Lurkers

[Guest my3buicks]

This should vindicate you

[raleets]

I guess the old codger who sits on his front porch watching folks go bye all day could be considered a "lurker" as well.

After all, he rarely even waves, he just sits there watching.

Just sayin',

[Machiner 55]

I lurk, therefor, I am.

John F.

[DH Comet]

I find the forum an interesting place to "lurk". Sometimes many of us just don't have very much to say, and, as some have mentioned, most things Reatta have been said before. In fact, I have noticed that many a new person will innocently ask a question and will be brusquely told to do a search. I would feel a bit intimidated about asking a question for that reason. I am fortunate in that my Reatta, although it's a high-mileage unit, just keeps on showing "no malfunctions" (I touch wood as I type this), so I just drive it every few weeks. I'm looking forward to taking it up to Whistler in a few weeks and I think I'll go to the Puyallup All-Buick meet down in Washington State in June. "Lurking" isn't all that bad.

[padgett]

Trivia: "I think therefore you is"

[padgett]

This is where the hopefully temporary GM attempt to control information really hurts. One of the things I had posted was a .pdf excerpt of the "Cranks but does not run" portionof the service manual.

I have trouble with the SEARCH myself but was handy to be able to just say "See section 6E page 10 in the '89 FSM".

[Guest my3buicks]

It sounds like the formum is going through a major update on Monday with upgrades and changes, hopefully the search function will be one of the areas that will be improved.

[Ronnie]

In fact, I have noticed that many a new person will innocently ask a question and will be brusquely told to do a search. I would feel a bit intimidated about asking a question for that reason.

Maybe I'm making new members feel uncomfortable and reluctant to post when I point them to a tutorial on ROJ to answer their question instead of rehashing it here in the forum. Me doing that might have the same effect as telling them to do a search.

It might be in the best interest of the forum for me to stop doing that and and become a Lurker so other members can answer the question as if it was a new question that hasn't been answered before. I don't mind doing that but it defeats the original reason I built ROJ. I built it to make answers to common questions easy to find in a structured way.

.

[DAVES89]

Ronnie you provide a "link" that all they have to do is hit. It would be different if you told them to go looking. You're doing fine...

[KDirk]

Ronnie, I see no issue with doing that. I have done so too. The big issues are that the search function of the present forum software is not especially intuitive. Second is some people are just lazy.

It couldn't be easier to click a link to an existing explanation of a problem someone is asking about, and yet that appears to be too much effort for some. This is a common problem with all online forums, there are always some users who will expend no effort and just want things handed to them. Really, that is just human nature.

Best just to offer a link and leave the ball in their court. Unless you really enjoy rehashing a problem in detail for the 100th time. We are all here on our own time and there is no obligation to expend mountains of effort to humor those who cannot be bothered to look at the existing vast knowledge that has been shared here. Yes, it takes time to look through archived material. So what? It is free for the taking after all.

In the words of Archie Bunker "you can lead a gift horse to the water but you can't look in it's mouth".

KDirk

[Guest my3buicks]

I see nothing wrong with the "Do a forum search for past threads" reply. Possibly they did not realize that function even existed. They are also not school kids, if they are going to own a Reatta they need to be somewhat resourceful or they aren't going to make it in Reatta ownership. If they can't even do a search for needed info, they are going to be 's### of luck" keeping their car on the road. I realize that words on a forum page may sound harsh or brash as there is no direct face to face etc, but this let's sugar coat it and make it all sweet for them is for the birds. If they need help we help, period.

[DAVES89]

People have talked about how this Reatta site will slow down the number of posts. I think it is going to heat up as there will be more people buying the daily drivers at a cheap price and then trying to fix them up. The ones that have intestinal fortitude or electronic knowledge will stay the course and do well. The ones who bought a "cool looking car" with no ideas on how to do repairs, have no real interest in finding out how, and are paying a mechanic to repair them will come and go. You can see the increased interest in the number of posts since mid April when the weather turned and people either brought their cars out of storage or they bought one for the first time.

[Guest PontiacDude210]

Maybe I'm making new members feel uncomfortable and reluctant to post when I point them to a tutorial on ROJ to answer their question instead of rehashing it here in the forum. Me doing that might have the same effect as telling them to do a search.

It might be in the best interest of the forum for me to stop doing that and and become a Lurker so other members can answer the question as if it was a new question that hasn't been answered before. I don't mind doing that but it defeats the original reason I built ROJ. I built it to make answers to common questions easy to find in a structured way.

.

The journal is great, Ronnie. And you should continue to link to it. If you search the common issues on here, you'll find the first billion results are "search the ___." I've seen posts as short as "search the bolts!" That's how I found out about the sub frame bushing failure. A link to the ROJ is easier than 20 replies saying "search the splice! Search the bolt! Search the cam thingy! Search the ...." Every time someone buys a project. A simple ROJ link gives an early to follow tutorial and no inconclusive answers.

[fordrodsteven]

I feel both the sites are really good and I find all of you to be very helpful! As I've said before I feel these two sites (AACA Reatta and ROJ) are the best I've ever encountered for help, knowledgeable people and actually easy to navigate. I would be like Corvanti (another helpful fellow) if I didn't have the Reatta I would probably keep coming back to the sites just because I find them enjoyable.

[Guest Corvanti]

Thanks Steve!:cool: I'm Reatta-less at the moment, but i do see a 90/91 Maui Blue 'vert coming my way in the not too distant future!

[Ronnie]

Thanks guys. I'm glad you find my links to ROJ useful.

Reatta Owners Journal was built specifically to work with this forum. It is a repository of information about the Buick Reatta. Most of that information has been gleaned from this forum over the last 7+ years. When I post a link to ROJ I'm trying to provide information that can usually be found on this forum. My links to ROJ just makes the information easier to find. It is never my intention to pull people away from this forum when I post my links to ROJ.

[dship]

Ronnie,

Please keep on doin' what you're doin'...its extremely beneficial to us Reatta owners. I also use it when I have work to do on my 92 Riviera.

[Ronnie]

If you have issues with the lack of ROJ use you must mean use by you. As of today there have been over 1.5 million hits to the ROJ homepage. That doesn't count all the other pages on the website that I don't track. That isn't an internet record for being online seven years for sure but not to shabby for a one man show that started as a way for me to give back something for all the help I've received here.

If you had issues with a part I don't recall you mentioning it before but maybe you did. I don't understand what you being a trained technician had to do with it. If you had issues with parts you purchased "from me" (I don't sell parts, I only promote Amazon parts by the way.) send me a PM and we will discuss it and I will make changes if needed to keep the issues you had from happening to someone in the future.

EDIT: I removed part of my original post to make sure it didn't sound argumentative.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Ronnie (see edit history)

[juddev]

I still have my '88 Reatta, though it's been sitting in storage for well over a year and isn't registered or insured. I'm currently obsessed with my '00 Honda Insight, which truth be told, "ruined" all my other cars for me. I routinely get over 70MPG, and even having the car about three years now, I'm still getting better at driving it. It has a 5-speed, digital dash, and is perhaps the most engaging ride I've ever owned. Every time I get behind the wheel, it's an opportunity to get a new "high score."

 

 

Thats quite a coincidence, I still have 3 Reatta's (2 are parts cars) but I mostly drive my  2000 Honda Insight too. I flew out to Portland and bought one needing a new IMA battery, immediately drove to BumbleBee Battery (In Portland) and bought a new battery, then drove to Vegas for a week and then back to Minneapolis. I have been in love with 1st gen Insights ever since and now I have 4.