly asked questions which already have excellent community made guides (lift, tire clearances/sizes, etc...) would be a good start.

 

[Panzerpatty]

You think we should just ignore the issues and keep trucking on as usual? Genuine question.

All well and good as there is not much to disagree with. But one still can't escape the simple fact that we hummed along just fine without any of the drama for many many years.

The search function has always sucked. There were always new members joining. Sarcasm was our middle name. Moderation has always been minimal.

If we are really being honest here.........if not, carry on.

 

[1engineer]

All well and good as there is not much to disagree with. But one still can't escape the simple fact that we hummed along just fine without any of the drama for many many years.

The search function has always sucked. There were always new members joining. Sarcasm was our middle name. Moderation has always been minimal.

If we are really being honest here.........if not, carry on.

I am Dave.
Many more people.
No moderation.
Special edition
Way more noobs
99.7% of questions asked and answered.


For those complaining about the search function: Google it guys. It will bring you back here to a good thread.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

For those complaining about the search function: Google it guys. It will bring you back here to a good thread.

Let's be fair though, newbies have been getting yelled at for not reading that thread since it was created... in 2012.

 

[mnofpeace]

I am a jerk but I am an equal opportunity jerk.

Forgive they typos above. I typed it on my flip phone...

and i think the first rule is...

NO MORE FLIP PHONE TYPING...!!!

Use a keyboard for heavens' sake :drum:



oh, and thanks to the Engineer for the oil change question from WAY back...you rock dude.

oh, can we make jokes yet

 

[msp]

Here's the distortion: the new people aren't a bother. They shouldn't be hazed like they're inconveniencing the regulars. They're simply ignorant. As am I most of the time. I'm sure the moderators have better things to do than respond every time one of us complains "tell Timmy to stop looking at me!"

Repeat posts/questions should simply be ignored if they're irritating. Someone will pipe in about search or maybe provide a link. The kind of community you have here is a choice. If there is a problem, it is one the we are all responsible for creating. Dogging someone who is enthusiastic about being here, or who is asking a question because they want to part of the community, makes no sense.

And now, I will go back to ignoring [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]. A gent whose posts I have benefited greatly from. Thank you for your contributions.

 

[1engineer]

5th Gen forum has always been this way, The dog-whistle effect of the TRD not withstanding. It's just part of this forum's eco system: not for the thin skinned. It has gotten really out of control recently though.

It was someone new in their SR5, Trail, or Limited asking basically the same questions and getting the same responses - but now there is the extra sensitivity/scrutiny based solely on their model of choice. I mean, c'mon, "Can I lift my Trail with out removing KDSS?" has been asked as much as "Can I do x to my TRD??".

Want it to change? Clean up the FAQs and add more stickies for the commonly asked questions which already have excellent community made guides (lift, tire clearances/sizes, etc...) would be a good start.

One thing everyone agrees on: Nobody reads the stickies or the FAQ's. I spent a lot of time creating the Tire Fitment Guide. That question is asked at least twice a week and it is at the top of the FAQ. Moderator is what we need.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

One thing everyone agrees on: Nobody reads the stickies or the FAQ's. I spent a lot of time creating the Tire Fitment Guide. That question is asked at least twice a week and it is at the top of the FAQ. Moderator is what we need.

It's a great guide too, but I always forgot it is buried in a FAQ somewhere and linked to it off of your signature until I finally bookmarked it.

More moderators, better stickies/FAQs (consolidation of information), and a better reaction to newbies can't hurt.

This is not a unique problem to this forum though. New people coming in and asking the same question for the umpteenth time is simply just an internet 'thing'. It's going to happen. The community just needs to decide how they want to deal with it.

 

[jrandom]

I like popcorn and sarcasm.

Ya'll need to wake up *sarcasm* to the fact that the interwebz sucks. You have to be a nimble and crafty person to draw good meaningful search results anywhere, particularly on google, that aren't just ads to buy more crap or infect your mind with BS or draw you to click-bait sites.

Seriously the search everywhere sucks IF you don't know how to do it.

I haven't been here all that long, the couple months I wandered before I joined, this sub-forum was way different. Hey I am all for change, especially good, some of the crap is just crazy. I haven't ever see so many of these ************** in the last two years as I have seen this summer. I don't really care all that much, it just gets old listening to people cry about stupid 1st world problem stuff.

Some people get there mind set and there is nothing anyone can say to change they mind except a person known to be a good judge of moral authority, an individual that knows and enforces the ordo regularum See need->:mod:

In all honesty it is nice to have a forum, a huge 2D/3D CG forum (550k members) I used to frequent daily starting roughly in '01, has all but moved over to Facebook. You want to see a clusterf^^^, every tried to search Facebook? I asked a good friend why he felt everyone was leaving our particular sub-forum, he told me because you get faster feedback (because the minutes or hours for response on the forum were too slow) Then I asked well what about finding old information, he said, you just ask again! LOL Talk about a lesson in futility. I still go to that old forum and answer questions and help the folks that still visit because I refuse to write the same answers to the same questions over and over again. I can point to threads I have written in the past or copy/paste. Just thought I would share that for some perspective.

 

[4runnerTRDPR0]

I think part of the problem also might be age/maturity .... That's something none of us can fix for somebody else ...but yes... I agree with OP, moderator would probably be best

 

[Auntie Soshul]

The current batch of newbies need to be welcomed to the forum by [MENTION=81573]Stifler[/MENTION]. I believe that would straighten everything out. Is he still around?

 

[nb rob]

trd pro subforum.

piece of cake.

 

[nb rob]

but an active moderator seems like a must on a forum with this much traffic