Social Graces on 500Eboard

[gerryvz]

But I spoke to Mosselmann on phone after that discussion and he didn't feel welcome on this forum, so he will hardly return here again. I understand him because he was not met with much enthusiasm from all here. I think someone became jealous on his car. Read post #53, last sentence, and research why he said that.

It's exceedingly rare that folks have felt un-welcome on this forum. I have seen a couple of other cases (even very recently) where feelings have been hurt because peoples' cars have been strongly and brutally critiqued.

While I don't condone (and will not tolerate) any form of outright/blatant nastiness, I CERTAINLY welcome strong critiques of cars posted for sale or discussed, particularly if the critique is done factually and without the intent of personally attacking the owner of the car. And that's the line, that I really have yet to see crossed here - I have not seen anyone really PERSONALLY ATTACKED and put down. Cars critiqued yes, peoples' personalities no.

The "rub" is when an owner is extremely emotionally attached to their car, and receives/processes/accepts criticism of their car as a personal attack on them. While we are all human and it is easy to do this, in my experience the criticism has not been intended as a personal attack. If a member does perceive a personal attack, I urge them to contact myself or a fellow Site Admin (GSXR, Glen, Jelmer) directly and double-check their perception, discuss the offence, and consider a response together with the Site Admin or at minimum with a fellow trusted site member/friend.

While no one likes to have their car attacked and harshly criticized, it is a fact of life that when one displays their car on a public forum, that criticism and questions are inevitably going to result, and not necessarily to the person's liking. If someone comes onto a forum and displays their car, and doesn't have much "enthusiasm" or as positive of a response as they would like or had expected, that is 100% THEIR PROBLEM ... NOT the problem of the members here.

Bottom line is to play in a public sandbox, you have to have a thick skin.

On the flip side to this ... we do have a few members who are consistently harsh and [perhaps, a bit] voiciferous in their "commentary" on cars. Perhaps just a smidge of temperance on this could help lubricate things a bit better. I am NOT condoning people to be soft and artificially nice to each other and others' cars all the time, but perhaps a bit of moderation in the choice of words used and/or tone could help avoid hurt feelings and bruised egos.

A big exception to this is when sellers (whether members or not) pump up their cars and grossly exaggerate their condition, trying to pawn off a terd as a diamond. In those cases, criticism (although subjective) is certainly warranted, as long as personal attacks are avoided. For reference, I don't consider statements like "Man, the weed crop in California must be hella good this year for that guy to be asking that sort of price for that wreck" (or similar statement) to be a personal attack with malicious intent.

The bottom line is that perhaps some folks need to grow thicker skins, and temper their expectations a bit as to how "kingly" they will be treated when they show up with a nice car, and others need to just be a slight bit nicer in HOW (not WHAT) they say things.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[flafeer]

FWIW, as a new member and mostly lurker, I've felt very welcome here. I've also found this forum to be invaluable in my search for a 500e.

This despite the fact that most of you seem to hate my DD.

 

[Jelmer]

Well said, Gerry. It would be good if someone would let us know if they take offense in anything we say. I know I can come across as harsh, but often I don't mean it that way. A PM would be much better for everyone, instead of feeling hated and turning your back to this forum.

A perfect example for your post is the recent deal with runningtoohot, when selling his cars. He - understandably - loves both his daily driver and his garage queen. All these positive feelings create a "my car is fantastic" feeling - which is mostly perfectly justified. You don't inspect it as thoroughly, ignore tiny imperfections, and skip over things you've never even noticed.

In this example, we, as a group, found some things the seller wasn't aware of, but would influence the price. runningtoohot also felt like we were bashing on him, kicking him down, while we were simply being critical, helping to provide an exact list of what's good and bad, in the end actually helping with the sale. Most of what we found in the "online inspection" would've been found in an PPI, but then it'd be even more shocking.

I'll have to be honest: if I would've found this forum today, I would also start a thread with plenty of pictures, telling everyone my car is perfect, an easy 9/10. And I'd be shot down, because there are plenty of things wrong with it, that I learned to live with, forgot, or never saw.

What's important to remember: PMs (Private messages) are NOT visible to other board members. If you send a PM to an admin, saying you feel attacked, don't like someones behavior, think a post is too harsh or too personal and whatnot, this won't be publicly visible. If we act on it, it will be via a post without mentioning the person who sent a PM, it would be via a general message in the thread, asking people posting to behave a bit nicer.

