The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Welcome but not wanted feeling

Tried for a few days to post a picture/icon/avatar into the MY STUFF icon next to my name. Wasted a good amount of time, only to find out doing that is for the elite only, us simple serfs do not qualify.
So not so welcome feeling here.
Shame as every site who's forum I have joined and posted in has allowed me to post my identity.

48x36, I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I've been here for over 15 years and have experienced a lot of things. There are folks here willing to help in about every situation.

In the lower left corner or this page is the picture posting instructions. If you have problems go to the IT Forum and someone will help you. I know there have been guys who actually posted the pictures for someone, like me, who are not computer savy....or send a note to the editor and they are more than willing to help.

Avitar--there are a host of stovebolters who volunteer their time to help Peggy and John keep things going here. There are no paid personnel here and we are not swarmed with all kinds of ads/distractions. The avatar is the "pay" moderators receive for countless hours of being a moderator. Yes, I'm one of the moderator's of the Welcome Forum for about 5 years now. I like it because I get to know folks early on. We have some very dedicated people here and I assure you there are no ELITE here. I've met literally hundreds of bolters....from Canada, Italy, Australia, Germany and have met and visited bolters all over the USA. Please, I'm not boasting here. I have a travel jar that we contribute to all year for a trip to the Stovebolt Reunion in Kanas City, the Homecoming in Maryland and I've had several Southern Stovebolt Reunions here at my HUMBLE small home. The one thing that stands out is they are far from being elite. Yes, I know a few who have quite a bit more money than me but we ALL share a common likeness and help each other. Yep, probably a bad apple in the basket somewhere but I've learned to try understand and help them. For some reason it seems to always work. In 17 years I've received countless help, from folks just like me. A hard working, family loving Stovebolter.
I have visited other forums but for some reason I always come back here...never really left. Its rare if I visit other sites.

Step back, take a deep breath of that nice desert air. Take some time to visit the tech tips, gallery photo's, how to post pics, and why we use links instead of individual picture posting and get to know us.
Knowledge IS the best resource and we are here to help.

Having an avatar doesn't mean that you are elite at all. How did you make that connection? I wouldn't even want to be elite, not my nature. Alvin explained it very well, we're just people that have a passion for the old GM trucks.
Leo

Far from elite ... Alvin has hit it head on. Plus, not even all our moderators have an Avatar. That's not what this site is about. We'd rather see you show off your truck with a good Gallery story, or even a post in the DITY Gallery with links back to what you are working on.

Avatars are just something else our volunteer moderators would have to watch for. We have seen other sites that have some avatars that are in very poor taste.

Our interest in our old trucks and helping one another, as Alvin said.

So, tell us more about the '48!

Peggy M

If you offered to give me an avatar in trade for hours of volenteer work moderating this or any forum on the web, I would gladly go without.

Also, I've noticed that other forums that allow every member to have an avatar are usually so full of ads for viagra, copier inks, nissans, and target specials that you can't read a simple thread.

Avatar, really! Who cares! the one and only thing that matters here at Stovebolt are good people and of course the trucks. Mostly thou, the dedicated men and women who give countless hours of their time to keep this wonderful place in existence with an endless lifeline of technical information to assist all that take pride in their vintage trucks! I would be the first to admit that multiple fellow bolters helped in my rebuild without ever getting dirty. Just reach out and there will be a fortitude of information. Then there are the common folk. People that you never met will go out of their way, to help you acquire a part and drive it across the northern boarder to a gathering of like minded friends, no questions asked!! So really, Avatar???? No thanks!!!

I appreciate what our moderators do. Their work makes our Forum one of the best!

I just wish the people using our Forum would tell us their name rather than hide behind an alias, reminds me of the CB days when you had no idea who you were talking to.
I personally prefer to address people by their name, makes for a more "family" site.
Harold

On the bright side, if the biggest thing in your life that frustrates you is that "The Stovebolt" doesn't allow you to have an avatar, then your life is going pretty darn good.

Life is short... don't get hung up on the minutia.

