I created a DeLorean Owners closed Facebook group.

[Jonathan]

Mentioned a couple times in various places... the question of how or why can't online forums, pages or interactions be more like they are in the pub or real life?

To me it is simple... because what happens online is not real life.

Emoticons and sarcasm fonts can't replace reading body language or a grin or change in eye contact or any number of other things. If you have the use of a backspace button while you are "communicating" it has no similarities to the real world.

Not to mention the lack of consequences... online that is. In the real world though very little of the nonsense that goes on online would be tolerated. Funny enough to see once in a while someone's online persona show up at a workplace and moderator is replaced by manager and getting "banned" is replaced by getting fired.

[rdarlington]

I've been on various online chat systems since the 80s so I feel quite differently than you. Get a couple decades practice in and you might feel differently.

[Dangermouse]

I am genuinely curious. Why would, or could, an owner be more sociable, or funny, on a FB page than in the Open Discussion section of this forum. Most people here are owners, so you would end up with the same audience in either place?

I have seen other forums what have a giant "whatever goes" thread where members can vent, ask obscure questions, etc, etc, often with 10s of thousands if posts. Should we have one here.

[rdarlington]

I think the answer to that is intuitively obvious to some. Perhaps not so for others. If it's not for you, well then it's not for you.

[Dangermouse]

Thanks Bob, that's very helpful.

[Michael]

I am genuinely curious. Why would, or could, an owner be more sociable, or funny, on a FB page than in the Open Discussion section of this forum. Most people here are owners, so you would end up with the same audience in either place?

I have seen other forums what have a giant "whatever goes" thread where members can vent, ask obscure questions, etc, etc, often with 10s of thousands if posts. Should we have one here.

I have been tempted to start a v-bulletin based site just for this. It would be called "DeloreanpoliticalTalk" or DMCPolitics, or OffTopicDeLoreans or something along those lines. Anything to fill the gap left here.

[Dangermouse]

Surely DMCToday is open for that business?

I guess I didn't get that this FB page was for political stuff.

[Jonathan]

You know, on second thought, maybe the online world IS a lot more like real life than I thought it was.

If the idea is why we don't all understand each other's sense of humor, have the same opinions on politics, car repairs, or people, or why sometimes we can't be civil with each other, this IS what we see out in the real world.

I don't know of a lot of pubs, workplaces, club meetings, sports leagues or family gatherings where everyone is on the same page with every subject. Shoot, I can think of some friends or family that know exactly where your sense of humor is coming from yet others wouldn't understand what the joke is to a "Farside" cartoon if you explained it five times to them. And everyone getting along? We know that doesn't happen in the real world either.

That advice I heard again recently of just ignore it if you don't agree is good here and out on the street. Like Dale Carnegie said 75 years ago, the only sure fire way to win an argument is to avoid it.

[Rich_NYS]

You know, on second thought, maybe the online world IS a lot more like real life than I thought it was.

If the idea is why we don't all understand each other's sense of humor, have the same opinions on politics, car repairs, or people, or why sometimes we can't be civil with each other, this IS what we see out in the real world.

I don't know of a lot of pubs, workplaces, club meetings, sports leagues or family gatherings where everyone is on the same page with every subject. Shoot, I can think of some friends or family that know exactly where your sense of humor is coming from yet others wouldn't understand what the joke is to a "Farside" cartoon if you explained it five times to them. And everyone getting along? We know that doesn't happen in the real world either.

That advice I heard again recently of just ignore it if you don't agree is good here and out on the street. Like Dale Carnegie said 75 years ago, the only sure fire way to win an argument is to avoid it.