 

[need2speed]

A discussion of forum etiquette is never a waste of time and is part of the way we reinforce the high standards of this forum. So kudos to 500AM for sharing Mosselmann's concerns and Gerry for carrying it forward. I agree with your comments and analysis Gerry, but would like to add a challenge to my fellow forum members regarding one infrequent behavior I do find disturbing. While everyone is free to offer an opinion that adds value to a thread, sometimes comments are simply passive-aggressive. These comments are characterized by questioning aspects of a member's post without offering any alternative details. I would simply ask that if one is willing to challenge the details of another's post, that they do some work to justify their opinions. There are many stellar examples of this type of responsible behavior on this forum and we all know and appreciate those people.

 

[195910]

Good point from Arnt, we need to be considerate of the cultural differences between members in this international forum.
Some people are not tolerant to negative criticism like others; even humour can be misinterpreted. That does not mean that we shouldn't criticise what we see wrong (with reasonable logic and manners) but to choose word more carefully.

It is unfortunate that some are not willing to listen to logic or reasoning when it comes to their decisions and choices. I saw this not only in the forum but in the E500E gatherings that I used to organize over here...

Regarding the Prices and value of cars, which I believe is a major argument point, this is decided per region and market...not in a general matter.
An E60 LTD for example is only available in Europe (Mainly Germany & Scandinavia) thus they set the value of such cars according to their Demand, appraisal and Strong Economies. But I think everyone would agree that such cars are highly valued world wide and cannot be priced anywhere near a standard E500....Its like comparing a 1969 Yenko camaro to a 1969 Camaro SS...(just thought our US member would appreciate this sort of comparison)

 

[Glen]

A discussion of forum etiquette is never a waste of time and is part of the way we reinforce the high standards of this forum. So kudos to 500AM for sharing Mosselmann's concerns and Gerry for carrying it forward. I agree with your comments and analysis Gerry, but would like to add a challenge to my fellow forum members regarding one infrequent behavior I do find disturbing. While everyone is free to offer an opinion that adds value to a thread, sometimes comments are simply passive-aggressive. These comments are characterized by questioning aspects of a member's post without offering any alternative details. I would simply ask that if one is willing to challenge the details of another's post, that they do some work to justify their opinions. There are many stellar examples of this type of responsible behavior on this forum and we all know and appreciate those people.

+1.

For the most part, members here are polite and mature. Good job all

 

[szvook]

Hmm...does his have anything to do with me calling Eric's 4.2 a hoopty?

 

[gerryvz]

Hmm...does his have anything to do with me calling Eric's 4.2 a hoopty?

Not specifically. I admit I am among the first in line to have a joke and to post YouTube/rap videos and the like pertaining to the joke du jour, so I'm probably as guilty of having a laugh at others' expense as anyone.

And the current armistice regarding the Mushroom Wars ... perhaps we need a 500Eboard Panmunjom ...

Seriously though, it's a good discussion to have and I reiterate, if anyone is offended, PLEASE discuss privately with that person. If you are uncomfortable doing so, enlist the help of a friendly Site Admin. There have been several times where I've edited/deleted posts that were (or could be considered) offensive, and have no problem doing this if a member indicates concern/upset.

 

[szvook]

There have been several times where I've edited/deleted posts

That and more. The whole "drag nights" comes to mind. ...

 

[gerryvz]

That and more. The whole "drag nights" comes to mind.

Indeed ... that whole episode was a real ... drag.

 

[500AMM]

Good discussion guys, and +1 on all comments - we manage very well here.
500Eboard is very well organized, getting better and better, and the admins lead by Site Honcho himself do a great job.

But we have cultural differences and individual personalities, and not to say language challenges too. So sometimes we must sit back and read a bit in between the lines to sense the tone, nuances etc.. As speaking for myself I make fast conclusions sometimes and are a bit bombastic, I take "a spade for a spade" as we say here in Norway. But the most challenging is in fact the joking, I have posted a couple of blunders expecting smileys and fun comments, but got a total silence...and without knowing what was wrong in it - Ha ha!

Let's keep on!

 

[gerryvz]

One other thing that has recently popped up ... we have a ZERO tolerance policy for a few things. Specifically these are spammers, and people who come onto this site and insult others.

