I'd like to be able to register my hotmail email account, so that I could receive email notifications there. I actually use MSN as my ISP, and I already had a hotmail acct. and didn't want to change my email addy, so it's not technically a free account. IIRC, these type of accounts can't be used to register, due to some security issues, but after being here almost two years, and not having caused any trouble, I think I've proven that I'm not intending to do anything, I just want the same conveniences I had when I used my old email addy. (that isn't even active anymore).
Can this be done, Cliff?
Nic
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01:47 AM
PFF
System Bot
Raydar Member
Posts: 40962 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
Tech section 1: Fiero Maintenance and Repair issues: It would mainly be for stock vehicles, but I suppose others could post. Issues here could be engine, suspension or interior related, but do to mechanical failures and repair issues. My Fiero won't start. Whats the alignment supposed to be. Whats that rattle. How do I replace the heater core.
Tech section 2: Fiero Improvements: Here would be swap info, stock engine buildup info, suspension/brake upgrades, swapping out that interior.
I would run with these two for now. I do not see having a dedicated interior thread, mainly because I do not notice that many technical posts on interiors to really warrent an extra section. Also, you get more crossover. Does my lock cylinder failure problem go in maintenance or interior? Ditto the heater core, or the steering column, or clutch pedal, or HVAC, etc etc.
I also wouldn't seperate out suspension. Although there are more questions on it, you will then have crossover between suspension and other sections as well. Does a brake repair go in suspension or maintenance? Does changing the axles go in suspension or a driveline section? Etc Etc.
...I'd start off with a simple split from one to two sections and see how it goes. I can see further expansion down the road possible of both sections into four. Split maintenance and repair into engine class, I4 and V6. Performance could hacve engine swaps spun off. But I would hold on those breakdowns until a better handle at the kinds of posts are generated in each section, and how much traffic each section gets.
I like this idea. Call them "Tech-Stock" and "Tech-Mods and Upgrades".
Others have suggested the following:
Just adding a "Swaps" section. That could work too. That would leave all the body and suspension upgrades in General Tech, though.
I also like the idea of adding a Restoration Corner, for people who want to scrutinize to the finest detail. This will give them a place to live.
Make the number of + or - ratings available to the person being rated, and let that bar show up immediately.
Open the Club section
Allow editing of thread titles
Allow an "ignore" function
"Opt in" email notification in any thread.
I agree with all of the above.
Here are my own ideas...
There is too much knowledge fading into the archives or getting lost in the clutter. A variation/addition to the FAQ idea, might be to allow those who have gone to great pains to document their particular procedure (the Skitime thread and the Dirty Rat thread come to mind, but there are many others) to submit that particular thread (or even an off-site web page) to a readily accessible, but "read only" archive. Once it's in the archive, the only person who could edit the thread would be the originator. The originator would have unlimited editing ability of the thread, in order to delete off-topic posts from the thread, or to add updates. This could also be done as an edited copy of the original thread, leaving the original thread intact, and out on the Forum. This area would be similar to a "sticky". The items in it would never fade away into the general archives. Also allow members to nominate a thread written by another member. Of course, Cliff and the thread's owner would have the final say as to whether a thread is included or not. This area would have to have a BIG button, to call attention to it for the benefit of people who have just discovered this place. Call it the "Hall of Fame", or some such.
Make Ogre's Cave a more prominent (but obviously read-only) Forum section. It's easy to miss that little button at the top.
Allow thread creators to lock (but not delete) their own threads. You might also link this to a temporarily limited ability to start new threads in the same Forum. The reasoning behind this is to prevent people from starting multiple threads that they know will go down in flames.
Include a date function to the search engine. A simple "before" or "after" and a date typed in by the user.
Or, if you do nothing at all, this will still be a great place to hang out.
------------------ Raydar 88 3.4 coupe........... Coming soon... 88 Formula, presently under the knife. Read Nealz Nuze!
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02:10 AM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13606 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
WTF kind of question is that? What are you trying to say?
*please note* I am not singling Darth out. This was written as a PM for him only but I want everyone to know how I feel. This is my retort to the tech section being cut up.