Notice he hasn't been back since posting his rant? Too bad he let his ego get in the way of enjoying the interaction with a huge community of like minded individuals. He could have posted all the info about himself on his profile page for all to see. The signature line is a good spot also. Avatar? I for one don't give a hoot about any Avatar, just allow me to participate and give/receive information when I want to.

Not trying to step on anyones toes here, however not trying to be "politically correct" either. I've been coming to this site for a couple of years. The only problem I've had posting pictures ect has been my own computer illiteracy. The knowledge that I have gotten from others that have gone before me is priceless, seems everything I want to do on my truck someone else has done it. I can gleen something from their experience rather than spending more time scratching my head than getting something done on my truck. I had to do a web search to find out what a avitar is. I can only speak for myself, I would much rather see pictures of a members truck and their relationship/story of the truck than a computer generated image.
Today I learned what an Avitar is...
To the moderator's here, Thank you for keeping this site "G" rated and free of all the other garbage that comes with so many (most) other sites that are trying to be like Stovebolt!

I'm with you plowboy met some great people and found good advice still don't know what an avatar is but think I don't need to know great site keep on trucking bye Tim Tpr 57c is my number plate

@ hot rod john no the avatar which is a picture of my truck is not the frustration of my life, actually Colon Cancer is and actually the cancer itself is not as frustrating just the biweekly days wasted at the hospital getting chemo and then the week recovering not being able to work on the old beast in the driveway. So a good portion of my time is reading the rips on forums as people try to solve there problems only to get slammed for spelling and grammer.

And no I am not wasting my time post replies to opinions here, I just stated a fact that the top people have them but no one else. Which was strange to me as forums every where allow posting a picture next to your name to make you a bit more personal, other then just being a number to folks.

And yes as stated some may abuse it but then I do not complain on the silly ones I have seen.


Your 100% right it is your forum and you all run it your way, I was just asking why so cold and impersonal.

You can warm up the cold and impersonal Stovebolt-atmosphere by putting into your Profile a link to a photo or two of your 1948 3600 5-window truck. We all like to see people's trucks.

My first Stovebolt was a 1948 3105 Panel - a junker I bought for $70 in 1969.

"48" -- If you send the link to your truck picture, I'd be happy to put it in your signature line. There are not really any "top people" here ... 'cept maybe the Stovebolt Geek, our volunteer in Texas who handles the servers -- all he needs to do is pull a plug and ... well, we don't want to think about that anyway.

Harold, my greatest wish would be to get everyone's truck in the Gallery -- then you'd know their name, their truck, more truck pictures, and the story of how they got it and why, how long to fix it, what they did, and on and on ...

Gosh if there is over 30,000 members and 10% are truly active, we already have over 3,000 Gallery stories. So, I s'pose I can't complain. But keep those stories coming.

Nice feedback gang!

Peg

I know how to put a link into my signature line.
but who looks at links?

I do.

I do, too.

Bob

Every time I read a forum. It's the best way to get to know each other without actually meeting in person. Jim

Yes, I agree. Many people do. It's the best way we can give some credibility to what someone is posting. Go read their story (if it's in the Gallery), or go see what they project is they are working on, if they have a link to a photo album ... or something else.

Your signature line says a lot about you. Some list their projects, which is good. Even you have a great take on your project (breathing new life). YOU should put a link in then!! Let us see what you've done so far! Everyone loves pictures.

Peg

48x3600 I'd like to see some photo's of your truck if you would be so kind to hook me/us up.

And best wished to you in fighting the colon cancer. Glad to have you here with us.

They do things different here, it used to bug me, then over the years I have found that there are logical explanations for the methods used here.

It's a great sandbox to play in.

John

John,

That's a nice compliment for the gang. Thank you.

As we developed this site, and it grew, we always tried to keep in mind the Auto Hobby Shop that was at the Marine bases we were assigned to. The building itself was provided by the USMC but making it a great place to hang around was because of the folks who worked there and those who came to work on their vehicles. So using that analogy as our "business plan," the concept seems to have worked well for us.

We especially like the *almost* commercial free aspect, too! I think the advertising on websites will continue to get worse (and longer in length) as television and print media take a bit of a backseat to the www.

Peg