Wow, that title looks much more stupidly snobby in print than I intended. Sorry. I wasn't really sure about where to post this one but I posted it here because I figured most of the moderators and long-term S2KI observers who might have any useful opinions or suggestions would probably notice it here.
Due to the nature of my job (I go to sea for a living) I sometimes go 6+ months without checking anything on the internet (a travesty I know) So I may be in a better position to observe long-term trends than those who are here every day.
I just want to say that I really enjoy this site and REALLY appreciate the job all the moderators/administrators do trying to keep things civil and orderly around here.( Yes, even YOU Cthree ). I can't believe all the flack you guys get from whiners/complainers/jackasses without completely blowing your lids. There are times when it seems many of the posts are being put up by spoiled brats whose ignorance is only matched by their obnoxiousness.
My question is; is the overall quality of the users/posters declining as the S2000 becomes more easily/cheaply available?
It seems to me that the tone, civility, and amount of forethought that goes into posts is declining with time and the decrease of the age demographic. Is there anything that can possibly be done to prevent the more serious forums from becoming like 'Street Encounters' or any number of other car enthusiast sites on the web?
Don't get me wrong, I think the site is great, it just seems to me the overall tone/timbre of the posts is starting to go somewhat downhill and perhaps this is just the nature of the beast and nothing should be done at all.
I am a cheap SOB and I really like being a 'Guest', but I would gladly pay for a membership if in the long term it would keep the site from degenerating. My concern with that is that requiring paid memberships would sap the vitality out of the whole by decreasing the # of participants. I have no idea what the financial side is like.. if the majority of income is from 'click on' advertising obviously requiring membership fees wouldn't work. Perhaps instituting more stringent posting standards is a solution.. though enforcement would be a nightmare.

I don't have any answers, I am simply posting this to put this subject up for civil discussion. Perhaps some ideas about the long-term vision for the site will come out of it.

I just wanted to say thanks to those who make this site such a an enjoyable and informative place!!!

 

I guess you haven't been here a while.

This same topic (the decline of S2ki) was discussed many times over the years, the most recent was about 3 weeks ago:

Will the declining price of the S2k ruin s2ki.com?

 

Thanks WhiteS2k, I did read that thread actually, and as usual the topic lost traction and spun out onto a tangent of it's intended track, complete with name calling and complete loss of original direction. I was sort of hoping moderators/organizers/admins might express their opinions and ideas on this thread.. (but is is probably too much to hope for, since if anyone posts in here to let off a little steam about idiocies, etc. they will surely be misinterpreted and flamed to ashes, since it seems to me they (moderators, et al) are expected to maintain superhuman detachment and objectivity at all times)

Mike

 

I think saying that S2KI or the S2000 Owner community has declined is an oversimplification. Some days it can seem that way but S2KI is far to big and diverse to accurately make generalizations. We had Street Encounters which is doing it's job nicely. We have The Corner, also doing it's job nicely. We have Vintage Owners again doing it's job.

Not all forums here are going to suit your taste and that's why we have so many. I assume you'll find a place and a group within S2KI that you can closely identify with and spend most of your time with them.

I don't think it has declined. I think it has evolved over time. Considering the vast number of punk kids at large on the Internet I think we have done alright, especially for a site with open registrations. Some of our worst idiots are over 30, some even over 40.

 

Mike - thanks for the vote of confidence in the Admins and Mods


So you think the site is in decline because younger, less mature owners/enthusiasts are posting away? On some levels I agree with you*. I understand that you are not around most of the time, but you can help

All you have to do is set an example. The "older" (not in age) owners who have now become lurkers need to come back and just be themselves. No need to tangle it up in an Internet argument with someone "younger" - just post. People will get the gist through your example.

If the "mature" go away, what do we have left?





*I would have agreed with you 100% last week, but going through a little drama in my local community brought some of the "older" members back out, through PM's to me. It was good to know they're still around. With their help we were able to calm the drama and while working through it I saw some of the typically less mature posters step up

 

Alex raises a very good point.

It's not the mods and the admins who make the site what it is, it is the majority, the users and members. It is what they post collectively, and how, which makes the site what it is.

 

Thanks for that vote of confidence, Erik. And I have to agree that immaturity can come at any age. That's why the forums have Mods/COs, to reign that in as much as possible. But it's not entirely possible. Sometimes we just have to rely on the goodwill of the members to "police" themselves and keep the site a fun place to hang out. IMO, it largely works, certainly in Vintage, my forum. I appreciate any constructive criticism. Keep it coming...

 

Thanks for all the well-considered replies/comments.. Reading this and spending some time in the forums has made me remember my days as an irresponsible, opinionated, know-it-all kid, and I can look back and laugh at myself through reading some of these posters, who are basically exactly like I was at their respective ages. So I guess I really agree with Cthree that it IS evolution, rather than any kind of decline.. this is really a great place overall and thanks too all the people who make it so...
Mike

 

This issue is world-wide. We're going through the same evolution in Australia. The young-uns are teaching me new meanings for old words

 

There are more teenagers now than ever in history and they all have keyboards and moms that drive them to soccer practice. You can fill in the blanks.

On a side note we have only ever banned less than 100 people from s2ki and at least 50% of the problems stem from 3 people, 2 of which are over 30. These are drama queens of which you speak and whom you fear. 99.6% of all accounts ever registered we've never had a problem with. A big-mouth doesn't make you bigger, just more annoying.