Darth, I mentioned the chip burning to try to prove a point. Is the only tech section you are going to read or respond to be pertaining to 3800 SC custom chip burning?
I disagree with setting up the tech section in different sub categories.
You suggested, “-powertrain related -suspension/steering -body/interior -electrical etc etc”
Now, I consider myself very knowledgeable in hard wire electrical, engine rebuilding, general engine mechanical and steering. I’m also a parts guy for a living.
I don’t think of myself as an expert in body / interior or suspension although I have stripped 4 or 5 fieros to a bare frame.
I’ve rebuilt about 15 automatic tannys, but there is still a lot to be learned.
So, that being said, there are some questions that I can answer like: How to remove the A piller trim with out breaking it or the clips (most of the time). How to change the TCC solenoid. How to remove the map light lenses without breaking them. Where is the fuel pump test lead? (that doesn’t exist)
These examples are not in my realm of expertise but I can answer them.
And there are many others just like me.
Perhaps someone that knows all about fiberglas work just happened to replace his alternator on his V6 last week. Is he going to check the powertrain or electrical sections? To be able to tell a person to disconnect the right rear tie rod end, or to wear a long sleeve shirt so the heat insulation doesn’t get in to their skin?
We all have something to offer, even the new people. And we all have something to learn, even the old people. Here’s and example for myself. I didn’t know the trick of turning the screw backwards till it “clicked” when putting the console back together until 3 years ago. I bought Ling in 95 with a dead duke in her. I thought after 6 years there wasn’t anything else I could learn.
Ultimately I am here 80% to help (when I can) and 20% to learn. I would prefer to not have to check multiple tech sections.
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02:22 AM
Monkeyman Member
Posts: 15829 From: N. Wilkesboro, NC, USA Registered: Nov 1999
Just about the only thing I can think of that would improve this wonderful forum is something you can check mark so you would get an email whenever someone replies to the thread. There are a few threads that I'd like to follow but I lose track of them.
Dave
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08:49 AM
watts Member
Posts: 3256 From: Coaldale, AB, Canada Registered: Aug 2001
*please note* I am not singling Darth out. This was written as a PM for him only but I want everyone to know how I feel. This is my retort to the tech section being cut up.
Please note, I'm not singling you out, but I don't agree with your viewpoint.
Maybe you did just replace your right rear 88 caliper, but don't post to the brakes/suspension area. So what. If I have a question about that right rear 88 caliper I will ask my question in the appropriate section, and get answers from people who do consider themselves experts, and thusly do visit that section.
Please note, again I'm not singling you out and what follows is my opinion that doesn't have to be agreed with....
We should be more concerned with making the forum easier for the average user to find the information they need or want than whining that it will take the addicts 10 extra clicks a day to read every single post. If this site accepts 5000 posts a day with 1 tech section or 5 tech sections, it's still 5000 posts a day. To argue that more sections makes it harder to see all 5000 posts is pointless to the average user who just needs to find the 1 post to keep him on the road. If any of you are one of those addicts, I honestly from the bottom of the depths of my soul don't think that a few extra clicks a day are going to stop you from reading every single post.
BTW, on the gallery ideas - I'm not so sure that a "voting" or "hot or not" method will work for us. We are all so obsessed with fieros that we will "vote in" every single picture of a fiero that comes along. Well, maybe not the 800th fuzzy-out-of-focus-too-small-for-details pic of the Smoooooth car or the 925th its-my-boys-green-fast-and-furious pic, but just about everything else from parts cars to "dirty rats" would make it in. I still think a limited space per user might be a better approach.
BTW 2, When you reply to a topic, you do see the FIRST PAGE of the topic in the little scroll area. If you are replying to information on other pages it seems you are SOL (or I am not seeing how to get to later pages). I don't know how to fix that, but it's awfully annoying.
To the right is a star next to each thread title. Click the star, it makes that thread stay at the top of the list you see when you log in. The star gets replaced by another symbol, when you don't want it at the top anymore click the symbol again and it's back to it's normal place in the thread list, wherever that might be.
