Evolution of PriusChat or New Phenomenon?

[Starfall]

One of the things I have noticed over the months I'be been reading PriusChat is that it seems like newbies tend to congratulate those who have placed an order or just received their cars in a greater number than the long-time regulars. Their enthusiasm for others' joy seems to be directly related to their own anticipatory glee or unbridled happiness with their new car.

Regulars tend to jump into alternative topics in FHOP with the self-same enjoyment. And they can always be found answering the technical questions as well - thankfully for all of us! In fact, the lag time for an answer to most queries is rarely more than an hour, if that.

Much like one poster who wondered a short while ago about why Prius drivers didn't acknowledge them on the road by waving, etc., I was wondering if, once upon a time, on this forum things used to be different.

Can someone who's been on PriusChat from the early times comment on its evolution?

EDIT: Ooops! I think maybe this should have been posted in a different forum like FHOP- that's a newbie for you...

[M. Oiseau]

Seems like most of the PriusChat frontiersmen spent their time figuring out how the drivetrain works, with some esoteric efforts continuing today. I remember running across heated debates about whether or not MG2 could actually act as a generator, with the proponents called heretics.

Hopefully, some of the old timers will speak up before they "pass on" and the first hand knowledge is lost forever.

[Bill Merchant]

Gasp

[Tideland Prius]

PC wasn't as diversed back then. I remember when I first joined in. The regulars were all enthusiasts that share a common interest - to spread knowledge about the Prius and how to get the best mileage. In short, it was an enthusiast site.

Now I see PC as a place where anything can be asked and answered fairly soon. We have a ton of new members from all types of backgrounds and they all bring in new ideas that us old timers tend to overlook. Some of the things include a wider array of modifications. They now include springs, shocks, wheels, spoiler, speakers, audio inputs, PC/Mac etc.

[john1701a]

By the time PriusChat was finally established, I was already into year #4 of Prius ownership and very heavy into the online contributions. Now I'm about to start year #7. So I've seen and done it all... several times over.

Do you really expect the veterans to take away the "congrats" opportunities to from those that just shook off the label of newbie?

How many times can the same old "congrats" be provided from the same old Prius owner before it no longer sounds sincere?

Can you point out any other still-in-production vehicle model that has been able to hold interest as strong as we've witnessed with Prius?

Prius is quite unique. So don't expect a pattern or cycle. We are formulating plans along the way, responding to the bizarre circumstances of the ever-changing automotive market. We are boldly going...

By the way, in less than 100 miles, I will be exceeding the magic distance I traveled with my Classic Prius before trading it in for my HSD model: 59,827 miles. So despite my very senior status, I'm still doing stuff for the very first time.

[M. Oiseau]

I think we lost Bill to a pretzel or something.

[Rangerdavid]

Yeah, somebody better go check on Bill...............

[Starfall]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Aug 27 2006, 04:37 AM) [snapback]310058[/snapback]</div>

Do you really expect the veterans to take away the "congrats" opportunities to from those that just shook off the label of newbie?

How many times can the same old "congrats" be provided from the same old Prius owner before it no longer sounds sincere?[/b]

Good points. And, BTW, my question wasn't a criticism, merely an observation.

Having been a Usenet participant since before most people even knew there was an Internet, I followed the Free Agent/Agent newsgroup since its inception. I noticed how *it* evolved over time as more & more people discovered the program & had questions/comments about it. The subtle change in the group over time was fascinating & I guess I was merely wondering about the same changes here.

I'm exceptionally grateful for the wealth of information on this site. Indeed, I downloaded & read your .pdf Prius Users Guide before purchasing my car, John, so I'd be as knowledgeable as possible. So special thanks to you for updating it, incorporating various peoples' suggestions.

Meanwhile, M. Oiseau, do you know CPR? I mean, if Bill is an old salt, it coulda been a pretzel. <_<

[galaxee]

i think like any community, people find their own niche once they've gotten past the total-newbie status. the real new ones are still excited about their new car (or pending new car) and us older folks are far beyond the basics of learning the basics and getting optimal mpg... we're more into other things like the inner workings of things or tweaking things or very in-depth operating info. or in my husband's case, making broken prii work right again.

then there are the prius owners who almost exclusively like to hang out in FHOP and argue politics, etc.

there are all kinds around here.

[adgo82]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Aug 27 2006, 05:37 AM) [snapback]310058[/snapback]</div>

Can you point out any other still-in-production vehicle model that has been able to hold interest as strong as we've witnessed with Prius?


[/b]

Diesel cars. Check out tdiclub.com those guys are pretty hardcore.