My Lowly Opinion

[LuckyBoyOne3]

After reading all of this... ...the appearance from the blog is that the guys have moved beyond garage dwellers and parking lot meets to something very elite... ...spend a little more time connecting with the community instead of always advancing it...

Couldn't have said it better.

Thank you Motocaddy.

[LuckyBoyOne3]

I am glad that my opinion has sparked a healthy debate. But this is not a thread to slander this site, or any other site, any person or group of persons. It is a thread of opinion, specifically my opinion, but others have shown it is not too far off from their own.

One thing that makes absolutely no sense is to why Elvis and/or Stance Nation were even brought into this conversation. I have personally known Elvis for many years, he is a great guy, a family man, and a passionate car builder, like many of us. Yes, he has a competing blog and forum, but there is plenty of space on the internet for a little friendly competition, this site was not the first Stance/Fitment oriented page, and it's surely not the last in this growing niche.

Mike, I saw the reply you posted on a wall post yesterday before you removed it and replaced it with a comment less likely to be construed as negative, I thought about that comment all night. I couldn't agree more. I have been rather inactive on the site for sometime now, and with that have not participated in molding it into what it has become, and therefore have no grounds to complain about the outcome.

A fabrication that seems to have popped up is the discredit toward the amount of work that it takes to run everything. I know what it takes to put on a show, I know what it takes to maintain site, I know what it takes to participate in the community... I to am involved in all of these aspects of the automotive community, and on top of all that, we all have family and friends to maintain relationships with. As I said before, I appreciate having the outlet and resources the entire team worked hard to provide.

I feel that just like this entire thread, the focus has shifted. I could go on and on about how I don't feel leather driving gloves, Lambo's, HRE's, and other exotic overpriced things do not belong on a site that I thought is about builders, but it seems I will continue to get the same results... I was warned it would happen if I made my opinion public, and it was nothing short of reality.


Also, this is not a lets kiss ass and try to score some points or lets drive up our post count thread. If you don't have anything constructive to the conversation to say, then go hit up the random thread.

[motocaddy]

After reading all of this, I want to say everyone, on all sides of this discussion, should be commended for keeping it respectful and articulating their thoughts.

I still think S|W is the greatest online community going and am proud to be a part of it. However, I can see how some OGs might be concerned. S|W is still close to its core, but where is it headed? To those who came when it was about garage builds in Tennessee, it's hard to relate to driving gloves, importing Lambos from Japan for photoshoots and events at coastal country clubs in SoCal.

I honestly think it has everything to do with appearance. I don't think anyone here questions the character or motivation of Mike, Andrew or Ben; but at the same time, none of us really know what's going on behind the scenes. I was suprised to read that the guys are locked away working on the site so much and enduring such a meager lifestyle. That's definitely something most of us can identify with and makes me want to support S|W all that much more.

However, the appearance from the blog is that the guys have moved beyond garage dwellers and parking lot meets to something very elite. The guys are incredibly skilled and motivated, and in their efforts to make each event or blog entry bigger and better; it becomes harder for some of us to identify with. Personally, I think the solution is very simple: spend a little more time connecting with the community instead of always advancing it. Perhaps there should be a thread to correspond to every blog entry. That way the S|W team can share a little more about the motivation and experiences that go with each blog post and the community can interact, instead of just being impressed.

[ratmog]

That. Was. Beautiful. (tear... sniffle...) <3 Seriously tho, well said I agree completely.

Told you they were heartless souls!

[stinkinrich]

I could sit here and write my thoughts for hours, but I don't need to.
Its just real good to be part of a community that shares the same aspirations with fellow car enthusiasts.

I haven't been here from the start, but there's no doubt that from the vibe we all get from the founder(s), whoever you may be and who I would love to meet some time, your vision hasn't altered in the slightest.

Im in the stance malarkey for the long haul.

[skrapez]

After having read through this and witnessed people making sense on the internet, I have two responses;

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk129/slayercat27/KittenThread.jpg

and;

I joined S|W for the community and the fact that nobody really gave a shit that my car wasn't what they wanted - and even though my build has been on hold since the 1800s I've had nothing but good feedback and ideas from the members here. (RT you don't count you heartless souls ; I really enjoy the blog and browsing the many many posts that are up on the forums every day. I enjoy the quick responses and discussions and how not every thread is an argument VW vs BMW or Hondabois JDMMING it up, yo. Every member does what he or she wants to do, and has fun with it. I like that.

Sure the blog has deviated a bit and delved occasionally into a lifestyle only some of us dare dream of, but does that really matter? S|W is successful and is run by people with excellent networking - that is going to happen. Brush it off, get on with it and continue making the forum the best it can be.