I still would like to see a means to vote technical threads of particular note into a forum section that's read-only, that way anyone can be directed to the cream of the crop articles and we won't have to worry about them disappearing into the archives.
JazzMan
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03:18 PM
PFF
System Bot
DotTC Member
Posts: 2345 From: Hamlet, North Carolina Registered: Nov 2003
Since you can now 'sticky' your choice of threads to the top, that's almost as good!
Sure, BUT with email notifcation.. you can check yoru email to see if the thread has been replied to.. instead of having to load the forum(which like everyone loves to spout off about, wastes bandwidth).
------------------ 1988 Aero 88 coupe.. 2.8l v6.. more mods to come. Photo Gallery - Fiero Links
if you split the tech section, will the number of helpfull replies be decreased?
I honestly think so. The way it is, you get to read a variety of questions about all kinds of stuff. IMHO, if you split it into more sections, you'll hear the same questions over and over and over, and then eventually get tired of that section altogether and stop going there to give help. Again, this is just my 2 cents. Sorry if this has been said before. -Will
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03:41 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
I'd like to be able to register my hotmail email account, so that I could receive email notifications there... Can this be done, Cliff?
Nic
I agree, I have a PAID Yahoo account and I can't register it either. There should be some way to distinguish between the paid Hotmail and Yahoo accounts and the free throw away ones.
How about a setting in someones profile to turn sigs on and off. or automatically limit the sig space displayed, so if it to was say 200 pix and someone had a sig with 10 lines of text or a sig that was 400 pix tall it would only display half of it. I have broadband so sigs don't slow me down, but a 640 x 480 pic following ten lines of mods is annoying.
[This message has been edited by cancerkazoo (edited 07-10-2004).]
I'd like to be able to change my email address over to my hotmail account. The one I signed up with, I never use, so I miss out on alot of emails that people try to send me because they see it under my profile.
And another thing I've been thinking we've needed for awhile is to be able to see who has rated you good or bad, and for what reason. Just to keep people from rating you bad because "they don't like your new lense covers" or any other similiar reasons. This would also cause people to try to post more helpful responses.
BTW 2, When you reply to a topic, you do see the FIRST PAGE of the topic in the little scroll area. If you are replying to information on other pages it seems you are SOL (or I am not seeing how to get to later pages). I don't know how to fix that, but it's awfully annoying.
You can click on the page number in that window, also! I first thought you could only see the first page, but saw that the pages numbers were there, too. Try it out
Originally posted by KingOfKings: And another thing I've been thinking we've needed for awhile is to be able to see who has rated you good or bad, and for what reason. Just to keep people from rating you bad because "they don't like your new lense covers" or any other similiar reasons. This would also cause people to try to post more helpful responses.
Anonymous voting is key to making it work honestly. If it weren't anonymous then there would be a lot of restraint due to fear of reprisal, etc, and that would be just as bad here as it would be in elections.
I'm completely against making it public, even though I would really like to know where my negatives came from so that I could extract some vengeance.
the only things i would like to see are the ability to save pages through your account, i dont know how hard this would be to impliment, but it would be alot easier. i use about 3 different computers and hate not being able to find certian threads. and i would love to see a better search. its so hard to find a thread using the search function.
i prefer having a very simple setup when it comes to topics.
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11:07 PM
Raydar Member
Posts: 40962 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
You can click on the page number in that window, also! I first thought you could only see the first page, but saw that the pages numbers were there, too. Try it out
FWIW, Once you change pages in the window, you can also back up using the back key on your browser, if you need to.
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11:10 PM
Spoon Member
Posts: 3762 From: Sadsburyville, PA. 19369 / USA Registered: May 2004
I have no problem with the way things are... except........."PIP". Setting it up was a headache for me because the instructions assumed I knew more than I did. Maybe it was in front of my nose all along but finding that URL Profile for pennocks fiero forum was a real search. When I did find it I could'nt copy & paste. I use several computers and have set up PIP on two of them so far and I still can't tell you where I found the url profile. Maybe it was in the archives. Also the "post-it" log seems to be resident on each computer because when going to my laptop the log was empty. Maybe a clearer explanation of setting up PIP and finding the url profile and "post-log" location would be better so it can be copied & transferred . Once I got the hang of it, all worked okay but I've read posts where guys were having trouble understanding and ask others to post for them.
