Re: Is this List a reflection of state of the H20 VW community?

[Paul Krucke <vwfan53@yahoo.com>]

- ---the mad bastard <stoopid@idirect.com> wrote:
>
> initially i was going to keep this private, but since i put so much
> work into it, i thought that i might as well roc-list it.  now's yer
> chance to delete it....

As well as I should have replyed privately.....

> 
> > As a life long VW fanatic with my roots originally in the Aircooled
> > world, I have recently taken a step back and gazed upon the current
> > state of the VW community.
> 
> 	the vw community that you have witnessed is in good order from what i
> have seen.  there's a coupe of pricks around the list, around my area,
> and around some of the shows, but they're representative of the
> population in general, not necessarily the vw population.

Absoulutely!!

> 
> > I have been on this list over 2 years now and went from reading 100%
> > of the messages to NOW less than 1% or 1 for every 100 messages. 
That
> > said is this list a reflection of the current VW community?
> 
> 	no.  it is a reflection of the world.  well, our more "civilized"
> world, anyway.  i agree that i read a very small percentage of the
> messages as well.  the ones sent by a couple of people that i have had
> personal (negative) dealings with are deleted as soon as i see they're
> names.  the other mass-deletions are done due to title, such as
"window
> tint something or other", "auto-x rules and regs", etc.  the topics
> vary, but they all basically fit the bill of not meeting my interest
> requirements. (btw, i'm not knocking auto-x, i just don't have the
> inclination to read up on it)

Exactly, thus the "title" field.  Read what interests you absolutely.

>  
> > First off, the funny thing I see is the "Rice Boy" mentality that
> > everyone was quick to rip on now permeates many Scirocco folks and
the
> > rest of the hobby.  The attitudes are right there with it.
> 
> 	who is everyone?  what the fuck is "riceboy"?  i hate seeing this
crap
> when spoken of in a serious manner.  i drive a mk1 jetta that is
lowered
> about 2.5" from stock, and is still about 2" to high for me.  i'd love
> to throw some 17" rims on there as well.  i've got a scorpion dual DTM
> style muffler that i had brought in from the UK cuz i loved the look
of
> it so much.  but y'know something, i'm dying to get rid of it and
> replace it with a dual 3" (or larger) round tips that sit at the very
> edge of my modified mk2 jetta big bumpers.  i used to have a
mono-wiper
> on my 16V rocco before i parted it out.

Correction: "everyone" should have read "a handful+".  The "rice boy"
or as I now say "Saurkraut Boys" (German Car equivelants) are
'poeseurs'.  NOT to be confused with people who ENJOY and make
cosmetic modifications for their own satisfaction.

>so what's the deal?  i seem to fit the "riceboy" description.  i always

Maybe not.  You seem to be clear and dedicated to what you like. Now
if you put a 16v badge on an 8v....well....then......KRAUT BOY :-) :-)
:-)  (and before anyone else takes offence I am not talking about a
16v body kit on an 8v, but if your engine is still an 8v, please don't
put the badge on it).

<SNIP>

I am not knocking.  Different strokes for different folks.

>  
> > Next, at one point in time most VW folks would bend over backwards
to
> > help another VW guy, 
> 
> >and flame wars just did not exist.  
> 
> 	this i do not agree with.  just before i joined the list (2 years
ago i
> think) there was some guy named chris (?) who was having a flame war
> with mannix or meze or somebody.   i don't remember for sure.  but
what
> i can say for sure is that there is a natural tendency for humans to
get
> into conflict.  take a look in any newspaper from here to the
beginning
> of print, and you'll will almost assuredly find some reference to
> war/fighting/general discontent/whatever.  that's just people for ya.

Yeah, that was Chris Taylor and Meze.   

