Where's Garagejournal Going?

[e015475]

Over the years, GJ has become my go-to source for a broad spectrum of information and I've come to rely on it for both current postings that resonate with what I'm doing (or want to do) and archived information.

I'm a member of a handful of forums, and I've noticed a gradual decline in posts and activity, It is only anecdotal, but I see it on GJ too.

This article from Hagerty seems to put a finer point on my observations-

Did Facebook Kill The Car Forum? - Hagerty Media

In this edition of Hagerty Great Reads, Sajeev Mehta explores the evolution, from forums to Facebook, of how auto enthusiasts interact online.

www.hagerty.com

I'd be interested in hearing Ryan's reaction to the linked article and his long term vision for this site.

Phil Dooley - e015475

 

[BrandonV]

That passage by Colum Wood in the article sums up my thoughts perfectly.

"Automotive forums are a repository of deep knowledge that you just can’t find anywhere else. But more than just historical, they are an evolving community where you can get real answers. I think Facebook groups serve a purpose, but they often tend to be more superficial. We operate Facebook groups for some of our forums and it’s easy to see the difference. Signups are far higher, but post volume and engagement is generally lower. It’s easy to join a Facebook group. But it’s so easy that many people who join have no serious intention behind it. Compare that to a forum and people make a conscious decision to go out of their way and get involved."

To me it sounds like most of these forums die out because of management behavior or ownership changes not because of interest.

 

[MWEric]

No offense to anyone here, I love GJ. However if it wasn’t here anymore I’d probably save a lot of money.

 

[Aaron_W]

Not Ryan, but I agree with the quoted piece above. I've seen a decline in technically oriented forums over the years, but recently I've started to see an increase, either an older site recovering, or a new site getting up and growing an active membership.

FB and similar are just a very poor format for documenting ongoing projects, and archiving information. They are very much what is happening today, and yesterday is ancient history. FB is super easy to make a group and run it, but the classic forum format is simply superior for these kinds of sites.

Management of a forum is critical. A lot of the failed forums I used to belong to lost their way when the owner / admins lost interest.

 

[acer66]

I have hope for GJ as long as its run by Ryan or someone likeminded.

I gave up on many forums because of all the non topic related bs that was allowed.

To me GJ has a good mixture of topics that goes beyond “just” a garage.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I love The Garage Journal and the HAMB because of no advertisements flashing to get your attention (for members, and it’s free too). Recently, I have made a conscious attempt to limit my posts to content that is either “how to”, tool discussions, or general commenting, doing so in ongoing threads, ie. The Thread of Awesome.

 

[mikedodge]

This forum is a lot busier then car forums. Unless something crazy happens it'll be a long time before it gets to how that article talks about those forums.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I said the word forum to a 19 year old kid the other day at work and he had no clue what that was. It kinda threw me off that he didn’t know but I guess that’s the new normal. I rarely ever check Facebook unless I get a notification or something like that I’d much rather be here and other forums where ee don’t have to worry about certain types of posts.

 

[micromind]

I haven't been here too long but I hope it keeps going the way it has been going. There is an immeasurable amount of knowledge here, and not just cars.

Ryan and the mods do a fine job of keeping the rif-raf out so the rest of us can enjoy ourselves.

 

[KnurledNut]

I'm a member of a handful of forums, and I've noticed a gradual decline in posts and activity, It is only anecdotal, but I see it on GJ too.

Too many lurkers doesnt help...

 

[whateg01]

One issue I see with many forums that contributes to fewer new posts are the responses "did you do a search".

I see gj as a place for discussion, even if something has been discussed before. Many places don't see it that way. I think it drives membership away.

 

[PelicanPines]

One issue I see with many forums that contributes to fewer new posts are the responses "did you do a search".

I see gj as a place for discussion, even if something has been discussed before. Many places don't see it that way. I think it drives membership away.

Agree... don't be afraid to ask... post... be wrong... be correct... all knowledge adds to the end result.

