NAXJA gone downhill?

[Hammered]

I guess I missed all the major drama because I am also new... and I am not a Super Motorhead so yes I will ask a question that has been asked 1000 times before - I'm sure. But hey we all try to use the search and all you get is SOMEONE ELSES answer to a question that may partally pertain to what you are wondering about... TO GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER to your question YOU HAVE TO ask. HELL, Thats what this is, a FORUM to learn and assist others. Why else would we have this forum if not to communicate with other XJ owners? C'mon man.

I am glad I joined... And I plan to stick around. Maybe once I have learned a few things from my trials / errors / Progress I can help the next guy. NEWBIE or Not.

 

[RedHeep]

I think it's pretty interesting that the OP posted a pretty awesome build thread on pirate, but it never made it's way here. Nick always had great writeups and good pictures, it's a shame he took that stuff elsewhere. You and others chose to do that and some of the tech here suffered.

I think you also have to consider that the popularity of this website with users is a direct reflection of the platform getting older. $1000 XJ's are commonplace now, 97+ models are way less expensive than a similiar year model TJ. So you have more people with new cherokees and you're going to get more new guy questions and more people who don't search, etc.

The membership numbers are up. The user counts are up. People come and go. Most of you guys that chose not to renew are proof of that.

 

[xjtrailrider]

I still like and will renew in a month or so. I'm a seasoned mechanic of 25 years and still find myself learning something I didn't know that is specific to the XJ. I like helping the noobs and sometimes will cruise OEM tech for a thread that no one has replied to and try to help the poster out. The same questions over and over are annoying but you have to remember so many of our users are young and completly new to automotive forums and auto repair in general, they just don't know thier way around yet.

Ive been on here 2.5 years and I think the quality of the forum is about the same as it was on day one for me.

I'm a little chapped about the "MAC" thing and how thats going but hey I'm gonna wheel my junk with or with out it so it doesn't matter.

 

[Ghost]

I think it's pretty interesting that the OP posted a pretty awesome build thread on pirate, but it never made it's way here. Nick always had great writeups and good pictures, it's a shame he took that stuff elsewhere. You and others chose to do that and some of the tech here suffered.

I think you also have to consider that the popularity of this website with users is a direct reflection of the platform getting older. $1000 XJ's are commonplace now, 97+ models are way less expensive than a similiar year model TJ. So you have more people with new cherokees and you're going to get more new guy questions and more people who don't search, etc.

The membership numbers are up. The user counts are up. People come and go. Most of you guys that chose not to renew are proof of that.

I think Red has got it as do a lot of you others. is what you make of it. the last couple of years has sent me into the back channel of . Work and kids has limited my time here lately. I hope that Nick is wrong and is not dieing a slow death, but I do see where he is coming from. This forum like all other forums have its problems and bonuses. If you dont put forth an effort no matter what you do it will only be what you put into it.

 

[~Spanky~]

:rattle: n00b here; with all the work and most members getting older and/or just joining up, (as said by others in this thread, kids and so on)…Fuel and timing has a good deal to do with some of the members attendance at events. As far as the forum.... I for one have asked some pretty dumb questions and found tons of answers in the search. I will admit it seemed to work better prior to the crash. I had just joined when the last crash hit and noticed how much information was lost. Nevertheless, I stuck and will continue. The more I learn, the more I share. Friends have been made and are of rare quality. It is a pleasure to relax and lurk, read and learn. Not that it will not happen, because just like any organization or group, I have yet to complain, but were I to do so it would be to those who complain without contribution. The dues we all pay go to keep the Site up as well as support many of the lands we wheel on. From what I have seen in the short time I have been a member the “Reds” outnumber the “Blacks” at most events and the reverse is true in the complaint department. That said as well as to conclude my rant, complaints post up by Red or Black. This is true if you wish to contribute. My contribution of the day….Rattle cans are cool…look at my heap!

 

[WTF]

I agree that , to some extent at least, is what you make of it.
:soapbox:
One of the biggest points that people seem to be missing is that has it's place in the 'web wheeling world'. will never be Pirate, and Pirate will never be ; If you expect this to change, you're gonna be disappointed.

What is offered here is a highly specialized database of knowledge; specific to one cehicle manufactured for a finite period of time, the XJ/MJ. Yes, this excludes some and is attractive to others. That's a natural evolution of virtually everything in life. One site cannot be everything everyone wants. We elected to begin charging for certain priveleges here and it lost us some member but gained us a lot of funds that we might otherwise never have gotten; it's give and take, just like life.

Me personally, I expand most of my tech knowledge through pirate these days to be perfectly honest. But I also try to pass on my experiences in the form of helping others with their issues here. I've been in 'the XJ scene since 2000; either you grow and get more serious about it or you move on to something else. thats the natural ebb and flow of the world.

I have met some great people through this organization. However I can also say the same about a few other groups I've been a part of over the years. It's a good resource for me and I don't mind, and in fact feel obligated to, pay for this info in the form of dues after mooching for free during my 'formative years'...


