Will this forum evolve or devolve?

[Corey Bowcutt]

Let me say as a guy who just bought a Shelby for the first time 2 years ago I have learned so much both here on this forum and talking personally to folks on the forum.  It would be a huge loss for any of you guys to abandon ship.   I can not tell you just how much I appreciate all the help.  I know my car is far better for it.  I think the whole hobby is way better for it.

I feel very bad for any part I played in this unnecessary mess.

[gt350hr]

   Doug ,
      The POINT is it wasn't a big deal  UNTIL the name calling. Do you REALLY think Tim started off calling this guy names?  I just called out a guy on epay on a 351W finned aluminum pan claimed to fit a Cobra. Do you think I said Hey you Dxxxxxxbag you are lying? IF he had responded the way Tim was responded to , I would have put on my ShelbyDoug costume and opened up a can of Wxxp xxs , same as you would. No respect gets no respect. If I ever want to say something to you that isn't needed to be seen by other I use the PM function as always. You know that ! apologize to all the pygmies , and others I have offended ( from Larry the Cable Guy)
   Randy

[TLea]

Pete (and all others of knowledge) - remember it took 9 years to "fine tune" the old forum. And most A-holes eventually learned to play by the rules or left. This re-start will probably also take some tuning. But if you and others like you abandon ship....it's gonna sink.
JMHO

Steve I hear you but the issue is you don't mind fighting for the truth when people have your back. When forum moderators can't discern between someone who's been supportive of the club/members and another that just wants to make a quick buck then maybe it's time to go elsewhere
I feel a censorship coming

[shelbydoug]

   Doug ,
      The POINT is it wasn't a big deal  UNTIL the name calling. Do you REALLY think Tim started off calling this guy names?  I just called out a guy on epay on a 351W finned aluminum pan claimed to fit a Cobra. Do you think I said Hey you Dxxxxxxbag you are lying? IF he had responded the way Tim was responded to , I would have put on my ShelbyDoug costume and opened up a can of Wxxp xxs , same as you would. No respect gets no respect. If I ever want to say something to you that isn't needed to be seen by other I use the PM function as always. You know that ! apologize to all the pygmies , and others I have offended ( from Larry the Cable Guy)
   Randy

He responded. Sometimes you need to just walk away.

[2112]

You simply cannot protect another if they choose to ignore that?

Post your opinion(s) respectfully and let them stand. Contrary to what you might think, they carry a lot of weight and respect.

^^This.

The person that posted that repop tag was completely capable of flaming himself into a cinder on his own. You can ban him, but if he loses credibility, and is ignored, he will ban himself.

[TLea]

I think you are missing the sequence. We never said anything to seller or offline. We told buyer privately about it. Seller instigated by childish name calling

[Builder 2]

If you want drama just go to Facebook.

[computerworks]

This discord is distressing.

Let's try and calibrate...

One of the very best attributes of this community over the past 10 years is the fact that it ran under pure self-control.
It is composed of some of the best enthusiasts in the automotive community...spanning old vets with decades of experience, all the way up to newbie enthusiasts with a thirst for knowledge and insight into the history and technology of our cars.

There is no reason... and no intention... for this to change.

There will always be debates...and disagreements... and challenges. There always have been. But they cool off quickly with civil discussions and mutual respect.

That's not going to change.

In the past, we rarely had to close a thread or shake the ban stick at most any user that stepped over the line.
I don't want that to change.

I truly recognize the latent sadness with the "start-over"... but it is what it is.

We need our forum veterans to hold the standards to a level we had been used to.

Here's some advice for all:
Keep the dialog sane and civil. if it gets hot, take it outside.
Have your battles offline or via PM... one-on-one, ad hominem confrontations will not be tolerated.

We're not going to boot someone off the forum for a disagreeable opinion... but if a pattern of behavior is noted... there will be warnings....and consequences.
Work it out, but not with posting drama.


I have no fear that we can do this.

See a fight breaking out? ...report the post, don't fuel the fire.

Trust me... we will be sure that our standards remain.

Thanks
Ron
SAAC HQ

[Greg]

Well said... A lot of talanted people that are willing to help and prolifirate the hobby.  We all have to remember this is a "fun" hobby for the love of the common shared affection of Shelby's.