 

[engineer2]

This is better than Facebook groups. Typical response to a FB automotive question:
First reply: Since you are asking, you must be an idiot.
Two contradicting replies that are factually wrong.
Wrong answers liked by 6 people, one of whom is an arrogant person who claims he is an expert.
3 posts about the car their grandfather or uncle had.
A post finally provides correct answer.
3 more posts with incorrect answers.
2 posts that have nothing to do with the topic.
Another post attacking the OP.
Another post confirming the correct answer.
Post doubting the correct answer because of someone their cousin talked to at a car show 20 years ago.
4 posts with a variety of crazy or cynical answers.
By then, the correct answer is lost in a blur of BS.

 

[Aaron_W]

One issue I see with many forums that contributes to fewer new posts are the responses "did you do a search".

I see gj as a place for discussion, even if something has been discussed before. Many places don't see it that way. I think it drives membership away.

Don't forget the otherside, the posters who have a hissy when an older thread gets necro'd.

 

[four.cycle]

This site seems to have caused a number of interested individuals to join who have made contributions which will be invaluable for future researchers. (think: "Vise Info Thread") That we have something of a collaborative effort going on between members of this site and a few other sites (like datamp.org, or ITCL) is something completely unlike any of the "social media" platforms such as Facebook.
That it requires something of an on-going commitment does help to weed out the riff-raff a bit.

I am hoping that the site will remain up in order for future researchers to find the information they're looking for. Notwithstanding the fact that information is scattered in the winds of (literally) thousands of different threads, damn near every little bit of it can be dug up using the "search" function here or with Google.

 

[john.k]

Im on a bike forum ,or rather was before their hyper security outed me.........anyhoo,used to answer technical questions .....now Im in the same forums facebook page ,and old forum members ask me why I dont rejoin the forum........on the forum the number of answers to technical questions is now down to two or three people ,when they drop out ,no more answers.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I didn’t click on the link, but facebook has killed many of the forums I frequent.

 

[driftpin]

facebook has a place, but I'm not part of 'that place.'

 

[Old Man Roger]

facebook has a place, but I'm not part of 'that place.'

I would say the larger majority of GJ regulars tend to be older, so they probably don’t frequent FB as much as younger people. Hopefully that keeps this forum from the fate others have met, but it does kind of feel like car meets. Meaning there aren’t as many younger new members joining.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

And then there is Reddit, a combination of forums and Facebook wrapped in one.
I prefer forums.

 

[Buckaroo5]

I think there is a progression on car forums as the car ages. When the vehicle is new, it starts out with a lot of "how to operate" & preventative maintenance posts. As time passes, it goes into more complicated troubleshooting and repair posts. Finally, as the vehicle ages, the value drops and is purchased by younger people, posts about appearance mods become more frequent.

 

[RoninB4]

I've only been a member for a couple of years but I like this site and appreciate it being here. I don't read all of the posts, many are not very interesting to me, but I do get info/reviews/opinions from here I might not get anywhere else. My thanks to Ryan and anybody else that keeps this site going.

 

[mikedodge]

One issue I see with many forums that contributes to fewer new posts are the responses "did you do a search".

I see gj as a place for discussion, even if something has been discussed before. Many places don't see it that way. I think it drives membership away.

Thats because of facebook too. People used to look around and search forums now they'll join and ask something thats so conmon sometimes you can see several new posts with the same question and answers on the first page. It gets repetitive.
It's a bit different here when there's such a broad range of topics but it would be like if someone starts a new thread about workmates every 3 or 4 days. Oddly enough it seems like more people here do seem to do searches or find posts that already exist.

 

[BrandonV]

I think there is a progression on car forums as the car ages. When the vehicle is new, it starts out with a lot of "how to operate" & preventative maintenance posts. As time passes, it goes into more complicated troubleshooting and repair posts. Finally, as the vehicle ages, the value drops and is purchased by younger people, posts about appearance mods become more frequent.