That said- if I could pay my membership dues and not ever have access to the member's forum, I would be perfectly content. A lot of people get wrapped up in the politics of a 'club' and it seems to take away some of the pleasure in the benefits of membership for them. Bottom line, it's a club, this is a hobby, we are here to have fun and learn a little while meeting new people with fellow interests. If I wanted extra stress in my life, I'd stay at work more hours during the week.

Advice to all: hit the trails, wheel it till its begs for mercy and, for the love of God, lighten up and remember to have fun!
:Soapbox-off:
Hasta

 

[Gerr]

I still like as a whole but the chapters seem to be where most of the intelligent and interesting discussions take place now days and not in the national arena which is a sad fact. When I first found naxja I honestly couldn't believe how helpful nice and all in all fun this forum was. A lot of the same people Ive talk to over the years basically gave up on the national scene because of all the stupid things that were being dwelled on and they ended up moving on to other forums and other hobbies in some cases. Some of the most die hard guys only come out to wheel and do the meet and greets and once in a while you'll see them come back for a bit to say hi in the local chapter. Others are still here making friends and ignoring the people who we don't see value in dealing with, my ignore list is getting to be pretty long now days but many of the locals post up gems from time to time that keep me checking in and having fun.

 

[IH8RDS]

Dont get me wrong. I have met and wheeled with some class act people on here. Nic being one of them. I just want things to open up more. The way it used to be. Forcing people to pay just so they can post in advanced fab, IMHO, cut out a great deal of fresh ideas.

 

[shelbyluvv]

There is a guide to searching stickied in OEM, MOD, and ADV tech.

It works really good too. I use it all the time.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349

Is making a change? Yes it is. Is it for the better? Dunno, there is a thread on this very subject in the members forum as well.

The BOD sees the changes and are working on ways to get it fixed.

 

[Lowrange2]

It just seems to me that a lot of people think that they should get something for nothing. I mean c'mon. It's 35 bucks. I've made all of that back and PLUS some using the discount that I get in many places. I don't regret paying it at all. It just makes sense. Support the organization that supports you!

 

[Ghost]

It just seems to me that a lot of people think that they should get something for nothing. I mean c'mon. It's 35 bucks. I've made all of that back and PLUS some using the discount that I get in many places. I don't regret paying it at all. It just makes sense. Support the organization that supports you!

Well put and well said! Exactly why I still support it even though my post whorin days are over! LOL! :wave: :gag:

 

[FordGuy]

You guys saved me 35 bucks the first time I went on , and probably thousands to date.

 

[xjtrailrider]

It just seems to me that a lot of people think that they should get something for nothing. I mean c'mon. It's 35 bucks. I've made all of that back and PLUS some using the discount that I get in many places. I don't regret paying it at all. It just makes sense. Support the organization that supports you!

X2! I saved the membership fee on my RuffStuff diff covers alone!

 

[~Spanky~]

Well put and well said! Exactly why I still support it even though my post whorin days are over! LOL! :wave: :gag:

"post whorin " Something I need to know?:eyes:

 

[shelbyluvv]

Post whores are the ones who post stuff like, X2, search, and other non-useful stuff just to pad their post counts. You will see them, just keep a look out for them.

 

[BruceB83]

Post whores are the ones who post stuff like, X2, search, and other non-useful stuff just to pad their post counts. You will see them, just keep a look out for them.

X2...search...you'll find em.



Anyways, I agree with lowrange. $35 is nothing when you look at the knowledge database you have at hand. Well, I guess you have that without a membership but at least you are then supporting it instead of being a freeriding leech of the organization. And if making back that money is your concern then that $35 savings is easy to achieve when you start buying from vendors. Heck, buy a lift kit from Jason at Rough Country and you've saved.

 

[53guy]

Dont get me wrong. I have met and wheeled with some class act people on here. Nic being one of them. I just want things to open up more. The way it used to be. Forcing people to pay just so they can post in advanced fab, IMHO, cut out a great deal of fresh ideas.

I agree. Maybe I'm just a cheap ass and can use a tank of gas over the ability to post in some areas, but it still just rubs me wrong.

 

[53guy]

The BOD sees the changes and are working on ways to get it fixed.

Can you explain? I'd like to know what they see and what they plan on changing. Maybe I'm not the crazy one here seeing that things are different.

 

[53guy]

It just seems to me that a lot of people think that they should get something for nothing. I mean c'mon. It's 35 bucks. I've made all of that back and PLUS some using the discount that I get in many places. I don't regret paying it at all. It just makes sense. Support the organization that supports you!

I don't want to get somethign for nothing, but I'd like to get SOMETHING for what I pay for. I'd like to not pay for crashes, data loss, a slow server, poor search engines, archives that are seemingly lost to people. I donno, that's just me.

 

[RedHeep]

I don't want to get somethign for nothing, but I'd like to get SOMETHING for what I pay for. I'd like to not pay for crashes, data loss, a slow server, poor search engines, archives that are seemingly lost to people. I donno, that's just me.

So come back over. I hear pirate has all that stuff.