I have no problem with the way things are... except........."PIP". Setting it up was a headache for me because the instructions assumed I knew more than I did. Maybe it was in front of my nose all along but finding that URL Profile for pennocks fiero forum was a real search. When I did find it I could'nt copy & paste. I use several computers and have set up PIP on two of them so far and I still can't tell you where I found the url profile. Maybe it was in the archives. Also the "post-it" log seems to be resident on each computer because when going to my laptop the log was empty. Maybe a clearer explanation of setting up PIP and finding the url profile and "post-log" location would be better so it can be copied & transferred . Once I got the hang of it, all worked okay but I've read posts where guys were having trouble understanding and ask others to post for them.
I like everything else about the site. Thanks
There's a PIP logo at the bottom of every page that you can click on. You just follow those instructions, which i found relativey simple, and you're good to go. Maybe we could make it clearer to new people though. -Will
Originally posted by Raydar: Make Ogre's Cave a more prominent (but obviously read-only) Forum section. It's easy to miss that little button at the top.
It is already read only... That is because I own that space. It isn't a forum section at all. The only connections my cave has with Cliff are the links you see on each page goes to a redirector. The link in my sig is more direct. Cliff did host my cave at one point but it became logistically impractical. For the near future at least my cave continues to be a free and advertising free zone.
The link at the top of the page was an improvement to the text links at the bottom of the page. I'm not sure how much more prominent Cliff can make it. All of the page top links are kind of small as your monitor size goes up.
All...
Here we go again....
One thing Wired.com does do that is good... allow the user to select text size. This is done thru a cookie and some CSS coding. It is very usefull to people with large monitors and vission problems. Wired has an article and some links about it, likely in their archives now. I believe most of the thing is client side processed as well so server load is near zilch.
Keep in mind a huge number of forum readers are still on Dialup connections. Broadband isn't available to the vast majority of the U.S. let alone the rest of the planet. A perfect example of problems here… The list of pinheads with huge images in their signatures grows daily.
FAQ? Why? No one reads the faqs that already exist.... Like Fiero Online Service Guide or my cave. I've long ago lost count of how many times myself and others have pointed people to one of the existing answers to their problem. The fact is many forum readers are lazy and don't even bother to try to find an existing answer. Look at the number of "members" vs. the number of people posting regularly. The member list is full of people that come in, ask the same question for the 50th time, and then leave.
More Tech sections? This will only increase the number of redundant or lost posts. It is already common for people to post in both general and tech. People whine already if they don't get an answer in a few minutes or hours. Add more than one or two sections and it becomes even less likely that your post will be seen quickly. I would bet you that each section added at least doubles the odds your post won't get answered quickly if at all. Also what Blacktree said... "The more the forum splits up, the more people tend to "pigeon-hole" themselves."
Better search? This would help if more people would even try to look. Most can't be bothered. Many forum users just don't know how to use any search effectively let alone this one. If you need to search the archives frequently I recommend you buy the forum on CD... The CD has more powerful searching.
Tech articles.... What Cliff said up front... Send them to him and he'll put them up. I have a few such reader submissions in my cave, see options & projects, but I only have so much space.
Polls.... There's a waste of space... Internet polls as a whole are nearly all useless. People post answers just to screw off all the time.
Clubs/Events... The only people allowed to post here should be club or event leaders. Anyone else has to forward his or her announcement to Cliff or another moderator. If you have a new group/event then you need to ask for posting access on this forum area. If anyone can post here it will just turn into another mud hole like most of General is now.
Code of Conduct AKA Terms of Service... I've tried to get Cliff to place and require noobs to read it before joining more than once. This isn't just to make people understand rules but to comply with various EU privacy and other regulations. Not having clearly spelled out TOS creates a bunch of legal problems.
WYSWYG post box... Nope... Potentially a Big bandwidth/resource hog. On the other hand a button that allows you to preview a post before committing it would work well. This way it is optional. Most people don't post stuff that needs real time WYSWYG.