We recently had a "new user" here whose very first post his first day was shouting (in all caps) and also an insult to me. Needless to say, he didn't last very long on this site as a new member.

Now, I don't mind personal insults so much as I know who is making them, and that person at least has some tenure/credibility on this site. But to come on here and start immediately shouting, and insulting the owner of the site, and not "owning" your posts by using your real name ... well, that's a recipe for an instant ban. In a couple of cases, I have leveled my share of direct insults toward a few deserving individuals on other MB forums, but I have always used my real name/moniker and it's very clear that I was responsible for the posts.

Strong/harsh criticism is generally welcome if you're an established member, if the criticism is not too personal, and it has validity/is backed up with facts/logic. New members who come on here and behave poorly will be treated like spammers and will immediately be deleted terminated.

I attach the post from the new member that I referenced above, which was made (and deleted) a few days ago.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[JordiC]

I remember seeing the above referenced post but I wasn't even bothered as I knew you would soon take care of it. You did so promptly, and for that, along with being a vigilant site host, I thank you and appreciate all you do here.

 

[szvook]

....

 

[2phast]

One other thing that has recently popped up ... we have a ZERO tolerance policy for a few things. Specifically these are spammers, and people who come onto this site and insult others.

We recently had a "new user" here whose very first post his first day was shouting (in all caps) and also an insult to me. Needless to say, he didn't last very long on this site as a new member.

Now, I don't mind personal insults so much as I know who is making them, and that person at least has some tenure/credibility on this site. But to come on here and start immediately shouting, and insulting the owner of the site, and not "owning" your posts by using your real name ... well, that's a recipe for an instant ban. In a couple of cases, I have leveled my share of direct insults toward a few deserving individuals on other MB forums, but I have always used my real name/moniker and it's very clear that I was responsible for the posts.

Strong/harsh criticism is generally welcome if you're an established member, if the criticism is not too personal, and it has validity/is backed up with facts/logic. New members who come on here and behave poorly will be treated like spammers and will immediately be deleted terminated.

I attach the post from the new member that I referenced above, which was made (and deleted) a few days ago.

Cheers,
Gerry

I don't believe Jess was attempting to insult you Gerrry. To Jess, it was just another way to call you the "Site Honcho", maybe the phrase and all caps were not the best way to get the ball rolling. This issue is concerning to him and he truly is sorry if he offended you and he does very much want to be a member of this site. His communication with me (prior to this incident) has been nothing but friendly.

 

[gsxr]

I don't believe Jess was attempting to insult you Gerrry. To Jess, it was just another way to call you the "Site Honcho", maybe the phrase and all caps were not the best way to get the ball rolling. This issue is concerning to him and he truly is sorry if he offended you and he does very much want to be a member of this site. His communication with me (prior to this incident) has been nothing but friendly.

Ditto what Rik said. I think Jess replied to the wrong thead somehow... he was trying to reply about some decals which are no longer available. Instead he replied on this thread after post #11, however that thread had no references to decals. Dunno how that got mixed up, but I was confused too. Gerry, if you didn't receive an email from Jess recently, please let me know...

 

[Jimbo]

....

Good stuff Steve ! LOL

Can I use that?

 

[szvook]

Can I use that?

I don't see why not.

 

[DerFuror]

Everybody provides valid points regarding this topic. Constructive & instructive criticism is a good thing that helps educate owners/prospective owners & improve/maintain the E500E breed. Destructive or uncalled-for criticism is not.

Just think a moment about a statement before hitting the Enter key (just like I’m doing now) & expect an “as ye sow so shall ye reap” response now or later for doing so.

Over the past year this website has swung its pendulum in the direction reminiscent of social networks; with threads going off-topic frequently & sometimes lengthily before returning. Some members naturally respond to this behavior, criticisms or statements by bailing out entirely, sitting on the sidelines, or reducing their participation in the website. The numbers show we have over 2,200 members, yet a small percentage of this number are actually actively participating. There can be many reasons for this, however some must be attributable in response to other members' online behavior, statements or criticisms.

For those feeling affected by criticisms, just consider bucking-up & staying in the game. You'll have an opportunity down the road to return the favor, or, when required, save time by using the best smiley ever provided….



Here’s to everybody working toward keeping this a greatly informative website regarding a great automobile!

