The Rise & Fall Of The Forum - EP.66

In this episode we discuss the forums we all used to love, and what led to them becoming almost non existent. From Honda Tech to NICO Club.  Listen in and give your opinion!  

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Transcript

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Hey, and welcome back to Rayhand Drive guys. I'm Bobby. This is Aaron. Yeah, yo, and this is the podcast for guys who like Rayhand drives. And this is episode 66. And we're gonna be talking about the rise and the fall of the car form. Do the car forms do do forms in general, dude. And we'll be talking about that exactly because at one point, forums were probably us and most of the guys listening like main source of communication, buying, selling like all the above. Yeah, yeah, not just car stuff. I mean, dude, there's forms for every. Oh, for sure. The forum period is like. Yeah, it's it's a pretty insane platform. And like I first found forums whenever I was riding BMX. And there was always like these local forums. Like for these like different areas that you could join in whatever there'd always be discussions of like events and whatnot. So whenever I got into cars, I was like, okay, well, let's see what's up with the car forms. And like, yeah, it just do. Yeah, to be. Yeah. So let's rewind real quick. So, you know, who knows, maybe somebody's really young listening to this, maybe they they just weren't into it back then, whatever they're living under a rock. Yeah, what is a forum? It's. Yeah, pretty much. It's kind of like a Facebook group. Yeah, it's like, right, it's like a Facebook group. That's all. Multiple groups kind of in a sense together, right? Like the way that it was organized because some of them were very expansive. Yeah, like just it would get into things that you're like, what the heck? But also there's others that are so niche. Yeah, it's like, you know, just like the like, for instance, the D89 and Tegra forum. Yes, exactly. Right. It's like just this specific model, whereas like Honda Tech is like all of them literally all of them. Yes. So a lot of times you could find, you know, for sale, want to buy, you could find meetups, you could find technical discussion, you could find race events, you could find vendor sponsors, you could find, right? Like it was, it was a lot. You know, like on a lot of these car specific forums. Yeah. And so, okay, what was the first forum you ever signed up for and why? Very first one. Very first. So yeah, it was not car related or correlated. Let's keep it car related car related. Yeah. I want to know it might be 10 speed. 10 speed. Yes, sir. And that was for those you don't know. It was like the local middle Tennessee like car group. And I don't even really necessarily remember how found it. Maybe it was on Google I typed in my space. Maybe. I don't think it was any pre-mine. No, no, it was during the my space era. Yeah. But it was I didn't find it on my space. I think it was from Google. I just typed in Tennessee car forum or maybe I, I don't know, maybe I clicked off an ad on Craigslist. Someone link someone linked their for sale ad on the forum. And had that on Craigslist. So I was like, Oh, what's this? And I found it registered and it was kind of downhill from there. And that was like right when I was first first getting into cars. I was like. Probably 2006. No, 2000, 2000, 2006, 2007. Like it was. Yeah. Yeah. So 10 speed. Yeah, I was I was also on 10 speed when I moved to Tennessee by that time in, you know, 2010. It was for sure very developed, very bustling. Yeah, that was like the peak of it. I would think so. My first car related forum was something a forum called EP tuners, which stood for empty pocket tuners. So up here in Maine, not not EP threes. No, EP tuners, baby. No, I didn't know EP threes for me, but yeah, it was like a it was more this area, the kind of it county area. And then you know, you'd have some people from Portland, some people from Bangor, but yeah, for this area at that time. And this was 2004, 2005, 2006. Yeah. For that time, like it was like legit, you know, like for here, you know, like who ran it? Like there was a guy named Derek and he was one of those guys that was very computer like, yeah, like kind of guy. There's always that dude in the group that's like the computer guy and he always is the guy to like get it. Yeah, yeah, knows how to build a website and code stuff was into it, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's cool. So those are cool. But the problem becomes and you know, this is sidebar, but the problem becomes is these guys, you know, originally you're doing it for passion for for a guy's like us that aren't can't do that stuff. But then they end up like kind of burning out on it because they put so much love and time and you know those guys behind the computer just and then it becomes like almost like a hassle. And that's what I saw happen with the EP tuner thing was it died because it was it was a hassle for the guy eventually. You know, like start to come work. Yeah, exactly. You know for