[TLea]

I hear you Ron but with all due respect if you read the threads all things are not equal and to suggest everybody just get along doesn't fly. One side initiated with phrases about taking medication, stealing from clients and stupidity none of which were related to the subject matter. Those are expressions of mean spirited vindictive behavior. Those are things that would get one fired in a workplace. I'm all for getting along until a line is crossed and people are potentially victimized (parts buyer, not me)
Maybe potential buyer that walked away based on advice from "less gifted experts" can post his thoughts of averting a scam

[Corey Bowcutt]

For those who have not followed this thread closely it is important to understand the timeline.  All correspondence started offline and was very cordial. I simply wanted to replace the incorrect perfectly good toploader transmission in my 1968 GT350 with a correct toploader transmission.  It was important to me that the transmission be a correct one because I already have an incorrect one that works just fine.  I am very new to the hobby so I consulted with a couple guys that I really trust as extremely knowledgeable in the field of Shelby's and specifically 1968 Shelby's.  One of these gentlemen I have met in person a few times, the other just through correspondence.  In both cases I feel strongly that these two gentlemen are fair, honest and unbiased so I trust them.  Incidentally, I made these contacts complete independently meaning neither one knew I was even consulting the other let alone know what the other had said.   Both of them, again independently, said the tag "looked suspect".  This is all they said.  They did not advise me what to do or what they would do.  They did not accuse anyone of impropriety in any way.  They simply said it looked suspect.

So I not knowing how to verify that the transmission is the correct one decided to error on the side of caution and just wait until the next transmission comes along.  I felt like all correspondence was fine and cordial.  The seller said he had other buyers so all was good.  In fact in the original post that started this (that has been subsequently deleted) the seller stated he sold the transmission for more than he had it advertised for.  So all should have been fine and happy.

Unfortunately, the seller felt it was necessary to add in his post disparaging comments toward folks on this forum.  I have no idea why he felt this was necessary or acceptable, only he knows.  But I took great offence to his comments and they bothered me tremendously.  I was debating whether to address it or let it go.  But when Tim questioned the seller and the seller replied "if the shoe fits" I was just too bothered to let it go.  It has spiraled out of control with the escalating coming from the seller and that can easily be seen in the subsequent posts.

All I can say is my decision clearly turned out to be the right one and without the counsel of forum experts I would have made a $1200 mistake.

[Bigfoot]

Everyone is kinda upset. Unfortunate.

[jim mac]

Pete (and all others of knowledge) - remember it took 9 years to "fine tune" the old forum. And most A-holes eventually learned to play by the rules or left. This re-start will probably also take some tuning. But if you and others like you abandon ship....it's gonna sink.
JMHO

I took a look at the threads discussed here.  IMO the SAAC forum has the reputation of being a place to go for opinions from the best of the best in the vintage Shelby world. Often times people didn't/don't like the advice or information they got about a particular item or car, but a lot can happen in the 50+ years since a car was built and many things can be changed or reproduced..... We "old-timers" (and although I have only owned my Shelby for 18 years, will include myself here) have to stick to our principles that were the backbone of the previous forum.  It is unfortunate that the top experts have lost the recognition they had due to the lost posts, however the cream will rise to the top, and the mainstays here know who you all are.  The crap will sink to the bottom and go away, if we maintain the course we were all on in the previous forum. 

I hope the admins have used all the forensics (tools and services) available today to try to get the old forum back. Being in the IT field, it boggles my mind that it can't be recovered.  Just an incalculable loss; I frequently referred to old posts for information. I think we are all feeling the loss deeply, I go back and forth between sad and a bit angry, it's a tough pill to swallow.

Anyway, I will shut up for now.  Onward and upward...     
Jim   

[propayne]

I guess one big unfortunate by-product of the reboot is the loss of all that documented interaction - the years and years of good will (or ill will) that was built up gradually and naturally over time.

Now it feels kinda like the wild west on here.

- Phillip

[Harris Speedster]

Coralsnake,
I was shocked at the disrespect some a-- hole said to you in a comment last week.

Yes, we all have gotten snippy sometimes over the decades, but this was , my own opinion, a smart a-- that , hate to say, represents some of the newer members that are clueless to whom they are addressing.

Not that us old dogs that have been here for 3 decades and counting>> are exceptions, but we are the ones that have driven the site/

Perhaps there is a way to have Ron change the post numbers counts, or add something that distinguishes .
Jim Cowles as old as dirt as so on !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smile big Jim

I would hate to see the site fall into the Abyss, maybe a little strong, but something needs to be done?
With respect to all as always.
John from Utah
John from Illinois