I came across this on one of my Subaru forums and thought it would be applicable here too. I frequent this Subaru forum because the general maturity and helpfulness of the people (vs. Nasioc, etc). It is the same reason that I am a long-time regular here, the people are mature and helpful (vs. Pinkbike).
I just thought it would be a good refresher why we are all here. Just substitue subaruforester.org with ridemonkey and car/forester with bike.
I just thought it would be a good refresher why we are all here. Just substitue subaruforester.org with ridemonkey and car/forester with bike.
The ethic of our community
As we approach the milestone of 50,000 worldwide members, the all-volunteer, Subaru-loving forum staff has decided to write a few words to express how we feel about this place. What brought us to it, what distinguishes it from the many other opportunities available on the Web, and what our hopes and concerns for the future might be. Read what we have to say, think about it, and feel free to join in and help us all prepare for life after the Big Five O.
This place started out small. Many of the original members are still active here--some not even driving Foresters any longer. We had all experienced the kind of forum where trolling, insults to new members, piling on, and other forms of uncivilized behavior were the norm, and we wanted this place to be different.
Our hopes have been rewarded over the years. We've lost count of the number of new members who have instantly comprehended this ethic and noted in their introductory posts how friendly and mature a place this is--especially in comparison to ___ (fill in the blank--there are many choices). And then helped to sustain and build upon that ethic.
Over time we've grown into a community. It's not just cars, it's care. We've helped fellow members get through devastating accidents, illnesses, loss of a job, loss of a spouse, legal and business problems, and much more. We never ask how old you are, what color hair you have, or other questions like that--because those things don't matter here. Nor does it matter whether you like your Forester high, low, or stock! And our standard of humor and banter is one of gentle fun among friends.
We're getting ever larger--now about to hit a membership of 50,000. And we're sensing a loss of some of that original spirit. The civility, the willingness to provide a helpful answer to the 875th repetition of the "What kind of ___ should I use?" question, the maturity required to refrain from jumping into a thread with a comment that simply adds fuel to the fire, the choice of words, the tone and language of the humor--especially in the joke thread, the ability to walk away from a developing situation before it becomes worse.
We need to rededicate ourselves to what makes subaruforester.org the terrific community that it really is, and that it must remain.