it kind of dies because yeah, now it's work. So, but yeah, my first one was EP tuner shout out to Derek if he ever listens to that. Thank you for that. Yeah. But it's okay. So, right. And so that's back in the day. And so what would what are some of the bigger car like, you know, automotive forums on the, you know, Japanese side of things Japanese cars. What would you consider some of them? Well, for me personally, like I was having a Nissan. So the ones I always went to would be what kind of dependent if I was looking for like cool builds and I don't know just kind of general stuff and like how to's I would go to Nico club. Yeah, it stands for Nissan, Nissan Infinity car owners. Yeah club. Yeah, Nico club.com. I've definitely been there. Like that's like it. I kind of look at it as like the Honda tech for Nissan's because it's like every Nissan not just two forties or not just skylines. I mean, it wasn't much Collins back in the day because like this was like an American group. It was right. It wasn't like a worldwide thing or like there was there was, you know, people that would post their Sylvia's and our chases and stuff like that. But it was kind of rare. This was more of like, you know, general they had they even had the subform for like the frontiers and all the trucks and like, yeah, I love it when you would go to one and they're go so deep into it. Yeah. And do there be people into it on every single like one. Yeah, so many posts thousands and thousands. Yeah, yeah, right. Like you said, Honda tech was a big one. I definitely purchased vehicles off from Honda tech. I got help with, you know, issues diagnosing off on the tech. Like I used. Honda tech, Honda tech, they actually ended up down in Nashville in Georgia like that group of guys ended up making a Honda tech forum to like mess with the Honda tech. Yeah, and I still have a shirt. The Honda tags. Yeah. But yeah, no, the forums really work kind of a really, I don't know, immersive experience back then as basic as they were. They were click type, you know, as basic as they were, they, they really connected. They were that first social media. If you, if you think about it, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And another good one I always went to was like, if I was looking for, you know, looking to sit car builds, trying to get inspiration or trying to find wheels and tires or any really cool like true JD and parts. Zilvia with the Z like, do not know that net. Yeah, yeah, dude. And that was that was a, that was that was the big one. That was all the West Coast dudes were on. So it was had all like all the trend setters. I guess you could say back in the day. Yeah, like, yeah, that's definitely one of the like, bill pages. Yeah, like the build threads. Yes, that was a whole thing. Right. And like, for instance, like the will fitment thread. Yeah, it was like hundreds and hundreds of pages of just like, yeah, people experimenting and being like show the cars and showing all their specs on their wheels, showing like, dude, everything. It was, it was really cool. And like, that's the thing about forums. It's like, it's not just where you go. And you just post your shit online. And it's like community. Yeah, all for sure. 100% it's like way more it like forms back in the day seems way more community than any Facebook group is now. Yeah, because there's so many distractions on Facebook period that on 10 speed.net. It was 10 speed.net. Right. You know, you were there for it. You know, so. So yeah, like on on a different note, you know, I've lived around a bit. You could say and so like I talked about EP tuners was up here in Maine. And, you know, I was a part of the 10 speed community when I lived in Tennessee. And so when I lived in Colorado, I was very heavy into the evos and STIs. And it's a very at least back then. And, you know, we're talking 2007, 2008, 2009. And, you know, it was very like all will drive center community like like rear will drives not even really much thing. Some from will drives haunted of course, you know, but all will drive was king over there. And so the. And this also connects to what you said earlier, the look like forums. There was local forums too. You know, like we're talking about and. And so that was the beauty of it is you could get on like you were saying, EVO M or something. And you can look up stuff on your EVO. But then you can also go to the local form that has to do that with that as well and get local help. And so in Colorado, they had one form called all will drive pirates. Yeah. And that was like the big form in that area. And it was all all will drive guys and you know tons of because of course there's a ton of shops over there that work on these cars. They put the 35 ours on the on the 463 for the military guys, you know. So, shout out to them. Yeah. So we get the money. That was cool being a part of like local communities and then national communities and imagine some of the friendships that were like created just through forums. Yeah. Like you never even meeting each other maybe ever for years, but the friendships that were made just by connecting through that forum. It really was like a special place for I mean, I don't know what 15 years, I'm sure, you know, maybe a little longer of course for other things. But yeah, it's kind of what I'm friends with people on Facebook still to this day that. From the forums and I might have met him once or twice, I'm sure you're the same way. