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