 

[gerryvz]

Derf,

I think it's normal for a very small percentage of members of forums to actually be active participants. How many of the members of Benzworld or PeachParts are active members? How many members of 500Ecstasy were active? It's a VERY small percentage. The reason for this is not necessarily because people get turned off, but rather because they mainly use the forum to gain knowledge and solutions to their problems, find a car to buy or sell, and so forth. About 10% of the members here are active. Many drop off because they sell their cars, or they are busy and only occasionally have time to get online. I go through phases like this, with intense work and travel schedules where I'm lucky to actually be on the forum once a day.... if that.

If people choose to not participate, or bail on the forum, because they don't like the environment, that's their choice. There are plenty of others who do actively participate. This forum is still a very nice place to be, and I don't think it's any nastier or harsher today than it was 2 or 3 years ago. Threads have wandered off topic since the beginning, and I don't mind that (up to a point). I believe that part of one's online persona and forum participation should be to show one's human side -- whether this is expressed through the sense of humor, what they say/how they say it, and so forth.

There will always be conflict and disagreements as long as humans communicate, and forums are no exception to this. There is one fairly new but very active and knowledgeable member of this site who I very definitely get the vibe from, of not liking me personally. Do I care or lose sleep over it? No, because I don't have a problem with that person, they have the problem with me. But they are active, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and add plenty of value, and very definitely show a high level of standards and integrity, so they are very welcome here. I recently had a problem with a new member who I perceived directly insulted me from the get-go, and once several others who knew him told me that he was OK and explained his intent, I think he's fine. Will he be my best friend? Probably not but he's certainly welcome on this site.

No community is perfect. The best thing you can do is communicate and bring up/discuss issues, and try to work to effect positive change. I don't believe that there have been that many folks who have bailed on this forum because they felt slighted or shat upon. And by the way, I'm looking forward to a new batch of patented Derf(TM) HOW-TO articles this spring/summer/fall.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[DerFuror]

No community is perfect. The best thing you can do is communicate and bring up/discuss issues, and try to work to effect positive change.

You are correct. Communication is the key to everything.

...And by the way, I'm looking forward to a new batch of patented Derf(TM) HOW-TO articles this spring/summer/fall.

That won't be for a while. I'm currently completely rewiring a stinky little British car so it will be ready for its upcoming 60th anniversary...sure ain't no 500E (let alone a Mercedes) but I must say the lack of technology can be refreshing!

 

[gerryvz]

All:

We have a new policy here on 500Eboard. It pertains to generic MB/German car "gatherings" and other events.

In general, going forward, people who are not active members of the 500E/E500/AMG Hammer community who come onto this forum, for the sole/express purposes of "advertising" their generic MB/German car events in a loud, unruly, repeated and spam-my manner, will have their posts deleted. If they persist in re-posting this type of information event spam, the user will be summarily deleted.

This rule DOES NOT apply to regional "Cars and Coffee" types of events, or exhortations of active members of this forum to others in their area to attend these types of events. Nor does the rule apply to active 500Eboard members who attend these events, who want to post photographs from said events of their and other cars of interest to the group.

The main, delineating factor and people to whom this policy applies are people whose sole purpose for membership on this forum is to advertise their events, AND who do not own nor intend to ever own, a 500E/E500 or related model.

If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss here, or contact me directly for further guidance.

Thank you!

Cheers,
Gerry
500Eboard 'Bigpants'/Site Honcho​

 

[gerryvz]

I do want to say "welcome back" to a couple of our long-lost members: Christian_K (who has been back for some weeks now) and also the esteemed 400Eric, the master of .034 performance.



Welcome back guys !!

 

[500Eboard]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

 

[clarkz71]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

I agree, therefore I will refrain from posting ANY helpful technical information from now on.

You know, like correcting the misinformation in the 400E EZL for sale ad.

 

[Klink]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

I agree, therefore I will refrain from posting ANY helpful technical information from now on.

You know, like correcting the misinformation in the 400E EZL for sale ad.

Vader, you answer to a far higher power than me and are not under my command so I can't tell you what to do, but I would not take any actions based on statements from Schultz!

Everyone knows that he is a couple of armaments short of a full battalion, a few grains short of a full load, a couple of torture sessions short of a full..., well never mind you get my drift. He may even have a relatively small caliber "weapon" if you know what I mean. Remember also that he has no choice in the matter. He must ask me or it's the firing squad!