Moderators... Only if they are midlevel moderators and any changes they make go into a holding pen for Cliff to review. Cliff is one of the few people that gets Free Speech doctrine. Unless some jackass is blatantly spamming or flaming something he is most likely to leave it alone. The very low number of locked threads on this system speaks for itself.
Ratings... I've mostly hated this since it was installed. That said... You should be able to see the total counts of your own rating on the same page as "My Ratings" and anyone else thru the "Rate This Member" page. There is no need for real time totals thru all the threads. It is pretty obvious when someone is being a moron.
Printing... Printing can be very hard to do correctly. IE is well known for having printing problems even on sites that offer printer friendly pages. Wired.com is a chronic example of PF pages that refuse to print. With this forum most of the time you can save or print what you want. If it is a really big thread, and you only want part, copy and past to MS Word or something. Word and a growing list of other software will deal with HTML.
------------------ The only thing George Orwell got wrong was the year.
Originally posted by theogre: It is already read only... That is because I own that space. It isn't a forum section at all.
I understand that. I was only suggesting that the link to your cave be incorporated into the list of the various Forum sub-sections. IMHO, it's worthy of a larger "presence". There is lots of good info there.
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01:10 AM
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Is to possible to update the Fiero gallery w/new pics? Using different Fiero's for display on first page? Maybe changing it every month? Removing the solgan, " have you seen a Fiero passing you going over 200mph"
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01:26 AM
RACE Member
Posts: 4842 From: Des Moines IA Registered: Dec 2002
1) better search; I always have a tough time getting good search results.
a) I would like to be able to search by username; show the threads that a particular person has posted to, not including threads where the person may just have been mentioned by someone else
b) I would like to be able to control search results sorting. suggestions: by date of first post, by date of last post, by date of occurance of the post with the match. ok, I would settle for any sorting of search results
2) some sort of index or list of the threads that I have participated in. I'm forever losing threads that I made a comment in. I'm sure that I'll lose this one. And don't tell me to bookmark it, I use several different computers with multiple different browsers on each. I lose bookmarks to fast.
3) spell check, thank heaven for automated spell check. It's one of my favorite standard features in most programs. It's quite embarrasing for myself otherwise.
4) I know it isn't quite a forum thing, but a fiero wiki would rock! It would also be a great solution for a lot of the things people have been suggesting in this thread. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
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02:49 AM
Spyhunter Member
Posts: 1254 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Feb 2002
I think the forum is great, one improvement would definately be improved search functionality - sort by date, booleans/wildcards, etc
Maybe one extra section for non-fiero engine tech (N*, 4.9, 3800) since those topics seem to overwhelm the tech area lately, but it would seem to me that the majority of users still have their stock engines.
------------------ Black '87 GT Auto - Daily Driver & Autocrosser Eibach springs, Koni shocks, Kosei K1s, Kumho Ecsta V700s, poly bushings, rear swaybar, front mounted battery, MSD ignition, shift-kit, custom intake scoop
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06:37 AM
Notorio Member
Posts: 2982 From: Temecula, CA Registered: Oct 2003
Cliff, this is an awesome forum. Thank you for asking us for ideas to make it even better. I would agree with all the requests for more seach funcationality, which would greatly improve the value of the archives. If this is too fundamentally wired-into the software to change much (for example, adding boolean), then would it be possible to add a simple search for exact phrases (e.g. "replacement lights")?
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09:12 AM
Cliff Pennock Administrator
Posts: 11808 From: Zandvoort, The Netherlands Registered: Jan 99
I'd like to see an ignore function too. It would allow me to directly clean up the forum for myself without affecting anyone else. Tie it to my log in.
And no sigs. They are the single biggest item that is cluttering up the forum. They rarely contain any usefull information and account for most of the page load time. Go back to text based.
TK
[This message has been edited by TK (edited 07-11-2004).]