Having run a website or two in the past I can only imagine what it takes to keep this place going. Makes my head hurt thinking of it!

That. Was. Beautiful. (tear... sniffle...) <3 Seriously tho, well said I agree completely.

[ratmog]

After having read through this and witnessed people making sense on the internet, I have two responses;



and;

I joined S|W for the community and the fact that nobody really gave a shit that my car wasn't what they wanted - and even though my build has been on hold since the 1800s I've had nothing but good feedback and ideas from the members here. (RT you don't count you heartless souls ; I really enjoy the blog and browsing the many many posts that are up on the forums every day. I enjoy the quick responses and discussions and how not every thread is an argument VW vs BMW or Hondabois JDMMING it up, yo. Every member does what he or she wants to do, and has fun with it. I like that.

Sure the blog has deviated a bit and delved occasionally into a lifestyle only some of us dare dream of, but does that really matter? S|W is successful and is run by people with excellent networking - that is going to happen. Brush it off, get on with it and continue making the forum the best it can be.

Having run a website or two in the past I can only imagine what it takes to keep this place going. Makes my head hurt thinking of it!

[Jedidiah]

SW has not sold out, sure they have more sponsors, but they are just that, SW has an actual relationship with the company's who sponsor it.

I really appreciate this response because it has taken almost 3 years to develop these relationships. We have been very particular about the companies SW associates with, and have turned down more opportunities then I care to admit for the sake of the community. We pride ourselves on working with some of the best in the industry and helping these companies develop products for everyone within SW.

These relationships take a lot of time to to build and to manage as well. While Andrew, Mike and I might not be on the forums as much as we would like, I can more then assure you that the best interest of the community is paramount over other aspects of decision making. Looks can be deceiving, and while it might seem like we are raking in cash, the reality is that we struggle to figure out how to pay bills each month just like a lot of you do I'm sure. In the end though, I wouldn't change it for a minute because it's been a privilege watching and helping this community grow.

We are going to continue to evolve and strive to be the most original and best in everything we do, refusing to settle for the status-quo. Hopefully everyone that truly cares about SW's well-being will see that.

Ben

[FluidMotorUnion]

Choosing to take your car one step above is passion.
Spending a weekend surrounded by PB Blaster and MIG splashback is passion.
Having an opinion so strong that you're willing to stand up and voice it is passion.
Getting into arguments and defending your personal aesthetic is passion.
Giving others support keeps the passion alive.

This place was founded on the the notion that passion is what drives us to do better things and create new pathways in life. It doesn't matter what your reasons are, or why, but if you're here, you're passionate about the same things the rest of us are. That passion may take different forms from one person to the next, but it's in all of us.

It doesn't matter if HRE makes wheels we'll never be able to afford, they have serious passion for creating some of the most well-made wheels on the planet, and it shows in the quality of craftsmanship. If that doesn't make them fit in here, I don't know what does.

The point I'm trying to make is this: What brought us here in the first place is very much alive. It may have changed shape, but it's still the same underlying idea, and will continue to be. Passion is what drives us. While the means may change, the end remains the same.

[SmokeyTheBear]

SW has not sold out, sure they have more sponsors, but they are just that, SW has an actual relationship with the company's who sponsor it. Look at SN, the blog is littered with Google advertisements for company's like Autozone or Allstate. When SN wanted more money they went to Google AdSense and slapped a bunch of adds on the site. SW took the time to grow and attract companies that not only were willing to sponsor the site but also produce quality products that align with the "stance" rational.

As for the Bagged Lambo on Retro HRE wheels, I grinned like a fucking idiot for like 30 minutes as a drooled over the car. The ridiculousness of the car was exactly what i would expect from SW. An undriveable 600 hp car? fuck yes. I'm sure Lambo purists everywhere were like WTF???

[Riskant]

.

[Exami]

Let me say, as reading this topic. I Felt the first post. Still after all these years as been on this forum reading & posting. I can still see the respect for those who build in low budgets like people on NoPokemonShit.

And just surfing around "Builds" you can see the roots!

For Sponsoring community like this: Its nice to see companies sponsor communities. Those keep these alive.

[Stephen]

It's a ranking, the lower number the better. StanceWorks is the 50,000th most traveled site, StanceNation is the 150,000th.

[PavelK313]

yes?

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/stanceworks.com#

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/stancenation.com

I must be retarded or missing something.

The bottom line is that SW is Epic and SN is POS.
Goodnight gentlemen...

[Stephen]

yes?

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/stanceworks.com#

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/stancenation.com