So please, ignore the rantings of this idiot! The man eats toaster strudel, for Pete's sake!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clarkz71]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

You do know he is the Honcho, right?

 

[Klink]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

You do know he is the Honcho, right?

Honcho? We're talking Schultz here, and Schultz couldn't find his a-hole with two mirrors, a flashlight, and a funnel!

And LeBeau, that little Frenchman "buddy" of his is going to spend some time in the cooler for hacking him into this website!!

Honcho? I think not!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gerryvz]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

I agree, therefore I will refrain from posting ANY helpful technical information from now on.

You know, like correcting the misinformation in the 400E EZL for sale ad.

Clark, your past contributions are much appreciated, and your future contributions are welcomed.

This forum (and its predecessor, 500Ecstasy) have gotten along without your contributions since August of 2003, and I am exceedingly sure that the E500E world will continue to turn without you. It is 100% your choice as to whether you want to contribute here or not, and whether you want to participate in the community here or not. Nobody is stopping or forcing you to do anything.

One point I will make, however. You seem -- both publicly and privately -- to strongly believe that you are automatically "owed" respect and deference by all members here, and on other forums, simply because you spent many years as an MB factory-trained technician, and this puts you at a clear head-and-shoulders position above all others here because of that fact.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This forum is a democracy. NO ONE on this forum is better than anyone else, and NO ONE has more status here than anyone else. There is no caste system on this forum ... no "pecking order" on this board. Based on the information collected and compiled on this forum -- some of it at great effort and expense over many years -- there are two status tiers, based solely on a person's tenure & their overall contributions to the forum; and another group of four administrators (including myself).

Even then, my account has no more powers than the other administrator accounts (gsxr, Glen, and Jelmer).

More importantly -- NO ONE on this forum is automatically "owed" respect, THEY MUST EARN IT. Respect takes time and effort to obtain, and can also be lost in a heartbeat. And it can be rebuilt.

Respect comes as the result of a person's actions: their attitude displayed, knowledge shared, willingness to help, and most importantly one's overall demeanor. More importantly though, than just knowledge and willingness to share it, is HOW the person interacts with others. Does the person "play nice," or put on airs in front of others, or are they a real person and act humble and take consideration for the rights of others?

Personally, I am not a good example of this, and I certainly am not flawless. I have been perma-banned from Banzworld for deleting my posts there some years back. I carry a certain bias against a few individuals there, and a couple on PeachParts, who have a history of acting like fools, spreading misinformation and having huge egos with absolutely no good reason, and consistently getting away with it. I have railed on a few forums against these individuals, and have created some life-long enemies (and collected two death threats that I am aware of). At the same time, however, with the help of many others I have worked hard to build and nurture this site and make an environment -- 100% at my own expense -- that has a solid, informative and sometimes irreverent (dare I say, "fun"?) culture. I have always made my own resources available to others. I have spent countless hours documenting projects for the benefit of the community in a substantive way. My posts are corrected and/or clarified quite often and I do not get upset over this -- I take it as a learning experience. I poke a lot of fun at folks, and I get a lot of fun poked at me. For the most part, I let it roll off my back.

I'd recommend you do the same. Contribute/participate if you want to. If you don't want to, please also let me know. You are always welcome here, but I suggest you work hard to EARN, not ASSUME, the respect of others.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[KarlC]

Gerry,

Thanks for your thoughts and all that you do for this site !

We all know that emails, texting and web posts can ezaly be taken wrong, yet I am amazed to see times when some get bent out of shape and take things personal. Especially with the fine caliber of gentlemen we have on this board. I just don't think this would happen in real life, think about it, if we could all meet in person with our cars we would jump at the chance to do so. Our last meet here in So Ca was a perfect example of this, just a great bunch of fun loving guys enjoying each other and our cars.

Let this broad be as real life as we can make it and do our best to enjoy it and each other.

 

[Cobra]

Hi
I can only keeping on with KarlC after meeting you in person in Germany and not to mention the other E500 site gurus like Jelmer.

You are the the foundation of this site.

Despair non, you are the rock of this.

