What??? Gregs210 doesn't want to fight??? Common now, it's fun to
I'd say amen to NO belittling others. Most of us are adults with family, we get that at home and work, we are here for some TLC.
To be fair, I think it's fine to share a person's experience. Whether it's wrong, impractical or against the spec to others, it has merit if what stated is true. After all, the USA didn't become a great country by staying within the line.
While I do follow recommended procedure, they are still recommended so there will be alternatives. Whoever want to explore it, my hat off to them.
To me, we can read up to see what's bad information vs personal experience and what's recommended and determine for ourself.
Maybe, the moderator (and knowledgeable mechanics) should help indicating which post or piece of information is not recommended.
I'm a newbie to the forum and I see what you’re talking about. It goes from a great topic to a hijacked post in seconds. CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG!!! The only reason this forum exist is to help each other out……………Right?
best poster? ohlord, hands down.
except for the last rambling post.
paul
Yea he is also a star. I could not read through that entire reply but myself and three other friends have boycotted another site for putting ohlord on probation. We have not logged on since they did that to someone who seems to always help others.
I'm not sure all that follows from personalizing such disputes, but I can tell you two things it does: One, it makes new members question if they want to be here, and (2) it makes established members (well, many of them) disgusted. If you want to disagree, disagree -- but show some respect. No one is ever as dumb as they seem (no, not even me) and no one really knows everything about these cars, so why fight about it? Everyone here has chosen to drive one of the finest vehicles made. Even if that's all you can find to agree on, you can hang your hat there and still be polite and respectful. If you can't, use the ignore feature or flame the person through PMs (or better yet, check your ego at the login prompt and act like an adult). Be the bigger person, it's really not that difficult.
Hear hear, and a big ol' ditto from this Benzworld n00b.
I had to bite my own tongue to avoid commenting on those specific posters' off-topic tangents in the threads you are referencing. I'm glad that you have brought this to the board's attention.
I appreciate all of the opinions and knowledge that ALL of the posters here provide, though it is understood that any maintenance/repair that I do on my own is MY responsibility, and it is MY responsibility to pick the advice that makes the most sense to ME. If someone does something stupid to their car due to one bit of advice they got on the internet, they deserve whatever they get.
I do deeply respect Ohlord's contributions to this site, though I will admit that his long posting above smacks of self-righteousness. Of course, he has every right to feel that way, but it would be silly to think that this issue is a one-way street.
And remember, Fighting on an internet forum IS just like winning at the Special Olympics. (Win or Lose, you're both retards)
Yea he is also a star. I could not read through that entire reply but myself and three other friends have boycotted another site for putting ohlord on probation. We have not logged on since they did that to someone who seems to always help others.
You're free to make decisions about your involvement in this way, but be advised that there is probably a story that you didn't see.
Helping others is not a prerequisite to joining this forum. You're completely free to do nothing but leach information. On the other hand, we do highly value input from people who are willing to put thought and time into helping others. Yes, Ohlord fits that description.
What we cannot do is allow things to degenerate into a contest at every opportunity.
Let me be completely frank and state that it means more work for me and Joe. While the work comes with the territory, please help make it easier on us.
Vehicle: 2001 E320 - Brilliant Silver/Ash: MBCA member
Location: The Mountain State
Posts: 6,040
Since Greg did not include a poll with this, I have to assume the topic of this thread was only meant to serve as an intro to his thread.
I have posted mis-information on our forum, and as far as I remember, was always corrected in a civil fashion. Quite often, I'm totally ignored but I'm O.K. with that. Once in a long while, I post something worth reading, and when I do I am paraphrasing something I read on here. Most of my mis-info is due to a "less than photographic" memory.
It doesn't take long before the members who really know their stuff become apparent. As someone said earlier, we do have a responsibility to separate the wheat from the chaff when reading advice here.
__________________
Ich liebe meinen Mercedes-Benz!
These forums are invaluable to mechanics, DIYers etc. It is great to be able to query things with professionally trained people and above all with those that have years of experience and hence know all the common problems which can save people thousands. Just remember this advice is all given free so we should be very grateful.
I fully agree about keeping to the facts and avoiding any personal rubbish,
1. I for one appreciate anecdotal experience. Invariably it is useful knowledge. Whether you can (or should) extrapolate from that may well be a different question, but again, the experience is useful. (Sometimes it is useful in the negative sense, too.)