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's kind of like dude, I met once at a car meet for five minutes in 2008. Still friends with us still friends. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And like so what I found was for like one of the best things I love the forums for was selling and buying because now dude, you got marketplace, you got a bunch of dreamers, you got people just scrolling and clicking and messaging. It is and so the forum really narrowed that down. Yes, you still got tire kickers, you still got flickers, whatever. But they were genuinely interested in your car enough to go to the forum, right scroll, find it, click it, you know, and we've done that dude. Yeah, and so I found that really beautiful like I purchased two civic type Rs and an EG six SIR off from a Honda tech and I sold multiple vehicles as well. And so it was awesome dude because that person. Yeah, I think there's no fear anything. There's no fear in like that person. The buyer and the seller are both going to this website like intentionally right it's not unintentional and all going to waste this guy's time. It's like you were looking for that. So that was one thing I really liked was the buying and selling aspect of it, you know, on top of course the technical right like that into this like you said to this day. Dude, you Google whatever how to change out the VTEC silenoid on a B18. What do you think's coming up? Do you talk to tag on a tag dude right right you say that because I do it. It's crazy dude the other day. I forgot what I should have. But I research some issue on my R32 and it popped up some I think it was SA you. I see that it's all strolling in Australian GTR website and it was this dude like back in 2009 having the same issue and like add the fix and everything I'm like holy cow like. That's cool. Yeah, it is cool right like it is still out there. I know because and like dude all this stuff is like. Oh yeah dude so far back like right I was yeah I was looking something about the R33 and dude yeah dude like 90. So old dude I'm like this is insane in the way they're kind of talking about it like when you read the really old ones the way they're kind of talking about it and everything you're like Jesus is a freaking time machine. You know complete proper. They kind of are like. I don't know I mean some of those that I don't understand how like storage works in that sense but like. Oh they're just sitting on servers like like some of this info and some of this just conversation is just sitting like where just on a server somewhere and then. It's just chilling until someone doesn't pay the bill yeah like is that what happens yeah right now are right like well because which will get into later. The company that owns them is that's how they're still getting their traffic that's how they're still getting their traffic right because otherwise. All that money they invested is gone so we'll talk about that in a few but. And WP for life for life that was definitely one of my favorites because it was more of I mean it was national but it was more of a cally like yeah yeah yeah. A cally one right it was like definitely their regional one but ended up national because of how sick it was do like all the because this is a haunt this is another Honda one you know and all of the hitters were on there like. Like anyone everyone had that sticker on their back window oh yeah because that was like yeah that was it right there and. Same thing so you would get a lot better quality for sale section on N WP then you would on Honda tech Honda tech would have a lot of like you know the maybe lesser or not as clean stuff and yeah and but dude N WP you would get like these just. Yes absolutely you know I know some of the boys listening have been on these sites and you know and WP for life and all that and yeah you I mean dude the beef the beef that would happen your your free your free one of those dudes do we found it you found it the other day. I got on 10 speed and just search my old username and it was just wild reading some of the post I was just like holy cow who is this kid like you're like wow all this trash do you know right you're like. Like a real it's dude like time machine seriously just sitting there because like yeah it really took me back and then after I was like oh yeah wait let me find my old build thread and then like. Maybe Lane yeah yeah you're stolen yeah like wow dude and looking at the dates I'm just like holy cow where did. Where did I go where yeah where time go yeah now I agree and. It is cool to look back on and and they are still an asset they're just not nearly nearly is dominant as they once were like I'll see like you know I'll go on a few every once