BR
Torsten

 

[sheward]

I have only "periphery"experience interacting on the internet but your statement of what you would like this board to be, and has become, is highly admirable. I also think it can only benefit all to read it from time to time. Thanks for posting it Gerry. And thanks to all the Administrators for keeping it rolling.

drew

 

[gerryvz]

I agree that meeting people in person goes a LONG WAY toward nullifying perceptions that one gets about someone online. Many years ago I had a big beef with Jimbo, on the 500Ecstasy board. To the point where I didn't post and even log in for about 9 months because I was mad about some things he said about me publicly. The board certainly carried on without me.

A couple of years after that Jimbo and I met in person when I was on a trip out to the Boston area. We had dinner together and figuratively (and literally) broke bread, and we had many beers and Barenjager. I think we talked outside the restaurant until well after 2:30 AM, and I had a two-plus hour drive from Springfield back to Boston in harsh Boston winter weather !!

I have always tried to meet as many forum members in person as I could on my travels around the world. It really does go a long way toward helping with relations once people see that a person is not a troll with green horns and (in my case) not unhinged at least all of the time...

It was super cool when I was walking across the lobby of the van der Valk hotel last month and Cobra and Roger recognized me and introduced themselves. And then a little while after that we had drinks in the bar until the others started showing up (like Christian_K and others). Roger is quite important because he is one of the very few people on this forum who has his own personal smilie

This year I got to meet esodnehoh in Germany, and meeting him and his brother was a real highlight from my trip. Both of them are true W124 enthusiasts and have done so much for helping our community out with some interesting and important information.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Christian_K]

I like the way that everything could be really DISCUSSED in this forums, unlike in other forums were many of the mods and higher "ranked" people seem to be on a "power trip" and deleting, banning, etc and can be not talked to about smth.
Keep it going!

 

[clarkz71]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

I'd recommend you do the same. Contribute/participate if you want to. If you don't want to, please also let me know. You are always welcome here, but I suggest you work hard to EARN, not ASSUME, the respect of others.

Cheers,
Gerry

That's quite a statement.

I'll let the members judge if I DEMANDED respect in this PM I sent you, the one that started this BS

I hope you're just messing with me.

As much as I enjoy this forum, I don't like you acting like the 036 is "THAT" much better then a 034

You keep forgetting I've driven many, many examples of both including when they were new.

I know the difference.

I could say the same thing to you about your G wagon, why not a V8 instead of a 6 banger ??

Chill on the 034 bashing.

I get many PM's from members on this board thanking me for my contributions.

I deserve a little respect, at least from you.

Looks like I made a "statement", not a demand.

And to suggest I work hard to "earn" respect, yeah sure I will.

That's what I've been doing since my return from the last fiasco.

I'll let you know if I choose to contribute in the future.

 

[clarkz71]

Re: Approved ATF Discussion for 722.3 Transmission

this is what prompted my PM

Funny if you own a 036

Not so much if you own a 034

Here's your center vent, Andy. It's from an .034, so apologies for a foreign part on a .036 that pollutes & taints the purity of the E500E.

I'll clean it up and make it as shiny as possible before shipping, and give it a coat of 303 aerospace (UV) protectant.

Please PM me your mailing address.

Cheers
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Personally, I have nothing further to add to this discussion.

Clark, your past contributions are much appreciated, and your future contributions are welcomed.....It is 100% your choice as to whether you want to contribute here or not, and whether you want to participate in the community here or not. Nobody is stopping or forcing you to do anything.

The position and philosophy of this forum is clear, and you are welcome to make your own choice.

 

[500AMM]

I have only one recommendation to add to this discussion: Cool down the emotions, please!

The human nature is a challenge, as soon as the emotions becomes predominant in one or another way, the defence mechanism is alerted too and can create unexpected and unwanted reactions. And the grade of reaction is individual.

Over the years I've seen that it is room for misunderstandings and verbal potshots here, it is solved in a good way for all. So let's stay objective and focus on what this forum is about - the W124.036 cars.

 

[Trae]

Clark,
We have all learned, and continue to learn, from your posts.

No one is out to get you here, on the contrary, you even have a "Vader tribute" post.

Just so you know, you are valuable and contribute to the well being of all of our .034/.036s!

 

[clarkz71]

So let's stay objective and focus on what this forum is about - the W124.036 cars.

Partially correct.