> 
> > Now it seems
> > (especially in the younger watercooled world) there is alot of
> > 'attitude' and hooray for me and screw you.  What prompts my above
> > statements are from some of the many VW shows I have been to over
the
> > last year and a half.  Most VW shows as we all know are usually open
> > to both Air & Watercooled.  The trend I have noticed lately is the
> > Watercooled people tend to clump together (complete with their baggy
> > Tommy Hilfiger attire etc), and cop attitudes, think they are the
<SNIP>
 
> 	yeah, i see it.  but for the most part, when i go to the shows (like
> the great canadian bugshow, and waterfest), i get such a buzz from all
> of the people who are down there just soaking in all of the dubness.
 i
> meet so many people from these shows and from all of the cruises and
> hangouts that have been setup and i have been fortunate enuff to
partake
> in.  i have travelled more and met more awesome people since i
purchased
> my 16V rocco in july of 1996 (or was it june?) then from any other
hobby
> or pasttime of mine.  

Absolutely!  (However Burnout Wars in hotel parking lots kicking shit
up onto other peoples nice cars helps demonstrate my original points)

> 	the scene is there, and it is strong.  you may have had some bad luck
> or are focusing a little too much on the negatives.  you really have
to
> open up your eyes a bit more, and just go with it.  it could also be
an
> age gap.  i don't know how old you are, but i'm 24, and i can still
> figure out and enjoy current trends, while you may have found your
niche
> a couple years ago.  that niche is not fading, it's just become
> (temporarily) not as popular as it was before. i think that
> open-mindedness is the key here.

Very good point.  I have gone full circle actually.  I once had the
lowered "Neuspeeded" setup, and liked to drive fast on the streets. 
BUT I came around and realized, hey there are racing venues to do this
sort of thing on, and damn, returning my Scirocco back to near stock
(I have Koni's and other allowable mods for ES), and 'learining' how
to drive made me realize these things handle great, and you can ask
alot from them and save alot of $$$ by not going ape shit.  If the car
was competitive in a Street Prepared class, I would drop it about an
inch an half, but put in a 'properly' tuned coil over/corner balanced
racing suspension.  I also found NOT attracting attention to be a much
better route.  I know people who have been pulled over in the 'trick'
cars late at night for something stupid like tint only to get nailed
for a DUI because they had 2 beers and were considered 'legally'
drunk.  Is it fair the cop pulled you/him over because of
appearence????No.  (please to more police threads :-)) I think I have
made it clear I am openminded here. 

> > DON'T GET ME WRONG there are MANY cool people here and out there in
> > the H20 world.
> > 
> > Did any of that make sense? ;-)
> 
> 	yup.
>  
<SNIP>
 
> 	hmmm.  i agree that i hate to see people say pointless things, and
> express their opinions about topics that do not include roccos, or
dubs
> for that matter.  at the same time, however, you do need to have a
> little bit of variety, otherwise, things become stagnant.  and then
they
> rot.  that would suck.  
> 
> 	haven't you noticed that there are technical postings still?  i see
> them quite often.  i see questions asked, and answers given.  that
which
> i find useless gets files neatly in my trash file.  the other stuff
gets
> sorted.

I guess this is the meat-- of what I was taking the long way to get
to.  80~100 messages in less than 24hrs.   What happens for myself as
I tend to read most of this stuff at work (shhh) is the good technical
posts, or things I would be able to offer insight into are often
strewn between the crap, and it is easier to DELETE ALL, than weed
through.  Keep the varity up as well and use the title field,
absolutely.

I dont like to bitch without offering solutions either.  MAYBE since
this list has grown immensely that Kevin could split it into a
Scirocco-Stock-L@scirocco.org, and a Scirocco-Mod-L@scirocco.org.  or
something to that effect.  It would make things easier on many of us
who have rules/filters setup for our mailboxs.  And I would subscribe
to BOTH still, however with a filter, I would be more willing to
respond more often and read more.  I know we have lost some good
people Chuck Kueker comes to mind for those restoration type questions
etc....

> jason
> the mad bastard

Cheers,
==
- -Paul
http://home1.gte.net/vwfan
98 Beetle TDi
87 Scirocco 16v ES #53
87 Jetta GLi
63 Bug Sunroof

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