in a while and I'll see like yeah somebody posted whatever 272 days ago or. Whatever and it's no he doesn't even get a reply on what it was you know so. The it's just not active anymore yeah you know but the archives are still there and that is like a library almost between all these sites it's it's a library of just trial and error and like things going wrong and multiple people stepping in trying to help and then it was actually something they never considered but they still try you know or they solve it but yeah I mean those. Archives are are definitely value. Zilvia's back up well I got on the Zilvia a few months ago and it was like. It's active not at the point at once was but like. There's still people posting in the first cell threads were kind of recent like wow that's just. This is kind of cool this is like a resurgence of it like yeah could they come back right I think I think whenever COVID came around people got back on. Because of the time right like and that's what I mean about Facebook right it's all in one so like you're it's very easy to just click on the group real quick you know whatever as opposed to going you know they're the forms are kind of clunky right but. That was part of the beauty right yeah so so okay so the rise now the fall of the form so. Of course everybody's going to think you know mostly the same stuff right like the obvious Facebook groups right Facebook marketplace like we've kind of discussed and all in one type of thing that. Makes it easier you don't got to leave the app right go to your group so but beyond that. Reddit I think like it right it's a form pretty much you know so yeah for. For anything right and so there's right so they kind of took all of that and like brought it into one and I don't I still don't think personally not really a right a guy. So I would prefer the old school form yeah like an app for it you know that would just be good good for me right like over going on right. Which I think they have that like near the end I remember. Yeah me too yeah so like I mean I'm sure right and so so red it's one of the things and then. You know if you think about like Craigslist also it came along you know after forms were really you know then Craigslist comes up bumping and. One thing I don't think a lot of people know in what I was talking to you about earlier is. Don actually filled me in about this and what it happened is. There were these guys that designed for software and it. And it got popular but then they started buying forums that weren't on their software that were big and they started in implementing their software and. What ended up happening is it was very susceptible to bots and so. I know like there's plenty of guys probably listening that one of their favorite forums to this happen to all of a sudden there's all these corny ads and like fake posts and. The bottom farm yeah it just constant you know and so what does that do that overwhelms moderators right then then they're all set it like you know turns off the. Usual user it. Crowds the whole feed with that so you can't find the build thread that of your favorite dude like so it it kind of. Seal put the nail in the coffin right like that instability with the new ownership and like that software really kind of drove people away I remember remember 10 speed it happened. I have to a lot of local ones at around the same time because I remember it kind of being a big deal yeah because people are like oh like. What is the water is worth the website selling and like who's getting paid and like all this weird weird stuff and I'm like. Yeah okay it was fine for a while and then you know I don't know if I was even still around necessarily on the forums once they like completely fizzled out but like yeah not mean either I moved on kind of. Yeah like probably twenty. 14 15 or so yeah I was already. Definitely moved on yeah so like these these guys they bought all of these forms at like. The height right yeah and then. Dude imagine right like you do the software you make this money and get investments you buy these forms because now you're going to take in all of that revenue. And then Facebook and like these things right now and then do it just like tanks like off the deep end nobody could have really predicted it like unless you were deep into the research on like what was the news you know so. Dude now now what right because they're getting what one five percent of the traffic they once were yeah it's kind of insane. They're not making what's what I don't know will there be like a research people going back to the forums you know the old like nostalgia yeah maybe you know what I mean maybe certain groups of car guys but like not the general public right just it would it would be. Certain people and and what would have to happen is it would have to be a really loved one and then the old geez will have to get on it right and then that would. And then that will attract all of like ill trickle down yeah but if the old geez don't support it or are an active on it it won't because what like. You just go to Instagram or whatever right