Thread: Lots of silent members on here.

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Tis subject comes up on all forums and is normal in any large group. 10% of the people do 90% of the work/posting. For me it's a time factor. I have work all day mon to fri. I don't usually have time to post or a bunch of other people have already replied. How many attaboys does anyone need after every build post? When I get home it's family time. I usually have work to do in the shop or work on the house etc after that.
The other factor is I find that unless you post on a regular basis you don't get a lot of replies or attaboys, meaning no encouragement for further posting.
Bottom line is priorities, whether it's posting or building a car. Unless you make it a priority to do what you want something else will get done first or nothing will get done. I had that building my 47 Mercury pickup, I put it first and wanted it done. It got done, now I can drive it.
I like seeing what other people are doing and that's why I read this forum. I can read a lot faster than I can type. This post will take me about 30 minutes, so how many posts can do in a day?
This is not slam against any one on the forum, I enjoy most postings. Just had to express my lurking point of view.

Thanks for listening.

Lightspeed Mike

I am also guilty as charged. I'm not building anything right now, but check in every day. I won't bore you with excuses, but will try to answer posts more often. This place also feels like home to me, so I wil try to be more verbal.

Hmm! What else is left to be said - already been said - got nothing to add that's pertinent.

Just because I don't talk, it doesn't mean I don't like you all. I can be annoyingly noisy sometimes, so I have learned to keep my yap shut most of the time, and my ears and eyes open, and my radar on high gain; saves on having to put up with black eyes and busted noses and knuckles, even figurative ones.

Later.

Some of you have touched on an item that keeps me from posting... discussions that have already happened before. How many of us would go to a "party", if the conversation was exactly the same as last week? Maybe we need to think more about new topics.

I like to be helpful to newcomers with paint & body problems, but at some point... about 20-40 related threads ago... I got tired of giving advise about things I have found dependable. It is like going back to that "party" for the 41st time! ...so I simply "click out", and look for other subjects. Of course this makes a newcomer question why so few responded to his thread, the first time he posted.

I will see if I can bring some new topics to the table. This hobby is always changing, so there are some new discussions on the horizon somewhere. :-)

Jay, since most of us garage types are in the dark when it comes to bodywork and painting, maybe at your convenience you could do a thread about how a pro, like you, go about painting a car. I know it would be a big task, and you have a living to make, but it might save you in the future from having to go over and over the same things. I, for one, would love to read a thread done by someone of your caliber on this subject.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Jay, since most of us garage types are in the dark when it comes to bodywork and painting, maybe at your convenience you could do a thread about how a pro, like you, go about painting a car. I know it would be a big task, and you have a living to make, but it might save you in the future from having to go over and over the same things. I, for one, would love to read a thread done by someone of your caliber on this subject.

Don

Don, I don't know about my "caliber" :-) ... but when it comes to painting, I am somewhat of a dinosaur. I have arrived at my materials choices, and routine, by a process of elimination. I don't like to spend a lot of time and expense on things that have not proven themselves to be necessary.... but I insist on those things that do make a difference. This approach gives me the confidence to guarantee the work indefinately... but not add unnecessary cost to the jobs, which might cause "price driven" customers to go elsewhere. As a result, I have been able to work steady, even in an economy like we have right now.

My approach does not sit well with todays typical painter. My feeling is that they overthink much of the process, include every trick-of- the-week product or technique, and as a result spend extra time and money on things that I have not found to be of any real value. Whenever I have voiced this opinion, I come under heavy criticism from others... so I would rather not start another debate. ...but thanks for the compliment. :-)

Well guys,awesome replies to Don's (post whore) first post here and so happy to see some replies from guys whose names I havn't seen before,well done. And yes I agree with those that mentioned work and family commitments come first,its is a fine balancing act thats for sure,and I would think that Family would come first in everybodies book,so very important as we all have such a short life here on earth that family bonding is so important for our future generations.
I also would like to think that nobody here will judge one if what they may of written or asked seems to be stupid as I know that some times my brain can't tell my fingers the exact right words to type like now.

Originally Posted by Rrumbler

Hmm! What else is left to be said - already been said - got nothing to add that's pertinent.

Just because I don't talk, it doesn't mean I don't like you all. I can be annoyingly noisy sometimes, so I have learned to keep my yap shut most of the time, and my ears and eyes open, and my radar on high gain; saves on having to put up with black eyes and busted noses and knuckles, even figurative ones.

Later.

Me to!

Somedays I only get a moment or two to "check in" between flights or trips.

And one other thing, you really do need to wear that extra skin layer sometimes when posting a reply. I know I've had... "discussions" ... when an opposing view feels that I'm a complete moron for offering an opinion or thought. After a couple of those, I'll usually just keep to myself for awhile, 'til the skin heals over anyway!

I am here everyday at some point although not always logged on, I read more than I post only because I know little, don`t want to sound to silly given my age but still support everybody here, I`m only involved in one other site and spend less time there than I do here, working 12 hr shifts 6-days a week and the honeydo`s just keep rolling in, I `m retiring in 9 months maybe then I`ll become the post whore....

Aaaaaa-the silent majority.Yes it is a issue on all forums.This one not being exempt.But I served as a Admin on a forum for two yrs and "some posts" I did wish where never posted by members.

I just think this site has many topics covered very well.You know the minute you think you know it all,your dead wrong.So I believe these forums act as a huge learning tool.That is if your willing to learn new things.

When guys post knowledge on a topic,we all benefit.It ant quantity,but the quality of the posts that seems to be the trait of this site.

I post when I believe I have value to add, which is not too often. I have evolved to not posting so much detail on my build thread, because as a first time builder the things that are meaningfuil to me are trivial to the experienced builders. I don't jump on every new member intro with a big welcome, as I have not been here long enough to be "inner circle" welcoming others to the fold, and I don't want to be perceived as a WalMart greeter for CHR .