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Just wondering. Wifey & I have had the VX for about 8 months now. How long are we considered Nubies. Do we get the illustrious ranking of Super VXer after a year or is based on postings or mods or what?
It's just one of those little goals that makes life worth living. I gotta get a life.:)
Naw, you change titles according to total posts.. Doesn't mean anything at all just something the forum script came with..
To me, you all are SUPER VXers!!!
Site supporter tops all.
Tom, you are a "Site Supporter"! That is the most illustrious ranking you can have... anything else means "Cheapskate", "Freeloader", "Broke *****", etc... unless they are too new to understand what an invaluable source we have here.
Naw. I think I supported 3 times during the new server phase. Just making conversation (killing time while I was having a boring on line meeting - sshh, don't tell the boss).
I know that being a site supporter beats being an atheletic supporter though.
X 10 !Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
Yeah....I upped ahead of time too.;)
Wow I just realized mine is up. Gotta get on that......
Well, I showed up with a few additional "guests" during the server upgrade, but it's never really bothered me that I'm still listed as "only" a Super VXer.
I see enough of people wanting to be "lЗЗt" members of message boards everywhere else I go, do we have to have that here too?
Well, as Moncha mentioned before, we still need something like 133 (don't quote me) supporting members a year just to make ends meet. So actually, yes, we do have to have "l33t" members here too! Thank you for pointing that out! Otherwise, someone(s) would have to foot the bill for everyone elses' privilege (not 'right') to the knowledge contained here... if you want to support the site behind closed doors, more power to you. However, dropping some change for the server upgrade was NOT a lifetime subscription to this website. It was very simply a contributing vote and means to upgrade the server. Monthly bills are a separate issue, and yes, they still exist.
Is one of the "privelages" afforded me for making additional donations the "right" to call other participants "Cheapskate", "Freeloader", "Broke *****", etc...?
What happened to the statement VehiCROSS.info is a "Labor of love"? I won't speak for anyone else, but I for one am not really feeling it at the moment.
I'm sure the 'labor of love' part comes from all of the unpaid time and effort that Moncha puts in to the site and I'm sure he's had to dip into his own pocket on more than one occasion to keep us going.
I'll keep supporting just to make sure the site never goes down. The only privelege I seek is the exchange of valuable information and the chance to make new friends (I've never actually met any of the members here but look forward to the opportunity in the future - I dropped the ball on a Northern VA/Southern MD get together this fall (busy work schedule) but will try again this spring or summer).
You know, Trek, I just have one intention by using labels like that, and it is not to offend. They are only used as a way of hinting to some folks that it may be time to contribute to the site. Maybe it will register to some who don't take it so personally. So if you or anyone else takes offense to those terms, truly, I apologize. Maybe my words are a little harsh - bad on me. I don't mean to bully people into doing something they don't want to do. However, leaving others to pay for information they themselves have provided while certain folks decide to take it for free, providing nothing in return, gets under my skin. And I am not alone here; I have talked to other members who are equally displeased with such users. In my eyes, it is like draft-dodging or tax evasion. But I will get off my high horse cuz I have no ill will toward anyone, and God forbid I be "l33t". Just let me say, it is not fair to expect the few to pay for the many. It is not fair to assume Moncha will improve site operations and put down the extra cash for a bunch of people who only choose to take advantage of HIS "Labor of Love".Quote:
Originally Posted by Y33TREKker
So for those who think that makes sense: :thumbup::clap:
And for those who think taking, while giving nothing in return, is a-ok: :thumbdn::_confused
Otherwise, I hope to see you VXers in Moab or some other event that will be organized thru this great forum cuz I have never met a VXer I didn't like, whether they were a site supporter or not! :)
Hey Zeus, I just thought I would chime in here, because I can see both sides of this. I myself am a site supporter because:
1) I love this forum (it is far and away the best forum I am a member of)
2) The info is invaluable, saves me loads of money and time, and I don't want to see it disappear. EVER.
3) I completely understand how web forums work, are setup and maintained, and because of that I understand and appreciate what Moncha does for all of us, just to keep this forum running.
4) The folks on this forum are some of the best daytime company a poor, deskbound soul like myself could ask for. :)
Now, all that said, I am also a DIE HARD believer that the Internet should be a place to get FREE information, devoid of censorship and authority. Unfortunately, we all know the Internet has become an ugly, commercialized, mutated monster that is basically made up of scams, bugs, redundant false information, fraud, paranoia, and porn. There are VERY FEW quality websites out there anymore, and the few that remain struggle to survive, just like my gas mask site (Le Masque a Gaz). My site is the result of 12 years of collecting, research, photography, and HARD WORK. If you want to see my labor of love, there it is. It costs me a lot of money to keep up, and the bandwidth I push through is immense. I have never asked for donations, never run ads on my site, and I have never taken it down, even now, after being totally done with the hobby. I am basically putting all that behind me, but I feel to remove my site would be a disservice to the people out there who appreciate it, and it would also make all those years of collecting and work meaningless. So even after I am done selling off most of my collection, I have no plans to down it. Anyway, what I am getting at, is that I keep my site FREE. This is how the Internet should be, and there are people who cling fast to the idea of this freedom of information. And when these free, adless and fraudless sites are taken down, the Internet will be nothing but a giant electronic shopping mall appropriately situated next to a festering landfill of meaningless and endless garbage.
Now again, like I said, I see both sides of it. I probably could and maybe I should ask for donations to keep Le Masque a Gaz up....but for me, it just isn't my style.
