I don't think that we should abolish other builds that aren't showrod related, but rather make an off topic category for non show rod builds. Not all TD designs are all showrods and I think that we should always include his other work as well.
I just posted an El Camino funny car that TD designed in the complete projects section. Cars like that should still be acceptable in my opinion.
I totally agree with this! We need an "off-topic" section again. I think that would solve the problem. And NO, I don't think we need to remove all non-showrod threads, nobody has that kind of time anyway! Poor Paul and Brandon!!! LOL. I should have kept my mouth shut....
Just my two cents, but I think the off-topic section idea is a good and valid one. My take on all this is that, yes, Dave's site and this one were both established as being all about showrods --
and I have no issue with that (believe it or not) and I like that idea -- but what I don't want to see go away is lateral thinking.
To me, showrods are and were all about lateral thinking!
(People that study the human mind and how it works use those terms. I'm just stealing those terms, and applying them here.)
Those folks feel that the equal-but-opposite side of lateral (or outside the box) thinking is something called vertical thinking.
That is, being very strict about never introducing something new. If it's an idea that has already been done, (vertical thinking says) then it's good. If they haven't seen it before: well, it's a short hop, skip and jump to "anything new is automatically bad".
If we can avoid going THAT far, then I think we'll be doing okay.
And I think we're avoiding that, with these new forum changes.
(As for my off-topic threads: moderated deletion is fine by me; but if it's worth moving any of it over, that's okay too.)
"Live births" of new showrods are going to be rare. Ideas don't come easy; and showrod designers have been borrowing from each other's imaginations for half a century, already. Coming up with genuinely new takes on old ideas is going to be HARD!
I think that's one reason why people are -- no offense! -- maybe getting a little bored with what they're seeing; and no longer being all that active, at building show rods. They're building other things -- perhaps not so much as a rejection of showrods, but as a way for individuals to take time to brainstorm up new ideas.
If we kill that brainstorming process, or don't want to see it -- will new takes on the showrod theme ever happen? I'm doubting it.
A related complication is that some people (myself included) just
do not have the complete set of skills it would take, to make the ideas that we see in our heads. Or we lack the time; or whatever. That's a common (and valid) refrain, too, these days.
What I'm thinking of, on that, is things like bubbletops. I've done a bit of vacu-forming work before, but never on clear plastic -- until earlier this month. By researching the subject more, I found out that clear "PET-G" plastic had a great reputation for being easy to work with, on vacu-forming clear canopies / bubbletops / whatever. I bought some. Replaced the open flame (camp stove burner thingie) I had been using with a small toaster oven that I dedicated to the purpose of vacu-forming stuff. And now, after a lot of work researching materials and techniques: I can make my own vacu-formed pieces, for scratchbuilt / heavily modded stuff. But before this month, I couldn't do that. So, there was no hope of me making anything with a bubbletop, prior to this month. I'm thinking that a lot of us are in that boat; or in a similar boat.
I think one reason people aren't building more showrods -- and this, along with everything else I'm saying, is just my 2 pesos -- is that they're bored with some of the ideas once generated. The fact that some "core" kits aren't built and painted, speaks to that. I'm not saying that's as it should be; just "as it is". Those kits that never get built apparently just don't hold much interest for people; in the numbers it would take to "make them popular".
As long as I'm saying unpopular things, I may as well add two other ideas -- in the spirit of helping
protect this site's long term future; not in any way trying to bash it! -- that I have watched happen, but that very few people dare to touch on.
One is that some of us "write long" and/or love seeing works-in-progress ... while others seem to want the "three word version" of everything. Frankly, those who do have the ability to write in a certain depth, may want to publish what they have to say, in some other place. It feels weird, at times, to me, to post here. It's almost like there's an unspoken prejudice against literacy!? Anything that goes on for more than a few sentences, seems to get a bad "fan reaction" of sorts. It's almost like it's a rule that if a person can form complete sentences / paragraphs / trains of detailed thought, that such a person is somehow a pest. That they're being an inconvenience towards other site members. It is what it is, and I try to adapt accordingly -- but realistically, that means I'm only going to post things that won't offend others (as far as length of text goes, I mean) ... and anything "meaty" is a thing that I'll feel much more comfortable, publishing elsewhere.