2. No way would I ever want to quash a spirited discussion or debate. Nor did I suggest that. I'm definitely not a believer in "peace at all costs" which benefits no one (except maybe the mods, ). However, discussion and debate are not what I am talking about. Rather, from my perspective there is no room, rhyme or reason for bad-mouthing, name calling, etc. FWIW, such conduct is also prohibited by the terms of use for this site. As some of you know, one of the reasons I resigned as a moderator related in part to a lack of respect for the TOU (in another context). Accordingly, if someone feels they should be permitted to bad mouth another member -- for any reason -- I ultimately start to question their usefulness to this community.
3. I'll say it again a different way (this is opinion, not fact): no member here is more valuable than any other to the forum at large. Doubtless ohlord has helped many folks and I know G-AMG, raymond- and many, many others whose names populate not only the forum generally but also the DIY stickies have contributed much -- all for nothing more than wanting to help out others. That said, disrespect, insults and personal jabs are useless and puerile. They help no one (except perhaps the small-minded who want to inflate their own egos and importance).
4. There is an ocean of difference between disagreement (etc.) and insult (etc.).
5. Boycotting a site because of discipline against someone else who didn't want to abide by reasonable rules doesn't make too much sense -- at least to me. Some people actually enjoy being on a site that respects and enforces it's TOU and expects the same from its members. If you don't like the TOU, don't sign up. It is as simple as that. But arguing about discipline for someone who didn't respect the TOU perhaps means you think the TOU should be changed, but that is a different issue.
6. Being goaded by another member is not an excuse to react in kind. Period. Reporting abuse to a mod and requesting action is one appropriate response. Put another way: no one comes out on top in a spitting match: you both end up covered in spit and no one really wants to be around you.
7. Being a newbie or a long-time member is irrelevant. Treating people with a modicum of respect is always appropriate on a public forum.
8. Opinions and facts face a narrow boundary at times. As a simple example, let's look at an oil change. The FACT is that the oil needs to be changed. However, some choose to drain while others use a vacuum extraction method. In other words, they just suck. (Hey, it's a joke, okay? Just making the point here.) If done properly either is perfectly acceptable and which way to go is a matter of opinion and -- here it comes -- anecdotal experience, not fact. One method may work better or easier than the other for one person or another and there are points and considerations either way, but it remains a matter of opinion.
9. Elevating anecdotal experience and opinion to the level of firmly-held belief is fine; berating another as though it is a fact is completely different.
10. Rob, since you seem to be taking this personally, "taking a stand" doesn't mean backing down when you are right about the facts, but it still doesn't support or justify goading, insulting or belittling others. Nor do I expect you or anyone else to take any "crap" from another member. If you can't ignore it, report it and let the mods handle it. Feeling like you have the right to express yourself freely in the public forum and expecting the mods to clean up after you...well, you wouldn't let your kids mess up the kitchen and expect you to clean it up, right?
11. JeffreyP, I didn't necessarily say that MBs were in that group.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
__________________ When you learn from your own mistakes, that's experience.
When you learn from the mistakes of others, that's wisdom.
When you fail to learn from any mistakes, that's government.
Vehicle: 2001 SLK 320(93K Miles), 2002 E320 Special Edition(112K Miles)
Location: South Bay Area,L.A., CA
Posts: 976
Boy, there must be something in the weather? Or is it due to the economy? No matter what, but even in the R170 forum there's a big fight on at the moment. So at least 2 forums at the same time!
On a more serious note - this IS a free forum, so I think any advice should always be taken for what it's costing you. And while I believe it is sometimes good to stir a bit (I love doing it) , I think things should not get personal. And of course there is always more than one way to kill a cat (is that expression now non-PC?), so be willing to accept that other people may have a different view or method - this last NOT aimed at any particular person.
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Only two thing are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not so sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
Honest politicians (and lawyers) are like UFOs. Most people believe that there must be some out there somewhere, but nobody has yet been able to prove their existence.
). However, discussion and debate are not what I am talking about. Rather, from my perspective there is no room, rhyme or reason for bad-mouthing, name calling, etc. FWIW, such conduct is also prohibited by the terms of use for this site. As some of you know, one of the reasons I resigned as a moderator related in part to a lack of respect for the TOU (in another context). Accordingly, if someone feels they should be permitted to bad mouth another member -- for any reason -- I ultimately start to question their usefulness to this community.
So at least 2 forums at the same time!
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