[Jazzbass]

What RL said - I'm with him 100%. This site was started and is starting to evolve away from a place where good friends can talk with each other, throw some smack around, go driving, and basically cut through all the bullshit and pretense. To me, I've always seen this BBS as just an internet version of standing around at someone's engine drop BSing and drinking beer. I would never say anything online that I wouldn't say to someone's face, but thing thing I like about this place is I can say something online that I WOULD say to someone's face and know it won't be misconstrued for anything more than the BS that it really is.

For the those here who made themselves the defacto hall monitors - around here, take everything very lightly. Maybe there should be a disclaimer. That was the original mentality of this board and I hope it will remain so. When I (or anyone here that I know personally, which is most of the regular posters) am on the track, I am very serious. Its not a joke, there is no smack talk, I listen to the instructor, follow directions, and show them the respect they deserve for having the cojones to strap themselves into the right seat and try to teach me how to drive. I know for a fact several people here have already formed opinions of various regulars here based on their posts, and without actually knowing them in person. Let me say this - unless you know the person personally, hold your prejudice until you meet them. Then form and opinion - you might be surprised. The bad thing now is that there has been a lot of toning down of posts because there is a fear that the PCA instructors here, who don't come to Dorki events and don't know us personally, will get the wrong idea from this and already have preconceived notions about how we are going to behave on the track.

The main thing about the BBS that makes it different than Rennlist or Pelican is that everyone here who is an old timer or a regular poster, knows each other personally. We have been to each other's houses, drank each other's beer and come here to joke around. This is why, for example, John Brady knew I was joking about putting slicks on my car for my first DE. This is also why we often reply to each other using *real* names, not screen names, and why when someone posts here for the first time under a fake name the first response is usually "What is your real name".

This is not a place for anonymity or lurkers like Pelican. Nothing against the lurkers, but I'm not here posting for their benefit and I don't feel like "toning it down" or taking their misunderstandings into accout when I do post. Personally, I find the thought of some lurker reading a joke I made about running slicks at my first DE and then (without asking or talking to anyone else) coming to SP with his own set, freakin' hilarious. Like I said - this is a place where I come to discuss Porsche things with my friends, and if a joke is misunderstood by a lurker, then that is their problem, not mine. If they get involved, go to some engine drops or fun runs and meet the people here, they'd learn people's personalities and know what is a joke and what is not. They'd know what is just smack talking and hot air BSing between friends. And if they don't? Well, then screw'em. This is not the official PCA site, and I don't want to be forced to only espouse PCA approved doctrine and warm, fuzzy PCness in my posts. If that becomes the case, I'll simply stop posting, and so will most of the other old timers who made this place what it is. And then Dorkiphus will become PCA Porsche Talk.

Finally, ditto what RL said about the flaming PMs on this subject - post it here. There has been a lot of these floating around lately, so in the interest of open debate, I intend on posting any PM on this subject to this thread. So if you want to call me an asshole, do it here.