(Later edit / addition: I wasn't going to say this, but I've had private comments From Above in the past, complementing me on the idea of being able to string complete sentences together, etc. and of sometimes going a bit beyond the norm, in terms of the amount of work being done to produce some result or other. It is the habit of those running these boards not to be critical; but it is also a human trait that some things aren't seen as being "good" and others are seen as being "slightly better" and on up to whatever the ultimate is, in a particular field. Some folks want a quick snack, over and over. Others want a big meal. It just is what it is -- and I have no clue what to do about such things.)
Just sayin'. Not trying to rile anyone up: it's just something I have noticed over the years. Long posts (by I'net standards) seem to be looked down on; and those of us capable of being published in things like print magazines or books, may not feel comfortable in publishing things that go beyond "quick snacks" on the I'net in general. So, that means a certain amount of potentially good and useful content may never be seen here. (Again: just sayin'.)
In short -- and with sincere apologies for saying it, at all! -- lazy audience members who just want a short / quick / daily fix, of seeing pretty pictures, may accidentally be chasing away people who could potentially add significantly to the mix here. I'm guilty of wanting to see pretty pictures, too, so I'm not knocking
that. What worries me is that I'm seeing way too much of that desire, with very little (by my standards, anyway) of "meaty" stuff being widely desired. It's very easy, at times, to forget that people who post pictures of extremely detailed projects, spent a LOT of time on those projects ... and can't just immediately "give me more". Simply put (and, again: apologies!) if all a person who publishes something very detailed here is going to get is a few fleeting "kewl" type of comments, they may not publish here.
What I'm trying to say is: I feel this site may run the risk of not encouraging the people who COULD add a lot to the site, IF they felt motivated to do so. The quick-fix habit may chase them away; to one degree or another. Further limiting site contributions may be well intended ... but the amount of new stuff may trickle in. As that happens, quick-fixer's may wander off to greener pastures. If the site survives that, years down the road, maybe it'll cause a more robust series of discussions. Or maybe it'll just fade away.
The other big thing I see, that seems almost to be a forbidden topic, is that there are only a handful (relatively speaking) of folks out there, willing to put all sorts of work into this hobby -- and then, for free and with a lot of additional work involved (doing things like uploading and hosting photos, for instance) -- sharing their work with others. I've seen it in other hobbies, that there ends up being a huge group of "consumers" wanting "product"; and only a tiny (and increasingly over-worked) "producers". At some point, based on what I've seen elsewhere, those workers who are supplying everyone else's jollies, find other things to do. It simply becomes too much work and too little reward, for them. Some go away with big fanfare. Others quietly fade away. But at some point there's nothing left but consumers, lamenting the good old days when their needs were being met more often. A few newbies try, for a while, to supply that need -- and quit, in short order: because they too figure out it's not very rewarding.
Wrapping up: I want to see new showrod designs, too. And to see the oldies-but-goodies built and painted to high standards.
But people will have to realize that's not a quick or easy feat! It will take time. And I worry that some folks lack that patience.
Meanwhile, though: I hope this site has a great showrod future -- but I only see that happening if both short term and long term needs are balanced out well; and the producers feel rewarded.
A place for brainstorming up new ideas was needed -- and now one exists: the section for off-topic builds. That's fabulous! Also, there's the recently created section about tips and tricks and techniques. I see the two, together, as a fertility clinic of sorts.
Between those two new sections, I think the odds are good of seeing future showrods being generated. "Eventually". In the short term, I hope everyone's patient; and kind to each other.
Just my two cents ... adjusted for the usual inflation, etc.
-- Ward Shrake --