Hey everyone, Being an avid prius chatter...and trying to both learn from others more experienced and then passing that knowledge to newbies, I have noticed that a lot of people have still not updated their profiles to include their year, package, and location. This causes us to have to re-ask the same questions over and over (I can't tell you how many times I have seen myself and others have to ask to poster what year and what package they have!). This is a big waste of time...and a lot of the offenders are repeat offenders! So I am calling for a boycott of those who refuse to update their profiles. Please if you see a post where they have not listed this information, kindly remind them that no questions will be answered with out this information in their profile (it is not good enough that they just add it to their post...as they will keep doing it that way!). C'mon, updating your profile is so simple and completely anonymous! Please help us all! OK - rant over....any comments? P.S. Danny, is there anyway to make this mandatory?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jun 30 2006, 06:50 PM) [snapback]279360[/snapback]</div> OH! OH! - it's the profile police. However, I agree.
OK. I'll play devil's advocate. Being a newbie & not a regular, I may see things from a rather different perspective. I joined this forum because I perceived it to be a very warm, welcoming, inclusive place. I certainly understand that some people are not too anxious to share information. Listing what year model does seem reasonable but the package number is another matter (why would anyone ask questions about the navigation system unless one had it, for example?). Enforcing the listing of such information might appear to some to be a bit harsh, however, & could turn out to be counterproductive. Making people do things could be less effective than say, just not responding to their posts if it's an annoyance or a frustration. Just let other people respond. If making this information madatory rather than voluntary turns away even one person who could otherwise contribute to this forum & thus make it richer, more varied, maybe such a policy could have its drawbacks. Judging from the pictures from users' groups posted here, I realize I'm a woman participating in a predominantly men's forum & men are much more attached to their cars - almost an extension of the soul. If I'm the minority voice in this discussion, I will certainly understand. Status: Still awaiting my 2006 Prius.
I disagree. What's wrong with having the information in the post should it be necessary? The vast majority of the posts on here have absolutely nothing to do with location, at least. Car specs would be helpful a bit more often, I suppose. I'd update mine with the specs but last I looked location was mandatory and I would prefer not to include that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lil Mo @ Jun 30 2006, 06:18 PM) [snapback]279433[/snapback]</div> What should we ask to seee first???
my thoughts are that if they don't have it in the profile, they should include relevant info in their post. location info is often important in answering mpg questions- eg someone in wisconsin will have lower mpg in the winter than someone in sunny california. also may help in directing to a reputable dealer in the area should a dealer visit become necessary. and yes, options do matter because in many cases, not only are the options added on, but things can be wired differently. so a seemingly unrelated issue may have two causes, depending on what options the car has. can't tell you how often when i ask DH about something asked here he says "nav or no?" or something along those lines...
I'm a newbie prius owner (though long time reader). I manage a chatboard for green businesses, and we prompt folks to input profile info and nudge them again and and and it still doesn't happen. go figure. If only I ran the world.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cagemo @ Jun 30 2006, 07:21 PM) [snapback]279462[/snapback]</div> Stand in line buddy. I've had my eye on Supreme Ruler of ALL for quite some time now. First thing on my agenda is that the US starts to USE the metric system. Then we get rid of daylight saving time. EVs aren't even in the top ten, believe it or not! And fleshing out the PC profile is damn near at the bottom of my list. If I had something to get worked up about regarding PC, it would be making people put something relevant in the title of a thread. "Another Newbie Question" just doesn't do it for me. I can't remember the last time that my package or location was relevant to anything I've asked.... but I know that I've skipped hundreds of posts because of poorly-worded subject lines.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jun 30 2006, 06:50 PM) [snapback]279360[/snapback]</div> Quite right. And I think you should make it mandatory that everyone's avatar is a lifelike representation of the poster. I mean, mine looks just like me!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jun 30 2006, 05:50 PM) [snapback]279360[/snapback]</div> You know Prius chat... Streamlined and efficient... no wasting of any time on here.... I agree!!! Everyone should have a fully compliant avitar that tells their life story and complete model and year info!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jun 30 2006, 08:03 PM) [snapback]279480[/snapback]</div> Hi Daronspicher.... Please update your profile Thanks
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jun 30 2006, 10:13 PM) [snapback]279486[/snapback]</div> I don't know the answers to the questions... :lol: Who am I, and what car do I drive? Can anyone help me with this?
Well, it does help when someone posts, "Why doesn't the NAV software override work?" :angry: :angry: Or "Where can I find a good dealer to get my oil changed?" :huh: Or even "Where's the AUX jack?" :blink: It takes all kinds. Some people will post a lot of information and then put up a picture of their Prius with the license place whited out.
I think that some people are afraid of the location info. I would think that most are less fearful of the car information. The location can be vague. Western Washington is vague. What we really need to know is the climate to help answer questions. Careful of some wording. Mid West has a different meaning on the Left coast than it does say in Ohio. BTW I grew up in the Mid West i.e. Ohio only to discover that I came from "back east" when I moved to the coast. Around here back east is everything to the east of the Mississippi. Mid West starts at the Mississippi but does not seem to include Wisconsin and Minnesota? West is like Utah, Colorado, Montana. South West included Texas and I grew up to understand that was part of the Old South. Fought against us in "The War of Northern Aggression" Had a good reputation as I understand it. Point is be as specific as you feel comfortable with but descriptive enough so we know what the weather and altitude are.
I'm not a big fan of the profile. I think the poster should put as much information in the post as possible to assist other in asnwering. Not enough should just result in an unanswered question. I wouldn't waste the time to ask the poster to provide more info. If I asked for more, then I would feel obligated to monitor the thread for the response and then answer the question. I am already irritated enough in my day job when someone tells me that there was an error on their computer but can't tell me what the error was and then expects me to help. I have to help there because that's where the paycheck comes from, but here I can just ignore it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Trevor @ Jun 30 2006, 10:47 PM) [snapback]279505[/snapback]</div> Ditto to that!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jun 30 2006, 08:17 PM) [snapback]279489[/snapback]</div> Well, then let me assist you: Daronspicher Republican (just had to throw that in ) 2006 Package 5 Silver Pine Mica Chicagoland (suburbs) I got all of this just by doing a simple search...so c'mon if you were really concerned about not listing this information, you would not have provided it in the threads. However, instead of having to search through threads to find this, it would have been easier just for you to have listed it (except for the Republican part...ha ha!) <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Trevor @ Jun 30 2006, 08:47 PM) [snapback]279505[/snapback]</div> Trevor, I totally agree! However, since I started the thread I was trying to be a little more diplomatic, especially for the Rookies who know no better. That's why I am asking Danny to help. People do not have to be that specific about their location...even just a region helps. Not everyone here is looking to help...some are just looking to learn...and nothing is wrong with that. I like to do both because I retain more when I teach something I just learned. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FourOhFour @ Jun 30 2006, 06:08 PM) [snapback]279426[/snapback]</div> FourOhFour, just a few weeks ago you told us that you bought in New York and then registered in Connecticut! So much for not including your location! See what I mean, we are all sharing this information anyways, so why not just list it.