While the name is 500Eboard, the repair, diagnoses and service is the same for both the M119 powered 034 & 036

All service parts are the same

I don't see many threads pertaining to fender flair problems

While the main focus is the 500E, there is a 400E420 section
as well as a C126 and now G wagon (hmmmm) sub forums

I would hope all members with those models are welcome.

And SLS repair and diagnoses is the same as a 124.092

 

[clarkz71]

Clark,
We have all learned, and continue to learn, from your posts.

No one is out to get you here, on the contrary, you even have a "Vader tribute" post.

Just so you know, you are valuable and contribute to the well being of all of our .034/.036s!

Thank you Trae,

I never said, or thought anyone was "out to get me"

I PM'd Gerry about his negative post regarding 034 parts on a 036

He did not use a emoticon like so that it looked like he was kidding around.

All of this drama could have been avoided with a simple thing like that.

Then the rant about how I thought I was better then other members and was demanding respect.

Never happened, otherwise he would have posted a quote.

I received several PM's like your post from other members.

I appreciate the support & because of that will continue to contribute to the forum.

Many stand up members on here.

 

[KarlC]

Clark,
We have all learned, and continue to learn, from your posts.

No one is out to get you here, on the contrary, you even have a "Vader tribute" post.

Just so you know, you are valuable and contribute to the well being of all of our .034/.036s!

+1 I always enjoy your knowledge sharing Clark

 

[Glen]

I too am glad you are contributing, Clark. I believe you are a wealth of information and a benefit to all. Between you and Klink, you guys bring decades worth of experience that we all benefit from.
I do have one issue though, not specifically aimed at you as I've seen it in the past from others, and that is PM's are private messages and should never be shared publicly. Again, this isn't specifically aimed at you, you just happen to be the most recent person to do this.

 

[clarkz71]

+1 I always enjoy your knowledge sharing Clark

Thank you Karl

I too am glad you are contributing, Clark. I believe you are a wealth of information and a benefit to all. Between you and Klink, you guys bring decades worth of experience that we all benefit from.
I do have one issue though, not specifically aimed at you as I've seen it in the past from others, and that is PM's are private messages and should never be shared publicly. Again, this isn't specifically aimed at you, you just happen to be the most recent person to do this.

I agree Glen,

But in this case, it was claimed that I had demanded respect from the forum.

This was not true, what I said was " I deserve a little respect"

And that was directed more toward Gerry then anyone else

Posting the PM was the only way I could prove that. And it was my PM to Gerry.
I would never post another members PM to me.

In the future I will not repeat that however, as again, I do agree with you.

 

[Hollybrook]

 

[Allgonquin]

Over the years on many boards I have seen similar situations. It's almost impossible to convey the feelings behind just words - with no visual cues or body language one usually has no clue to sarcasm or humor. Clark, I agree with others that your contributions are of great interest - let's all do our best to behave like gentlemen (do we have any female members/posters?) and carry on Gerry's great initiative. And hopefully we can all take a little ribbing now and then - but as noted, it's not always easy to see "the spirit in which it was intended".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAomAwIwxm8

Rgds,
Chris

 

[500AMM]

So let's stay objective and focus on what this forum is about - the W124.036 cars.

Partially correct.

While the name is 500Eboard, the repair, diagnoses and service is the same for both the M119 powered 034 & 036

All service parts are the same

I don't see many threads pertaining to fender flair problems

While the main focus is the 500E, there is a 400E420 section
as well as a C126 and now G wagon (hmmmm) sub forums

I would hope all members with those models are welcome.

And SLS repair and diagnoses is the same as a 124.092

Ahh - you see, I made a miss already. :-D

The 034 is included here of course, so keep on sharing your knowledge, Clark, that's great!

 

[clarkz71]

I think we're good here now.

 

[remotemark]

Re: How to turn a FAKE AMG into a REAL AMG.

You know, my 300CE twin turbo has an AMG body kit on it. When I bought it from MB, it came with an AMG badge. So I put it on. I don't refer to the car as an AMG, but as an Ersatzhammer. Does that mean I should be on BW instead?

 

[gerryvz]

Re: How to turn a FAKE AMG into a REAL AMG.

Does that mean I should be on BW instead?

No, I think you should keep this forum as your home. Unless you love drama. The BW 124 forum has its characters, as does the BW 126 (to the extreme).

My main problem with that forum is that the knowledge level is all over the map, and the "regulars" there tend to hate on folks who actually and consistently know what they're talking about.