yeah you're that's funny like you say Instagram because the other day I was just scrolling through Instagram on the explore page or whatever and. Came across somewhere for forget the name at the moment but. I recognize it as someone's old form form name yeah yeah or like for instance like understeer king that was yeah you know user name as well from that dude so he's an OG yeah yeah whenever I came across among Instagram I was like oh yeah that's right. And it's yeah pretty funny yeah just see these user names around and these people are still around still in the game and still going by that yeah no for sure it is pretty wild and. I think it's crazy longevity of some of the people you know overall like this culture and and like these a lot of us right the longevity that we've been able to keep this passion and like continue to strive towards it you know from the form days to the IG and the face but you know it's. Still going you know which is definitely sweet so I mean what is the future because the rise everybody loved everybody is using it the fall all the new tech and all the new stuff came now. How in your opinion how do they get out of this how do they how does forms as a whole how do they. Get back in the game yeah how do they get back in it yeah how do they end yeah or or what what's like the future is for me tell me something I don't know I mean it could go those three ways right like people could go back to them because of the nostalgia and the knowledge that's in there you know their thing that they were into when they were on the forms like for example 34 GTRs are now coming right and they're like a new thing that and you would you would have thought all this. The really that because that info was on there but again I mean I guess the groups dude right you just type that in there I mean Nico club might be still popping I don't know having wind of that one but so yeah I mean I think people come back to them or you know groups was just still be. The thing yeah that's hard but I don't know I feel like Facebook is too personal for forms like yeah Facebook is too personal for forms you know what I mean yeah you get a user name yeah all that so. For him you know just like you did back in the day you could hide behind that screen yeah I was I was showing up all the beats. Yeah I feel like that because it was like a community and that was like how I was. You indicated yeah for sure yeah I mean I think what do you think I don't know I mean I I don't know it's hard because I know that like you said things cost money and if no money is coming in where does that money come from right and so what keeps them there if it doesn't. Do what you were talking about and have a resurgence then it goes away it will go away because no one's going to pay for that just so that you can google you know whatever how to re thread this you know right in your skyline yeah so you can have it because of that one view that they get from you and even if they're getting whatever you know couple thousand views on on that one article a year that's still not. It's not enough overall right yeah I don't understand how some of these they got to get paid because the server fees maintenance fees all that type of thing so I mean I don't really see him coming back I am super sad because like I said earlier they're like a library and like the library disappears yeah you got to Facebook group I get it but like these people like the OGs that were posting on these forums and like. Spit true knowledge yeah that'll be gone and dude there's no algorithm or anything on forums yeah it's all by yeah it's all real it's all time as you search it's all in order of time yeah it was very very like I know you could call even analog I guess yeah which is where give me everything is now where it's like oh hey this is everything we think you want to look at so here you go it's like no it's it is what it is what the community actually put out there is what your Jones and everyone you miss it so bad forums right now yes seriously I'm going back so yes we miss you forums we miss you would you would you say that we miss you forums we miss the real engagement the real bonds that were created the real answers that were given the community the community the focused community and we wish you would come back but if you don't we enjoyed you while you're here yeah yeah I don't forget those days no but yeah we figured we we'd run it up on the forums we were chatting about it like he said he went down memory lane on 10 speed and and we're like hey we should we should throw that in there because that was a huge part of a lot of people's car come up yeah like is the forum yeah mine was for sure part of mine and you know so many parts on my cars were forum parts yeah and and I do love how they were so focused so you could find like that spoon valve cover because it was on NWP right you know I mean you knew to go to NWP looking yeah I do I do miss that but for episode 66 make sure you check out at our HD GUIS on all the socials hit us up for the merch Showways and I'm Bobby. This is Aaron.- See ya. - Peace.