Hey guys. I know I might be pandering for votes, but I'm in the running for COTM on Z28.com.

Hey Paul. That was a tought choice,..but in the end..I had to vote for the local guy

Vote your heart. I expect nothing less.

thats why I always disliked Z28.COM, too much of the buddy crap, vote for me I will vote for you. like motortopia challengs, vote for the one you like , that way everyone has a fair idea of whats hot whats not. I get on z28 sometimes as DC2250 but not much into the 15 yr old drama...just sayin'...

Without going into too much detail, that site sucks. 4 years ago, that site was great. I loved it. Then, it seems like overnight that site just took a dive. It seemed like the maturity level just dropped about 100 points. I was pretty upset with the "fanboyism" that was happening, the "cliques," and even more upset with seeing the attitude that the V8 owners had towards the V6 owners and owners of other makes of vehicles. In fact, that issue was my inspiration to start Top Speed Auto Group (www.topspeedautogroup.com). My site is geared towards cars of any make or model, whether it be a Kia or a Lamborghini. It doesn't matter as long as you like cars. Apparently, this method isn't real popular, as there are only about 7 active people on the forum, but we're pretty tight and get along well for the most part. Like any other forum, we have our disagreements, but they're always resolved peacefully without the flame wars, and we don't hold grudges. Feel free to check it out. Just follow the link to the forum from the home page.

Recently, I saw a really nice new 5th Gen at Apple Valley Chevrolet. I don't know if it's so much commonly known on this forum, but I haven't been shy about my feelings for them; mainly the weight. So, after seeing this car, I start thinking, "the 5th Generation is kinda nice, but it's just...a pig." So, I visit Camaro5forum.com, or something like that, and say, "The 5th Gen is a pig, and I want to know how I can take about 400 lbs out of it." Well, I get a few informative replies, and then the fanboys arrived, crying about how I called the car a pig, I insulted their car, blah blah blah. I quickly found myself surrounded by what I am going to guess were a bunch of teenagers, and if not, they could've fooled me. You would have thought I insulted their mother.

Yes, I have noticed this on some boards. Others, like CRG, seem to remain professional. Best thing to do is completely ignore immature posts on the open forums. I am surprised at some people who attempt to coach or guide participants to a more mature discussion. It never works.

As a company, we are actually bidding on some work with the government to build "the next generation" social networking site. The problem you raise can exist on any open site and there is little that can be done about it except censoring, which opens a whole other can of worms. Anyway, a new breed of sites is beginning to emerge where you earn trust from other members of the forum and graduate into "higher levels" of forums, where only professional, trusted discussions can occur.

On Top Speed, it's pretty easy to keep the peace, because there are only maybe 7-10 of us who actually participate. I don't think forums that cater to all makes/models of vehicles is as popular as a forum that focuses on one particular car. A lot of people just don't seem interested in anything but what they drive. I personally enjoy discussing all sorts of cars. I guess I'm just in the minority.

Just as with any other forum, there is the occasional misunderstanding, but all in all, they're peacefully resolved with little to no drama, and we move on. We're a pretty tight group, so everything always seems to work itself out.

One thing I can't stand on other forums is that everyone always wants to kiss the Admin's (or Owner's) arse. I guess they think it earns them points, and on some sites, I honestly think it does. Not to mention, I'm sure the Owners are loving the ego-boosts. Then, there are some of the Moderators that just love to flaunt the fact, and throw around their authority. They think they make friends by "ruling with an iron fist." I guess everyone has different ways of how they feel their forum should be run. I myself prefer the input of all of the Staff and site members.

I've also noticed that with a lot of other forums, people really have to watch their opinions, and are pretty shafted if they disagree with the popular opinion. I encourage people to state their opinions as long as they're done respectfully. I know it's near impossible, but I don't want any of the members or visitors to be offended by anything. I just had an issue with someone posting a word that I personally wasn't offended by, but others may have been. I sent him a PM letting him know about it, and then he responded with what came across as a smart response. I got caught up in the act and responded back with one. One thing I always do when something like this happens is send copies to the Staff. They all felt I overreacted with my response, and looking back, maybe I did, but things are sorted out, and all is well. Regardless of whether I like the majority opinion, I trust their judgement, and that's why they're Staff members. While I certainly consider them my friends, at the same time, that's not the reason they're Staff members. They're Staff members because they have good heads on their shoulders and they all bring unique personalities and qualities to the table. IMO, they possess the necessary qualities that really make the forum successful.