My views of the first couple of weeks as a newbie to the forum.

[Buller_Scott]

just be grateful that you dont own a 1.9 TDI that ISNT coded ALH (the engine code delivered in the mk4 golf in north america), and are trying to get info out of the tdiclub.com boys.

unless you're asking about nozzles or hybrid turbos, then it'd better be about used oil engine wear particle analysis, hybrid turbos for their dailys that see 1.9tdi's spanking the new nissan fairlady in a straight line, best bottom end/ cam/ top end combo of which engines for best reliable 260hp etc etc.

if not, you'll either get no answers, or answers with links that redirect you to "canigooglethatforyou.com". this place is pleasantly hospitable by comparison, really.

and no disrespect to the people who put in the effort, $$$ and time intended, but i wouldnt worry too much about what the "old school" tragics who "hate" anything newer than a mk4 say, either.

after all, to quite a few in the aircooler scene (combi bus, beetles, karmann ghias etc) all of us with a watercooler (including myself, AND you and your brand-spanking new, low maintenance, easy to run as a daily mk3, bombsquad) is just another new car poser f4g who isnt REALLY a Vee-Dubber.

speaking of posing, if you really want instant respect on here, just buy a dirt cheap fifth hand toyota avalon and start screaming "JDM! JDM! JDM!!!!!!!!". isht, it can even be a friggin mitsubishi mirage with cute stickers and cheap coilies, and people will still respect you for being "JDM".

my 4.5 cents

[Gti Dave]

Welcome to the forum mate.

I'd agree with Dom (Wabit) about some of the stupid stuff you see. Often I've clicked reply on a thread, started typing out a message to counter what some fool has said and thought to myself 'You know what, I don't think this will help matters, it just makes me look as petty and full of myself as the idiot talking trash in the first place'. And most of the people who like to start trouble can not be brought around by logic, so if you try to change or 'right' things it will probably make the situation even more frustrating for yourself.

So rock up to a car meet, introduce yourself, and start talking to people about what you're interested in. The whole forum becomes more than just avatars and signatures when you move beyond your keyboard.

Well said. I feel exactly the same at times especially about making comments and taking a second and thinking...its simply not worth the typing and surely not worth creating an argument and surely as others have said in the above posts, that logic cannot be conveyed to those who cannot get passed those with an anti-social need to feel superior. The way I carry myself is to give a helpful and honest answer or opinion which would only be constructive. After all, we've all been there and done that. We've all been a newby once. This is indeed such a big community that somehow out of miracle, this has by far been the most helpful, interesting and friendly forum I've joined. Another friendly forum I've recently joined include vwgolf.net.au. So so far, it seems the VAG community thus far have been an enjoyable experience including ownership. Hence I've gone from from my first to my second. Like others, all I can say is ignore the idiots and laugh it off and make the best of things. So to conclude, welcome, enjoy yourself and hope you attend the meets and festivities organised by the friendly forum members

[wai]

The way I carry myself is to give a helpful and honest answer or opinion which would only be constructive. After all, we've all been there and done that. We've all been a newby once.

This is what many forget. Everyone has to start somewhere. What is old hat to some is new to others. Not everyone has to have a hot fast car to be an enthusiast. Enthusiasts enjoy something for what it is. It is rare that a brand actually attracts people to want to be associated with it.

Many years ago (few decades) I had a Mini (the original one) and it also had that brand attraction. With the Mini CLub, unfortunately even there it was a case of wanting to thrash the living daylights out of the car that seemed to be the main attraction, and not the ability to enjoy the car for what it was and the social interaction that followed.

As for adverse comments, you will always get them. It just means you have to be able to let them roll off your back. In the Simpsons, when they gave their elephant (Stampy) to an animal refuge, comments were made about one elephant head butting another for no reason to which the refuge owner said "you always get some who do that" (or words to that effect), and the camera cuts back to see Homer doing that to the refuge owner who tells him to stop!

[Blitzen]

This forum is quite an enjoyable forum to be on, and I have made a large number of good friends out of it. As has been said, you will find that the gobby ones are the ones that will troll behind the key board and never rock up at a gtg (like Maverick and Rocket36[what ever happened to that guy??]).
Another good forum is dubkorps.com. Lots of cool guys over there.