So in a long-winded nutshell, what I am saying, is that donations are 100% optional, and you can't fault people for not chipping in. They are probably not free loaders (well, most of them anyway). They would just rather spend $20 on a dinner at Chilis, than on this website. On the same token, when VehiCROSS.info goes down forever (hopefully never), those same people who didn't chip in better not whine....because ultimately, it is we, the "fans" who keep places like VehiCROSS.info and GasMasks.net alive.
Bart
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
Bart, I totally understand what you are saying; I also agree to a point. I know I am of no 'authority' and everyone is free to make their own choices. Like I said, I will get off my high horse, I said my piece/peace. Tom, I am sorry if you had hoped this thread would have gone a different direction... such is evolution! Ultimately, I don't want the forum to struggle and die. I dunno... This is one of those things I feel strongly about and I'm just trying to do my part. I may not be the most tactful person since I can be a hothead when I feel that way. :rolleyes: Hopefully, it won't deter others from supporting the site...
That's another problem with message boards, people tend to interpret the medium of the written word too literally in whatever way it suits them best. While admittedly I do sometimes become a bit abstract, it doesn't mean I'm ignorant to the modern-day practicalities of purchasing and maintaining a dedicated server for the purpose of hosting a website (as reported in this thread - LOOK & THINK ). That said, I don't think I misinterpreted the "Labor of Love" statement posted on the site incorrectly for the purpose of defending my statement.
Despite the namecalling, I do appreciate the efforts and contributions of both this websites' creator and it's supporters. All I can claim to have done to date is chipped in a few guests when the server was being upgraded, and donated some of my time these last couple of years when responding with any information that I could to questions posed by other members.
But with that said, I'll apologize in advance for getting abstract again, but I'm sorry, I just couldn't help being reminded of the South Park episode dealing with Hybrids as I was rereading this thread along with the one linked above. It was along those lines I made my "l33t" reference earlier, and not the subject of monetary contribution...or lack thereof as has so tactfully been indicated.
Yeah, I don't know why I felt compelled to reply in such a way. I'm on your side, buddy, don't worry! I wish everyone would donate so VX.info can stay mighty. I just understand the mentality behind not donating. And I am not knocking Moncha for having the donate option, by all means he should....
I just wish the Internet didn't become such a wasteland with only a few shining beacons of light standing out, this page being one of them. I guess it is foolish of me to expect anything less of humanity. After all, in "RL" we are headed toward wasteland, so why should the Internet be any different?
But that is a whole other thread... :)
Bart
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
I understand where you are coming from regarding the "1337" issue. I really think this forum is beyond that, however. That is why I love this place so much. Rarely does this forum get outta hand with all the "highschool drama" and "childish mudslinging" that seem to inundate other forums on the net.
Usually, we here engage in intelligent, supportive conversations, and most of the time, I think we are try to do our best to not offend or make people feel stupid, even when things do get heated. Trust me, I would not have stayed around so long if this forum was anywhere close to how bad some of the other forums out there are.
This is the ONLY forum I have ever contributed to financially.
Bart
Quote:
Originally Posted by Y33TREKker
Just wanted to say that I wasn't referring to your post. It just seemed like my Labor of Love reference was being slightly misrepresented.Quote:
Originally Posted by nfpgasmask
And I also realized that I short-changed myself a bit when I talked about my past contributions to the Vehicross crowd in general. There were a few times in the past when I helped a fellow VXer (no longer an owner though) do some repairs on his VX. He admitted to being less-than mechanically inclined when it came to repair issues, lived close by, and since I had the skills (such as they are anyway :p ), I felt it was the least I could do.
That same VXer and I also took a side trip one day with both of our VX's to visit another member who was in the area visiting family.
While those examples don't necessarily warrant a trophy or anything, I guess they're still something.
Zeus,
I have no regrets as to the direction that the thread took. Everyone spoke their piece & no one got hurt. The good of it is that I'll be going out & making 'nother contribution even though t'aint time yet. The value of the site is what each individual thinks it's worth. The support & info I've gotten here is worth far more than the $60-$70 (or whatever, I didn't bother to keep track & don't want to) I've donated so far. The shame is that I didn't do it before the conversation took place. If anyone gets any use from any input I provide - it's free. Any help I get is greatly appreciated. All that means nothing if the site isn't maintained and I'm happy to contribute.
I think we are all on the same page here... ;)
Bart
Quote:
Originally Posted by Y33TREKker
But of course.....a handfull of madmen, howling at a lesser moonQuote:
Originally Posted by nfpgasmask
Hey hey, watch the name calling! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Chopper
Wrong. Please pass everything by me before acting. Thank you for your cooperation.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZEUS
:p
Same page possibly. Perhaps just different books. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by nfpgasmask
LOL! True...
Bart
PS - You do know that you live in the coolest area of the state of Illinois, don't you? Shawnee is an amazing place. I wish I would have taken more trips down there back when I lived in Chicago...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Y33TREKker
"Wrong. Please pass everything by me before acting. Thank you for your cooperation."
Bathroom break please boss!!
I do. While I don't take advantage of it as much as I probably could/should, I actually did go hiking with my brother in the Shawnee while he was visiting for the holiday. We hiked to a spot where we used to camp, climb, and rapel back in the day. The place is called Cave Hill (to us locals anyway), and offers one of the best views in the area. If you look on a map of Shawnee, the Cave Hill bluff will be almost directly north of the Garden Of The Gods area.Quote:
Originally Posted by nfpgasmask
The weather was great, and the view was excellent, but I was certainly reminded of the time I hyper-extended my knee playing golf a few years back. :sighgray:
Even so, it was definitely worth the trip.
what is a 'Zoid? Cuz obviously I am one.
Uhh... Not sure, but I would go with experienced nubie, maybe...?