So I've tried to avoid getting into the drama regarding this stuff for the past couple of months, but I figured I'll throw in my .02. At the very least it will give me a break from studying for my two exams tomorrow. I'll start off with what's been said in this thread, then bring it back to something around the OP's intent for the thread (hopefully).
I'll preface this by saying that I know most of you don't give two ****s what I think about you. And I'm fine with that.
Matt, I'm disappointed in you. As somebody who came into the 6GA fam when it seemed like you had your stuff together, I initially had a lot of respect for you. You were always helpful to other members, and had a car that was a huge inspiration for mine. I was there through all the hailstorm/donation shenanigans, and I thought it really showed how great of a community this was. The whole "because race car" phase intrigued me at first, but then you began to gloat about it constantly, especially to new members on the boards, making it seem like you'd been racing forever. It was like you were trying to be the same helpful person as before, but with nothing to back it up. I was really just confused by the whole sale/giveaway of the car, but I was at least happy that you seemed to have your life going in a better direction. Now I'm just disappointed that based on various posts we can't even believe half of what you say, even when I genuinely hope you're doing well.
Chris, I respect you more than almost everyone on here. Thanks for almost always trying to maintain a sense of diplomacy and looking for the best in people on the boards.
Tyler, I tend to agree with almost everything you say, just not the way you say it. I know you're a really smart guy, and I like that you're not afraid to call people out when they're BS-ing, it's good to have somebody in that role. Sometimes it would be nice to just end with a "alright, I'm not going to convince you otherwise" kind of attitude, because a lot of us realize you're right even if your opponent on any given day won't admit it.
Eric, I wish you would come around more. You were always another person I respected a lot on here, and like Chris, were always very helpful and supportive of the family aspect of 6GA.
I think that the overall quality of the forum has declined in the past year or so, mainly because of the break down of this community unity that used to be so huge. I think there are a lot of factors that play into this, such as our large numbers of new (less than a year old) very active members. It's not a bad thing that there's new guys, but there aren't many OGs around any more to showcase the camaraderie that this site used to have. Those who are generally stay quiet. The influx of spammers and FS Thread rule breakers also haven't helped, especially the latter, which usually just brings about tons of flaming from way more people than is necessary. It sucks when a quarter of threads I open have an OP followed by either "read the rules" or "search" and nothing else helpful.
So bringing this all back to the original topic, I think the make over we need isn't so much in the layout of the site; that part does it's job. It's more in realizing that we have the potential for something really great, and we should try to move back towards the way things used to be, even two years ago. That means less of calling out noobs and trying to always win at the internet, and more of actually providing helpful advice, feedback, and support to those who need it. Before you post, think about whether or not anyone will benefit from what you're saying. If you know about a topic that somebody asks about in a new thread, actually give some advice, even a link to a previous thread, instead of flaming them for not searching. Many people have no forum experience, and are just looking for help from people who know more than they do. Little things like this will help us retain more new members, while also strengthening our already great community.