100%. When I first got my TLX there was nobody who had the transmission service procedure or anything on the Internet. There still isn't much at all. I had to obtain a subscription to the Honda/Acura Service Express to figure out various procedures on the vehicle.

I'm sure in a few years when the original owners (who likely aren't doing work themselves) sell off their vehicles the next generation will probably start posting on how to do various types of mechanical work to the car.

 

[jblnut]

When I logged into GJ today I couldn't find one single post about the events that happened yesterday that the rest of the internet is screaming about and I couldn't be happier. No politics/religion on GJ is a BIG part of what keeps this thing going. Anyone that wants to discuss that stuff can find another forum quite easily to be negative and pushy towards others. The community here seems to genuinely want to help people of all skill levels with topics of all kinds.

As long as the rules keep getting enforced GJ has the potential to live forever.

 

[PelicanPines]

I said the word forum to a 19 year old kid the other day at work and he had no clue what that was. It kinda threw me off that he didn’t know but I guess that’s the new normal. I rarely ever check Facebook unless I get a notification or something like that I’d much rather be here and other forums where ee don’t have to worry about certain types of posts.

At least that 19 yr old isn't growing up ... living in a video store.
Give him to me... I can give him a VIP crash course.

 

[dchawk81]

When I logged into GJ today I couldn't find one single post about the events that happened yesterday that the rest of the internet is screaming about and I couldn't be happier. No politics/religion on GJ is a BIG part of what keeps this thing going. Anyone that wants to discuss that stuff can find another forum quite easily to be negative and pushy towards others. The community here seems to genuinely want to help people of all skill levels with topics of all kinds.

As long as the rules keep getting enforced GJ has the potential to live forever.

It got deleted yesterday. Pretty quickly. But there was one.

 

[Packard V8]

This is better than Facebook groups. Typical response to a FB automotive question:
First reply: Since you are asking, you must be an idiot.
Two contradicting replies that are factually wrong.
Wrong answers liked by 6 people, one of whom is an arrogant person who claims he is an expert.
3 posts about the car their grandfather or uncle had.
A post finally provides correct answer.
3 more posts with incorrect answers.
2 posts that have nothing to do with the topic.
Another post attacking the OP.
Another post confirming the correct answer.
Post doubting the correct answer because of someone their cousin talked to at a car show 20 years ago.
4 posts with a variety of crazy or cynical answers.
By then, the correct answer is lost in a blur of BS.

Agree completely and one of the several reasons I don't do Facebook.
A friend from an obsolete car club forum joined a group for the same marque on Facebook and was so excited because there was so many more posts. He eventually realized he was spending hours reading junk and trying to correct wrong answers and misinformation, he gave it up.

jack vines

 

[PelicanPines]

Agree completely and one of the several reasons I don't do Facebook.
A friend from an obsolete car club forum joined a group for the same marque on Facebook and was so excited because there was so many more posts. He eventually realized he was spending hours reading junk and trying to correct wrong answers and misinformation, he gave it up.

jack vines

To be honest... I thought FB died years ago... Must be on life support. I avoid it like dating apps.

 

[dchawk81]

I took a long hiatus from FB and recently jumped back on to follow some EMS/Fire pages and look at semi trucks. Maybe score someone's retirement baby.

It's a cesspool otherwise.

 

[JABgj]

I do have a FB account, rarely look at it. Too much jibber jabber and wading thru that to maybe find something of interest. Just not inclined. I also don't like my searches and posts being mined for profit. This might happen on other forums I look at, but FB and Meta are like a fungus. My interests change, and so do my browsing habits. GJ has a great wealth of information that helps me do stuff or get into things that I had only heard about.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Not Ryan, but I agree with the quoted piece above. I've seen a decline in technically oriented forums over the years, but recently I've started to see an increase, either an older site recovering, or a new site getting up and growing an active membership.

FB and similar are just a very poor format for documenting ongoing projects, and archiving information. They are very much what is happening today, and yesterday is ancient history. FB is super easy to make a group and run it, but the classic forum format is simply superior for these kinds of sites.