Could we have a corner for the Fiero drivers who do NOT want to modify anything? A restoration section would be, as far as I can tell, the only true restoration forum anywhere on the net...and I have looked plenty. Engine and body mods info abounds, but if anyone wants to put their car back exactly like it was when new, the specs are just about non-existent. I'm talking about underhood placards, correct color and printing for spark plug wires by year, correct color for mechanical components if they were painted, etc. If you want this kind of detail for Camaros and Mustangs, it's easily available, but if you'd like to keep your Fiero true to its origins, the most you can expect is a shrug and an "I don't know". There must be some resto gurus on here, and their input would be valuable to everyone.
Yes, a restoration section would be very nice! I guess a seperate repair/how-to would do the same thing but separate it from the build-up threads.
I like lots of the ideas but unless Cliff is willing to let some people help organize (psuedo-moderate) it would be tons of work to sift through everything and place it in the right section. Also, moving something into a how-to section implies the instructions are correct. That's not always the case. Someone would have to make that call before moving it.
How about a trigger on the ratings when a person gets 5 or 10 negs one after the other it will automatically impose a temporary ban of say 5 days in that particular forum. The member could still roam the board but the Submit Reply would be disabled and a PM would automatically be generated indicating the temporary ban is in effect.
That way it will act as a kind of instant "feedback" but the member could still be free to add other more constructive inputs in other areas of the froum.
That way the forum could still maintain its "self moderating" feel without the need for moderators.
[This message has been edited by 84Bill (edited 07-11-2004).]
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11:31 AM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
I like the "star" thingie! It already combines some of the suggestions people made; in one tool! I think it works great to: 1. follow the threads you're interested in (no emailnotification needed!) 2. update your own thread without having to search for it first (which is harder if you dont have specific words in the topic name) 3. keep track of someone who needs help and feedback fast. Well there could be more benefits...I think it is a nice upgrade!
Two questions about this: is there a limit on the amount of "favorite" posts you can stack? And when a thread goes to the archives (or thrash), does it also disappear from the "favorites" list?
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12:34 PM
Gridlock Member
Posts: 2874 From: New Westminster, BC Canada Registered: Apr 2002
...And when a thread goes to the archives (or thrash), does it also disappear from the "favorites" list?
You read my mind.
Along those lines... I've lost bookmarked threads to the archives. Would it be difficult or even possible to incorporate a redirect to the new URL? (This is a very minor deal for me. Just wondering.)
How about a trigger on the ratings when a person gets 5 or 10 negs one after the other it will automatically impose a temporary ban of say 5 days in that particular forum. The member could still roam the board but the Submit Reply would be disabled and a PM would automatically be generated indicating the temporary ban is in effect.
That way it will act as a kind of instant "feedback" but the member could still be free to add other more constructive inputs in other areas of the froum.
That way the forum could still maintain its "self moderating" feel without the need for moderators.
Stock market does this using triggers to stop trading if a stock or the market itself falls too quickly. It's a great way to diffuse bad situations.
Along those lines... I've lost bookmarked threads to the archives. Would it be difficult or even possible to incorporate a redirect to the new URL? (This is a very minor deal for me. Just wondering.)
I hate losing stuff to the archives. By losing, I don't mean gone, just that it become more difficult to find using the search. For instance, if someone asked about replacing the heater core I remember my writeup, so I go to search and type in "jazzman" and " heater core", and hit search. I get back 72 hits in archive TD & Q, so it's going to take a while to look through those. Nope, not in there. Hmmm... where did I post that? It's been so long I can't remember. Ok, let's try archive GFC....Nope, only 5 hits there, that's not it. I know it's probably archived, it's been a while, lets check the recent posts in TD & Q... 17 hits, but hah, found it! Luckily it was on the first page. It's been almost nine months since I posted it and it should have gone archive already, but apparently it's been bumped enough to keep it out of the archives.
See what I mean? WIth this kind of system it's hard to find and keep track of the noteworthy and really usefull stuff. If that thread was in a read-only forum section devoted to stuff like Buddycraigg's EGR writeup and FieroHoHo's door and dew wipe writeups it would be much easier to find. Not only that, but newbies could spend a day or two going through that section and get mostly up to speed on the common problems with Fieros quite easily.
JazzMan
[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 07-11-2004).]