Management of a forum is critical. A lot of the failed forums I used to belong to lost their way when the owner / admins lost interest.

I have been a long term member of The Old IHC forum. I brought it to the attention of the members that the forum is dying. There is an ongoing attempt to find someone to release the ownership to a new administrator. The Old IHC forum has been and can continue to be a great source for anything Old IH trucks.
There was a time when OLD IHC did not allow politics and religion on the forum. That rule was relaxed and in a very short time the forum turned into chaos Many regular members not wanting the anger in their lives left the forum. Covid 19 happened and this further drove active members away. I hope that the IHC Forum can be saved. I am moderately invested in this brand.

 

[isb cornbinder]

My wife went to Atlanta on a business trip. I asked her if she would mind if I stored a few IHC pickup parts in the big basement. She agreed. While she was gone, I bought another IH L110. My son and I took the "L" apart and reassembled it in the basement. A week later my wife came home and went to the basement for something. She returned with a bottle of wine from the cellar. All she said was, "Keep the speed down in the house," Well, that is how I remember it, today.

 

[MovingAlong]

I'm a member of a handful of forums, and I've noticed a gradual decline in posts and activity, It is only anecdotal, but I see it on GJ too.

Kinda figured folks got back to working on their projects/hobbies/interests/etc...

 

[BrandonV]

Kinda figured folks got back to working on their projects/hobbies/interests/etc...

Yup. Honestly I think it's cyclical anywhere. Forums where I used to post a lot I don't anymore and you move on to new communities.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Unquestionably cyclical, as are all internet platforms. (Remember IRC? ICQ?)

Ryan's rabid and uncompromising position regarding politics and religion is most likely the reason this group has remained cohesive and we've all managed to remain civil toward one another - bringing either of those two subjects into the mix can and will result in strife and a mass exodus of people who just want no part of it. (The reasons for my extended hiatuses here.)

Something not yet mentioned, which is unique to this site, is our collaborative "peer review" process in identifying weird old widgets, digging up the manufacturer's name, patent numbers, and then the genealogical history of the guy who stamped out said widget (Thanks Woody!) There have been (and still are) many sites that operate somewhat along the same line, but nowhere close in respect to overall scale - we might suss out three of four new widgets here over a weekend none of us ever heard of before, which is admirable.
Watching this process evolve in the construction of the list has been a most interesting adventure.

Our friend at AA has only the sources he can avail himself to on the web and in his own archives, as opposed to our being able to toss something out on the table and asking the entire group "Whatsis??" (even if it is just another saw set, right OMR?)

 

[ratflinger]

The best thing about a forum, besides the current knowledge, is the history. You can search for past knowledge. I'm on a Corvette forum for my C3 and any question that one can come up has probably been asked, therefore the answer is just a search away.

 

[whateg01]

The best thing about a forum, besides the current knowledge, is the history. You can search for past knowledge. I'm on a Corvette forum for my C3 and any question that one can come up has probably been asked, therefore the answer is just a search away.

I'm going to slightly disagree. The best part is that it's a living space, meaning that as new tech or better ways come along, we can all evolve. Of course, the will always be those who do stuff a certain way because that's how it's always been done so it can't be improved upon.

 

[Ryan]

TGJ isn’t going anywhere. I’m one of the very last of the private forum owners and have zero plans to change that. I don’t do this **** for money… If I did, I would have sold long ago.

And for the record, we’ve seen no decline in traffic or posting activity in years… In fact, we‘ve been on a very slow growth trajectory since the emergence of social media. Very slow, but positive.

 

[larry4406]

TGJ isn’t going anywhere. I’m one of the very last of the private forum owners and have zero plans to change that. I don’t do this **** for money… If I did, I would have sold long ago.

And for the record, we’ve seen no decline in traffic or posting activity in years… In fact, we‘ve been on a very slow growth trajectory since the emergence of social media. Very slow, but positive.

Thank you Ryan.

This place is quite unique and want it to stay that way.